On the recommendations of the Evaluation Committee Sindh Coal and Energy department, Thar Coal and Energy Board (TCEB) has approved the allocation of Block IV of Thar Coalfield to China''s Three Gorges Corporation which will develop open pit mine of 20 million ton per year and mine mouth power plant of 3000MW in two phases.
This was stated by Zubair Motiwala, Chairman Sindh Board of Investment (SBI), while briefing the TCEB during its 14th meeting held at Chief Minister House here on Saturday. The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah.
While, Syed Naveed Qamar Federal Minister for Water and Power, Syed Murad Ali Shah Provincial Minister for Finance, M. Zubair Motiwala SBI Chairman, Imtiaz Hussain Qazi Secretary Water & Power, Raja Muhammad Abbas Chief Secretary Sindh, Rubina Saadat Qaimkhani MNA and others.
Motiwala briefed the meting about the process of third International Competitive Bidding and said that four companies China Three Gorges Corporation, Thar Coal & Power Consortia, Tae Ryun Co Ltd and Australasian Continental Energy Pvt Ltd had submitted proposals for coal mining and power generation projects in Thar. Besides these companies, a US-based Consortium Thar Pak also submitted proposal to develop coal-based projects in Thar, he added.
He said that on the recommendations of the Evaluation Committee Sindh Coal and Energy department, TCEB has approved the allocation of Block IV of Thar Coalfield to China''s Three Gorges Corporation which will develop open pit mine of 20 million ton per year and mine mouth power plant of 3000MW in two phases. In the first phase by 2016, they will develop 10 million ton per year mine and power plant of 1500MW.
He further briefed the forum about proposed projects of all companies and their technical/financial strength. On the occasion, Shahrukh Khan, Chief Executive Officer of Oracle Coalfields UK presented its detailed Feasibility Study for Coal Mining and Power Generation Project at Block VI of Thar Coalfield. Oracle Coalfields, UK is investing dollars 610 million for a coal mine of five million ton per year capacity. Oracle has also signed a memorandum of understanding with KESC to develop initially a 300MW mine-mouth power plant with plan to develop up to 1100MW at the Block VI site. Initial coal production is expected in 2014 with mine development to be started by end of 2012.
Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah welcomed the participants of the meeting and said government was fully committed for development of Thar Coal which had the potential of turning the country''s economy around. Thar coal resources could be used for power generation, chemical production and other uses and had the potential of providing energy security to the country, he added.
Officials of Coal and Energy Development department briefed the forum that Sindh government was financing and executing development of infrastructure projects like roads, water supply, waste water disposal, airport and Reverse Osmosis Plants for potable water for local people and project developers on fast track basis.
He also informed that for lying of transmission line from Thar to Matiari, NTDC has completed the PC-I at the cost of Rs 20 billion with detailed technical designs and submitted to the Planning Commission. He urged federal government to arrange funding for this critical project either from PSDP or from international lenders like Asian Development Bank, China Development Bank or Japan International Co-operation Agency.
Syed Naveed Qamar, Federal Minister for Water and Power, assured the forum that the project of transmission line would be expedited. Imtiaz Qazi, Secretary Water & Power gave update on the project financing through Pak-China Joint Energy Working Group and informed that the next meeting would be held in March.
Dr Samar Mubarakmand, Chairman Underground Coal Gasification Project briefed the TCEB that the progress of its R&D Project of Underground Coal Gasification at Block V of Thar Coalfield and informed that the Syngas of 130 Btu was being producing from Thar which might be used for power generation and also can be used as town gas. The Board decided that international Expression of Interest should be called by Private Power Infrastructure Board and Thar Coal and Energy Board to attract private sector for installing UCG-based Power Plant and for other possible uses of Syngas.