Next 5-6 six years: energy sector to attract $8-10 billion Chinese investment, says Khuhro

Speaker Sindh Assembly Nisar Ahmad Khuhro on Wednesday said that energy sector of the province was expected to attract about $8-10 billion investment from China in the next five to six years.
Speaking at a press conference at the committee room of Sindh Assembly along with Chairman Sindh Board of Investment, Zubair Motiwala and Secretary Sindh Investment Department, Younus Dagha, he said a Chinese firm - 3 Gorgeous Corporation, had signed three MoUs with the provincial government to invest in the energy sector.
He said that Sindh government delegation's visit to China had been 'successful', as the Chinese corporation was interested in coal, wind and manufacturing of energy generation apparatuses' sectors. He said the corporation had agreed to install an energy plant at Thar coal filed to produce 4,000 MW of electricity, besides setting up a plant in Thatta to generate 400 MW power.
He said the Sindh government had also singed an MoU with United Energy Limited for initiating 150 MW project in the province. However, he made it clear that the work on these projects would take time to begin. He said that Pakistan had great potentials to attract global investments in the energy sector, but there was a need to restore the confidence of investors. He said all the MoUs were singed in Beijing.
Khuhro pointed out that India was producing 15,000 MW of electricity from wind, whereas Pakistan could not utilise the natural resource to generate even a five MW of energy. He said the PPP-led coalition government was committed to restore the foreign investors' confidence, in line with President Asif Ali Zardari's vision to develop Pakistan.
He, however, termed the political stability in the country "very significant" to the continuation of the uplift projects. He ruled out that no power generating or any other project would be rolled back on political grounds. He said the Chinese officials' delegation would soon visit Sindh province on the invitation of the government.
To a question, Dagha said the government had earmarked Rs 11 billion to build road infrastructure to Thar coal filed while Rs 21 billion allocated to establish transmission line for the supply of electricity from the field. Regarding water supply to the field, he said, a project to supply 1,100 cusec water to Makhhi filed had been undertaken.
Motiwala said Thar coal had become a provincial subject after the passage of 18th Constitutional Amendment and the federal government had no role in the decision making process regarding investment and other matters.