Thar coal energy: Murad offers French businessmen to invest in grid, transmission lines

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Thursday offered French investors to invest in construction of grid stations and transmission lines for Thar coal energy which is going to move the national industrial spin. This he said while meeting a high power 12-member French Business delegation led by French Ambassador Marc Barety here at the CM House. The other delegates were Thierry Pflimlin, the chairman of France-Pakistan Business Council, Economic Counsellor Philippe Fouet, Consul General of France in Karachi Didier Talpain and various others. The chief minister was assisted by provincial ministers, Ismail Rahu, Imtiaz Shaikh, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, Chairman P&D Mohammad Waseem and provincial secretaries of different departments.
The French delegation had the investors and businessmen of different sectors such as energy, agriculture, water cleaning work, livestock, fisheries and infrastructure.
The chief minister said that the provincial government has started producing electricity from indigenous source of coal [Thar]. At the initial stage the production has been started with 660MW but it would be expanded to 10,000MW. "We have the technology to produce coal energy and its mining but now the actual problem occurs is evacuation [of generated electricity] in the grid," he said and added that the Sindh government has already established its Grid Company and Sindh Transmission & Dispatch Company.
Murad said that the provincial government has limited resources, therefore it would encourage investment, direct or on PPP mode, in the establishment of grids stations and transmission line for evacuation of coal and renewable energy.
The French investors showed their keen interest in their investment in grid and transmission lines. Energy Minister Imtiaz Shaikh also briefed them about the facilities the provincial energy department and investment department offered.
The chief minister and the investors agreed to have another meeting with investment department and then with PPP Unit and decided to move forward.
Since in the French delegation there were investors and experts in water cleaning, therefore the chief gave them two offers of investment, the first one in cleaning the Manchhar Lake and other one of desalination of sea water for Karachi.
Murad said that Manchhar Lake located in Sehwan is one of the biggest lakes of Asia but its water has been polluted but rather to say poisoned by releasing saline water into it. "I have a dream to restore the lake and rehabilitate the fishermen settled on it," he said. He offered the French investor to work on its own investment or on PPP mode with Sindh government, in both cases, the provincial government would provide them maxim facilities and support to cleanse the polluted lake of Manchhar.
He also offered them to invest in desalination of sea water in Karachi. "The city needs drinking water for which rivers supplies were falling short to cater to the needs of this megalopolis city of Karachi," he said.
The investor decided to hold more meetings in P&D, Investment department, PPP unit and then visit the site of the sea and Manchhar Lake for working together with the government.
The agricultural investors of the France told the chief minister that they were ready to work with Sindh government on canal lining, meat and dairy corporate farming, shrimp farming and line the livestock. The meeting decided to hold separate meeting with P&D, agriculture and investment departments for further action.