MULTAN, June 14: Wapda (EMC) Director-General Tahir Basharat Cheema has said the government is planning to set up 5,000-megawatt power generation facilities using coal as fuel within next few years.

The country’s survival in the energy sector hinged on proper exploitation of its coal reserves, he said, adding that 184 billion tons of coal reserves were available in Thar area alone.

Speaking at a ceremony hosted by the Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, he expressed concern over the fact that Pakistan is generating only 0.1 per cent electricity from coal, though its neighbouring countries are doing well on this front; India generates 55 per cent power and China 74 per cent.

He said three rental power houses would start generating 1,067 megawatts of electricity from September, October and November this year, respectively.

The fourth rental power house would start generating 192MW power from December 2008 at Piran Ghaib power station, Multan. The station would have another 350MW electricity through a power plant, he added.

The Wapda official said Malakand hydel power generation facility would start functioning next month to generate 81MW. In addition to rental power houses, he said, the power generation capacity of some independent power producers (IPPs) also would be enhanced.

Agreements had been signed with China to establish power plants at Nandipur and Chichu ki Malian, and tenders had been issued for two 500MW power plants at Dadu and Faisalabad which would be run by gas and furnace oil. He said an 800MW power plant would be set up at Guddu.

The Muzaffargarh thermal power house, he said, was not generating energy up to its full potential of 1,350MW. It was generating 1,000MW of electricity at present which would be enhanced up to the optimal level by overhauling its turbines, he said.—APP