Karachi
The Sindh government under CPEC projects is going to launch Thar Coal Block-IV as a national strategic project to develop coal mine, install 1320 MW coal-fired power project and produce gas, urea and diesel.
This was disclosed in a meeting held under between Minister Energy Imtiaz Shaikh and CEO of UK-based company, Oracle Ms Naheed Memon in the energy department.
Minister Energy Imtiaz Shaikh said that with the efforts of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah Thar Block VI has been included as a potential block for coal to gas to urea/fertilizer production in CPEC-related 9th JCC meeting held on November 5, 2019.
The meeting had appreciated the concept to include Thar Block VI for coal gasification to Fertilizer projects under CPEC and desired to undertake a feasibility study for evaluation.”
The Block VI, therefore is the only Block from Thar Coalfield in two working groups under the CPEC framework. Energy working group & Oil and Gas working group, making it a flagship block in Thar Coalfield for coal to gas based agriculture and food security program of the country.
Recently, Thar Block VI has been included as a potential block for coal to gas to urea/fertilizer production in CPEC-related 9th JCC meeting held on 5th November 2019.
The meeting had appreciated the concept to include Thar Block VI for coal gasification to Fertilizer projects under CPEC and desired to undertake a feasibility study for evaluation.”
Ms. Naheed Memon CEO of Oracle Thar Block-VI said that the Oracle Power PLC (previously Oracle Coalfields), was a company incorporated in the United Kingdom and quoted on London Stock Exchange (“Oracle”). Sindh Carbon Energy Limited, a subsidiary of Oracle registered in Pakistan and is the holder of the lease of Block VI for 30 years coal mining (“SCEL”) and Thar Electricity (Pvt) Limited (“TEP”) was a subsidiary of Oracle and registered in Pakistan for the development of power plant. It is registered with PPIB as 1320MW Thar Coal based power project at Block VI.
The area of Block VI is 66.1 square kilometres and estimated total coal reserves are 1.4 billion tonnes. In pursuance of the JCC decision as stated above as well as CPEC interest to develop coal to liquids from Thar coal, Oracle PLC intends to enter into a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) with the China Coal Energy Company which is a subsidiary of the state-owned China National Coal Group Company Ltd. and private office of UAEs Highness Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum in equity partnership of 12 percent, 13 percent and 75 percent respectively.
CNCGCL is the largest coal company in China and owns more than 70 coal mines in China with a total production capacity of 300 million tons per year and a controllable resource reserve of 60 billion tons.
China Coal Group has assets of approximately $ 70billion and 130,000 employees.—INP
