# Thar coal mining project in Pakistan | Updates & Discussions.



## Kompromat

*175,000,000,000 Tons of Coal reserves have been Found in Thar desert in Sindh Province Pakistan.*

According to Official reports it can cover Pakistan's energy needs for Centuries to come.
The Value of these reserves are about 16 trillion US dollars , in order to expand it Intensive research and exploration activities are already on the track in Kohlu , Chamalang Area.

Pakistan also have found huge amount Gold and Copper & silver reserves , only Sendak project has an output of 16 Thousand Tons Of Gold , silver and Copper per annum.

In Baluchistan , Racudik mining site has been discovered with Vast Gold Silver and Copper reserves the feasibility reports are being processed to estimate the total Amount . According to some reports it will produce 72000 tons of Pure copper in the first year .

Pakistan also has discovered vast Iron reserves estimated 600 million tons.

Please share your ideas.


Corruption would be another issue in this thread so here is my contribution, a must watch video on Sold out Pakistan's Natural Resources.






Regards:

Reference:Daily Express News Story

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## Hulk

Do you have any other source other then this video.


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## Kompromat

Sunday, November 08, 2009

Establishment of new refineries to enhance capacity by 465,000bpd
465,000bpd

By Sajid Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD: With the establishment of three new refineries in the country total refining capacity of the country would reach *713,506 *barrels per day from existing *248,506 *barrels per day. 

The estimated capacity of the proposed refineries are: Khalifa coastal refinery project 250,000 barrels per day, Bosicor Oil Pakistan Ltd 115,000 barrels per day and Trans Asia Refinery Ltd 100,000. At present seven refineries are operating in the country having the capacity to refine 248,506 barrels per day. The individual capacities are: Pak-Arab Refinery Ltd 100,000 barrels per day, National Refinery Ltd 62,050 barrels per day, Pakistan refinery Ltd 47,110 barrels per day, Attock refinery Ltd 42,000 barrels per day, Bosicor Refinery Ltd 30,000 barrels per day, Dhodak refinery Ltd 2,500 barrels per day and Enar Petrotech Services Ltd 2,646 barrels per day. Feasibility studies are underway to produce 72,000 tonnes of copper concentrate from Balochistan with initial investment of $1 billion as well as up gradation of Chichali iron ore deposits. The Ministry of Petroleum in its written reply to the National Assembly informed that National Mineral Policy 1995 formulated by PPP government has enhanced country's international competitiveness because of attractive regulatory and fiscal regime. As a result of which mineral sector has secured foreign direct investment of $800 million and augmented revenue receipts from mineral sector by many folds. 

Copper, gold and silver: With the endeavors of the present government Saindak Project Balochistan, operated by Chinese company, has started production of 16,000 tonnes of copper, gold and silver per year since 2003. Moreover, a joint venture of two foreign companies M/s Antofagasta and M/s Barrack Gold of Canada (M/s Tethyan Copper Company) is preparing feasibility study on mining and processing of Reko-Diq deposits in Balochistan to produce 72,000 tonnes of copper concentrate in the initial stage by investing $1 billion. The government of Pakistan and provincial government is providing required assistance to the company in this regard. 

Pakistan has iron resources of more than 600 million tonnes, however, due to its low grade it cannot be used in Pakistan steel, which is importing iron ore by spending huge foreign exchange. Present government has given high priority to utilise indigenous iron resources. Pakistan Steel has been facilitated to acquire three leases of iron ore deposits in Balochistan. Efforts are underway to develop a mechanism for up gradation of indigenous iron resources to make it acceptable for utilisation in Pakistan steel. To facilitate the investors in Thar coal filed more than *Rs 2 billion is been spent on discovery, evaluation of coal and development of infrastructure in Thar coalfield.* To enhance the proved coal resources of the country Geological Survey of Pakistan has launched a project to explore, confirm more coal deposits in Kohlu-Chamalang area of Balochistan. The private sector has been allowed to import coal-washing plants to improve quality of Thar coal for processing industry.






*Major players International Minning Compnies.

BHP billiton,Barrick Gold,Tethyan Copper Company.*

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## Kompromat

indianrabbit said:


> Do you have any other source other then this video.



Look at the Bottom of the Video its a Newspaper refrence but its in URDU so i have Translated it into English.

Please look at the below post as well.

Regards:


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## Kompromat

Islamabad Sees Deals With China 



BEIJING -- China and Pakistan are discussing a variety of deals, including a possible investment by China Petrochemical Corp. in a *major Pakistani coal reserve*, a senior Pakistani government official said Tuesday.

*The talks underscore how Pakistan is becoming another important investment destination for China in its hunger for oil and gas.*

Sohail Ahmad, director of Pakistan's Board of Investment, said the two sides are also discussing an option to construct a rail and road link to help transport oil from the Middle East to western China.Mr. Ahmad said the two potential deals are part of broader bilateral trade and economic cooperation proposals under discussion between the two countries. Other areas for potential cooperation include the textile, heavy industry and water sectors, he said.

China Petrochemical Corp., also known as Sinopec Group, has launched the first phase of a feasibility study into the estimated 185 billion metric ton Thar coal reserve, located in southern Pakistan.

It is studying gasification of the coal reserves among other possibilities such as power generation and mining, Mr. Ahmad said. Gasification is a process to convert coal into gas and then into liquefied natural gas, or LNG, for producing chemical products.

*Pakistan has vast coal reserves, mostly in the Thar Desert, but has barely exploited them due to a lack of investment.*

*Last year, the Pakistan government said the reserves were the fifth-largest coal reserves in the world*. Pakistan produces less than 0.5&#37; of its total power generation capacity from coal, it said.

China, meanwhile, is seeking raw resources to fuel its rapid development and to funnel resources into its less wealthy western region.

Mr. Ahmad also said the two governments are in talks to build a road and rail link from Pakistan's Gwadar Port, at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, to Xinjiang in western China. The port was jointly constructed by the two countries.

If the link is built, it might among other things help extend to Xinjiang the oil pipeline from Iran to Pakistan or the LNG route from* Qatar to Pakistan*, he said.

Discussions between senior government leaders of Pakistan and China on the link, which could cost billions of dollars, remain "at the very initial stage," he said.

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, who visited China in August to talk about these and other projects, will visit Beijing again in December for further talks, Mr. Ahmad said.

*Asked if Pakistan is worried about Chinese state-owned enterprises taking control of some of its important companies, he said, "We don't have any concern, and we don't feel China is a threat."*

The two countries' leaders have decided to *set up a China-specific economic zone in Pakistan,* he said, featuring a tax exemption as well as some legal protections.

&#8212;Victoria Ruan and Wan Xu

Reference:Islamabad Sees Deals With China - WSJ.com

Regards:

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## Omar1984

I'm not surprised. Sindh and Balochistan are the two areas richest in natural resources in all of South Asia. The question is will Pakistan's leaders be smart enough to use these natural resources for the benefit of Pakistan and the benefit of the people of Pakistan, especially people of Sindh and Balochistan.

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## PlanetWarrior

Omar1984 said:


> I'm not surprised. Sindh and Balochistan are the two areas richest in natural resources in all of South Asia. The question is will Pakistan's leaders be smart enough to use these natural resources for the benefit of Pakistan and the benefit of the people of Pakistan, especially people of Sindh and Balochistan.



That is an important observation. Usually when rich mineral reserves are found in an area , there arises resentment from the local population relating to the national government's refusal to invest a portion of the funds received from those minerals in the area where the minerals are being mined. In Botswana that is the usual complaint from the locals about mining in their areas

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## FlyingEagle

Reko Diq is a small town in Chagai District, Balochistan with world's largest Gold and Copper reserves.

Tethyan Copper of Australia has taken the contract to develop this mine. Barrick Gold Corporation of Canada and Antofagasta of Chile have a joint-ownership of the copper-gold deposit at Reko Diq.

The Reko Diq deposit is being explored by Tethyan Copper Company Pty Ltd (75&#37 and the (BDA) Balochistan Development Authority (25%). Tethyan Copper Company is held jointly (50:50) by Barrick Gold Corporation and Antofagasta Minerals.

Currently the deposit is at scoping / pre feasibility stage. It is a world class copper / gold porphyry style deposit, typical of the tethyan belt.

It has been sold to the Zionist controlled regimes by the Pakistani Government under the dictator at a price of $21 billion. Rough estimates suggest that the gold and copper at the surface alone accounts for $65 billion worth of deposits.

Tell me how many of us know about it ...remember the total debt on Pakistani Nation is $38b.

Now the question is why Pakistani media and Govt is silent about it? why it is kept secret from Pakistani Nation?

References:

1. http://en.wikipedia .org/wiki/ Reko_Diq

2. Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada pdac/publication s/papers/ 2003/Schloderer. pdf

3. http://www.dawn. com/2006/ 03/13/ebr9. htm

4. Reko Diq in Balochistan : US $ 65 Billion natural deposits sold for US $21 Billion - NaiTazi.com

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## eastwatch

Black blood said:


> 175,000,000,000 Tonns of Coal reserves have been Found in Thar desert in Sindh Province Pakistan.
> 
> According to Offical reports it can cover Pakistan's energy needs for Centuries to come.
> The Value of these reserves are about 16 Billion US dollors , in order to expand it Intensive research and exploration activities are already on the track in Kohlu , Chamalang Area.


If the 175 billion ton reserve is correct then the market value of this coal reserve may be about $16 trillion ($16,000 billion) and not $16 billion. Please correct your estimate. Indeed the reserve is very very big. I wish it comes true.

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## Kompromat

yes offcourse , we want to see it happening and there is a anticipation about Huge amounts of Daimonds too..

So lets see what our Idiotic rulers do about it.


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## Huda

nice words impressive my feelings


Our Freedom is a tree which Provides us Shadow in the Burning sun !
But it calls for Blood sometimes to keep alive & i am ready to give mine when needed

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## Hulk

Well if the news it true then focus on mining. When you have assets worth trillion then who cares for Aids. Congratulations to you all.

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## TOPGUN

Aids have nothing to do with this topic nor the issue plzz stick to the topic! second this is awsome news and iam sure it is true.... GOD bless Pakistan.

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## The Patriot

its is 100 per cent true for authenticity you can visit govt websites. and there are hundreds of other sources even available on net. just google.


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## greatsequence

and you can continue on youtube it has got five parts... what our govt did

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## Hyde

oh well thats not a latest news........... Coal was discovered decades ago...... Gold reserves were there from at least 4 decades and other resources that has been mentioned were also discovered ages ago

All we need is the good infrastructure......... none of the governments ever invested to utilize these resources...... every leader says "WE WILL" invest in thar deserts to utilize coal but a part from routine surveys no progress has ever been done......


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## Absar

I believe if we really get honest in utilizing the mineral resources in Pakistan, we would never be in the need to get dependent or relying on countries like US or organizations like World Bank for emergency loans or emergency aids. Our country is so rich in mineral resources. But unfortunately we don't utilize those resources  

For instance, read this report. Though it's of last year, but worth reading:

*Thar coal turning into another Kalabagh Dam*

ISLAMABAD: Another controversy like the Kalabagh Dam is in the making as mistrust between the federal government and Sindh grows with every passing day on the development of Thar coal, the greatest national wealth and energy resource *worth US$6 trillion.*

At a time when the Federal Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources is seeking expression of interest from international companies for the development of a test-pit of 1/2km x 1/2km for preparation of a bankable feasibility document for coalmine development, based on the Thar Coalfield Block-II, the Sindh government finds it as a federal government's move to take over the provincial resources.

The petroleum ministry requested for expression of interest on June 3 through advertisements in national newspapers but Sindh authorities decided to resist this move. Sources in the petroleum ministry strongly deny that the federal government has any intention to take over the provincial resources, insisting that Islamabad is helping the province to develop the Thar coal as the province could not do it because of financial constraints.

Referring to the Question-Hour in the National Assembly on Wednesday, a senior Sindh government official told this correspondent that the minister in-charge for Petroleum and Natural Resources, while admitting that the coal resources belonged to the province, kept on pressing that the Thar Coal Mining Company was functioning with the consent of Sindh. "This is contrary to what the Government of Sindh had been telling the petroleum ministry," the official said.

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources had issued a National Mineral Policy in 1995 in which the mineral resources had been termed as a provincial subject. The idea of the Thar Coal Company by the federal government was conceived in 2007, in which Sindh government was 20&#37; partner as compared to 80% of the federal government. The fact, however, remains that the company never got acceptance in the province. The Arbab government kept on opposing it and no work could be done on ground due to opposition by the provincial government.

The present Sindh government also actively opposed what Sindh believes attempts to take over the control of the Thar coal resources by the federal government in the name of the Thar Coal Mining Company (TCMC). In a meeting of the federal cabinet last month, the federal ministers belonging to Sindh also opposed this "federal takeover" and were able to unanimously decide that the Sindh government would be handling the development of coalmines by inviting investors while the federal ministries would not interfere, the source said, adding that the proposal by the Planning Commission to form the Pakistan Coal Board was rejected too.

"The decision by the prime minister in the cabinet meeting not to interfere in this provincial subject went well and the Government of Sindh started actively working on Thar project," the Sindh government source said, adding, "Advertisements appeared last month, calling for proposals from international mining companies but all of a sudden the Petroleum ministry came up with its own advertisement."

"It would create a new row between the province and the federation," the source said, warning that the people of Pakistan might see another energy dream being frustrated due to mishandling by bureaucracy.

The Sindh authorities shift all the blame on the federal government for the non-development of the Thar Coalfield. Last time, it is argued, it was Wapda and Nepra that had scared away the Shenhua Group of China. The government of Sindh and the Chinese company, sources said, spent two years and billions of rupees and were ready to start work when the Chinese were turned back on the issue of tariff.

Federal government sources, however, insist that Islamabad is only assisting Sindh to develop the Thar Coalfield, which could not be developed in the past on account of the financial constraints faced by the provincial government. A petroleum ministry official said that out of 9,000 square kilometers of Thar coal reserves, hardly six blocks, each of 50 square kilometers, had been developed for coal production. This was done by the Geological Survey of Pakistan, a federal entity.

In 2002 a bankable feasibility of Thar coal mining was conducted by Rehien Brauan Engineering of Germany at the cost of Rs 198 million, financed by the federal government. However, this feasibility report was sold to an American company by the Sindh Coal Authority for US$50,000 instead of developing the mines. "We are only helping them out and have no intention to take over the deposits," a source said, adding that all the federal government entities were working in the provinces for their benefit.

*Reference: * Thar coal turning into another Kalabagh Dam

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## pak-marine

Old news ! GOP and the estabilisment has been sitting on it since ages with a kashkol in their hands asking for more bheek , they have been imagining to use this coal in their seekh kabab party


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## Absar

Another not-very-old report on DAWN

THE public-private partnership inked by the Sindh government to exploit Thars coal resources for power generation could be a watershed event in Pakistans painful history of power-sector woes. Poor planning over the decades has meant that whenever the country has experienced a spurt in economic growth, the power sectors deficiencies have invariably crimped that growth. To forestall another boom-and-bust cycle now is the time to plan for the future, and Thars coal could hold the key to energy security in the years and decades ahead.


It is by no means a sure bet; *a feasibility study will be concluded in early 2011 and depending on a positive result, the first megawatt of power from the project will flow somewhere in early 2016, if all goes according to plan.* There are several technical hurdles to overcome. *Thars coal is believed to be high in moisture content, which makes it unsuitable for transport or easy use in power generation.* Then there is the issue of acquiring adequate water to run a power plant, and overcoming the inter- and intra-provincial water disputes that will inevitably ensue. And finally, any new power plant in Thar will have to be connected to the national grid at great cost and effort.


Perhaps more than the technical problems though, politics and funding hang heavy on the Thar power project. For one, disputes between the centre and Sindh over who has the ultimate say on Thars coal and its use for power generation could yet scuttle the project. *Additionally, there is the question about how exactly power projects in Thar will be financed.* Domestic banks are wary of additional exposure to the power sector given its recent troubles, while Pakistans poor standing in the international financial market could render the project prohibitively expensive to finance. Clearly, we must do more to put our overall economy in order to make credit cheaper. And from an environmental and local point of view, it must be ensured that clean-coal technology is employed and that the people of the area benefit directly and fairly from the exploitation of Thars coal resources. 

Reference: DAWN.COM | Pakistan | Thar coal

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## Kompromat

pak-marine said:


> Old news ! GOP and the estabilisment has been sitting on it since ages with a kashkol in their hands asking for more bheek , they have been imagining to use this coal in their seekh kabab party



With due respect sir you have not even botherd Looking at the Dates of the Articles , please have a Glance , this is the Final feasibility report which has come up with ammounts of kept resources and their cost. 

Regards:


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## Kompromat

Members In Addition to the Topic Please dicsuss our Massive Iron resource as well which is considered not worthwile of making steel out of it.


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## Insane

That is Gr8 News for Pakistan. Wait a min.. That is a Gigantic News.... 

This Will put Pakistan at No.2 in Coal Reserves behind only USA and above Russia... Congratualtions

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## ajpirzada

i have seen the official report on this subject. this coal is enough to last us for 200 yrs to fulfil our energy needs. there is a plan of doin gasification of these coal reserves, instead of mining it, and then using the gas for electricity generation etc. reason being there is water for i dont know how many feet on top of these coal reserves and mining will create and environmental mess. wat world bank suggested was use the dredgers to dig through the sand but lik i mentioned it will create a mess and so gov is not really considerin it. 

another things. there are coal reserves under khewra salt mines as well.

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## FlyingEagle

Allah Alimighty has alot of blessings on Pakistan. We lack good leadership. We can say "Pakistan: A rich country without a leadership."

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## Kompromat

Insane said:


> That is Gr8 News for Pakistan. Wait a min.. That is a Gigantic News....
> 
> This Will put Pakistan at No.2 in Coal Reserves behind only USA and above Russia... Congratualtions



Yes Indeed and still more exploration is going on in 3 more districts as i said earlier.

May Allah help us and let not our IDIOTIC rulers waste this Huge resource


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## Absar

Insane said:


> That is Gr8 News for Pakistan. Wait a min.. That is a Gigantic News....
> 
> This Will put Pakistan at No.2 in Coal Reserves behind only USA and above Russia... Congratualtions



Thanks, friend. But sadly Pakistan is awfully stuck in Provincialism thing. I wish we get out of this Provincialism factor so that the projects like Kalabagh Dam and Thar Coal fare in a smooth and beneficial way


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## Seadog1

Absar said:


> Thanks, friend. But sadly Pakistan is awfully stuck in Provincialism thing. I wish we get out of this Provincialism factor so that the projects like Kalabagh Dam and Thar Coal fare in a smooth and beneficial way



Have you ever considered the difficulty of starting a major company in Pakistan and why it is seldom done...

Israel is normally has more Hi Tech start up investments then India and China combined, though India and China has overtaken Israel.

All the warnings about the threat to Israeli high-tech from China and India were apparently not crying wolf: A report released over the weekend by the research department of Dow Jones VentureSource says the two giant emerging economies combined have now passed Israel in the amount of venture capital invested in high-tech startups in the first quarter of 2008. 

The two Asian nations together also had the same number of such deals in the quarter as Israel, according to Dow Jones. Some $818 million was invested in Chinese and Indian startups combined, compared to only $572 million in Israeli firms. 

The number of deals for the quarter was 55 for Israel, totaling the same as India, with 16, and China, 39, together. 
Advertisement 

The U.S. still leads by far in all parameters concerning high-tech venture capital investments: $6.835 billion and 603 deals in the first quarter of the year. 

European numbers were $1.53 billion and 180 deals. 
While it is easier to start a business in Pakistan then India for example,,,its extrmely difficult to do business.

What is of great consequence is the relative ranking on another score  enforcement of contracts. For this indicator, Pakistan has the worse score among the ten used by the bank for the purpose of evaluation. Contract enforcement has three elements  number of procedures that have to be followed, the time it takes to enforce a contract, and the cost of enforcement. The three are assigned the same weight in the rating for this indicator.

