ISLAMABAD: The Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB) has signed a financial closing document for the 330MW mouth lignite coal power project at Thar Block-II.

PPIB Managing Director Shah Jahan Mirza and M/s Thal Ltd Chief Executive Officer Saleemullah Memon signed the document.

The project is being sponsored by M/s Thal, M/s Novatex and M/s Descon Engineering under the banner of CPEC at a total cost of $497 million. China Development Bank (CDB) is the lead arranger for foreign financing from China and Habib Bank for the local.

The plant will be fuelled by coal extracted from Thar Block II by the Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company and it will utilise 1.9 million tonnes of coal to generate 2,236 GWh per annum. The sponsors have already started construction activities ahead of financial closing and are looking complete this project by March 2021.

The plant will be connected with Matiari-Lahore Transmission Line for transmission of electricity. Being developed using state-of-the-art coal technology, the project complies with all international as well as federal and provincial environmental standards.

Its development is also expected to contribute in the socioeconomic upliftment of backward Tharparkar area which is now emerging as the energy capital of Pakistan.

For giving boost to the utilisation of indigenous resources for power generation in line with the vision of the present government, PPIB in addition to Thar coal-based generation is also handling 14 hydropower projects (HPPs) of 6,175MW in the private sector.

These HPPs are at different stages of implementation. By 2022, PPIB is targeting to fetch another 5,500MW through completion of 10 projects, maj­ority of which are based on Thar coal and hydro.

PPIB is also implementing Pakistan’s first private sector +660kV Matiari-Lahore Transmission Line, aiming to transmit electricity from coal projects in the southern zone to the load centres.

Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2020