Observer Report
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that Thar Coal Block -I project has an annual capacity of 7.8 million tons (MTPA) of coal and 1.3 gigawatts of ultra-supercritical coal-fired power plant will installed at the site.
“Coal mining is 40 percent complete and I will visit the project by the end of this month.”
He was talking to a delegation of Thar Coal Block-I Power Generation Company headed by CEO MengDonghai. Other members of the delegation included CEO SSRL Lee Jagan, Deputy CEO SSRL Huang Junting and Deputy CEO Chaudhry Qayyum, while Minister for Energy Imtiaz Sheikh, Sindh Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary Sajid Jamal Abro and Secretary Energy Tariq Shah and others were also present.
Donghai, while briefing the Sindh Chief Minister, said that more than 40% of the mining work has been completed and work on the power plant is also underway. The mining work will be completed by the end of 2021 and the first unit of the power plant will also start working from 2022 and this whole project will be completed by 2023. The Chief Minister said that Thar Coal Block One Mining and Power Plant will be the success of his government. “We have worked day and night to implement coal mining and power projects in Thar and I am happy that the projects are being completed successfully,” he said.
The delegation requested the Sindh Chief Minister to resolve the water issue. He further said that the water extracted from the mine has to be diverted elsewhere and some water is also needed in the power plant of Block-I. On this, Sindh Chief Minister directed Energy Minister Imtiaz Sheikh to conduct a feasibility study on where the excess water should be disposed. He said that a separate project should be made for supply of water for power plants from NabiSar to Wajhar and then Block One project should be started. He added that the Department of Irrigation and Energy should finalize it. Murad Ali Shah said that Block One Power Generation Company would have to sign a water agreement with the Department of Energy. “We will supply water to Thar Coal Block I,” he said. The Sindh Chief Minister urged the delegation to resettle the homeless people of Block I. The CEO said that the development of the mine has displaced people from two villages.
The CEO said that we intend to resettle them and their resettlement process has already started. Murad Ali Shah urged the delegation to provide employment opportunities to the local people.