In Pakistans case, 47 procedures have to be followed for the enforcement of contracts compared to 21 in the case of Singapore that has the top ranking in terms of ease of doing business. In Pakistan it takes an average of 976 days to reach a settlement on a contract dispute compared to 150 in Singapore. The cost of settlement of a contract in Pakistan is 23.8 per cent of the total value, a bit lower than Singapores 25.8 per cent.
The cost of doing business -DAWN - Business; February 23, 2009

Then you have to add the cost and diffculty of doing business in Pakistan with foreign investors, stories about kidnappings, demands for ransom, and killing of some hostages pose serious issues in their decisions to bring capital to Pakistan.

Security concerns must also weigh heavily with domestic investors particularly in troubled areas in Balochistan and the North-West Frontier Province"


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## Absar

Seadog1 said:


> Have you ever considered the difficulty of starting a major company in Pakistan and why it is seldom done...
> 
> Israel is normally has more Hi Tech start up investments then India and China combined, though India and China has overtaken Israel.
> 
> All the warnings about the threat to Israeli high-tech from China and India were apparently not crying wolf: A report released over the weekend by the research department of Dow Jones VentureSource says the two giant emerging economies combined have now passed Israel in the amount of venture capital invested in high-tech startups in the first quarter of 2008.
> 
> The two Asian nations together also had the same number of such deals in the quarter as Israel, according to Dow Jones. Some $818 million was invested in Chinese and Indian startups combined, compared to only $572 million in Israeli firms.
> 
> The number of deals for the quarter was 55 for Israel, totaling the same as India, with 16, and China, 39, together.
> Advertisement
> 
> The U.S. still leads by far in all parameters concerning high-tech venture capital investments: $6.835 billion and 603 deals in the first quarter of the year.
> 
> European numbers were $1.53 billion and 180 deals.
> 
> While it is easier to start a business in Pakistan then India for example,,,its extrmely difficult to do business.
> 
> What is of great consequence is the relative ranking on another score  enforcement of contracts. For this indicator, Pakistan has the worse score among the ten used by the bank for the purpose of evaluation. Contract enforcement has three elements  number of procedures that have to be followed, the time it takes to enforce a contract, and the cost of enforcement. The three are assigned the same weight in the rating for this indicator.
> 
> In Pakistans case, 47 procedures have to be followed for the enforcement of contracts compared to 21 in the case of Singapore that has the top ranking in terms of ease of doing business. In Pakistan it takes an average of 976 days to reach a settlement on a contract dispute compared to 150 in Singapore. The cost of settlement of a contract in Pakistan is 23.8 per cent of the total value, a bit lower than Singapores 25.8 per cent.
> 
> The cost of doing business -DAWN - Business; February 23, 2009
> 
> Then you have to add the cost and diffculty of doing business in Pakistan with foreign investors, stories about kidnappings, demands for ransom, and killing of some hostages pose serious issues in their decisions to bring capital to Pakistan.
> 
> Security concerns must also weigh heavily with domestic investors particularly in troubled areas in Balochistan and the North-West Frontier Province"


A
n average of 976 days to reach a settlement if compare to 150 days of Singapore -- it's a huge difference. 

It's a nice article to learn the stats and other useful and collective data. It's relevant to the topic but not relevant to my post per se. 

I was talking about something else, Provincialism that is. Every Province, by and large, accuses other province of embezzlement day to day and keep on creating brouhaha inside the nation. The same is the case with Thar Coal and Kala Bagh Dam too. One should understand that these resources and projects benefit the people of the nation, and not a single province. No province has the right to seize any such mineral resource and lay claim in order to utilize the resources for its province alone. It belongs to federal; it belongs to the people of Pakistan, not only people of any particular province. And last but not the least, every province should be treated fairly in every regards -- with Justice.


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## Hyde

ajpirzada said:


> i have seen the official report on this subject. this coal is enough to last us for 200 yrs to fulfil our energy needs. there is a plan of doin gasification of these coal reserves, instead of mining it, and then using the gas for electricity generation etc. reason being there is water for i dont know how many feet on top of these coal reserves and mining will create and environmental mess. wat world bank suggested was use the dredgers to dig through the sand but lik i mentioned it will create a mess and so gov is not really considerin it.
> 
> *another things. there are coal reserves under khewra salt mines as well.*



I have seen those coal reserves under Khewra Salt mines but they are not even 0.5% of the total reserves of Pakistan..... 95%+ are only in Thar and remaining spread in Punjab and other provinces

If i am not wrong there were 175 billion tons of Coal reserves in Thar and 10 billion tons of coal reserves in other parts of Pakistan including Khewra coal reserves


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## Wingman

Mr X said:


> I have seen those coal reserves under Khewra Salt mines but they are not even 0.5% of the total reserves of Pakistan..... 95%+ are only in Thar and remaining spread in Punjab and other provinces
> 
> If i am not wrong there were 175 billion tons of Coal reserves in Thar and 10 billion tons of coal reserves in other parts of Pakistan including Khewra coal reserves



Pakistan Coal reserves enough for 200 years


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## Omar1984

*Thar coal reserves sufficient to meet 100 years energy needs 
​*
ISLAMABAD (APP) - Sustained efforts of the government resulted in discovery of about 174 billion tons Coal reserves in Thar deserts in Sindh, having potential to fulfill the energy requirement of the country for hundred years.

To facilitate the investors in Thar Coal field more than Rs.two billion have been spent on the discovery, evaluation of coal and development of infrastructure, official sources told APP on Wednesday.

Government attaches high priority towards development and exploration of indigenous minerals to mitigate import as well as enhance the share of mineral sector in the national exchequer.

National Mineral Policy 1995 formulated by the previous PPP Government enhance international competitiveness of the country because of the attractive regulatory and fiscal regimes.

As result of the 1995 policy the mineral sector secured direct foreign investment of US $ 8000 million and augmented revenue receipts from the mineral sector manifold.

Meanwhile, Geological Survey of Pakistan has launched a project to explore and confirm more coal deposits in Kohlu-Chamalang areas of Balochistan.

In order to remove deleterious material from indigenous coal to make it suitable for utilisation in processing industries Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources has facilitated private sector to import coal washing plants.

Sources told Saindak Project Balochistan being operated by Chinese company M/s MCC, has started production of 16000 tons Copper, Gold and Silver per year since 2003.

A joint venture of two foreign companies is preparing a feasibility study on mining and processing of Reko Diq deposits in Balochistan to produce 72000 tons Copper concentrate in the initial stage by investing US $ one billion.

Federal Government and the provincial government of Balochistan are providing all required assistance to the company in this regard.

It was learnt that the country had Iron resources of more that 600 million tons, however, owing to its low grade it could not be utilised in Pakistan Steel, which was importing iron ore by spending huge foreign exchange. The government has attached high priority to utilise indigenous iron resources, sources said.

Pakistan Steel has been facilitated to acquire three leases of iron deposits in Balochistan while efforts are afoot to develop a mechanism for up gradation of indigenous iron resources to make it acceptable for utilisation.

In this connection, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources has conducted a feasibility study on upgradation of Chichali Iron Ore through a Chinese Consultant, M/s MCC.

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## Omar1984



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## Sarang

Dear friends, 

It is unfortunately very sad that we have to rely on matters related to energy and power which are intricately linked to economics on the likes of Hakeem Zaid Hamid. Unfortunately, the level of journalism and awareness in our country is such that even the simplest of information is twisted around owing to lack of analysis. 

And people like me who have been working with Energy and Power companies, regulators and investors in Pakistan and abroad are partly to blame as we are busy doing our jobs rather than launching public awareness campaigns and countering misperceptions. So here are my two cents in light of my 10 years of practical work experience and research on this sector: 

*1. Quality of the Thar Coal Reserves:* Yes, these are very large reserves by any standard, however the standard and nature of the reserves is of very low quality. As a result, there are a number of technological, logistical and feasibility challenges which make project economics very tricky and hence make any references to the Thar coal resources as "black gold" rather laughable. 

*2. Government's Failure on Thar Coal:* It is not that the GoP or the Sindh Government has never tried to develop these reserves. I for one am aware of ongoing efforts to seek investment by the GoP particularly the PPIB to exploit these resources since before 2001. (Some more recent litreature can be found on the PPIB website) The key issue here has been that owing to the low quality, the extraction cost of coal is high and as a result the cost of any electricity produced from this coal will not be cheap and the GoP is essentially not able to approve these higher tarriffs. This was the key breaking point with respect to discussions with the Chinese. Furthermore, I understand that there have been issues between the GoP and Gov. of Sindh which are secondary contributors to slow development pace. 

*3. Copper-Gold Reserves in Baluchistan: *There are two key projects in Baluchistan which exploit Copper and associated Gold deposits: Riko Diq and Saindak. 
One of the small developments in early Musharraf era was leasing out Saindak Project to Chinese investors. At that stage, Saindak Project was quite a significant disaster of the GoP with something like 0.5 billion dollars (at that exchange rate if i remember figures correctly) of investment having been shut down with the project being complete but not having started owing to lack of working capital. Nevertheless, the project was not very feasible again owing to low quality of resource and costs being high. Nevertheless, I believe that the project is currently in operations but facing some difficulties. 
The Riko Diq resource is however a world class copper-gold resource which was leased to BHP Billiton (leading Australian natural resource company) "through the proper regulatory channel" established by the GoP and the Govt. of Baluchistan sometime in the late 90s. BHP Billiton worked on the development of the project (feasibility etc) and I believe some years ago it sold its rights to a Chilean company which is one of the leading copper-gold developers in the world. Again, while I am not aware of intricate details, I believe that while progress on the project has been slow (remote location, difficult development, technical challenges, slow regulatory process and Pakistan/Baluchistan investment environment some of the contributors), all regulatory requirements would have been followed here. There is no question in my mind of a "sell out" here as project was alloted much earlier than Mush Govt. and the rules and lawazmaat for seeking international investment into a country have been followed by both the Government and the investors here. 

*4. Privatisation in Pakistan:* Privatisation is a controversial topic so say the least, but nowhere in the world is it more so than Pakistan today. The benefits of privatisation when rightly done are accepted world-wide and the perils of privatisation in the wrong environment are also well documented. Despite bad perception, the track record of large privatisations in Pakistan has been fairly good, MCB Bank, Habib Bank, Allied Bank, PTCL, Pakistan Refinery are some of the successfully privatised entities after following a transparent and competitive process. The main privatisation disaster has been KESC, the key reasons for which are well established (kundas, kundas and ghundas) and in my opinion despite everything it should be viewed as an achievement that KESC was sold for anything over Rs. 1 in the sense that the losses which were to be booked by the GoP for the past 5 years have been the investors headache (my prayers are with the current owners!). Nevertheless, with the cancellation of the Pak Steel privatisation (a separate topic) all privatisation has come to a halt. 
I would request anyone who is overly and passionately critical of privatisation to please look up the privatisation progress made in Turkey with respect to energy and power sector over last few years and compare the pace with Pakistan. Turkey is ruled by an Islamic party and are much more educated and informed on the ways of the world than our nation, nevertheless they have swiftly and intelligently privatised their so called "strategic" assets and "family silver" and are keen to seek international invetors who have flocked to their auctions. In addition last year the British Government, privatised the nuclear power assets of British Energy (think "strategic") to none other than their first arch rivals in the world: the French, Electricity de France! 

*5. The Tarriff Problem* For Pakistan's investor profile there were catastrophic mess ups by the GoP during 1992-2002 era summarised as: Benazir Govt invites foreign investment at high tarriff; lots of das nambarees across the board as too many IPPs set up with high tarriffs and 10 fee sads; Nawaz govt comes in and instigates criminal legal proceedings against all IPPs and GoP officials/reps; IPPs and their international investors are persecuted and harassed; court proceedings and bail before arrest warrants abound. In 2002, the Musharraf Government finally agreed upon revised tarriffs with IPPs and resolved all ongoing disputes. End result for international investors "don't invest in Pakistan as one elected Govt. signs contract and the next one takes you to court". End result for GoP officials "don't sign off on any tarriff higher than 6 cents, infact don't bloody sign anything!" 

*6. Current Regulatory and Investment Environment: * As a result of IPP crises and its aftermath, when world oil prices peaked in 2007 at around $140 per barrell we were still offering power tarriffs to new investors which were agreed in 2002 when oil prices were $25 per barrel. Furthermore, with rising steel prices and demand for power generation equipment, project costs increased many fold during this period. As a result, no new investment was possible in the power sector or in renewable energy (wind, solar) with the GoP officials not being able to show any flexibility in the environment of distrust where one department did not trust the other and most believed that all foreign investors are chors. 

Well thats my take on some of the things that have come to mind with respect to this thread. I recognize that I am far from being the ultimate authority here and readers are welcome to do their own research and come to their own conclusions. I have written numbers and facts from memory and will post corrections if necessary on separate posts with any edits to this post limited to spell checks and grammar.

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## ajpirzada

Mr X said:


> I have seen those coal reserves under Khewra Salt mines but they are not even 0.5% of the total reserves of Pakistan..... 95%+ are only in Thar and remaining spread in Punjab and other provinces
> 
> If i am not wrong there were 175 billion tons of Coal reserves in Thar and 10 billion tons of coal reserves in other parts of Pakistan including Khewra coal reserves



to be honest, any thing compared to thar will look insignificant but actually its worth a lot.


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## kallu_be

Thar coal fields are also present in india too (rajasthan and gujrath) with significant quantities, but only <5&#37; of the coal is feasible for mining as the coal is of bad (mostly lignite/E/F) quality / its too deep for commercial extraction. At present companies like reliance, ongc are investing on research for underground coal gasification in various univ across India.


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## Omar1984

*Thar Coal Project beneficial for entire country: Sindh CM 
​*
KARACHI: Sindh's Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, has said Thar Coal Water Energy Project is the most important project as it will not only bring development and prosperity in Sindh but will also be beneficial for Pakistan in general.

Shah made the statement during a meeting with the Chief Executive, officers amd consultants of Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company on Wednesday evening.

He said that there is an acute shortage of electricity in the country. and the power shortage is a;sp increasing with rapid population growth. The Thar Coal project will help to cater the electricity need of the country for years.

The Sindh CM said that Pakistan&#8217;s development and prosperity depend on thecompletion of this project. 

He told the meeting that the Sindh govt is providing basic infrastructure in the Thar as water supply is being ensured while an Air-Strip is also being developed to provide services to the small aircraft.

He apprised many development projects are underway while land surveys have been started.

Syed Qaim Ali Shah said that we need the coal of Thar and we want coal digging and exploration of other resources be started as soon as possible.

He noted that a Pakistani scientist has given assurance that a 500 megawatt electricity generation plant could be established through the gasification of coal at only one block of Thar Coal site, within one-and-half years.

Earlier, Chairman of the company, Dr. Kayan informed the meeting that his company is the largest engineering company in Coal mining sector and explores total 70 per cent of the total coal in China.

He congratulated the Sindh Chief Minister for initiating the Thar Coal project and said it will be very fruitful for the people.

Earlier, Advisor to Sindh CM for Investments, Zubair Motiwala, member Thar Coal Energy Board, Syed Asad Ali Shah also spoke.

The meeting was attended by officials of Sindh Engro Coal mining company, RWE Germany, China North East Coal Field Geological Survey Bureau Exploration Design Institute, SRK Britain, Sindh Minister for Revenue, Jam Mehtab Dahar, Sindh Minister for Irrigation and Power, Syed Murad Ali Shah and officials of Sindh Coal Authority. &#8212;APP


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## Kompromat

^^^What shall we do to STOP corruption in this mega project??


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## niaz

Every so often a new member digs up the story of coal reserves without having the slightest idea of the investment, technical know-how and the gestation period involved before any of these reserves can actually be put to some use. These reserves have already been discussed in different threads in this very forum to the nth degree. 

No doubt every one in the government is stupid; there is a Zionist conspiracy to deprive Pakistan of her natural wealth. Only the brilliant TV show hosts have the presence of mind to remind the general public how the establishment has been deliberately delaying the exploitation of this natural wealth for the last 60 odd years. Let us all jump with joy with the latest realization.

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## Wingman

We cannot stop corruption unless and until we stop electing corrupt people as the player of our fates.


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## SU-57E

congrats, this is a really awesome news.

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## maheshbhat

jang.com.pk/thenews/oct2009-weekly/busrev-26-10-2009/p4.htm

Thar coal: a comparative study

By Kamran Riaz

In Pakistan, people, who have absolutely no knowledge of an issue under discussion, tell conspiracy theories about it with such conviction that one starts believing that perhaps these people are narrating a firsthand account of acts to which they were eye witnesses. 

Something similar is happening with Thar Coal today. Print and electronic media are awash with stories about how we have the worlds largest reserves of coal in the Thar desert but still we are not benefiting from this coal. 

Being very familiar with the Thar coal project in my professional capacity, I find the proliferation of such *myths* quite amusing, even bewildering. Perhaps, it would be better for us as a nation to investigate the facts of an issue first instead of immediately resorting to emotional sloganeering.

Coal occurs in nature in different types. The deposits at Thar are of Lignite type of coal. *These deposits have very high moisture content with water level approaching almost 50% and are considered to be of inferior quality.* This coal is highly volatile and cannot be transported over long distances. So, exporting this coal after extraction from ground or transporting it to more convenient locations is not possible. That is why it is suitable primarily for mine-mouth power generation.

The size of these reserves is being reported as 175 billion tons and this figure is being repeatedly touted on the media as enough for fulfilling our power generation needs for centuries to come. At the moment the top ten countries with largest proved recoverable lignite coal reserves in the world are as follows:

Proved recoverable Lignite Coal reserves: (see table) 

Energy council report

As shown in the table above, the country with the largest proved recoverable reserves of lignite coal in the world is Australia with about 37 billion ton with the sum of all such reserves all over the world being about 150 billion ton. So if the recoverable lignite reserves at Thar are actually proved to be 175 billion tons, then these would be greater than total reserves all over the world combined. 

*The fact is that the reported reserves of 175 billion tons at Thar are not proved-recoverable reserves but rather the bulk of these reserves have a relatively low degree of geological assurance. Out of these purported 175 billion tons, only about 2.7 billion tons are measured reserves while about 9.3 billion tons are indicated reserves. The remaining 163 billion tons are inferred reserves (lying within a radius of 1.2 to 4.8 km from a point of coal measurement) and hypothetical reserves (undiscovered coal, generally an extension of inferred reserves in which coal lies more than 4.8 km from a point of measurement).* It is obvious that given the geological evidence so far available, the claim of 175 billion tons of reserves is highly speculative. If the Thar coal reserves had really been that big as is being claimed then there would have been a long queue of international mining giants trying to get concessions for mining rights. If such companies can go to places like war torn Iraq, they can certainly come to Pakistan. But the apparent lack of interest from foreign investors as a tell tale sign that these claims of huge and profitable reserves are not believed by the major players in the field.

*However, even if these reserves are for example 3 billion tons instead of 175 billion tons, still significant amount of electricity can be produced from Thar coal.*

*The other common myth is that there is some organized conspiracy to stop utilization of Thar coal.* Some people blame it on oil marketing companies that are allegedly afraid that the coal from Thar will significantly reduce oil consumption in the country. Others blame it on foreign powers that do not want Pakistan to be economically independent.

