Thar coal plant begins pumping power into national grid

Published March 19, 2019
Engro expects its power generation and coal mining projects to total $1.6bn in foreign exchange savings a year. ─ Photo courtesy SECMC Twitter
Engro expects its power generation and coal mining projects to total $1.6bn in foreign exchange savings a year. ─ Photo courtesy SECMC Twitter

Engro Powergen Thar Limited's (EPTL) lignite coal power plant in Thar has started pumping 330MW of electricity generated by domestic coal into the national grid.

The first of two 330MW units of the 660MW project located in Thar Block II was tested and energised on Monday, a press release issued by the company stated.

EPTL CEO Ahsan Zafar Syed told Reuters by telephone that the company is running the plant on 100 per cent local coal. The second 330MW unit will be connected to the national grid in April, he added.

Together, the mining and power projects managed by Engro are expected to rack up a total of $1.6 billion in foreign exchange savings a year since power will be produced using indigenous coal, the press release stated.

Construction on the country's first 660MW power plant, an early harvest China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project, commenced in April 2016. It was to begin generating 660MW of power by December 2018.

The EPTL power plant will utilise 3.8MTPA of coal supplied by Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) as both projects achieve their commercial operations date by June 2019.

Engro claims that once the projects are running, they will rake up an average of $1.6 billion in yearly foreign exchange savings. Post-COD, the plant is expected to transmit 660MW of electricity through a 282-km long 500 kV double circuit quad-bundle transmission line from EPTL plant to Matiari.

Follow Dawn Business on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook for insights on business, finance and tech from Pakistan and across the world.

Opinion

Editorial

Lebanon truce
Updated 25 Apr, 2026

Lebanon truce

THE fact that the truce between Israel and Lebanon has been extended for three weeks should be welcomed. But there...
Terrorism again
25 Apr, 2026

Terrorism again

THE elimination of 22 terrorists in an intelligence-based operation in Khyber highlights both the scale and ...
Taxing technology
25 Apr, 2026

Taxing technology

THE recent decision by the FBR’s Directorate General of Customs Valuation to increase the ‘assessed value’ of...
Pahalgam aftermath
24 Apr, 2026

Pahalgam aftermath

A YEAR after at least 26 people were killed in a terrorist attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam area, ties ...
Real estate power
24 Apr, 2026

Real estate power

THE latest round of land valuation revisions by the FBR for tax purposes signifies a familiar pattern that ...
Ad astra
Updated 24 Apr, 2026

Ad astra

AMONG the many developments this month that Pakistanis can take pride in is the news that one of their own will soon...