KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has directed the Thar Coal and Energy Board to remove all bottlenecks from the power projects launched in Thar.

“We have to produce power from Thar coal. It was the dream of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto and I am committed to make it true,” said the chief minister while presiding over 19th meeting of the board at the CM House.

He said that his government was committed to steer the province out of energy crisis and asked Senior Minister for Finance Syed Murad Ali Shah to invite Dr Samar Mubarak Mand to brief the board on technical aspects of his project.

He said that he wanted to ensure that all people uprooted because of the power projects were settled in their new houses before the power plant had been commissioned.

Earlier, giving a presentation to the chief minister on the progress so far made on the project, Thar Coal Managing Director Aijaz Ahmed said that an MoU had been signed with Shanghai Electric Power for supply of coal. Block-1 in Thar coal field had been allotted to Sino-Sindh Global Mining where it would also install four power plants, each one of 330 MW for $1.1 billion.

He said that Block-II had been given to Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC). The Block-V where Dr Mand had launched underground coal gasification project and power plant 38 bore holes had been drilled and test burn had been conducted, he said.

He said that Block-VI had been given to UK-based Oracle Coal-fields and Block IV to Harbin Electric Company, China. Similarly Block-III A & B had been allotted to Asia Power Group Ltd, he said.

Published in Dawn, October 12th, 2015

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