If anything the delay in exploitation of Thar coal can be attributed primarily to the economic rationale and to a lesser extent to the traditional slow pace of our bureaucracy. Much is made of the story of the Chinese company Shenhua which did a preliminary feasibility study of Thar coal but decided not to pursue the project further allegedly on disagreement with proposed tariff. *In fact after doing a preliminary feasibility study in 2002, Shenhua had reached the conclusion that the Thar coal project was not feasible purely an economic basis at that time because the cost of extraction of coal was very high and based on international coal prices at the time, it made more sense to import coal for power generation. However, the company recommended that Thar coal should still be exploited for social reasons as the project would help in social uplift of the extremely backward Thar area. *

A primary determinant in successful exploitation of any mineral resource is the cost of exploration vs. cost of import. For example, Canada has one of the largest reserves of oil in the world. But unlike Middle East where it is relatively much cheaper to extract oil from the ground, the cost of oil exploration is much higher in Canada. So it is not economically feasible for Canada to extract oil from its own resources at a higher cost when it can import the same from foreign sources at a much cheaper cost. However, as the price of imported oil increases, Canada will be extracting more and more oil from local sources. If the cost of extracting local oil for Canada is say $ 125, it does not make much sense to extract local oil when foreign oil is available at $ 40 a barrel but when the oil price in international markets rises to $ 150, Canadians will be going all out to extract more and more oil locally as it now becomes cheaper.

Developing the mining infrastructure is a much more time consuming process as compared to installing a power plant and is likely to take anywhere between 6-8 years. Therefore, the previous Sindh government could have started work on the mining of coal as that phase is likely to take about six years. In the mean time, it could have commissioned a bankable feasibility study for power generation. Furthermore, additional uses of Thar coal could have been investigated (as is being done now) like gasification, rather than unnecessarily focusing on making it an exclusively power generation project.

It is also another myth that this project will alleviate the need for hydel electricity. The fact is that any electricity eventually produced from Thar coal would be at least twice as expensive as that generated from large dams. The main problem in electricity sector is not how to generate electricity, but how to generate electricity at an affordable price. If the issue had only been power generation than we also have abundant wind and solar resources, but these cannot be fully utilized because electricity produced from these sources would be prohibitively expensive. The average power generation cost given the current generation mix of Pakistan is about 6.5 cents/kwh. Electricity from Thar coal would provide relief to consumers if it can be generated at a cost lower than this average. 

However, previous Sindh government used to criticize NEPRA that had given an indicative tariff of 7.8 cents/kwh to Thar coal project saying that the tariff was too low and unacceptable. As a matter of fact that tariff was the highest coal based tariff anywhere in the world.

All this does not mean that Thar coal project should be abandoned. Given the current electricity crisis and the need to increase usage of indigenous resources for power generation, Thar coal can still prove to be a useful source of energy. Any electricity generated from Thar coal might help in reducing the need of importing expensive furnace oil. Gasification can also be a potential use of Thar coal. 

The involvement of a professionally managed and reputed company like Engro Pakistan is also a good omen. Let us hope that it will prove to be a very beneficial project for the country. What it will do is diversify our electricity generation sources, save us some foreign exchange and decrease the present gap between supply and demand of electricity. Most importantly, it will bring much needed development and employment to Thar area.

 (The writer is a Chartered Financial Analyst and International Energy Consultant who has worked extensively in electricity sector in Pakistan.) 

Top ten countries Lignite Coal Reserves
(Million tons) 
01. Australia 37.30
02. USA 30.24
03. China 18.60
04. Serbia (Kosovo) 13.50
05. Russian Federation 10.45
06. Germany 6.56
07. India 4.60
08. Greece 3.90
09. Kazakhstan 3.13
10. Hungry 2.93
Total proved Recoverable 
Lignite Coal reserves 
in all the countries of the 
world combined 149.86

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## jamal18

At last a rational analysis.

The most important lesson from all this is the lack of rational thought among Pakistanis; conjecture, myth and the desperate desire to believe whatever we want inspite of facts rules us.


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## Kompromat



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## Musafar

China will be eyeing this.


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## Musafar

dreamer said:


> We cannot stop corruption unless and until we stop electing corrupt people as the player of our fates.



Well said. We need to get out of this stupid circle of electing yesteryears cast offs. Time for some fresh faces.

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## FreekiN

So can someone confirm that Pakistan IS taking out the oil and planning to sell it?

If so, HOLY SHI-.


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## Kompromat

FreekiN said:


> So can someone confirm that Pakistan IS taking out the oil and planning to sell it?
> 
> If so, HOLY SHI-.



What oil you are talking about?


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## Hyde

FreekiN said:


> So can someone confirm that Pakistan IS taking out the oil and planning to sell it?
> 
> If so, HOLY SHI-.



Pakistan only import oil (in billions of dollars / year) they do not have proven oil reserves in large quantity............. (may be because we never spent enough money to find oil reserves from our land)


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## FreekiN

Mr X said:


> Pakistan only import oil (in billions of dollars / year) they do not have proven oil reserves in large quantity............. (may be because we never spent enough money to find oil reserves from our land)



Oh my, I meant to say coal. So what about the coal??


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## Kansu

The amount is huge but what about quality? if it is found in a young formation and with low calori values, it doesnt have any value...
2. thing is that, yes so much coal can be useful and helps you to provide energy. but how? you need to build coal-fired thermal power plant... and there are needs for this. in this option, you need a water source for the steam you will use for turbines. and this water source's capacity should be well enough to feed your thermal plant.

(there are other options for energy production with using coal. like coal gas, but these plants can be considered as too new for the industry and they are expensive.)

and after this water source, you need a stock area for the ash... ok, lets think that all the problems are solved and the only problem you have is the water source. and you decided to build that power plant to somewhere else. This time you will have logistics problem and carrying the coal from a place to another may not be economical... the expense may be a big amount.
but there is another option, you may carry it by railroads. but is there a close railroad system to the coal deposits?
there are many many engineering calculations we need to make to say that the coal can be used for energy production. 
am i pessimistic? =) may be a little bit realistic.

Also a few words about copper... the copper prices are increasing rapidly. copper miners earn very well these days. There is a crisis all around the world but copper prices increase so fast... is this logical? China expects the crisis to end soon. And companies manufacturing 3. generation industrial productions still need copper for their post-crisis operations. so they still buy copper. honestly, copper mines are more profitable these days than gold mines. i would like to get in lithium or copper mining business if i had oppurtunity.
Regards 
Kansu



ps: i also need to add, finding petrol is not so simple and cheap mates. a single meter drilling for petrol exploration costs 10.000$ depending on formation and equipment. there are many phases for this.deciding equipment and formation you will work on, opening wildcat wells and so on... Also you need to make nevertheless a few drills in a small area, on the same formation to be able to say that there is not petrol there.So may be pakistan needs to cooperate with international companies like brasilian petrobras or chinese companies working in middle east and africa. and last words, every oil source you find may not be profitable for the reasons i told above.

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## graphican

Mr X said:


> Pakistan only import oil (in billions of dollars / year) they do not have proven oil reserves in large quantity............. (may be because we never spent enough money to find oil reserves from our land)



There is fcuking politics in play. I have my friend who lives in Khewera and tells us how much mineral rich that area is around. He says there is a strip which is about 100KM long and it has different soil color than the rest of the area. That 100KM long strip has been explored nearly 12 times and every time a survey is made, they say there is oil underneath and every time they close the report and never start drilling. The next government would again spend 100s of millions over such geographical survey and same tested area. FCUKING MORON POLITICIANS are traitors who sell words but never do anything in the favour of this country. I wish there would appear some Immam Khumeni and roll 10,000 heads of lier, hypocrites and dishonest people and we would start seeing with what treasures God has blessed this nation.


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## Hyde

graphican said:


> There is fcuking politics in play. I have my friend who lives in Khewera and tells us how much mineral rich that area is around. He says there is a strip which is about 100KM long and it has different soil color than the rest of the area. That 100KM long strip has been explored nearly 12 times and every time a survey is made, they say there is oil underneath and every time they close the report and never start drilling. The next government would again spend 100s of millions over such geographical survey and same tested area. FCUKING MORON POLITICIANS are traitors who sell words but never do anything in the favour of this country. I wish there would appear some Immam Khumeni and roll 10,000 heads of lier, hypocrites and dishonest people and we would start seeing with what treasures God has blessed this nation.



i have been to khewra...... you find reserves of Salt and Coal, there is a big Soda Ash Factory (ICI) in Khewra, there are some Cement factories around Khewra and Jhelum, can't say about Oil reserves


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## Omar1984

*&#8220;Up to four years required to harness Thar coal&#8221;
​*
HYDERABAD: Prominent scientist Dr Samar Mubarakmand, who is a member of Planning Commission, has said that Pakistan has world&#8217;s second largest coal deposits, which will take three to four years to be put to use. 

He was speaking at a seminar on &#8220;Coal bed methane (CBM) prospects of Sindh, a venture of opportunities for growth&#8221; organised by the Centre for Pure and Applied Geology of the University of Sindh. 

He said that although he was not an expert on coal but being a member of the Planning Commission whose responsibilities included developing the resources and preparing roadmap for national development he had studied Thar coal and visited Tharparkar several times. 

He said that every Pakistani wished to put Thar coal into use for producing energy and work had started on eight blocks.

He said the world faced the spectre of fast depletion of energy resources. There were 45 locations in the world of natural gas which could be converted into diesel and electricity and help contain pollution, he said. 

Robert H. Gales, vice-president of Geoscience, Weatherford, USA, said in his keynote presentation that Pakistan was among 10 countries with large deposits of natural resources including coal.

He said that the fossil fuel would be main energy producer in foreseeable future and coal would remain a primary source of electricity generation, to the extent of 40 per cent. 

He said that several unconventional resources would play an important role in increasing the demand of coal bed methane, tight gas sands and basin-centered gas, shale gas, in-situ combustion (CBM and heavy oil), oil shale and methane hydrates.

About the current CBM activity in the world he said that North Americas shift to shale gas development, USAs CBM development, in-field drilling, Canadas development in select areas marked the shift.

Fossil fuels and specifically coal, he said, would play an important role in meeting energy demand in the foreseeable future. Alternative and renewable energy sources would grow and other unconventional resources would play a larger role in meeting energy demand, he said. 

Pro-vice chancellor of the university Dr Rafia Ahmed Shaikh, director of the centre Dr Sarfraz Hussain Solangi, Dr Imdadullah Siddiqui and geologists Dr Imdad Ali Brohi and Dr Asadullah Kazi also spoke at the seminar which was attended by geologists from the University of Punjab, NED University of Engineering, Quaid-i-Azam University, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Bahria University, representatives of Sindh Coal Authority, PCSIR, Mineral and Mining Department and other research organisations.


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## Omar1984

*Committee to monitor Thar coalfields
​*
Monday, February 22, 2010

By Imtiaz Ali

Karachi

The Sindh government has constituted a committee, comprising officials of the departments concerned and representatives from investment companies, to monitor infrastructure projects in the Thar coalfields, official sources said on Sunday.

Progress on infrastructure projects will be reviewed and monitored fortnightly by the committee. Bottlenecks will be identified, and relevant departments will be called upon for timely completion of the projects. Moreover, the committee will also review investors&#8217; projects to match timelines.

The coal and energy development secretary will be the chairperson of the committee, while the Thar Coal and Energy Board (TCED) finance manager will be the secretary. The irrigation and power secretary or a representative (not below BPS-19) will be a member of the committee, along with the district coordination officer Mithi, and representatives of SECMC, Cougar Energy and s Oracle Coalfields.

Sources said that the coal and energy development department has been pursuing infrastructure projects for the Thar coalfields, and felt a need to establish a committee to monitor these projects fortnightly in order to match timelines.

Officials said that the federal government will also be given representation in the committee. Moreover, the upcoming TCEB meeting will decide whether to include representatives of the Pakistan Railways, the National Highway Authority, the National Transmission and Dispatch Service (NTDC), etc.


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## Omar1984

*Pak coal reserves next to US: Lot
​*

Karachi&#8212;PPP Senator Gul Mohammed Lot has said that out of total 1.47 trillion tons of coal reserves in the world. Talking to a delegation of Thari notables at Lot House,he said the highest share is wih the US with 274 billion tons while Pakistan is regarded as a country with second biggest reserves of 185 billions tons out of which it hardly produces 40 million tons a year. Senator said that neighbouring country had lower coal reserves than Pakistan, still we produce only 10 percent of coal in comparison to them.

He said the present governemnt was making every effort to increase the capability for higher coal production.

He said according to a report, if our coal production was brought equal to that of India, then Pakistan could earn 8 billion dollars annually by producing 5 lac barel diesel daily, 4 billion cubic feet of gas, 90 million tons of fertilizer annually, 3.7 million barrel manthole annually and 8.5 million barrel Mitha anually. He said with that revenue, not only Sindh but people of Pakistan could be made economically stable. 

The Senator pointed out that a country like India fulfils 54 percent of industrial requirement and Veitnam produces 41 percent electricity from coal and if that natural resource in Pakistan was utilised with an immaculate planning and its economy grows at just 7 percent, then its GDP could go up from 167 billion dollars to 10 trillion dollars in the next 50 years.

Gul Mohammed Lot said that with existing coal reserves, the country could meet the requirements of six power stations of 1000 MW for the next 30-50 years.&#8212;APP


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## Hyde

Omar1984 said:


> *Pak coal reserves next to US: Lot
> ​*
> 
> KarachiPPP Senator Gul Mohammed Lot has said that out of total 1.47 trillion tons of coal reserves in the world. Talking to a delegation of Thari notables at Lot House,he said the highest share is wih the US with 274 billion tons while Pakistan is regarded as a country with second biggest reserves of 185 billions tons out of which it hardly produces 40 million tons a year. Senator said that neighbouring country had lower coal reserves than Pakistan, still we produce only 10 percent of coal in comparison to them.
> 
> He said the present governemnt was making every effort to increase the capability for higher coal production.
> 
> He said according to a report, if our coal production was brought equal to that of India, then Pakistan could earn 8 billion dollars annually by producing 5 lac barel diesel daily, 4 billion cubic feet of gas, 90 million tons of fertilizer annually, 3.7 million barrel manthole annually and 8.5 million barrel Mitha anually. He said with that revenue, not only Sindh but people of Pakistan could be made economically stable.
> 
> The Senator pointed out that a country like India fulfils 54 percent of industrial requirement and Veitnam produces 41 percent electricity from coal and if that natural resource in Pakistan was utilised with an immaculate planning and its economy grows at just 7 percent, then its GDP could go up from 167 billion dollars to 10 trillion dollars in the next 50 years.
> 
> Gul Mohammed Lot said that with existing coal reserves, the country could meet the requirements of six power stations of 1000 MW for the next 30-50 years.APP



we have been hearing such fantasies since 10 years now.......... we just want the Job needs to be done, the statements given like always

Now is the time to do something in real instead of giving statements every second week


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## Omar1984

*Thar coal: concerns of the local community
​*

*Thar coal has a very large water content (over 40 per cent of its weight) and is capable of providing an abundant water supply for the locals. &#8212; File Photo *


On July 27, a three-member team of the World Bank experts on coal and mining visited Thar coal fields and met the representatives of civil society organisations and the local community. The team also visited village Thario Halepoto near Islamkot, Tharparkar. 

The first concern countered by the WB team was the fear of local people whether Thar and Sindh will actually benefit from the exploitation of the world&#8217;s largest resource of energy. 

Perhaps it was the first-ever official visit and initial brain-storming meeting of the World Bank officials of this nature to look at the Thar coal issues. The team comprised Ms Ekaterina N. Mikhaylova, Senior Project Officer Oil, Gas, Mining and Chemicals Department, Mr Robert Murphy, a Consultant of Oil,Gas, Mining Policy Division. They were accompanied by officials of the Sindh Mines and Mineral Department and the Thar Coal Energy Board. 

Officials of the Sindh Energy Board and Minerals and Mining Department claimed that the development of Thar coal reserves has been included in the priority list of projects likely to be launched during the current financial year. 

Members of the WB team said their mandate was to hear the views of the community and civil society representatives to prepare their policy framework expected to be completed in one year. Representatives of leading Thar-based NGOs including TRDP were present. 

Ever-since 1964, when the first feasibility report on the use of Thar coal was completed, a number of similar studies have been carried out by experts, establishing the huge abundance of good quality, easily extractable coal and other mineral deposits in Tharparkar and their potential benefits. 

*An estimated over 175 billion tons of proven reserves of good quality coal is spread over 9,000 square kilometers of the Thar Desert. Compare it with the figures of India&#8217;s total coal deposits of 140 billion tons. Yet, for 40 years, these reserves have remained untapped.* 

People in Thar live in sub-human conditions and remain deprived of even access to safe drinking water, sewerage, healthcare, transport and education. Other issues include bonded labour and violation of the fundamental rights to employment and access to food availability. 

*Thar coal expert Syed Mohibullah Shah is of the view that technology exists to produce potable water from coal while the mineral is utilised for power generation. Thar coal has a very large water content (over 40 per cent of its weight) and +is capable of providing an abundant water supply for the locals. *

People of the area acknowledge that the country is under severe electricity and energy crisis and Sindh is ready to cater the needs but ask as to who will guarantee the protection of the rights of the local people. The community is of the view that it should be the first beneficiary of any coal project. 

Thar Coal exploitation can spearhead major economic development and employment generation activities. With over 200,000 jobs flowing from it over the years, the project could rank right at the top among all investments made in Pakistan&#8212;domestic or foreign. 

The first-ever baseline survey of the area and people was shared with the World Bank team and the Sindh officials were advised to do more studies and surveys to understand the area and community. 

Keeping in view the importance of the issue, Thardeep Rural Development programme (TRDP) has done a baseline survey on the socio-economic and environmental aspects of this project. The report is re-produced in Sindhi, English and Urdu. The aim of the re-production of the research study was to provide baseline information and scientific data to policy and decision makers and other stakeholders for an open debate. 

This research will help to understand the demographic and geographic patterns of Thar, local community, environmental issues, socio-economic realities, and human landscape and project related issues like displacement, rehabilitation, burdens for the local people and the affected communities. 

The input/feedback/ briefing by the local civil society activists on socio-economic and political situation of the area and community&#8217;s concerns and expectations of the project was very impressive in terms of their level of fundamental knowledge about the project. WB team was very impressed by the level of community&#8217;s understanding and information regarding Thar coal issues including technical and socio-economic and environmental impact. From the technical issues of gasification and tariff controversy and the ownership of the recourse, every issue was discussed at length. 

Following issues were tabled by the community representatives: 

Policy level issues: Ownership of the project should be solely with government of Sindh; elected representatives of the area be given visible charge/control in decision making; the community (especially field area) should be part of decision-making body. There should be a single body controlled by the provincial government to deal with investors and other issues. 

Community issues: There is no clear policy for community welfare in Thar coal project; Sindh has a bitter experience of IFIs engagement in different projects and a lack of trust between the community and the donors/investors. 

Displacement issues: Protection of cultural, heritage and religious sites; guarantees of employment for the local people; compensation issues as per current day rates of the lands and other belongings and; change in environmental landscape, impact on water and other livelihood commodities 

The local community is happy to see its area developed but wants protection of political, social, economic, cultural and environmental rights for which a genuine effort on the part of Sindh government is required. The community feels more comfortable with the Thar Coal and Energy Board (TCEB) which it believes be treated as the only notified legal and authorised body to exercise all powers in deciding matters pertaining to mining and power generation from Thar coal. It should also address all the concerns and fears of the local people.

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## Omar1984

*Thar Coal feasibility report to be ready by June: FM Qureshi 
​*

BEIJING, Feb 26 (APP): Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that the feasibility report of the Thar Coal will be ready by June this year for submission to Sindh Government.Qureshi said that he has very good interaction with China&#8217;s top corporate leaders here in Beijing and also held talk with a top official whose company is carrying out the feasibility report on Thar coal.The company will finish the work on feasibility report by June and thereafter it will be submitted to the Sindh Government.The foreign minister said that he has discussed the prospects of utilizing the Thar coal for generating thermal power and was pleased to learn that the quality of Thar coal is far better than the imported coal being presently used for the purpose. 

&#8220;So the chances for using Thar coal for power generation is very bright, according to initial report&#8221;, the foreign minister told APP in an exclusive interview during his stay in Beijing. 

The geology of the area is quite friendly so it will not be difficult to extract the coal, he said and added that &#8220;the prospects are very encouraging&#8221;. 

The foreign minister said that he also exchanged views with top officials of China Harbour with regard to prospects of growth and development of Gwadar port so that how we could utilize the port in more effective manner. 

