Under the MoU signed at the Chief Minister’s House, Pepco will buy coal to produce 1,200 megawatts of electricity. The SECMC will generate another 1,200MW.
The signing followed a meeting of the Thar Coal Energy Board, which was chaired by Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah.
The meeting focussed on the exploitation of coal reserves in Thar to overcome the power crisis.
Water and Power Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, Law Minister Babar Awan, provincial ministers Syed Murad Ali Shah, Jam Mehtab Daher and Asad Ali Shah, and chief secretary Fazlur Rehman attended the meeting.
The chief minister said that Thar coal blocks were being allotted to companies of international repute.
The Thar Coal Energy Board and the government were monitoring the project and incentives were being offered to ensure early production of electricity, he added.
The meeting decided to determine the price of Thar coal and agreed to expedite the passage of a law for the purpose. The appointment of a consultant will be decided at the next meeting.
The meeting was informed that investment proposals had been received from five firms for mining and coordinated power generation in Thar. They are: Global Mining Company of China, Asian Continental Energy of Australia, Al-Tuwairiqi Steel Mills of Saudi Arabia, Taireu Company of South Korea and Ghani Thar Coal Energy.
Dr Samar Mubarak Mund presented a report on the coal gasification project.
The water and power minister said he was confident about the success of the Thar coal project. He said international tenders for the work would be invited soon. Mr Ashraf said the government was determined to make optimum use of the coal reserves.
Law Minister Babar Awan informed the meeting that the project would become operational next year. He said such projects were being run in 50 countries and a major project of this kind was operational in Siberia.
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