ISLAMABAD, Oct 5: The exploitation of nine billion tonnes of coal reserves in the Thar region of Sindh could change the future economic landscape of Pakistan, said Hasan Gauhar, a former director-general of the Geological Survey of Pakistan, at a discussion on “Prospects of Thar coal development,” at the Scientists’ Club here on Saturday.

Mr Gauhar said the discovery made in 1992 was of nine billion tonnes, but the reserve might be as high as 17.5 billion tonnes.

“By the year 2010, Pakistan may face a shortfall of 5,000 megawatt (MW) of electricity. The Thar coal can generate about 3,000MG of power and help meet the shortfall.” If the Lakha coal are also utilized for power generation we might be able to generate an additional 300MW electricity, he added.

He said coal might turn out to be the biggest source of future power generation in Pakistan and would also be instrumental in overcoming the country’s difficulty in meeting the WTO conditionality and competing in the world market by using cheaper power.

At present, he added, the country was using only 1 per cent of coal for generating electricity, whereas in Poland 96 per cent of power was generated from coal supplies. Australia got 86 per cent of energy from coal, USA 56 per cent, the UK 50 per cent while in India 60 per cent of energy came from coal, he said.

He said the major discovery by the Geological Survey had changed the layout of Tharparkar, once the most backward area of the country.

Already a task force has been constituted under the personal supervision of the prime minister, while Chinese scientists and experts are scouring the area to come up with the best technique of economic utilization of coal and power generation, he said.

Mr Gauhar said Thar coal area extended to over 9,000 square- kilometres and reserves of more than 17.5 billion tonnes coal had been estimated. However, the coal was not of the best variety and contained too much moisture with a low heating value, he added.

“This factor limits the establishment of power generation plants in the coal-mining area. Power will be transmitted by means of interconnections and grid systems. Plans are also on the anvil to get power through gasification of Thar coal and for its conversion to methane gas which will condition its transportation through huge pipelines.” —Jonaid Iqbal