&#8220;I got some good ideas about how to develop infrastructure around Gwadar port to make it more useful&#8221;, Mr. Qureshi said. 

Gwadar being close to the proximity of Iran which is rich in oil, therefore we can develop it as key area for establishing chemical industries, he observed. 

During his interaction, Qureshi said that he has shared some good ideas with the leaders of corporate sector and they are very enthusiastic about working in Pakistan. 

He said that during last one and half years there is lot of enthusiasm that has been generated on broadening the economic base between Pakistan and China. 

The feedback, he got from the private sector, he said is that in the coming days the potential of broadening the economic and commercial ties with China is very bright and that is exactly in line with the economic diplomacy the foreign office was pursuing. 

As we have plenty of sunshine round the year, therefore, there is also tremendous potential for bilateral engagements in development of solar energy. 

He said that as the solar energy is becoming more and more sophisticated and would become cheap in cost with the passage of time, Pakistan offers lot of prospects in solar energy. 

&#8220;Chinese cooperation can help Pakistan in overcoming the energy problem&#8221; Pakistan is facing at the moment, Qureshi said and added that it will also lay the base of foundations for industrial and agricultural growth in Pakistan. 

The foreign minister said that he also had very fruitful meeting with those corporate sector people involved in river dredging projects in Pakistan that has already been initiated. 

He further said that when completed the project would offer new opportunities for navigation and transportation as well as improving irrigation system in Pakistan.


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## Kompromat

Thanks Umar


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## Luftwaffe

again the problem is corruption Nigeria is suppose to be a rich country with proven huge oil reserves than again against dollar its currency is 152.00 and UK is the daddy of these oil wells and exploration add us as well..
so is the case with Pakistan if a common man of these area star to become self sufficient and rich it'll panic govt so they want these ares to be as backward as they want..
the best example of success is China and South Korea..


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## Isaq Khan

luftwaffe said:


> again the problem is corruption Nigeria is suppose to be a rich country with proven huge oil reserves than again against dollar its currency is 152.00 and UK is the daddy of these oil wells and exploration add us as well..
> so is the case with Pakistan if a common man of these area star to become self sufficient and rich it'll panic govt so they want these ares to be as backward as they want..
> the best example of success is China and South Korea..



I don't think corruption is a problem on the other hand it is a tool to get the work done where everything i stand still.

The problem is lack of will or committed leadership.

In Pakistan leadership is committed but not towards people's welfare but towards its own welfare.

There is also deep corruption in China but they are committed about their people and does not allow anyone from UN, US to human right activist to interfere. Hence, despite corruption they are developing.


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## Luftwaffe

Govt has the funds they are corrupt they don't want to spend on acquiring these tools look at Iran they've all for oil exploration! All projects feasibility reports are with the Govt it can't be the lack of interest when you know thse projects can pile up billions of dollars..
right you say there is corruption in China but over all look at the way they accelerated in many fields look at the structures there ambitions...


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## Isaq Khan

luftwaffe said:


> Govt has the funds they are corrupt they don't want to spend on acquiring these tools look at Iran they've all for oil exploration! All projects feasibility reports are with the Govt it can't be the lack of interest when you know thse projects can pile up billions of dollars..
> right you say there is corruption in China but over all look at the way they accelerated in many fields look at the structures there ambitions...



Believe me or not there are many arab states who don't want a strong pakistan.

They don't want Gwadar port to become a success.

They don't want pakistan to extract oil.

They don't want pakistan to utilize its coal reserves.

Don't u think there are huge Oil Reserves in Pakistan being so close oil rich gulf and just next to Iran?

The Arabs don't help pakistan till the sufferings becomes extreme.

*The Arab helps pakistan so that pakistan does not become desperate and start looking for oil and become a strategic port like Dubai. By their help Pakistan think they are its friend and does not work hard for utilizing its true resources.*


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## Luftwaffe

yaar that is a universal open truth no arab state wants Gawadar development..at a max potential Gawadar is estimated to bring in $30 billion yearly at max full potential excluding deep sea oil...rest of the world know gadawar is the source of Pakistan getting rid of Debt that is trouble some for arab states and West equally.


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## Omar1984

luftwaffe said:


> yaar that is a universal open truth no arab state wants Gawadar development..at a max potential Gawadar is estimated to bring in $30 billion yearly at max full potential excluding deep sea oil...rest of the world know gadawar is the source of Pakistan getting rid of Debt that is trouble some for arab states and West equally.



Forget about arabs, there have been reports that some members of MQM are not happy about Gwadar Port because they think it will take business away from Karachi Port and Port Qasim. I was hoping Karachiites would help Gwadar as Karachi also used to be a fishing community before it became a big city thanks to its sea ports. Sad that we cant reach our full potential because of some selfish politicians 

I posted the reports on page 25 of the following thread:
http://www.defence.pk/forums/economy-development/1232-gwadar-jewel-crown-25.html

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## Omar1984

* Wapda not interested in Thar coal project 
​*

Thursday, February 25, 2010

By our correspondent

Karachi

Had the agreement with Chinese firm to utilize Thar coal reserves not been cancelled, the countrys economy would have shown a turnaround as well as providing jobs to thousands of people and generating around 4000-5000MW electricity today, according to Secretary Mines and Mineral Development Department Aijaz Ali Khan.

Responding to a question by Sindh Assemblys Public Accounts Committee Chairman Sardar Jam Tamachi, the Secretary Mines said that around 250 people of the Chinese company were involved in the utilization of Thar coal and they spent over one million dollars but Wapda suddenly changed tariff from 5.7 cents to 5.2 cents and then 5.5 cents, forcing the Chinese to end the agreement.

Jam Tamachi observed that Wapda did it deliberately because it was more interested in constructing Kala Bagh Dam than utilizing Thar coal. The Secretary Mines said that they recently visited China to persuade the said company to resume the agreement but they were reluctant to do so.

He said that by doing so the Wapda committed a criminal act. To a question, the Secretary Mines said that they had launched four to five projects to utilize Thar coal with local partners and foreign firms, including one from Britain, to whom they have promised high rate of return. He said that managing 400-feet deep coal reserves as per international standards was not an easy task.

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## Omar1984

*Another Thar coal block for mining shortly 
​*
KARACHI (APP) - Sindh Coal Authority (SCA) will offer Block-1 of Thar coal field for mining through open international bidding shortly. This was stated by the Director General SCA, A.B Narejo at a seminar on &#8220;Future of Power Generation&#8221; organised by Petroleum Institute of Pakistan (PIP) at a local hotel here Wednesday. &#8220;This will be followed by the auctioning of three more blocks of Thar coal field&#8221;, he added.

He said 8 blocks are ready in Thar and currently three parties namely M/s Engro Energy Ltd, Coujar Energy UK and Member Planning Commission Dr. Samar Mubarak Mand are working on three blocks.

Narejo said that Engro has Block-2 and working on 1000 MW coal power plant while Coujar Energy is working on coal gasification for 400 MW coal power plant.

Dr Mubarak Mand is also working on coal gasification and two power plants of 50 MW each based on coal, he added.

He pointed out that SCA has received various proposals for 5000 MW of power generation based on Thar coal.

Director project PPIB Asif Ali Abro said that the gas shortage will seriously hit power generation in near future as no gas is available for power projects after 2011. There are 11 power projects needing gas.

He said that PPIB currently has 48 projects for 12,000 MW but the suppressed demand for electricity would reach 36,217 MW by 2015, creating a gap of 22,891 MW. The generation capacity is 13,326 MW in the country, he added.

Abro said currently, PPIB has two power projects, based on imported coal for 1200 MW each by M/s AES, and Mitsui of Japan/Malakoof of Malaysia.

He said that PPIB is focussing on hydel and coal based projects as the cost of these projects tend to come down in long run compared to fuel fired power units.

CEO Engro Energy Khalid Mansoor said that the total cost of the entire project which included power plant and mining will be $ 3 billion.

We are currently working in the coal field and by June this year, we will find out whether we can do open cast mining in the field, he added.

He said that infrastructure development work is continued in Thar, but lot has to be done to take out coal from the field. He pointed out that there is a plan to lay an extra high tension line for the power project, connecting the power plant to national grid.

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## waraich66

Duplicate post ?


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## Omar1984

*WB scraps plan to finance Thar Coal Project ​*
ISLAMABAD: The World Bank has scrapped its plan to finance the resource-rich Thar Coal Project by extending technical assistance (TA) worth $20 to $25 million. 
The World Bank is now saying these financial resources, which were meant for the Thar Coal Project, would be diverted to other crucial projects such as extension of the Tarbela Hydropower Project. 

The bank had intended to finance Thar Coal and Power Technical Assistance project worth $20 to $25 million. The stage has not come yet where the exact amount of the project was finalised. &#8220;While the project is at a preliminary stage, and the stage of appraisal has not yet come, the bank changed its plan to divert resources towards other crucial projects,&#8221; sources told our sources here on Sunday. 

As a result of drilling over dune sand, a total of 175 billion tons of coal resource potential has been assessed.


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## sparklingway

Omar1984 said:


> * &#8216;Wapda not interested in Thar coal project&#8217;
> ​*



What the hell is the correspondent reporting. It's Water and Power Development Authority. Thermal Power Plants are operated by GENCOs. WAPDA has a capacity of 6444 MW out of the total 20306 MW installed in the country. Thermal contributes 13370 MW


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## Kompromat

Any one has some Info about methane Gas production from Thar coal project because it can be Transfered into LNG (Liquefied Natural gas)


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## dbc

Black blood said:


> Any one has some Info about methane Gas production from Thar coal project because it can be Transfered into LNG (Liquefied Natural gas)





> Cathay Oil and Gas Ltd is part of a consortia of entities including Pakistan and *U.S. Government organizations* and academic groups that will conduct a multi-year countrywide aerial and land based exploration program. Pending funding





> Sindh Government Coalbed Methane Agreement: Cathay has signed a six year exclusive right to explore for and develop the coal and associated coalbed methane (CBM) and water resources in the province of Sindh. With this contract, Cathay controls one of the largest known coal resources in the world containing over 10&#37; of the world's total coal reserves, more than 175 billion tons as defined by the U.S.G.S. The Thar coals are known to be the western extension of the coals in the Cambay Basin in India, which have reserves of some 13 trillion cubic feet of coalbed methane gas. Cathay's area of interest covers some 135,000 square kilometers (roughly 50,000 square miles). The USGS has estimated that the Thar coal field, roughly 20% of Cathay's license, is comparable to the Powder River Basin of the western United States, and may contain up to 36 trillion cubic feet of coalbed methane with up to 21 trillion cubic feet potentially recoverable.



Cathay Oil & Gas Ltd. Acquires Rights to Pakistan Coal/Coalbed Methane and to Participate in Joint Countrywide Natural Resource Exploration Project


DAWN-Up to four years required to harness Thar coal

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## MastanKhan

Hi,

I believe that there was another major screw up on the development of this thar coal project. I believe that originally it was discovered and worked upon by a german consortium---they wanted to develop it into coal gas---in comes china---with all kinds of p[romises---govt dumped germany and brought in chian---chinese company had minimal experience---germans were very upset with pakistan.

Another one of our brilliatn screwup. Now what is the level of stupidity required to reject german engineering and technology over chinese----only my bretheren pakistanis can do it---Qsaark need not reply---thanks.


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## sparklingway

As far as my knowledge goas, the coal in Thar is high in moisture and therefore not very suitable for conventional coal fired TPS. High moisture coal TPS have been developed but they are extremely costly, so companies tend to use a dehydrating mechanism before mining out the coal.

Anybody have info on this?


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## dbc

MastanKhan said:


> Hi,
> 
> I believe that there was another major screw up on the development of this thar coal project. I believe that originally it was discovered and worked upon by a german consortium---they wanted to develop it into coal gas---in comes china---with all kinds of p[romises---govt dumped germany and brought in chian---chinese company had minimal experience---germans were very upset with pakistan.
> 
> Another one of our brilliatn screwup. Now what is the level of stupidity required to reject german engineering and technology over chinese----only my bretheren pakistanis can do it---Qsaark need not reply---thanks.



MastanKhan, I understand your frustration at the slow rate or lack of progress but you have to realize that the presence of CBM or hydrocarbons does not automatically translate to a commercially viable endeavor. There are unique economical, technical and operational challenges to producing CBM from any basin. Some basins such as the American San Juan basin can produce gas without stimulation at rates comparable to conventional gas wells. While others require special techniques like dewatering to lower the reservoir pressure and Z-Pinnate Horizontal Drilling and Completion and yet many others cannot economically produce methane from coal seams. Your accusation of mismanagement may not be completely unfounded but Id like to reiterate once again that producing hydro carbons is complex and risky business and the lack of success in Thar may not entirely be your governments fault.

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## FreekiN

I saw on TV that the United States does not want Pakistan to mine for the coal since it would cause a type of 'environmental pollution.' Is this true?


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## sparklingway

FreekiN said:


> I saw on TV that the United States does not want Pakistan to mine for the coal since it would cause a type of 'environmental pollution.' Is this true?



*It is not the US alone. It's a global voice. Why do we need to demonize the US?*

Coal TPS produce the highest amount of air pollutants and toxins and they are the least efficient ones. The debate comes down to the point that was the bone of contention at the Copenhagen Summit as well. Do developing nations control their emissions at the cost of slowing down their economies while developed nations who created this mess get off without paying anything?

IMO, we need to use Thar Coal before it gets too late and the environmentalists get on our backs.


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## MastanKhan

Death.By.Chocolate said:


> MastanKhan, I understand your frustration at the slow rate or lack of progress
> 
> 
> Hi,
> 
> I believe that you missed my point. I was trying to explain that the german had invested a lots of time and resource on that field. They are also technically far superior than china in exploiting the resources of that field. They had much better experties than china overall.
> 
> The german were not very pleased at being kicked out by the chinese---that should have never happened. TRhe chinese company was not able to fulfill the promises---it walked out. China is answer to some of our solutions but not all of them. Thanks.


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## dbc

MastanKhan said:


> Death.By.Chocolate said:
> 
> 
> 
> MastanKhan, I understand your frustration at the slow rate or lack of progress
> 
> 
> Hi,
> 
> I believe that you missed my point. I was trying to explain that the german had invested a lots of time and resource on that field. They are also technically far superior than china in exploiting the resources of that field. They had much better experties than china overall.
> 
> The german were not very pleased at being kicked out by the chinese---that should have never happened. TRhe chinese company was not able to fulfill the promises---it walked out. China is answer to some of our solutions but not all of them. Thanks.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ..and you missed mine. The Chinese have the experience having developed their own CBM fields. It hardly matters if the Germans or Chinese operate the field since the expertise can be purchased from service providers as the Chinese themselves have done, what is missing is cold hard cash not knowhow.
Click to expand...


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## Omar1984

*MoU signed for 1200 MW power generation project ​*
KARACHI: Chief Minister of Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah said on Saturday that the government is focussing on Thar Coal Energy Project so that its benefits could reach the people at the earliest.

He was addressing a meeting of Thar Coal Energy Board held under his chairmanship at the Chief Minister House.

Besides Board Members, Federal Minister Raja Parvez Ashraf, Provincial Ministers Syed Murad Ali Shah and Jam Mehtab Daher, Syed Asad Ali Shah, Chief Secretary Fazlur Rehman, Secretary to CM Syed Suhail Akbar Shah, Secretary Mines and Minerals Aijaz Ali Khan, the meeting was also attended by new Board member and Federal Minister Babar Awan.

The Chief Minister said that Thar Coal Blocks were being allotted speedily to companies of international repute.

He said that under an MoU signed, PEPCO would buy the coal to produce 1200 mw of electricity which would pave the way for development in the country.

He told the meeting that Engro Coal Mining Company, too, would generate 1200 MW of electricity and these two companies would generate 2400 MW.

The Chief Minister said the Board members and the government are fully monitoring the project while the government is also providing incentives so that electricity is produced at the earliest.

The meeting decided to determine the price of Thar Coal and laws, therefore, would be approved.

It was decided that decision about appointment of consultant would be taken in the Board's next meeting.

The meeting was informed that investment proposals have been received from five firms for mining in Thar and coordinated power generation. They include Global Mining Company China, Asian Continental Energy Australia, Al-Tawariqi Steel Mills Saudi Arabia, Taireu Comapny Korea and Ghani Thar Coal Energy Limited.

In the meeting Dr. Samar Mubarak Mund, presented a detailed report on gassification project and apprised about details and problems.

Later, the representatives of Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company(SECMC) and Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) signed the MoU at the Chief Minister House.

On the occasion Federal Minister for Water and Power Raja Parvez Ashraf said that Dr. Samar Mubarak Mund is working on coal gassification project which would soon meet success.

He pointed out that there would be bidding for international competition while the government has announced an incentive packages for the investors.

He said the government is determined to make the project result-oriented and the coal reserves would be fully exploited and cheaper power be supplied to the people.

Federal Minister for Law Babar Awan appreciated the detailed briefing by Dr. Mubarak and said the project would become operational from next year.

He said that such projects were being run in 50 countries while a major project of this kind was operational in Siberia.

Babar Awan said that Thar Coal project is an economic opportunity to change the history of Sindh and the federal government will do everything possible for this project and carry it to completion speedily so that it does not suffer from red tapism.

The federal minister said that the government has restored Pakistan's writ which was challenged by terrorists and now every inch of Pakistan has been made safe and that is the fruit of democracy.

Babar Awan pointed out that the country had been heading towards default but now the national economy is reviving and now jobs are being provided while a country like US is faced with growing unemployment.

He said this government has committed no reprisal action during two years of its tenure and no political case framed against anyone and at present there is no political prisoner.

He said this government has promoted democratic traditions and formed coalition government to promote an environment of reconciliation, adding the government would complete its term and continue with the expansion of economic mechanism throughout the country, specially Sindh.

The MoU signing ceremony was attended by Provincial MinistersSyed Ali Nawaz Shah, Jam Mehtab Daher, Syed Murad Ali Shah, Advisor on Information Jameel Soomro and Provincial Secretaries.

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## ajpirzada

though slow but atleast things are moving


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## Kompromat

FreekiN said:


> I saw on TV that the United States does not want Pakistan to mine for the coal since it would cause a type of 'environmental pollution.' Is this true?



We don't care as they dont !


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## manglasiva

do join with India & Chine to fight against western arm twisting...


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## Kompromat

manglasiva said:


> do join with India & Chine to fight against western arm twisting...



We are already Joined with China , the Ball is in your court buddy


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## Omar1984

*Coal-based power plant in Thar​*
PEPCO signs MoU with Engro for 12MW plant

KARACHI: The Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) has singed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company for setting up 12 megawatts coal-based power plant in Thar. 

The MoU was signed during the eighth meeting of the Thar Coal and Energy Board held at the Sindh Chief Minister&#8217;s House on Saturday. Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah presided over the meeting. Federal Minister for Power Raja Pervez Ashrraf and the newly inducted member in the board, Dr Babar Awan were also among the participants. 

According to an official handout, participants of the meeting were informed that under the fresh MoU the PEPCO would set up the power plant and purchase coal for running the plant. Engro was already in the process to set up 1,200MW coal-based power plant. Both, the Engro and PEPCO would generate some 2,400MW electricity. 

The chief minister told the participants that reputable international companies would be allotted different blocks of the Thar coal for mining. The meeting was informed that five companies have already sent their investment proposals in regard to mining and setting up of power plants. The companies are Global Mining Company, China, Australia Asian Continental Energy, Al-Tawarqi Steel Mills, Saudi Arabia, Ghani Thar Coal Energy and a Korean company.

Regarding fixation of price for the electricity it was decided that a separate agency would be established in this regard through assembly legislation. Underground Coal Gasification Chairman Dr Samar Mubarak briefed the participants of the meeting about gasification in Thar. He said that producing electricity through gas would provide great benefit to the country. 

