In order to expedite the coal development and averting energy crisis in the country a high level team of Asian Development Bank has visited the coal sites in Sindh. Sources told Business Recorder on Friday that on directives of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, the ADB had sent a team to visit the coal sites and assess the prospect of coal utilisation.
The two-member ADB team visited Thar and Badin, where coal deposits were found in huge quantity, sources said, adding that the team would prepare survey report within three months, containing suggestions for federal and provincial government for better utilisation of coal deposits.
The sources said that the objective of the report was to assist the government in setting the priorities and preparation of a roadmap that could be adopted to expedite the development and utilisation of coal reserves in Thar and Badin.
The report would also help the government in deciding overall approach the country could adopt for economic utilisation of the coal reserves, and phases in which the development could be undertaken.
It would provide: a review of the resource potential; an assessment of economics of power generation; an assessment of economics of coal to gas and coal to liquids technologies; a review of environmental issues and impacts; an assessment of investment requirements and time-frames and; an assessment of overall economics of development of indigenous coal in comparison to alternative sources of energy supply in Pakistan.
The sources said that the team reviewed the available studies, literature and data on the coal resources in the country and analysed options for development of mines, including a review of practices for similar coals and overburden conditions elsewhere in the world.
It also reviewed indicative cost of extraction of coal and comparison with delivered cost of imported coal and economics of in-situ gasification as compared to extraction and utilisation on surface.
The team had reviewed the current world-wide trends in power generation from coals similar to those available at Thar and Badin and available technologies for power generation steam, fluidised beds and gasification.
The team observed the specific issues that could impact the development costs and schedules such as availability of water in the area and cost of supplying water from sources located outside the area, and connection to power grid of the country. Other issues, the visiting team reviewed, include transport of coal as slurry or otherwise to expand the options for location of power generation and processing facilities and indicative economics of power generation inclusive of delivered cost of coal.