Managing Director, Thar Coal and Energy Board, Ajaz Ali Khan has sought the help of trade bodies to highlight Thar coal in their meetings with foreign delegations in order to attract them to invest in Thar coal sector. Speaking at a meeting of Pubic Sector, Utilities, Power and Gas sub-committee of Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Wednesday, he said that Pakistan coal resource potential is estimated to be around 186 billion tones.
Of these resources about 175 billion tones are located in Sindh province at Thar- one of the largest single coal deposit in the world. Thar coal reserves have an estimated potential of generating 100,000 MW of electricity over a period of more then 100 years. He said that this resource provides wonderful opportunity for large-scale mining and power generation over long period of time.
He said that the government of Sindh and Pakistan is committed towards provision of an enabling environment that can ensure availability of safety-valves against investment risk, provision of tenure security and evolving an integrated investment risk link of mining with power generation. He said that coal is the only cost effective and sustainable solution of load shedding for Pakistan.
He said that several infrastructure development projects are at various stages of implementation including airport at Islamkot, drinking water project, communication, road network etc. To cater for the future requirement of skilled manpower in the upcoming projects of large-scale surface mining and power generation, up gradation of the existing polytechnic institute is being carried out.
Replying to a question, he said that the second meeting of Pak-China working group is scheduled to be held in this month at China. President KCCI, Saeed Shafiq said that Pakistan suffers around Rs 288 billion loses due to power crises annually if this amount is used for industrialisation we can have 144 large scale manifesting units, 57 universities and colleges.
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