Federal minister for power said that Dr Samar was working on a project to develop gas through coal and it would soon be successful. He said that the bidding would be held of international standard. The government has provided packages to the investors in this regard, he said. The electricity would be available at lower rates after increase in power generation. 

Dr Awan said that Thar Coal Project would be a historical economic opportunity for the Sindh province, and the federal government would provide all out support in this regard so that the project could be completed rapidly. 

Provincial ministers, Syed Ali Nawaz Shah, Jam Mahtab Daher and Syed Murad Ali Shah, and Adviser to Chief Minister Jamil Soomro were also present at the MoU signing ceremony. staff report


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## Omar1984

*First 50 MW power project from Thar Coal within a year​*
ISLAMABAD, Mar 11 (APP): National Assembly was informed Thursday that first Thar Coal project of 50 MW will complete within next one year. Minister for Water and Power told the House in response to a Calling Attention Notice that work has been awarded for this project and &#8216;we hope it is completed within next one year.&#8217;Members Abdul Majeed Khan Khanan Khel, Raja Muhammad Asad Khan, Nighat Parveen Mir, Malik Shakir Bashir Awan and Syed Javed Ali Shah had drawn the attention of the Minister towards recent increase in prices of electricity.

The minister said use of furnace oil by power plants due to shortage of gas, resulted in power price hike and clarified that increase in tariff is not decided by the Ministry but National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA). The Ministry has to implement the recommendations of NEPRA under obligation.

He described the recent increase as tariff adjustment to meet the extra generation cost due to use of furnace oil. &#8220;Prices are reviewed every month and when the oil prices go up or down, the tariff is revised accordingly.&#8221;

&#8220;In August, the price was reduced by 13 paisa per unit and in September by two paisa. But, in January the tariff was revised upward by Rs 1.02 per unit that is actually 62 paisa increase and is due to use of furnace oil,&#8221; he explained.

He said in January the hydel power generation slashes to zero and we have to mostly depend on furnace oil. But, with more water coming to dams and more hydel power coming to our energy mix, the tariff will decrease.

To a question, the minister said, power generation with gas cost Rs 4.05 per unit and with furnace oil Rs 10.05 while the hydel power generation cost just Rs 1.02. &#8220;We do not have gas this moment and for further going to hydel, we need eight to ten years for construction of more dams.&#8221;

He said out of around 17.5 million consumers, 5.5 million are lifeline consumers who are provided subsidy and are made to bear minimum of tariff increase.

The minister said, despite pressure by IMF, presently the government is giving Rs 42 billion subsidy to agri sector and Rs 55 billion to poor and middle class, on special instructions of the Prime Minister.

&#8220;Even at present the government buys power at the rate of Rs 10 per unit and further sell it to consumers at the rate of Rs 5.5 per unit,&#8221; he added.

To a question about fixed tariff, the minister said, in that case the federal and the respective provincial governments have to bear 33&#37; each of the tariff difference. &#8220;And if, federation and provinces continue bearing this burden, it will create financial problems for them.&#8221;

He said the issue of compensation for Diamer-Bhasha affectees has been resolved amicably with the special interest taken by the Prime Minister.


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## Omar1984

*Sindh Cabinet to facilitate Police by increasing its budget from Rs. 15 billion to 25 billion ​*
KARACHI : *Sindh provincial Cabinet has decided to increase salaries and facilities of Police and has constituted a committee to review progress for generation of 300MW electricity from Coal reserves of Badin.* 

According to details, the Provincial cabinet of Sindh held meeting in heading of Chief Minister Sindh and addressing a joint briefing Provincial Law Minister Ayaz Soomro and Provincial Information Advisor Jameel Soomro expressed their satisfaction over peace situation in Sindh and informed that Police budget of Sindh would be increased from Rs. 15 billion to Rs. 25 billion. 

He also reiterated that all the old buildings of Police stations would be re-constructed and new vehicles will also be given to Sindh Police; while in order to improve the performance of police personnel, their salaries would also be increased. 

*The meeting was also briefed that a three members committee has been constituted to review the progress regarding to make deal with Al-Abbas company to generate 300MW electricity from coal reserves of Badin as quality of Badin coal was more superior to Thar coal.* 

Responding to a query, provincial Information advisor Jameel Soomro informed that cost on Badin electricity generation project would be estimated at about Rs. 61 billion and Sindh Government would own40&#37; shares of the project, while Al-Abbas company will own 60 % shares of the project. 

IG Sindh Police also briefed the meeting regarding peace situation in the province and Provincial Law Minister Ayaz Soomro said that PPP aimed freedom of press and sovereignty of judiciary in the Country and increment in judges salaries up to 30% was sequence of the same commitment adding that new colonies would also be constructed for the journalists. 

Replying to a question, he informed that PPP has handed over its draft about new local governments system to its coalition partner MQM and now "we are waiting for the stance of MQM ", adding that new local governments system would be finalized in 2010.




(Badin is also located in Sindh province of Pakistan).

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## Omar1984

*ICCI for utilizing coal reserves to overcome energy crisis ​*
ISLAMABAD: Energy crisis is taking a heavy toll on industry and the overall economy. Therefore, government should focus on exploiting coal reserves to overcome the power shortage in the country. 

This was said by Zahid Maqbool, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry while chairing a meeting of ICCI Sub-Committee on Energy, according to ICCI Spokesman. 

He said due to frequent power load shedding, output of industries is on the decline while cost of doing business is rising. This situation has also led to the closure of many industrial units rendering thousands of workers jobless and government should take urgent measures to reverse this trend. 

Chairman Sub-Committee said that coal is the most viable option for Pakistan to o meet the fuel requirements with potential of providing long-term energy security. He said that reportedly only Thar coal has the potential to generate 100,000 MW of electricity while by utilizing only 30 percent of this coal, the country can sufficiently meet its energy needs for more than 40 years. 

Zahid Maqbool said the share of coal is increasing in the energy mix as according to some reports, coal presently produces more than 50 per cent of America&#8217;s electricity, 70 per cent of India&#8217;s and 80 per cent of China&#8217;s electricity. But Pakistan is mostly depending on fossil fuel for energy generation which is proving very costly to the economy. 

He said energy crisis is casting multiple negative effects on the economy as rising inflation, unemployment, high production cost, declining exports, depreciation of rupee, reducing living standards of people and falling investment etc. are the by-products of the energy crisis. Therefore, resolving this issue should be given the top most priority to steer the economy out of troubled waters, he stressed.

Sub-Committee members stressed that instead of resorting to unwise short cuts that will have long lasting damaging impact on the economy, government should work out a long-term strategy for attracting maximum investment to exploit coal reserves.


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## Omar1984

*Engro Chem to invest on Thar coal development ​*
LAHORE - Chief Executive Officer Sindh Engro Mining, Khalid Mansoor has said that Engro chemicals is investing millions of dollars to develop the Thar Coal reserves which are the 7th largest in the world.

He was addressing international seminar on Energy Solutions from Coal and Bio Mass organised by University of Engineering And Technology Lahore on Friday.

He talked about energy crisis and strategic choices available to Pakistan. He said to sustain economic growth, Pakistan needs to develop its indigenous energy resources rapidly. To overcome the current energy crisis he said Pakistan has no other alternative except importing expensive fuels such as RFO, increasing country&#8217;s vulnerability to high oil prices in future. 

About the Thar coal reserves, he said that investment would provide the benefits including strategic energy resource that will guarantee energy security to Pakistan in the decades to come. He also said that Thar mining will act as a direct &#8220;foreign exchange earning sector&#8221; and help lower the adverse impact of imported fuel on Pakistan&#8217;s trade balance. He said that tariff of coal power plants is lower than the other means of power production. 

He said that presently Thar District ranks lowest on all socio-economic development indicators in Sindh. He also said that development of indigenous coal mining industry will lead to skilled job creation and transfer of technology and this industry has potential for future downstream industries in petro-chemical and fertilizer products. 

Speaking on the occasion Vice-Chancellor University of Engineering And Technology Lahore Lieutenant General (Retd) Mohmmad Akram Khan threw light on various initiatives taken by energy technologies development centre of UET. 

He also announced the establishment of energy technology park at City Campus of UET (KSK) and urged to start research on In-Situ coal gasification and high pressure transport gasifier.


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## waraich66

ajpirzada said:


> though slow but atleast things are moving



Duplicate post mod please merge both posts

Thanks


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## Omar1984

*Pakistan has potential to generate 50,000 MW electricity ​*
ISLAMABADPakistan has the potential to generate 50,000 MW electricity from Thar coal field for 800 years while work is on to produce 100 MW power from this field within next 15-18 months. 

This was said by Dr. Samar Mubarakmand, Member, Science & Technology, Planning Commission while addressing business community at Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry. He said conditions are very favorable to produce electricity from Thar through coal gasification process. 

He said as a pilot project, 100 MW electricity will be produced from Thar while in the next phase 500 to 1000 MW power plants will be installed to generate power through coal gasification. He was optimistic that after about 3 years Pakistan will be able to install first 1000 MW power plant in Thar. 

Dr. Samar said power generated from coal gasification will be the cheapest which will be sold to Sindh government at the rate of Rs.3.90 per unit. He said our focus is to produce turbine and generators in the country as 75 percent cost of a power plant is incurred on import of these equipments. 

He said Pakistan is blessed with 1.2 trillion dollars copper and goldreserves mostly in Balochistan and our country could become financially very strong by exploiting these reserves. Highlighting other projects, he said textile and garments cities have been set up in many cities of the country to facilitate the businessmen while an Expo Centre at the cost of Rs.2.2 billion is being set up in Lahore for promotion of exports. 

In his welcome address, Zahid Maqbool, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) said that manufacturing and industrial units were badly suffering due to shortage of energy and natural energy resources should be utilized to provide cheap energy to industry.

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## ajpirzada

only refreshing to let others know this thread already exists


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## Hutchroy

ajpirzada said:


> only refreshing to let others know this thread already exists



ajpirzada Sir,

With such humungous Coal Reserves of over 150 Billion Tons why would Pakistan need Nuclear Power?


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## Omar1984

Hutchroy said:


> ajpirzada Sir,
> 
> With such humungous Coal Reserves of over 150 Billion Tons why would Pakistan need Nuclear Power?



Pakistan is a Nuclear Power because India is a Nuclear Power.

Regarding Coal reserves, the Government of Pakistan in the past has failed to make good use of them


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## Hyde

Hutchroy said:


> ajpirzada Sir,
> 
> With such humungous Coal Reserves of over 150 Billion Tons why would Pakistan need Nuclear Power?


You have water in your house why you want to drink Coca Cola? or Sprite or Red Bull? (joking)

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## ajpirzada

Hutchroy said:


> ajpirzada Sir,
> 
> With such humungous Coal Reserves of over 150 Billion Tons why would Pakistan need Nuclear Power?



one obvious reason is diversification. second ... its the cheapest source of electricity over its life time. third.... to get ourselves recognised in nuclear club. fourth.... why not have option of civilian nuclear trade open to ourselves for future?

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## Hammy007

i think coal reserves in pakistan are huge by quantity but low in quality and the same stands for the iron reserves huge by quantity, low in quality, the iron ores are too impure and not usable..


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## Omar1984

*Coal reserves to help in overcoming power crisis: Qaim ​*
KARACHI: A meeting was held between Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and a delegation led by Managing Director Global Risk Management, Mr David Lipton at the CM House on Wednesday to discuss the load shedding problem and opportunities of power generation in the country. 

The Chief Minster Sindh informed the American delegation about Sindh&#8217;s natural resources and ongoing development in Thar Coal project, adding that Sindh has the best quality coal which could be used in power generation. 

He said Pakistan ranks sixth in terms of coal reserves in the world. He said the country is combating with a power crisis because of shortage of water in its rivers, increase in thermal power tariff of and scarcity of gas resourses. He informed that Pakistan has vast reserves of coal and power crisis could be overcame by using this coal. He asked the Global Country Risk Management to help in installing barge power plant near shore. 

State Minister and Chairman of the Investment Board, Saleem Mandviwala, Sindh Minister for irrigation and Power Syed Murad Ali Shah, Advisor to Sindh Chief Minister for Investment, Mr Zubair Motiwala, member of the Thar Coal Board, Syed Asad Ali Shah and Sindh Secretary for Minerals Ijaz Ali Kahn also briefed on the occasion.


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## Omar1984

*Coal-fired power plant in Badin to be completed in 24 months ​*
KARACHI, Apr 14, 2010 (Asia Pulse Data Source via COMTEX) -- 

Sindh government in a cabinet meeting approved a joint venture partnership with Al-Abbas Power to invest in a mechanized mine and a 600 MW power plant in Badin, Sindh. The cabinet meeting was held at Sindh Secretariat under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah. 

According to Ajaz Ali Khan, Secretary Coal and Energy Development Department, the present government has made history by joining hands with another private organization in building a mechanized coal mine and a 600 MW power plant in Sindh on a fast track basis. Owing to its ideal location in Badin with an existing infrastructure this project is expected to be completed in 24 months. This is the second joint venture on coal project that government of Sindh has approved. Sindh-Engro joint venture was the first that we signed in September of 2009. And in just over six month we have approved another significant joint project, Khan added. 

Over 95&#37; of coal is concentrated in Thar coalfield area; however Badin has an estimated resource of 1.3 billion tons enough to sustain 3600 MW of power plant in Badin. Shumaid Qureshi, Managing Director of Al-Abbas Power, said, We are honoured to have the support of the government of Sindh. Our mission is to reduce the dependency on foreign fuel sources and exploit the use of indigenous fuel sources. 

We have been exploring coal in Badin area since 2006 and after lots of investment and hard of our team we are blessed to have found 250 million tons of coal. The city of Badin has well developed infrastructure facilities with fully developed highways, connected roads, railway tracks and airstrip. Badin also has education institutions and hospitals and is connected with national power grid. Salient features of the joint venture are as under: The project includes an underground mechanized mine and 600MW power plant. A 300MW power plant will be developed first followed by another 300MW. 

A company proposed to be called Sindh-Al-Abbas Joint Venture Ltd. Government of Sindh and Al-Abbas Power Ltd will be equity partners in 40:60 ratio (60 percent Al-Abbas) in the mining and power plant project. The Company will ensure that skill development programs are put in place along with training facilities for loans of the area. Two percent of profit before tax to be spent on corporate social responsibility related activities in Badin and other areas of Sindh. (International Standard is percent) 

Board of Directors to compromise 10 directors in 60:40 ratio, Chairman to be nominee of Government of Sindh and CEO of Al-Abbas.

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## Omar1984

*Sindh Cabinet decides for Badin Coal mining and power plant joint venture with Al-Abbas group ​*
KARACHI, April 12 (APP): Sindh Cabinet which met here Monday under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah gave go ahead for the Rs 61.5 billion joint venture project with Al-Abbas Group for coal mining at Badin Coal field alongwith a 300 MW power generation plant. Prior to the decision taken, a 3-member cabinet sub-committee comprising Provincial Ministers Syed Sardar Ahmed, Syed Murad Ali Shah and Advisor to CM, Qaisar Bengali, presented their report on the feasibility of this joint venture project. 

Later, briefing newsmen about the Cabinet decisions, CM&#8217;s Advisor for Information Jamil Soomro said that the project will be completed in 24 months with an estimated cost of Rs 18.450 billion on coal mining and Rs 43.050 billion on power plant. 

Soomro said that the Cabinet also had the review of Rs 75 billion 2009-2010 Annual Development programme and Advisor for Planning and development briefed the cabinet on the ADP. 

Soomro said that the Cabinet will meet again on Tuesday when Finance Department will give a briefing. 

He said that ADP for 2009-2010 had the record allocation as against Rs 50 billion allocated for ADP 2008-09. 

Replying a question, he said that the coal mining and power plant project will be a joint venture between Sindh Government and Al-Abbas group, a financial group, with 40:60 ratio. 

He told a questioner that the sub-Committee in its report said that Sindh Government can have this joint venture with Al-Abbas group and work thereon will start soon. 

Replying volley of questions, he denied any altercation having taken place between CM and Sardar Ahmed and said neither any issue regarding delimitations in Sindh was taken by MQM. He said that there had been normal discussion on the items on the agenda. 

He said that today&#8217;s agenda for cabinet meeting remained incomplete because the Chief Minister was to leave for Quetta in connection with NFC Award. 

He told a questioner that after Thar Coal, it is the biggest investment coming in Badin Coal field. 

Advisor information said that after Wednesday&#8217;s cabinet meeting, a detail briefing will be given to journalists. 

Sindh Secretary for Information Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah, Director General Syed Safdar Shah and Director Information Mohammed Iqbal were also present on the occasion.


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## Omar1984

*CAMC to invest in coal power, mining sector ​*
ISLAMABAD, Apr 8 (APP): A three-member Chinese delegation of CAMC Engineering Company Limited, here on Thursday called on Chairman Board of Investment (BoI) Saleem H. Mandviwalla to get an insight on the investment policy and the incentives offered to foreign investors in Pakistan. 

The delegation, led by Senior Advisor of the company Li Wuquan, is visiting Pakistan since April 5, a BOI press statement said. 

The delegation already has met various officials of ministries including Ministry of Water and Power, Capital Development Authority and National Highway Authority. 

BoI Chairman appreciated the Chinese companies and businessmen in Pakistan for their continued support and investment towards developing various economic sectors. 

He highlighted the policy parameters of investment in Pakistan and a number of fiscal and financial incentives offered to foreign investors. 

He underlined the policy, which allows 100 percent foreign equity in the major sectors and full repatriation of profits and dividends in all the sectors. 

Saleem Mandviwalla said that Pakistan currently has bilateral investment treaties for investment protection with 48 countries and avoidance of double taxation with 52 countries. 

He said that the government was committed to restore macroeconomic stability in the country and it has initiated a &#8216;9-Point Programme&#8217; to increase productivity, efficiency and high growth. 

This programme includes macroeconomic stabilization, social development including social protection, agriculture productivity enhancement, agribusiness and agro process promotion and industrial competitiveness, human capital development, reforms in energy, capital markets, public-private partnerships for infrastructure and institutional building and governance . 

It may be recalled that CAMC is one of the leading infrastructure development and engineering companies in China which has shown interest in undertaking government approved mega projects in Pakistan on turn-key basis and have offered to provide finances up to 85 percent of the project cost. 

Senior Advisor of CAMC Engineering Company Ltd Li Wuquan said main focus of the company was to invest in coal fired power projects and the mining sector. 

He said that the delegation had been briefed on mining opportunities in all provinces of Pakistan, especially in Thar desert in southern Sindh.

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## Kompromat

It seems the projects are heading in the right direction.


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## Omar1984

*CAA to develop airstrip at Thar coalfield ​*
KARACHI - Sindh Coal Authority has decided to construct an airstrip near Islam Kot (Tharparkar) with a cost of Rs972 million to facilitate the investors, engineers and promoters to access to Thar coal field.

In this regard, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the Sindh Coal Authority and Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on Saturday, under which airstrip/airport will be completed within two years with the assistance of CAA.

Director General Sindh Coal Authority Ahmed Bakhsh Narejo and Project Director CAA Vikram Singh Sodho signed the MoU on behalf their organisations.

The Additional Chief Secretary Planning & Development Department Aurangzeb Haque, Secretary Finance Dr Fazalullah Pechuo, Secretary Coal & Energy Aijaz Ali Khan, representatives of investors Cooger Co Australia Ashraf Khan Block-III, Dr Shabbir of UGG Block-V, Ahsan Malik of CAA and General Manager Coal Authority Mumtaz Ali Qureshi and others attended the MoU ceremony.

After the ceremony, the Secretary Coal & Energy Department Aijaz Ali Khan talking to media said large deposits of mineral coal had been discovered around Islam Kot, which needs to be utilised for meeting growing energy requirements of the country. Explorations conducted so for have promised a long-term availability of this precious mineral resources.

The airport facility would save their precious time and also help them in avoiding hardships of ground travel, particularly during the summers when the heat reaches its peak, he said. 

