Symposium recommends coal-based power generation

The international symposium on Sindh Coal (Lignite) held here recently has called upon Nepra, PPIB, Wapda to realise that development of coal energy was in the larger interests of Pakistan and not Sindh as Sindh is already surplus in power. This assertion came in the recommendations released by the symposium on Sunday.
The symposium urged the authorities to reassure policies, identify gaps and find solutions for development of indigenous resources of energy and coal. Pointing out that Thar coal is minable, the symposium recommended that mining should be taken up on war footing by choosing most economical and technically viable methods.
It called for declaring realistic and flexible upfront tariff for coal-based power projects on original coals of different coal fields. The general concuss for Thar coal tariff was for 9-10 US cents.
It emphasised upon implementation without delay of decision of the meeting held by the President of Pakistan on July 20 on Thar Coal calling upon the energy advisor for determination of upfront tariff for lignite based power projects, prepare a schedule of tariff for power projects of different sizes.
It recommended reconstitution and empowerment of technical committee of the task force on Thar coal and Sindh government approached the advisor to call meeting at the earliest in the light of recommendations of the symposium. The symposium observed that among other technical hindrance which are of minor nature, the issue of tentative tariff is main impediment in the use of Thar coal for energy.
Government of Pakistan must have political will to announce an acceptable tariff if it was at all serious to use these resources for solving energy crisis of Pakistan as it was done in 1994 when an upfront tariff opened the gates to IPPs to come to Pakistan. It recommended that PPIB should allow Sindh province to issue licenses for setting up power plants up to 200 MW instead of 50 MW, which is not viable for coal-based projects.
Representatives of FPCCI recommended that tariff on coal should be based on affordability, profitability, transparency, least dependency and involving fully the stakeholders and Wapda and KESC provide guarantees to buy coal based energy. The symposium called for taking up detailed exploration work for greater resources of Thar, to have complete picture of underground resources, rechargeability of aquifer and sustainability of underground water.
It called upon the Sindh and federal governments to facilitate mining process. It said underground gasification being reportedly a better alternate from economical and environmental point of view be examined and underground mining design must be prepared on urgent basis. The two-day symposium was inaugurated by Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim.
Fascinating papers were presented at five technical sessions and 22 presentations made highlighting the dimensions about coal with focus upon Thar coal, its exploration, tariff and qualification in terms of economic principles of demand, supply and price.At the inaugural session Dr Ing Gotz Justus from Germany had stated that coal presents the largest deposits of 175 billion metric tons in Asia and suitable for power. He had termed it better than the lignite deposits of Germany and many other world countries where it is being utilised for power.