Innovative power project

The GSB Technologies Inc, of the USA has shown interest in establishing a power generation plant of 500 megawatt capacity in Karachi, based on garbage of the city and coal which would be available from Thar and Lakhra coal mines.
A three-member delegation of the company headed by its managing director, Gerald J Bell, reportedly met with Sindh Minister for Industries and Commerce Adil Siddiqui on Monday (May 17) and discussed the project with him.
It was pointed out by the delegation that the cost of power generation with this technology has been found to be the lowest as compared to other thermal sources.
Similar plants were stated to be in operation in the US, India and Sri Lanka.
The State of California in the US has also approved the establishment of such a plant which is also environment-friendly.
Other redeeming features of the project include its contribution to establishment of a water recycling plant in Karachi besides opening up employment opportunities for as many as 700 skilled and unskilled workers.
The proposed project, it was pointed out, can be set up on a relatively smaller plot of land than what a power plant of similar capacity based on other fuels usually require.
However, the project should be preferably located near the sea coast where access by road was available for the transport of raw materials, ie garbage and coal. It is estimated that the garbage output in Karachi is in the region of 10,000 tonnes per day which, supplemented with coal, can be enough to feed the power generation plant of the projected capacity.
The coal supply will be available in plenty from the Thar coal mines within the next couple of years where experimental mining is already in progress by the Chinese firm which has plans to establish two coal-based power generation plants of 300 megawatt each.
The Sindh Provincial Minister for Industries reportedly offered all support to the US investors by making available useful data and other information relating to the quality and quantity of coal available in Sindh, besides extending necessary administrative help for the establishment of the proposed plant in Karachi.
The Managing Director of Private Power and Infrastructure Board, Dr Zafar Ali Khan, who was also present at the meeting, described the project as highly feasible for Karachi.
The project undoubtedly has a number of positive aspects specially in terms of the low cost of the energy that it will produce.
At the same time, the disposal of garbage would contribute to value addition in the form of much needed electricity generation for the city which is suffering from an acute shortage of power, resulting in unending agonies of breakdowns.
The highly important aspect of the project is that it will be based on foreign investment plus the inflow of an entirely new technology in power generation.
In the midst of a glut of new power projects in Pakistan ranging from Chashma Nuclear Power Project to hydroelectricity project associated with Munda dam in NWFP and projects to be based on natural gas etc, the project to be based on garbage in Karachi has distinctive features of its own.
Although the Sindh Minister for Industries has promised all the required facilities to the sponsors, it is quite likely that they would have to approach the Private Power and Infrastructure Board along with a feasibility study of the project for seeking necessary sanction.
This process needs to be expedited by the authorities concerned. Meanwhile, the Sindh government should also select a suitable location on the sea coast near Karachi for the establishment of the project.
The project may be seen as a timely one in the context of the ongoing development of the Thar coal fields where the Sindh government has initiated construction of roads and other facilities for the Chinese investors to undertake mining of coal.
It may be expected that by the time the garbage-based power project is taken up for implementation by the sponsors, coal supplies from Thar would also begin not only for the Chinese-sponsored coal-based power projects but also for the garbage project.