Under the MoU, the CAA will execute the project, however; tendering process will be started very soon. 

The runway of the airstrip will spread over 7,000 feet area, while landing and take-off of every plane could be possible including C-130, he said. The proposed airstrip will help in transportation of heavy machinery from one place to coal field too. 

Khan further informed that Islam Kot airstrip would be developed as a new facility from the grass root level to achieve certain economic objectives to start with a modest facility providing essentially required infrastructure and make investments in phases on the basis of actual demand/requirement. The master plan, therefore proposes three stages of development phased over next 40 years, he maintained.

He further said that billions of rupees were required to develop infrastructure at coal field and area, so the government using all possible and available sources can provide facilities there. Feasibility study is underway to connect the coal field from Karachi port to Thar coal through rail link.

Besides, provision of water facility was also underway as government is working on a plan to provide 100 cusecs water at Thar coal field from Nara canal is also under implementation, he said.


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## Omar1984

*ADB to give $3.5 bn furnace oil for Thar Coal Project: CM ​*
Sunday, April 25, 2010

By Imtiaz Hussain 

SUKKUR: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah Jilani has said that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has pledged to provide $3.5 billion furnace oil for the Thar Coal Project.

Talking to reporters at the airport here on Saturday, he said the World Bank (WB) would soon execute the Thar Coal Project. He said the project would produce 3,000 to 5,000 megawatt electricity.

He said 30 per cent loadshedding will be reduced after the completion of the power plant in Badin. He said the Sindh government had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Al-Abbas Company in this regard. The chief minister said the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) would not stop power supply without displaying the schedule for loadshedding.

He said the prime minister had constituted a committee to review loadshedding.

About the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, he said those involved in it would not be spared and would be brought to the book. He took notice of the arrest of a local journalist. Meanwhile, addressing a public meeting in Khairpur with regard to the distribution of placement orders among the candidates of the National Internship Programme (NIP), the chief minister said the World Bank realised the importance of the Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Youth Development Programme (BBSYDP) and provided $16 million to the Sindh government for the programme.

He said he had met members of the WB delegation and briefed them on the BBSYDP. He said the members pledged to provide more financial assistance for the programme. He said Rs 11 billion were being spent on the communication sector.

He said the programme empowered 4,500 women in different trends while the NIP empowered just 300. He said the Sindh government provided training to the youth in 79 disciplines under the BBSYDP.

He said even in the developed countries, including the US, downsizing was going on due to recession, but the Sindh government provided jobs to 53,000 youths and more jobs would be provided to the jobless.

He said the Ministry of Labour and Manpower and the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis pledged to get accommodated 500 to 1,000 skilled youth in Singapore and Malaysia. He urged the aspirants to get themselves registered with the Sindh government or the Ministry of Labour and Manpower and the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis to avail the opportunity.

He said Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had visited Europe, the Middle East, the US and other countries in 1972 and persuaded them that there were skilled youth in Pakistan and they should be accommodated. He said these countries accepted the vision of Bhutto and accommodated hundreds of skilled youths from Pakistan and at the moment, they were millionaires, settled in the Middle East, Europe and the US.

He said people were seeking jobs since 1996. He said Article 2 of the Constitution interpreted that it was the responsibility of the State to provide job to the youth according to their expertise.

Meanwhile, the chief minister expressed his dissatisfaction over the presentation given by the North Sindh Urban Services officials to him.

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## Omar1984

*Nepra asks govt to start work on coal-based plants ​*
ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) decided on Tuesday to reduce electricity tariff by 45 paisas per unit under the monthly fuel adjustment formula and asked the government agencies concerned to start working immediately on setting up coal-based power projects for decreasing reliance on expensive furnace oil. 
During a hearing on monthly fuel adjustment in power tariff, Nepra Chairman Khalid Saeed said the Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB) and the ministry of water and power should invite tenders for setting up power projects to be run on imported coal till the Thar coal deposits were exploited and used for generating electricity because furnace oil was becoming unaffordable. 

Nepra&#8217;s member from Sindh Maqbool Ahmed Khwaja criticised the Pakistan Electric Power Company and its generation companies for not fighting against diversion of gas meant for them under long-term agreements to some independent power producers (IPPs). 

Representatives of the Central Power Purchase Agency (CPPA) said the gas supply had been diverted to IPPs because of their better efficiency. 

Four plants of Pepco were costing Rs13.45 to Rs15.78 per unit. 

Nepra disallowed incorporation into the consumer tariff of late payment surcharge being paid to private power producers as a result of circular debt. 

It also disallowed a four paisa per unit increase sought by the CPPA on account of its failure to meet the target of reducing transmission losses. 

Nepra said that a Rs1.02 per unit increase allowed for January and February under the fuel adjustment formula would be scrapped and a new rate of 57 paisas would apply. 

Thus the fuel price will decrease by 45 paisas per unit for March that will be adjusted in next month&#8217;s bills. 

Nepra was informed that total power generation in March was much lower than anticipated because of delay in the completion of several projects. 

It was informed that the current cost of generating electricity from water was 44 paisas per unit, from coal Rs2.7 and from gas Rs3.65 per unit. Power generated from furnace oil costs Rs10.84 and from high speed diesel Rs14.89 per unit. 

Ironically, diesel and furnace oil are used to produce over 43 per cent of the electricity supplied in the country, followed by natural gas at 30 per cent and hydropower about 22 per cent. 

Nepra asked the power companies to avoid using diesel for power generation except for start-up or in emergency. 

CPPA&#8217;s representatives said the generation companies used diesel only because of non-availability of gas. 

They said the recent energy conference had promised restoration of 183MMcfd of gas supply for power generation, but the generation companies had been provided only 35MMcfd that would be increased to 56MMcfd in a couple of days.


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## Omar1984

*Many uses for huge Coal reserves ​*
Vision needed to use huge coal reserves to build Carbon-Chemical industry

Should Pakistan burn coal or use coal set up carbon-chemical industry which could be utilized to export value added materials to the planet and used for domestic consumption. Burning coal is like burning sandal wood. How quickly can Pakistan wean itself off the &#8220;burning coal&#8221; paradigm&#8211;perhaps after using it to meet the immediate energy needs. A lack of vision would just burn the carbon&#8211;smart people can come up with a lot of innovation.

*Pakistan coal reserves are estimated at 175 billion tons which according to the Vice-Chancellor (VC) of Punjab University, Professor Dr Mujahid Kamran equal 618 billion barrels of crude oil. According to the most reliable analytical reports Saudi Arabian crude oil reserves are estimated at around 260 billion barrels*. At 60 Dollars per barrel this equates to 3708 Billion Dollars or approx. 4 Trillion Dollars (at current prices). *At future prices these reserves will be worth 8 or 24 Trillion Dollars. This is enough money to build the most modern infrastructure, the best roads, the best hospitals, the best education, the best universities, the best hi-speed rail system and the best public transportation system on the planet*

ISLAMABAD &#8211; President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry Zahid Maqbool Friday said there is need to utilise Thar coal as it has the potential to produce 100,000 MW for 300 years, which is the solution of the power crisis.

He observed this while presiding over a meeting of ICCI Sub Committee on Energy. &#8220;According to the Geological Survey of Pakistan (2005), Pakistan has huge coal reserves of about 185b tons bulk of which are located in Sindh,&#8221; he informed,

He said that all South Asian economies including Pakistan are confronted with a massive crisis of power shortage leading to excessive load shedding due to which their economies are badly suffering. However, they can overcome this problem if they agree to a single point agenda of utilising untapped energy potential found in Pakistan and Nepal, he opined.

Not only Pakistan but Nepal also has the largest hydropower potential in South Asia, as it possesses 83,000 MW of hydroelectric power potential he said and added that both the countries have the potential to meet the energy needs of the entire South Asian region, but due to financial constraints, they could not tap this potential.

He stressed that to exploit this massive energy potential coal and water in Pakistan and Nepal, South Asian countries including India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan should pool their financial resources and technical expertise and start mega energy projects in Pakistan and Nepal and develop a consensus energy distribution formula for meeting their energy needs.
He said there are many examples of power sharing among countries of Africa, Latin America, Central Asia and South East Asia and South Asian countries should also take benefit from such arrangements.

KARACHI: The Thar Coal and Energy Board has constituted a committee to prepare a formula for determining Thar coal price based on international best practices.

The committee consists of Murad Ali Shah, Secretary Irrigation and Power and Asad Ali Shah, a private member of the board.

Board&#8217;s secretary Aijaz Ali Khan told Dawn that while Ogra is regulatory regime for determining prices of oil and gas, there is no coal pricing agency or pricing formula in place for Thar coal.

He said that the absence of regulatory regime for Thar coal is one of the barriers in determining tariff for coal-fired power plants to be set up at Thar.

In the past a Chinese company, which had reached an advance stage of setting up a power plant at Thar, was refused a reasonable tariff by a federal agency, which compelled the company to pack off.

Meanwhile, the Thar Coal and Energy Development department is preparing detailed information guidelines, which will provide specific information on legal and regulatory framework as well as commercial benefits to the national and international investors participating in international bidding for Thar Coal Block I.

The board has decided to offer 20 per cent Internal Rate of Return (IRR) to firms which achieve financial close before Dec 31, 2015 for power plants based on Thar coal.

It will offer 25 per cent IRR to firms, which achieve financial close by 2014.

Two international and two local companies are working in various Thar blocks to set up coal-fired power plants. A UK firm Cougar Energy is exploiting Block III for underground coal gasification, which will lead to a 400mw power plant.

UK firm Oracle Gas Fields also plans to develop 1.4 billion tons coal in Block V1 integrating the mine with the construction of a mine-mouth power plant.

The Thar Coal Power Project (TCPP) would attract over $20 billion foreign investment within next six months, an official of Sindh Coal Authority Board (SCAB) told Business Recorder on Sunday. According to Sharjeel Memon, one of the SCABs governors, a host of interested companies from United States, China, Britain, Singapore, South Korea, Germany, Poland, Australia etc would invest over $20 billion in the Tharparkar-based energy project.

Memon, who is also the member of provincial assembly of Sindh, revealed that even the neighbouring India had shown interest in the attractive coal-based power generation project, TCPP. He, however, opined that tension at border and an ongoing blame-game between the two nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours were likely to keep New Delhi away from the project. The SCAB official also linked the expected investment with an early end to the ongoing political turmoil in the country.

&#8220;Lots of MoUs have been signed and a host of foreign firms keen to invest in the coal sector are visiting the Chief Minister on almost daily basis&#8230; work is underway on war footing basis,&#8221; he added. Also, he said, President Asif Ali Zardari, during his recent visit to China, had inked different MoUs with the investors in Beijing.

He said a nine-member Korean delegation, which had held a &#8220;fruitful&#8221; meeting with Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah last Thursday, would soon start boring for mining in Blocks 4 and 8 of the site.

The coal exploration work would follow the power generation process that, the MPA said, was a federal subject and would be carried out by Islamabad.

According to Memon the TCPP would help Sindh province generate at least 7000-8000 MW electricity by 2012, which would not only cater to the countrys 3,500MW power shortage, but would also be exported to the neighbouring countries. He said the provincial government had undertaken a fast track infrastructure development in Thar, along with a coal based mine-mouth thermal power plant by a Korean firm at an estimate cost of $3 billion. *According to Asad Ali Shah, another SCAB member, a coal-based power generation plant in Thar would help Pakistan save a huge sum of $8 billion it was presently paying for imports of oil to run its power generation units. A recent study has revealed that Tharparkar has 175 billion tons of coal reserves with a best power generation quality, he added.*

Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that the feasibility report of the Thar Coal will be ready by June this year for submission to Sindh Government. Qureshi said that he has very good interaction with China&#8217;s top corporate leaders here in Beijing and also held talk with a top official whose company is carrying out the feasibility report on Thar coal. The company will finish the work on feasibility report by June and thereafter it will be submitted to the Sindh Government. *The foreign minister said that he has discussed the prospects of utilizing the Thar coal for generating thermal power and was pleased to learn that the quality of Thar coal is far better than the imported coal being presently used for the purpose*.

&#8220;So the chances for using Thar coal for power generation is very bright, according to initial report&#8221;, the foreign minister told APP in an exclusive interview during his stay in Beijing.

The geology of the area is quite friendly so it will not be difficult to extract the coal, he said and added that &#8220;the prospects are very encouraging&#8221;.
The foreign minister said that he also exchanged views with top officials of China Harbour with regard to prospects of growth and development of Gwadar port so that how we could utilize the port in more effective manner.
&#8220;I got some good ideas about how to develop infrastructure around Gwadar port to make it more useful&#8221;, Mr. Qureshi said.

Gwadar being close to the proximity of Iran which is rich in oil, therefore we can develop it as key area for establishing chemical industries, he observed.

During his interaction, Qureshi said that he has shared some good ideas with the leaders of corporate sector and they are very enthusiastic about working in Pakistan.

He said that during last one and half years there is lot of enthusiasm that has been generated on broadening the economic base between Pakistan and China.

The feedback, he got from the private sector, he said is that in the coming days the potential of broadening the economic and commercial ties with China is very bright and that is exactly in line with the economic diplomacy the foreign office was pursuing.

*As we have plenty of sunshine round the year, therefore, there is also tremendous potential for bilateral engagements in development of solar energy.*

He said that as the solar energy is becoming more and more sophisticated and would become cheap in cost with the passage of time, Pakistan offers lot of prospects in solar energy.

&#8220;Chinese cooperation can help Pakistan in overcoming the energy problem&#8221; Pakistan is facing at the moment, Qureshi said and added that it will also lay the base of foundations for industrial and agricultural growth in Pakistan.
The foreign minister said that he also had very fruitful meeting with those corporate sector people involved in river dredging projects in Pakistan that has already been initiated.

He further said that when completed the project would offer new opportunities for navigation and transportation as well as improving irrigation system in Pakistan.

*Member Science & Technology Planning Commission, Dr Samar Mubarakmand said Pakistan has the potential to generate 50,000 megawatt electricity from Thar coal field for 800 years.*

He said the field would start generating 100 megawatt power within the next 15-18 months, whereas, in the next phase, 500 to 1000 megawatt power plants will be installed to generate power through coal gasification, adding that after about 3 years Pakistan will be able to install the first 1000 megawatt power plant in Thar.

Dr Samar said power generated from coal gasification would be much cheaper, which will be sold to Sindh government at the rate of Rs 3.90 per unit. He said our focus is to produce turbine and generators in the country as 75 percent cost of a power plant is incurred on import of these equipments.

He said South Africa and China are producing ample diesel from coal and added that Pakistan could also produce more than enough diesel from Thar coal. He said Pakistan has also sound potential to generate energy from waste material and once these indigenous resources are brought into the mainstream production, there would be no need to resort to expensive power generation.

*He said the country is blessed with $1.2 trillion worth of copper and gold reserves, mostly in Balochistan, and our country could become financially stable by exploiting these reserves.*

Highlighting other projects, he said textile and garments cities have been set up in many cities of the country to facilitate businessmen while an Expo Centre at the cost of Rs 2.2 billion is being set up in Lahore for promotion of exports.

Earlier, President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce, Zahid Maqbool said manufacturing and industrial units were badly suffering due to shortage of energy and natural energy resources should be utilized to provide cheap energy to industry.

He said Thar coal has huge coal reserves and the government should fully exploit this potential not only to become self-sufficient in energy, but also to export the surplus coal to other countries and earn more foreign exchange.

Theme: &#8216;Thar coal field can generate 50,000MW power&#8217;

HYDERABAD, April 24: Sindh Irrigation and Power Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said on Saturday that the Thar coal power project had been put on the backburner because of opposition by &#8216;certain lobbies&#8217;.

But now the project had become part of the government energy policy and it had been resolved in the recently held three day energy summit to generate 8,000 megawatts from Thar coal by 2015 when consumption would be 36,000 MW and energy shortfall would be 21,000 MW, he said.

Addressing a press conference at the circuit house after chairing a meeting with representatives of industrialists, growers, small traders and Hesco, he said that &#8220;until recently some lobbies whom I won&#8217;t name have been opposing Thar coal project but now it has become part of government&#8217;s energy policy&#8221;. The minister who heads one of the committees formed by Sindh government to seek support for the government&#8217;s power conservation plan said that some environmental issues were also attached with the project and some agencies were expressing reservations over discharge of carbon in the air.

The World Bank, he said, had asked the government to present a paper on how it was going to tackle the energy problem. By 2030 when the country&#8217;s power needs would be around 114,000 MW, Thar coal would be contributing 30,000 MW, he said.

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## Hyde

Omar1984 said:


> The World Bank, he said, had asked the government to present a paper on how it was going to tackle the energy problem. By 2030 when the country&#8217;s power needs would be around 114,000 MW, Thar coal would be contributing 30,000 MW, he said.



This is more realistic. I was reading our power needs around 160,000MW by 2030 which seemed bogus to me. I was expecting energy needs to be around 100,000MW and this news clearly indication my observation to be accurate.

Well if that happens - and we successfully fullfills our energy demands - our country would be shaping upto something we did not imagine as of yet


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## Hyde

Salma said:


> Whatz wrong with my statement ?
> India & Pakistan are two states born with 2 major religions...both nations were similiar and at par with each other development econmic spheres etc during partition..then how come one state (read INDIA) is bestowed with all might and self sufficiency and the other still needing aid and fearing loan default without US alms.Whatz Pakistan's exports $$ compared with Bangladesh (another successful state)..as a kashmiri we all were quite proud of Pakistan when we were young..but if one travels length & breadth of INDIA u will understand where u stand...everywhere thrz freedom...most citizens pays taxes.and all dream of a Great future..and thatz happening in India..India so huge and vibrant and so called maoist movements are just stroam in a tea cup..so my Pakis brothers this is what i had to say..PLEASE PLEASE FORGET UR OBSESSION with INDIA..try to make ur country standup internationally..have some self respect...do not ask for AID..becoze ur reinforcing that failed state attitude and only authoritarian regimes like China will support u in future..



Salma jee i did not bother to read this post but the last post Taimi Khan deleted mine too  if you had read it once you would have understood what was wrong in your post.

I don't mind if you talk about India - Pakistan only but when you were dragging Allah in it having doubts/suspecting on his Mercy. These posts may get deleted again - Its off-topic and if you want to discuss about Kashmir go to its dedicated thread in Kashmir war section 

http://www.defence.pk/forums/kashmir-war/20220-future-kashmir-seven-possible-solutions.html

Say whatever you wanna say in that dedicated thread only


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## john9802

Omar1984 said:


> *
> 
> 
> Pakistan coal reserves are estimated at 175 billion tons which according to the Vice-Chancellor (VC) of Punjab University, Professor Dr Mujahid Kamran equal 618 billion barrels of crude oil. According to the most reliable analytical reports Saudi Arabian crude oil reserves are estimated at around 260 billion barrels. At 60 Dollars per barrel this equates to 3708 Billion Dollars or approx. 4 Trillion Dollars (at current prices). At future prices these reserves will be worth 8 or 24 Trillion Dollars. This is enough money to build the most modern infrastructure, the best roads, the best hospitals, the best education, the best universities, the best hi-speed rail system and the best public transportation system on the planet​*


*


Wow, that is really good news. but will it be carried out like planned? i highly doubt it. we're missing the right leadership, we need a strong and honest leader. if they do carry on and it's worth is 8 trillion (24 may be a bit of a stretch), then just as a calculation, divided among the 180 million population, each person would get around 40,000 USD, and right now per capita income is only 2,000. that would be a great jump. 

but thats not it, if they do get all the trillions, i hope they spend it on making pakistan modern and a developed country, but they will most likely steal the money themselves

once it becomes developed income won't be a problem i think. seems to good to be true.

btw, does anyone think that with 20 trillion dollars all of pakistan will become developed or not?​*


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## Hyde

john9802 said:


> Wow, that is really good news. but will it be carried out like planned? i highly doubt it. we're missing the right leadership, we need a strong and honest leader. if they do carry on and it's worth is 8 trillion (24 may be a bit of a stretch), then just as a calculation, divided among the 180 million population, each person would get around 40,000 USD, and right now per capita income is only 2,000. that would be a great jump.
> 
> but thats not it, if they do get all the trillions, i hope they spend it on making pakistan modern and a developed country, but they will most likely steal the money themselves
> 
> once it becomes developed income won't be a problem i think. seems to good to be true.
> 
> btw, does anyone think that with 20 trillion dollars all of pakistan will become developed or not?



