THIS is apropos of Syed Mohibullah Shah’s article ‘Energy from Thar coal’ (Jan 27). I agree with his point regarding the initiative taken in 1996 by the then prime minister Benazir Bhutto. She decided to set up a 1300MW coal-fired power plant at Keti Bandar for immediately generating electricity to cope with our emerging energy needs. It is surprising that investors then were ready for investments, ranging from laying down a railway line from the Thar coalfield to Keti Bandar, constructing a deep-sea port, installing a transmission line (connecting the powerhouse to the national grid) and all other required massive investments for developing ancillary infrastructures.

I would like to some technical logistics, highlighting the more concrete feasible aspects of the decision to set up an initial powerhouse at Keti Bandar. As for any mine development to be reaching a point of power generation, it takes around eight years, while only four years are needed to establish a powerhouse. Hence, to cover this four-year gestation period, it is more feasible to set up a powerhouse at a seaport, possibly closer to the Thar coalfield and Sonda coalfield of Thatta. Thus, initially such a powerhouse could be fuelled with imported bituminous coal and transporting coal from the Sonda field until Thar coal mines could start producing coal which later could be transported to the site around the seaport.

Since generating power at the Thar coalfield still needs more time and more investment, including the supply of the Indus river water to the Thar coalfield for cooling purposes, installation of a transmission line and other ancillary infrastructure will take around eight years to develop the mine sufficiently, providing coal to at least a 1,000 MW powerhouse for power generation. I will second the idea of the writer that when all the details and documents of previous projects are available, then only should the PPP government establish a 1300 MW coal-fired power plant.

ASHOK SUTHAR Tharparkar