F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday said that the federal government would extend all out assistance to ensure the success of Thar Coal power project for being a work of national interest.
In a meeting regarding the exploration and utilization of Thar Coal, the prime minister said the project would remarkably help overcome the energy needs of the country.
The meeting was attended by Minister for Power Omar Ayub Khan, Commerce Advisor Abdul Razzaq Dawood, Special Assistant to PM on Petroleum Nadeem Babar, SAPM on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Spokesperson to PM Nadeem Afzal Chan, SAPM on Media Affairs Yousuf Baig Mirza, Secretary Power Irfan Ali, CEO HUBCO Khalid Mansoor, CEO Thal Nova Power Saleemullah Memon and Managing Director PPIB Shah Jahan Mirza.
During the briefing, the prime minister was apprised that Thar Coal Field was the seventh largest coal reserve in the world with a capacity to produce 100,000 MW of power for next 200 years. It was told that Thar Coal reserves of 175 billion tones had the power production capacity equivalent to 50 billion tones of oil and 2,000 trillion cusec feet gas.
The prime minister was told that work on the first phase of Second Thar Coal Block had been completed and work on second phase was in progress.
Utilizing the Thar coal, power units were being installed in different phases to cope with the country’s power needs. The meeting was told that block-2 of Thar Coal would start producing 5,000MW power by 2025 till next 50 years.
The prime minister was also briefed on a mining project by Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company. He was also apprised about the social welfare projects by Thar Foundation in the fields of education, health, vocational training and tree plantation.
The prime minister said Thar Coal was a precious natural asset that had been ignored in the past.
On the request from different companies for federal government’s assistance regarding transportation, water supply and power transmission lines, the prime minister assured all out cooperation from the federal government.