Its not wholesale business where you go - buy something pay and come back. Its not cash and carry so do not be too much optimistic......... 

Its a long term project that we are going to utilize for our own needs first. We are still a poor country regardless of these blessed resources by Allah All-mighty. We will have to start utilizing these resources for our demestic use first before even thinking of exporting it. The only thing i see is

1) Build infrastructure in Thar to utilize these resources
2) Generate Electricity from Goal
3) Reduce import bills of Oil by digging these coal mines and encourage peoples to use coal instead of other alternatives
4) Increase the production
5) And then thinking of selling Coal to other countries too.......

all these steps requires decades of time trust me....... its not one day job and then we can think of developing our country by exporting good amount of coal to earn revenues (that ain't gonnai happen anytime soon due to strict International policies being introduced to prevent using of Coal)

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## Kompromat

Are we looking at producing LNG from Thar reserves ?


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## john9802

Zaki said:


> Its not wholesale business where you go - buy something pay and come back. Its not cash and carry so do not be too much optimistic.........
> 
> Its a long term project that we are going to utilize for our own needs first. We are still a poor country regardless of these blessed resources by Allah All-mighty. We will have to start utilizing these resources for our demestic use first before even thinking of exporting it. The only thing i see is
> 
> 1) Build infrastructure in Thar to utilize these resources
> 2) Generate Electricity from Goal
> 3) Reduce import bills of Oil by digging these coal mines and encourage peoples to use coal instead of other alternatives
> 4) Increase the production
> 5) And then thinking of selling Coal to other countries too.......
> 
> all these steps requires decades of time trust me....... its not one day job and then we can think of developing our country by exporting good amount of coal to earn revenues (that ain't gonnai happen anytime soon due to strict International policies being introduced to prevent using of Coal)



and now i feel hopeless again, lol. it all depends on our leaders, if they want to get it done quickly they can, like it take 10 years to build a building with no work being done. if they act fast it can be done quicker, but we don't have good leaders now do we.

Come on, man, good things always come to an end, but why not the bad things. i wana do something for our country, don't want to be full of shame when our next generation asks us what we did for them, when they look at other countries and then at us.


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## Kompromat

Can someone answer my previous question?


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## whydowelove

History of Thar Coal Formation (A geological Review)

Indian Plate (Pakistan & India) was separated from Madagascar at 180 Million Years and started to drift towards the Eurasian Plate. When, it was collided with Eurasian Plate at 70 M.Y. The Tethys Sea was closed in the northern Pakistan and sea water rushed towards south (Karachi). Due to high influx of sea water Nagar Parkar Granite was overlain by it at 45 M.Y. It retreated leaving maximum vegetation (Maximum Flooding Surface) and exposed surface (Unconformity/ Sequence Boundary) for bacterial action. The formation of coal was closed at 30 M.Y. (Bara Formation), than coal was overlain by the sub recent deposits of sediments (Siwliks and Indus Delta) (GSP Report).



So the coal is still immature and peat type due to the reasons given below;

1. No tectonic activity due to the Nagar Parkar Granite (Basement).

2. Granite was cooled and no heat to mature the coal after its formation.

3. Due to the bacterial action and exposed surface for round about 20 M.Y.

4. Recharge of the aquifers from the sea below and above the coal bed.

5. Moisture in the coal is 47-54&#37; (too high).

6. Carbon is 18-21% (unsatisfactory).



Future problems for mining;

1. The sand beds (below and above the coal) are not so compacted that these can support cave mining.

2. Moisture loosens the coal and creates problem for mining.

3. Recharge of the aquifers (below and above coal bed) is from the sea (as water is saline).

4. Open pit mining is feasible only. 

5. Pits will be filled with water and creates environmental issues.

6. Coal and waste water will be in huge amount.



Water Aquifers;

There are two parasequence in Bara Formation, Lower is retogradational parasequence and upper is progradational parasequence. So there are three zones in terms of lithostratigraphy:

a. Coarser Sands in the lower most part of the formation

b. Clays and coal seams in middle part and

c. Coarser sands in the upper most part of the formation and unconformity. (GSP report and recent well drilled near Islam Kot, Thar)

So the upper and lower part of the formation is composed of coarser sands, so most favorable for the water aquifers. Recent wells drilled in Islamkot by SRK, shows that there are two water aquifers in the upper and lower part.

a. Lower fresh water aquifer is being recharged by Indus River and

b. Upper aquifer is saline and being recharged by Rann Of Kutch (Arabian Sea).









Solutions of the problems for mining;

1. First a seepage wall should be constructed around the mining area.

2. Pump out the water to the other areas.

3. Mining must be started from the eastern side (Nagar Parkar Granite Side) to avoid the water aquifer.

4. Rest, Coal Gasification may be a prospective.



(Reference: Coal Resources of Four Blocks in Thar Coalfield, Sindh, Pakistan by GSP Report 2002)

(Note: Estimated production rate of electricity from Thar Coal is 0.12PKR/unit and from Tarbela Dam in summer, 0.15PKR/unit & in winter, 0.25PKR/unit.)



It&#8217;s a just way of knowledge sharing.


courtesy Tariq..


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## Omar1984

*Thar Coal: Engro to install 200MW coal plant in Sindh ​*
KARACHI: Engro Company has initiated work and intends to install another power plant of 200 megawatt with collaboration of a Chinese team. 

Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah disclosed this at the 27th meeting of the Sindh Coal Authority Board was held on Saturday. He said, after a period of about 40 years, the federal government under the authority of president and prime minister decided and transferred control and development of Thar coal to the Sindh government and Thar Coal and Energy Board was established. He said work of mining coal deposits is in progress in eight blocks.

Engro has initiated to install 1,000 megawatts power plant, besides, M/s Al Abbas Group is also working in Badin district, while an agreement will be undertaken with them for the purpose of power generation within a period of 24 months, he added. Sindh CM maintained, &#8220;We are going ahead and by mining coal, power plants will be installed, while Sindh possesses resources of 100 years where about 50,000 to 60,000 people will work in a single power plant of a block.&#8221; He added there is an investment of about $1.5 billion at present while 3 to 4 more companies are working there. Sindh CM added the coal reserves of Lakhra, Thatta and Badin would also be utilised for power generation. Sindh Secretary for Coal and Energy Department Aijaz Ali Khan informed the scheme of ICB for hydrological study of 22,000 square kilometres of Thar area was approved at a cost of Rs 176.722 million, which has now been tagged with TCAP of World Bank. He said procurement and installation of 25 reverse osmosis (water desalination) plants in districts of Badin, Jamshoro and Dadu at a cost of Rs 39.150 million, was in progress and installation and commissioning will complete by June 2010. The meeting approved the memorandum of understandings signed with various investors for development of coal in Sindh that include, South East of Naukot (District Tharparkar); block-V of Thar coal fields, Thar Block-VI and Golarchi (District Badin), and study for the development of Additional Blocks-VII and VIII at Thar coal field which have been completed.

The meeting reviewed progress of construction of Thar airport near Islamkot, installation of Reverse Osmosis (Desalination) Plant, construction of Thar lodge at Islamkot, construction of road from Islamkot to Thar Airport site, development of Coal blocks VII, VIII, IX and X; establishment of central Rescue Station at Tharparkar, exploration of coal and hydro-geological studies near Khorwah, exploration of coal resources and development of additional block at Sonda-Jherruck coalfield (in Thatta District). app


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## Omar1984

*Sindh CM presents coal specimen to Zardari ​*
KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah on Monday presented a refined specimen of coal, unearthed from Thar coalfield, to President Asif Ali Zardari during the special Sindh Cabinet meeting held at the Chief Minister&#8217;s House. According to an official handout, Zardari said that the coal so discovered is like gold for the economy and after gasification and power generation on Thar coal, our country will not only have pace of development but also progress and prosperity. He stressed upon the Sindh government to further accelerate the pace of development at Thar coalfield and other coal pockets in Thatta, Badin and Jamshoro districts. No official handout was, however, issued regarding the special cabinet meeting. staff report


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## Omar1984

*Pakistani experts shocked ​*
The World Bank&#8217;s decision not to finance the Thar coal project came as a shock for Pakistani industry officials, who say that the country does not contribute any significant amounts to carbon emissions.

Khalid Mansoor, the CEO of Engro Energy, which has leased a block at Thar, says the World Bank&#8217;s decision reflects growing concerns over global warming. &#8220;But that is not a huge stumbling block for us. There are other options of financing as well.&#8221;

However, he said, the government needs to present its case properly to the World Bank, which has just recently allocated $3.7 billion for coal-fired power plants in South Africa.

&#8220;We are one of the least polluters. Our energy mix includes 33 per cent of power generation from dams and another 33 per cent from gas. There is a need for proper lobbying,&#8221; Mansoor said.

Farooq Hasan, the CEO of Hasan Associates, seconded the opinion. His company has fought in vain for years to get an appropriate tariff for the power plants, which might have used coal.

&#8220;Political will is missing. Successive governments have just paid lip service to the importance of indigenous coal reserves. Nothing will happen until there is a realisation at the highest level that using coal is in the larger national interest.&#8221;

During the last two years, the government had set up committees and even gone into public-private partnership for utilising coal reserves, but the process of getting regulatory approvals is too long and complicated. Engro Energy is the only firm, which is effectively pursing the coal prospects in Pakistan.

According to Najamul Hasan Farooqi, an energy consultant, Pakistan did not even mention coal as a source of future energy supply in its report, which is annually submitted to the World Bank.

&#8220;The country can&#8217;t count on its gas anymore. The supply-demand gap has already surged to 30 per cent,&#8221; he said. &#8220;The Iranian gas will be enough to generate between 2,500 and 3,000 megawatts and it is going to be expensive.&#8221;

He said the cost of energy has shot up substantially as thermal power plants use more furnace oil. 

&#8220;Just the fuel cost of power generation is Rs10 per kilowatt hour when furnace oil is used. It is Rs3 per kWh for gas and using Iranian gas will take it to Rs8 per kWh. But the fuel cost of Lakhra coal is just Rs2.5 to Rs3 per kWh.&#8221; &#8212;SH


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## Omar1984

*Power generation through coal gasification by next year: Dr. Samar ​*
ISLAMABAD, May 31 (APP): The country would start generating electricity through coal gasification by next year, renowned nuclear scientist Dr. Samar Mubarakmand said. &#8220;A project has almost been finalized to produce electricity by utilizing Thar coal reserves, which are one of the five largest coal reserves in the world,&#8221; he told APP in an interview.


Dr. Samar, who is presently associated with Planning Commission of Pakistan as Member Science and Technology, said the project has been approved by the concerned quarters after which a technical team comprising experts of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission and National Engineering and Scientific Commission is all set to achieve the national goal of making the country self-sufficient in energy sector.

The nuclear scientist said during next eight to ten months the process of making gas from coal would be started, while the electricity generation through coal gasification would hopefully start by beginning of the next year.

Under the project, he said, the coal would not be mined rather plants would be installed on deposits to produce gas in a most sophisticated manner. 

The Thar coal reservoirs have potential to generate 5,000 MW electricity for at least 800 years to meet growing energy demand of the country, Dr. Samar added.

He said inexpensive production of electricity would bring an industrial revolution in the country, putting it on consistent path to progress and prosperity.

According to a report, a single reserve in Thar has about 850 trillion cubic feet coal (TCF), which is far better than the total oil reserves of Saudi Arabia and Iran if put together.

&#8220;The coal deposits in Thar can change fate of the country if utilized in a proper way. It can save oil import bill, reduce unemployment ratio and help strengthen economy and rupee,&#8221; according to Pakistan Economy Watch.


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## Omar1984

*9th Thar Coal and Energy Board meeting: &#8216;Fed govt to be requested for Rs 10bn block allocation&#8217; ​*
KARACHI: A detailed discussion took place on the agenda of the ninth board meeting of Thar Coal and Energy Board (TCEB) presided over by Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah at the Chief Minister&#8217;s House on Saturday.

At the meeting, briefings were given by the National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) for transmission network up to Thar, irrigation department for water supply and effluent disposal from Thar coalfield, while Pakistan Railway Advisory and Consultancy Services (PRACS) gave presentation on Railway Link to coalfields.

Discussing the timelines and milestones of various on-ground projects in Thar, importance of infrastructure was highlighted.

To achieve timely development, the board decided that proposal of a new independent corporate-style infrastructure development agency might be worked out, and the federal government would be requested for a minimum block allocation of Rs 10 billion for Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) during the next year.

The board also requested the Federal Ministry of Water and Power to ensure block allocation for Thar coal development.

Meanwhile, the NTDC shared progress on laying of transmission line up to the Thar coalfields, while NTDC general manager (Planning) disclosed that the NTDC had initiated a feasibility study on evacuation of power from Thar coal and this contract had been assigned to M/s SNC Lavlin of Canada and NESPAK. The feasibility would be completed in one year&#8217;s time.

Federal Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervez Ashraf assured his full support and decided to hold a meeting at Lahore by the end of next week.

PRACS shared their assessment of seven routes for linking Thar coalfield with the main railway network, and it was decided that route No 7 was the most feasible, which can be completed in the shortest time with minimum cost. ppi


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## Liberal Pakistani

anybody tell me if thar coal cheaper than imported coal or more expensive


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## Kompromat



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## King Ahmed

In my opinion,building new and advanced nuclear power plants will be a much reliable source of energy for the country.As coal has a lot of carbon emmision and hence, will be destructive to the enviorment of the country.Take China as an example.(With no offence of any sort to my Chinese brothers)
Exploitation of coal reserves will pave way to even more corruption and mismanagement.I don't asy that we shouldn't use them, i am just saying that we should not rely on them for powering our whole provinces and cities.
Take an example of France.It has put extensive research into the Nuke energy field.And because of that, France is much more reliable for producing centrifuges.


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## TopCat

King Ahmed said:


> In my opinion,building new and advanced nuclear power plants will be a much reliable source of energy for the country.As coal has a lot of carbon emmision and hence, will be destructive to the enviorment of the country.Take China as an example.(With no offence of any sort to my Chinese brothers)
> Exploitation of coal reserves will pave way to even more corruption and mismanagement.I don't asy that we shouldn't use them, i am just saying that we should not rely on them for powering our whole provinces and cities.
> Take an example of France.It has put extensive research into the Nuke energy field.And because of that, France is much more reliable for producing centrifuges.



At the very early stage of development you need coal based plant instead of high tech goodies. Once the country is affluently rich then you invest on high tech green energy and eventually move out of coal based plant. All the country did that and which PK should follow instead of trying this and that. And dont worry about the environment as PK's contribution to the carbon emission is minimal and let US and China to take all the headache.


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## Omar1984

*Thar coal seen as only solution to power crisis 
​*




Coal is still the cheapest fuel in the world and affordable to the poor. &#8212; File Photo



KARACHI: Renowned scientist and member of the Planning Commission Dr Samar Mubarakmand has asked the government to declare coal a matter of national security and of national importance to encourage companies to invest in this sector. 

Speaking at the concluding session of the Dawn Power Generation and Alternative Energy Sources Conference held at the Expo Centre on Tuesday, he said that Thar coal could play a pivotal role in overcoming the current energy crisis, both in long and short term. 

Dr Mubarakmand, who is the head of the Thar coal gasification project, said that the current energy crisis was causing losses of Rs230 billion and 400,000 jobs every year. Current dependable power supply hovers around 14,000MW in summer though it drops in the winter. On the other hand power demand in 2030 would be more than 100,000MW, he added. 

He claimed that the Thar Lignite Coal reserves, spread over 9,600 square-kilometres, were 175 billion tonnes and the generation potential was 100,000MW consuming 536 million tonnes a year. 

He insisted that the development of the Thar coal was the only viable long-term solution for meeting energy demands of the country. &#8220;Only Thar Coal can provide guaranteed long-term energy security to Pakistan.&#8221; 

While dealing with the installed capacity and dismal generation by many power plants in the country, he suggested that a way out of the present dismal scenario was to convert the existing power generation units from furnace oil to coal gas, which is produced from surface coal gasification plants. 

He said indigenous or imported coal might be used, and added that these coal gas power plants based on integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) plants would generate electricity at a cost of about Rs5 per KWH. 

A project had been envisaged in the Planning Commission for the conversion of underground coal in Tharparkar into coal gas without bringing coal out of the ground, he said, adding that capital investment at the Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) based power generation system was be about $1 per KWH for small plants of less than 100 MW and about $0.8 per KWH for larger plants of 500MW capacity. 

He said that several thousand megawatts energy was being derived in Russia, Central Asian States, Europe, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, China and South Africa from UCG. 

A presentation by Shahrukh Khan, the chief executive officer of the UK-based Oracle Coal Fields, was encouraging from investment point of view as it also dispelled some perceptions about the quality of Thar coal and the potential of this natural resource that could significantly help the country in cutting down import bill for oil. 

Oracle has got concessions for open pit mining in Block VI of Thar Coalfield (66.1 square km). Mr Khan said that there was 1.4 billion tonne Lignite Measured Resource with 371Mt net attributable proven reserves in the open pit area. It has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Karachi Electric Supply Company and mine construction was expected to commence in 2012. 

He said that the electricity demand in Pakistan was projected to outstrip supply for next 20 years and coal is to become increasingly important as an energy resource management. 

Allaying doubts about the veracity of Tahr reserves, he said that in 2006 China NE Geological Survey Bureau (CNGB) drilled 35 boreholes, a total of 9,852 metres, of which 5,986 metres are cored, validated by independent consultants to take it to JORC resource. A further drilling programme is planned to provide design information for the final feasibility study. 

In common with most lignite mines, Thar will need to be dewatered, he said, adding that boreholes will be drilled in advance of mining to lower the water table. A hydro-geological programme is planned to confirm water flow rates and provide base data for the design of the dewatering system. The water abstracted may be used for the planned power station, after suitable treatment. 

Oracle&#8217;s proposal for the development of the power plant, which has been accepted by the KESC, is to commence with the installation of 300MW and for installation increases to be carried out in 300MW increments, he said, adding that this gives Oracle and KESC greater flexibility and simplifies the project from a project finance perspective. 

Sindh Coal and Energy Development Board Secretary Aijaz Ali Khan said that in view of the power generation and energy demand, rich coal reserves of Thar not only promise energy independence for Pakistan but also offer lots of opportunities for prospective investors. 

He said that the government&#8217;s vision was to generate at least 10,000 MW by 2020, which will save $79 billion of foreign exchange on account of expensive imported furnace oil substitution; benefit Rs8 trillion to economy due to reduction in power generation cost. 

He said that investors may install lignite drying systems appropriate for inclusion in future pulverised coal or IGCC systems developed at the Thar coal field. 

Chairman Sindh Board of Investment Zubair Motiwala said there was no escape from exploring alternative source of energy. 

He also emphasised the need for energy conservation and importance of Thar Coal reserves in Pakistan&#8217;s future energy paradigm.

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## Omar1984

*Thar coal project to resolve energy crisis, says Qaim 
​*

* 20.5% IRR for firms achieving financial closure by December 2014

By Masroor Afzal Pasha

KARACHI: The Sindh government Tuesday furnished the details of the &#8216;fiscal incentive package&#8217; for Thar coal mining project, which was recently approved by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC).

While addressing a press briefing at the Chief Minster&#8217;s House, Chief Minster Qaim Ali Shah highlighted the findings of the bankable feasibility study successfully completed by Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SEMC).

