KARACHI: The first 660MW lignite coal power plant in Thar will start supplying electricity to the national grid by December, said Director Mining and Operations Engro Energy Ltd Syed Murtaza Azhar Rizvi on Monday.

According to a press release, Mr Rizvi said the project was ahead of its schedule by almost five months. He said the rising energy demand has widened the demand-supply gap and has led to an unsustainable power generation fuel mix – one which contains a high share of oil-based power generation up to 32 per cent – resulting in high cost of electricity production.

“There is heavy reliance on imported fuels which results in constant depletion of foreign exchange and insufficient control over the fuels supply chain. This inappropriate fuel mix leads to energy losses at each level of the value chain and inadequate recoveries lead to power outages, unaffordable electricity and circular debt,” the press released quoted the Engro official.

Talking about the CSR initiatives, he said that for the first time in the country, inhabitants of the project area have been made project beneficiaries by the government of Sind.

The CSR has been achieved by diluting 3 per cent of the government’s shareholding for the project affected persons who will become shareholders in the projects.

Engro Power Thar Ltd (EPTL) and Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) are the largest private investment under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2018