KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said Thar Coal Block-I project involved 7.8 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) open pit coal mine and installation of 1.3 GW ultra-supercritical coal fired power plant.

“The coal mining work has been completed by 40 percent and I will visit the project by the end of this month.”

The chief minister was talking to a delegation of Thar Coal Block-I Power Generation Co. led by its CEO Meng Donghai. The other delegation members include SSRL CEO Li Jigen, deputy CEO Huang Jinting and deputy CEO Chaudhry Qayyum. Energy Minister Imtiaz Shaikh, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro and Secretary Energy Tariq Shah and others.

CEO of the project Meng Donghai briefing the chief minister said over 40 percent mining work has been completed and work on the power plant was also in progress. The mining work would be completed by the end of 2021 and the first unit of the power plant would also start working from 2022 and the entire project would be completed by 2023.

The chief minister said the success of the Thar Coal Block-I mining and power plant would be the success of his government. The visiting delegation requested the chief minister to resolve their water issue. They added that the water being drilled out from the mine has to be disposed of somewhere and the water required for the power plant was also needed at Block-I. At this the chief minister directed Minister Energy Imtiaz Shaikh to conduct a feasibility study where to dispose of the mine water.

The CM said the Block-I Power Generation Co. would have to sign a water user agreement with the energy department.

The chief minister urged the visiting delegation to re-settle the displaced people of Block-I. The CEO of Thar Coal Block-I said that the people of two villages have displaced with the development of the mine.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021