He said the SECMC has confirmed the technical, environmental and social viability of the Thar coal-mining project. &#8220;Thar coal reserve will play a vital role in resolving the persisting energy crisis in the country and ensure much needed energy security for the country and provide sufficient and affordable energy,&#8221; he added.

He informed that on October 15, the ECC took a landmark decision by approving the fiscal incentive package for attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) in Thar. The package includes attractive incentives for fast track development of Thar coal and was approved to declare Thar as area of strategic importance, a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and of national security, he added.

The incentives provide 20 percent (dollar-based) internal rate of return (IRR) to firms that achieve financial closure before December 2015 for mining and power projects based on indigenous coal and an additional half a percentage IRR ie 20.5 percent for firms that close by or before December 31, 2014, he added.

Zero percent Customs duty has been announced on import of coal mining equipments and machineries, including vehicle for site purpose, he said, adding that withholding tax on dividends for the initial 30 years was exempted.

The incentive also offers exemption on withholding tax on procurement of goods and services during project construction and operations, including exemption for 30 years on other levies, including special excise duty, federal excise duty, WPPF and WWF, Qaim informed

He said that in addition to the above incentives, coal-based power and coal-mining projects in Sindh would have the same incentives, concessions, projections and security packages, as available to independent power producers (IPPs). The Thar Coal Energy Board (TCEB) would also function as coal-pricing agency, he stated.


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## Omar1984

*Reserves from one block enough to generate 5,000MW for 50 years 
​*

* The government would not charge levies including federal excise duty for the first 30 years.


KARACHI: A feasibility study of Thar coal reserves has been completed, confirming that two billion tons of coal reserves are available in Block II alone &#8211; a quantity enough to generate 5,000 megawatts of electricity over the next 50 years.

This was disclosed by Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah during a press briefing at the CM House on Tuesday.

&#8220;The Economic Coordination Committee has granted an incentive package to attract foreign investors to Thar, &#8221; said the chief minister. &#8220;The declaration of the region as a special economic zone and area of strategic importance has also been approved.&#8221;

Giving details about the incentives, he explained that the government would guarantee an internal rate of return of 20 per cent to firms which will achieve financial close by 2015 and investors will be exempt from paying customs duties on the import of coal mining and construction machinery for a period of 30 years.

&#8220;Under the federal government&#8217;s incentive package, Thar coalfields would be declared a project of national security.&#8221;

As part of the package, the government would not charge levies, including federal excise duty and withholding tax, for the first 30 years in a bid to attract investors.

Shah said that the government would have to provide infrastructure at the field and assured that the federal and provincial governments, both, would provide funds for the provision of water. He added that efforts were underway to connect the fields with the network of roads.

&#8220;The generation of power using indigenous reserves will conserve precious foreign exchange spent on the import of oil while creating numerous employment opportunities,&#8221; said Asad Umar, president of Engro Corporation at the ceremony held to mark the completion of the feasibility study.

He estimated that the development of Block II alone is expected to bring an investment of billions into the country.

Sindh&#8217;s finance minister Murad Ali Shah, minister for revenue Jam Mehtab Dahar and adviser to CM on planning Kaiser Bengali were also present on the occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 2010.


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## ViXuyen

Looks like coal is not really a rare resource at all. At the Red river delta of Vietnam, we also have a reserve of at least 200 billion tons. We're in the process of negotiating with the Japanese to develope the technology to exploit it.


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## mughaljee

we all know this, QAIM, blah blah,
what is his government doing ?
did they produce any single unit of electricity till yet ?


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## khuramonline

may this govt successfuly take the results.

It will be better for govt and rulers both!


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## Omar1984

*Thar coal project: lenders&#8217; criteria met, CM told 
​*

Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah on Saturday presided over a meeting regarding the Thar Coal infrastructure development. 

The President, Engro Mr Asad Umar, along with the CEO, Engro Power, Khalid Mansoor informed the meeting that detailed bankable feasibility study had been completed by the internationality renowned consultants as per target date of August 31, 2010. He briefed the participants that technical, environmental, and social viability of the project had been confirmed to have met all international lender&#8217;s standards (IFC/World Bank, ADB etc) 

The Engro CEO emphasised that early closure of infrastructure activities was critical to the Thar Coal project timelines.

Sindh Secretary, Coal & Energy Development Department, Mr Ajaz Ali Khan briefed the meeting on the status of various initiatives taken by the Government of Sindh to meet the timetables. He said that the PC-I for 300 cusecs water supply schemes had been approved by PDWP in July 2010. Consultants have been mobilised for preparing feasibilities for effluent disposal and broad gauge railway link and PC-I for upgradation of roads bas been prepared by the Works & Services Department. Mr Aijaz Ali Khan presented a revised strategy for addressing infrastructure milestones.

The Chief Minister, Sindh, appreciated the Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) for completing the detailed feasibility within a record eight months. The Chief Minister, after detailed discussions, decided to constitute a ministerial committee to expedite infrastructure schemes pertaining to Thar coal. The committee will approach key federal ministers and expedite approvals required for infrastructure schemes on a priority basis. The committee shall comprise Syed Ali Nawaz Shah, Minister for Agriculture, Syed Murad Ali Shah, Minister for Finance, Jam Saifullah Dharejo, Minister for Irrigation & Power, Dr Kaiser Bengali, Advisor to Chief Minister, Sindh, for Planning & Development, Mr Aijaz Ali Khan, Secretary, C&EDD to act as Secretary of the committee. It was informed that the Government of Sindh would allocate Rs10 Billion every year for next five years to Thar coal infrastructure schemes.

It was decided that Federal Government would be approached and requested to provide matching grant of Rs10 Billion each year as being committed by Government of Sindh (GoS) to stress unwavering commitment to Thar Coal development. It was decided that the allocation of Rs8.0 Billion in ADP 2010-11 earmarked for that coal development will be distributed to critical infrastructures schemes required for the Coal development, viz., Rs4 billion to I&P for Makhi-Farsh water supply scheme; Rs2.0 billion to SIDA/I&P for effluent drainage scheme; and Rs. 2.0 billion to NIDC for initiating laying of Transmission lines. 

This allocation and transfer of funds would initiate development activities. It was further decided that Rs2 billion allocated in 2010-11 for Coal fund and shall be transferred to Fund Management House so that it can later on the secured and transferred as share of quit to Mining project. 

The Chief Minister, Sindh, approved that coal-related projects and ADP schemes would be exempt from the policy of the 50 percent proposed cut. It was also decided that a campaign will be launched to seek international financing for infrastructure Development. As part of strategy to expedite infrastructure development related to Thar Coal it was decided that an international EOI would be floated to seek proposals from international companies interested in the Thar coal Infrastructure project.


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## Omar1984

*Thar coal mining and power generation projects 
​*

Sindh govt assures foreign investors of full facilitation

* United Arab Emirates and Turkey show keen interest in projects

By Masroor Afzal Pasha

KARACHI: The Sindh government has assured all foreign investors interested in Thar coal mining and power generation projects of full facilitation. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah extended all out support and assistance to foreign investors in a joint meeting with delegations of UAE&#8217;s Bilal Transport and Turkey&#8217;s Demir Mining on Friday.

The Sindh CM was impressed by the views of the delegations on Thar and the interest shown by them. The delegations were assured that the Sindh government would extend all out support and assistance to them. He also encouraged them to invest in infrastructure projects in the Thar region and in other flood-affected areas of the province.

The delegations apprised the Sindh CM that there are joint ventures in both companies and they had shown interest in Thar coal as well as infrastructure development. They said they had visited Thar along with Thar Engro coal mining, and they were quite impressed with the work done by Sindh Engro.

The delegation also informed the Sindh CM that they have been operating a similar mine in Turkey since 1988, producing 6.5 million tonnes of coal annually, and they have all required machinery for mining, which they can transfer to Pakistan for this project. They said negotiations with Sindh Engro coal mining were underway and hoped to reach an agreement soon.

The meeting was also attended by Sindh Agriculture Minister Ali Nawaz Shah, Thar Coal Energy Board Secretary Aijaz Ali Khan, Ali Raz Altaf, Mirza Zafar Hussain, Sher Afghan, UAE&#8217;s Abdullah Hakeem and Aykan Daskir, and Turkey&#8217;s Kaya Kocal and Oguz Atil Karawercan.


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## Omar1984

*Thar Coal to energize Pakistan 
​*

* 20.5&#37; IRR for firms achieving financial closure by December 2014

KARACHI: The Sindh government Tuesday furnished the details of the &#8216;fiscal incentive package&#8217; for Thar coal mining project, which was recently approved by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC).

While addressing a press briefing at the Chief Minster&#8217;s House, Chief Minster Qaim Ali Shah highlighted the findings of the bankable feasibility study successfully completed by Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SEMC).

He said the SECMC has confirmed the technical, environmental and social viability of the Thar coal-mining project. &#8220;Thar coal reserve will play a vital role in resolving the persisting energy crisis in the country and ensure much needed energy security for the country and provide sufficient and affordable energy,&#8221; he added.

He informed that on October 15, the ECC took a landmark decision by approving the fiscal incentive package for attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) in Thar. The package includes attractive incentives for fast track development of Thar coal and was approved to declare Thar as area of strategic importance, a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and of national security, he added.

The incentives provide 20 percent (dollar-based) internal rate of return (IRR) to firms that achieve financial closure before December 2015 for mining and power projects based on indigenous coal and an additional half a percentage IRR ie 20.5 percent for firms that close by or before December 31, 2014, he added.

Zero percent Customs duty has been announced on import of coal mining equipments and machineries, including vehicle for site purpose, he said, adding that withholding tax on dividends for the initial 30 years was exempted.

The incentive also offers exemption on withholding tax on procurement of goods and services during project construction and operations, including exemption for 30 years on other levies, including special excise duty, federal excise duty, WPPF and WWF, Qaim informed

He said that in addition to the above incentives, coal-based power and coal-mining projects in Sindh would have the same incentives, concessions, projections and security packages, as available to independent power producers (IPPs). The Thar Coal Energy Board (TCEB) would also function as coal-pricing agency, he stated.Thar coal project to resolve energy crisis, says Qaim By Masroor Afzal Pasha


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## flameboard

This better not be sold off...


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## Omar1984

*Thar coal field declared SEZ 
​*

ISLAMABAD (October 21, 2010) : The Economic Co-ordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet has approved incentives for development of local coal which include declaration of Thar coal field 'Special Economic Zone' (SEZ), official sources told Business Recorder. The ECC in its meeting on October 15, 2010, was informed that Thar coal field in Sindh is spread over more than 9000 sq km and is bestowed with 175 billion tons of lignite coal, which can fuel power generation of over 100,000 MW for more than two centuries.

In order to expedite development of Thar coal field and attract investments, the federal government and provincial government of Sindh have joined hands by constituting 'Thar Coal & Energy Board' (TCEB), headed by Sindh Chief Minister, which is empowered as a one-stop decision-making body.

The federal government is represented on the TCEB through Minister for Water and Power as its Vice Chairman, Minister for Finance, Law Minister and Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission. Sources said that all relevant stakeholders thoroughly deliberated and drafted a comprehensive incentive package. A committee, headed by Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, also recommended that Thar coal field be declared SEZ, and the project of development of Thar should be declared as 'project of national security'.

The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) should allow 20.5 percent and 20 percent internal rate of return to companies which achieve financial close before 31st December, 2014 and 31st December, 2015, respectively. To meet infrastructure requirements (water, mine construction/operator, effluent disposal system, roads network transmission line, resettlement, health and safety infrastructure, railway line and clear titles of land) an amount of $300 million per year may be committed for the next 5-6 years for timely completion of these projects. TCEB will function as 'Coal Pricing Agency'.

During discussions it was stressed that in order to sustain economic growth, Pakistan needs to develop its indigenous energy resources rapidly. Proposed investment in development of Thar coal mines will provide benefits like strategic energy resource, import substitution of expensive raw furnace oil (RFO), lower power tariff for coal-fired power plants, and improve socio economic development in Thar region. It will also lead to skilled job creation and transfer of technology.

To achieve these benefits, extension of incentives is essential to attract investors, failing which, the project will remain unimplemented for another long period. It was however, observed that, while considering the project, environmental issues should be addressed and actual cost be determined by Nepra.


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## Omar1984

*Coal-fired power plants to get incentives available to IPPs 
​*

ISLAMABAD (October 24, 2010) : The government has decided to extend all incentives to coal-fired power plants that are enjoyed by the Independent Power Producers (IPPs), sources close to Secretary, Board of Investment (BoI) told Business Recorder. Other incentives which have been approved by the Economic Co-ordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet for coal based projects are as follows:

(i) Thar coalfield be declared as Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and the projects of development of Thar (also including coal mining and power generation) be declared as " projects of national security;

(ii) 20 percent (dollar based) Internal Rate of Return (IRR) to firms which achieve financial close before December 31, 2015 for mining and power projects based on indigenous coal and additional half a percentage IRR ie 20.5 percent IRR for firms which achieve financial close by or before December 31, 2014;

(iii) zero percent customs duty on import of coal mining equipment and machinery including vehicles for site use;

(iv) exemption on withholding tax to shareholders on dividend for initial 30 years;

(v) exemption on withholding tax on procurement for goods and services during project construction and operations; and;

(vi) exemption for 30 years on other levies including special excise duty, federal excise duty, WPPF and WWF.

In addition to these incentives, coal based power projects and coal mining projects in Sindh will have the same incentives, concessions, protections and security package as that available to IPPs developed pursuant to Power Generation Policy 2002 (as amended from time to time). Thar Coal and Energy Board Sindh will also function as the coal pricing agency, sources said.


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## farhan_9909

Does pak has more coal reserve then india?or china?


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## Omar1984

farhan_9909 said:


> Does pak has more coal reserve then india?or china?



After the discovery of the Thar Coal Field in Sindh, Pakistan has the 2nd largest coal reserves in the world. U.S.A. has the largest coal reserves in the world.

Reactions: Like Like:
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## farhan_9909

Omar1984 said:


> After the discovery of the Thar Coal Field in Sindh, Pakistan has the 2nd largest coal reserves in the world. U.S.A. has the largest coal reserves in the world.



Can you give me any link about the discovery of coal reserve in thar.

i am unable to find any authentic link


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## Omar1984

farhan_9909 said:


> Can you give me any link about the discovery of coal reserve in thar.
> 
> i am unable to find any authentic link



Browse through the pages of this thread and read the articles provided. Theres more than enough information in this thread with links provided.

Reactions: Like Like:
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## Omar1984

*Thar coal reserves can turn around Pakistani fortunes​*

According to Pakistan Economy Watch the coal deposits in Thar can change the fate of the country if utilized in a proper way. It can save oil import bill, reduce unemployment and help strengthen economy, rupee and FOREX stocks.

Dr Murtaza Mughal president of Pakistan Economy Watch in a statement said that 185 billion tonnes of coal worth USD 25 trillion can not only cater the electricity requirements of the country for next 100 years but also save almost four billion dollars in staggering oil import bill.

He said that "The project which is in limbo since a decade can help thousands of households by providing employment and help save oil import bill by USD 4-4.50 billion and help FOREX reserves to swell. It will also stabilize sliding rupee. He added that this project has already become bone of contention between the centre and Sindh province and uncertainty looms, adding that the statements of MQM Chief Mr Altaf Hussain regarding the arrival of Taliban in Karachi could pose a serious threat to this project.

Mr Murtaza said the coal power generation would cost Pakistan PKR 5.67 per unit while power generated by Independent Power Projects cost PKR 9.27. He said that "There is a remarkable difference that will certainly life economy of the country and will provide a break to poor. He said that the German, Chinese and other companies had not only carried out surveys and feasibilities of this project but also offered 100 percent investment in last 7 to 8 years but the petroleum barons always discouraged them in a very systematic way.

He demanded a probe into the matter as some elements deprived people of Pakistan from cheap source of energy for too long in their own interest. He said that petroleum lobby is very strong in Pakistan and they are against any other means of power generation except for the imported oil. This lobby is major beneficiary of the increasing oil bill that is estimated above 15 billion dollar this year.


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## Karachiite

Why aren't we investing in this?


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## BATMAN

This new govt. comprise of anti state elements and criminals from jail... pardoned under executive orders and than promoted to become interior minister... who wish to control ISI and hand over Shuja Pasha to India for interrogation and trial for Mumbai terror drama... i remember Zardari and Rehman Malik promised India to punish Pakistan army over Mumbai incident.


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## mughaljee

I have on question ?
which kind of technology we will use ?
you know old technology for production electricity causes environmental issues ?
(Carbon gas) and if we utilized this reserve in full swing it would be bad effect in our area regarding pollution.


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## Hyde

self delete


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## Omar1984

*Thar Coal: A gateway to energy for Pakistan​*

Pakistan is marred by an energy crisis that has no precedent in its 63-year history. Although, blessed by natural resources, the country has failed to utilise its reserves for the enhancement of its industry and economy. Since the past three years, due to improper planning, lack of long-term strategies, and an increasing circular debt, our energy generation capacity has decreased to dangerously low levels, while the demand is only increasing. As a result, over a billion rupees are lost each year in the frequent power outages (load-shedding) that occur every day throughout the country.

Professor Mrs. Shamim Humayun, a renowned academic says, &#8220;Pakistan has fallen into a vicious circle of crisis upon crisis, and not because it lacks the means. Geographically speaking, our country has been blessed by countless natural resources. The rivers that come down from the North make the building of dams perfectly feasible, and the amount of coal present in the country along with alternative energy can make Pakistan an exporter of energy if properly utilised. For that, our policies need to be more focused, and energies channeled in the right direction, rather in politicising every aspect of developmental projects.&#8221;

We are engulfed in this crisis not due to the reason that the country has no ability to generate its power, or the excuse that it lacks natural resources for the said purpose. In fact, according to PEPCO, the current installed capacity for electricity is over 17,000 MW while electricity generation hovers at around 12,000 MW only. The myopia in policy planning is seen at all fronts, whether it is conventional energy or alternative.

For the past seven years, due to various reasons, Pakistan&#8217;s economy witnessed a consistent growth. As a result, energy requirements of the country increased drastically. While the power generation capacity was still more than the requirement in 2007, the power plants were generating at a sub-optimal level. Even now, the total capacity of electricity generation is more than the demand, but due to line losses, circular debt forcing power plants to produce at less than half of their capacity, and fluctuating oil prices, the output is considerably less than the installed capacity, and even less than the demand. As a result, frequent power outages become an obstacle for economic activity in the country, commercial centers are shut down and people lose their jobs, leading to a vicious circle of unemployment, hunger, and poverty.

Solution lies within Pakistan

If we analyse the energy mix in Pakistan we find it extremely imbalanced due to exceedingly high dependence on gas and imported oil, which costs a substantial amount of foreign exchange to the national exchequer. Fluctuations in oil prices have a considerable impact on the power generation capacity of Pakistan. The question that comes to the mind of an average citizen is, after three years of promises, why has the government been unable to guarantee electricity, and what needs to be done?

The answer lies within Pakistan. If we exploit the natural reserves of coal available in the Thar region of Sindh, it will generate employment, save valuable foreign exchange, and become a sustainable, reliable and less expensive indigenous fuel. The contribution to economy, which is projected to be in billions of dollars, the generation of energy to an unprecedented scale, up to 100,000 MW per year for the next 200 years, and the creation of over 200,000 jobs in the arid region of Thar, are the major outcomes of this deserted desert, and yet we crave for rental power plants.

However, drowned in the worst flood in recent memory, ripped apart by a sectarian violence of reprehensible degree, and societal mob crimes of heart-wrenching proportions, Pakistan has been left in a fix. The government, as well as the nation has been politicised, and so is every project that fails to see the light of day because of political concerns of one party or another. Whether it is Kalabagh or Thar Coal reserves, we have latent opportunities piling up each day.

&#8220;Deepening economic woes and instability in the economy not only hinder ongoing developmental strategies, but put a halt on future prospects of developing or initiating any major project. Plans to start work on Thar Coal reserves have been in the pipeline since decades in the past, but various economical and political reasons have managed to make it a secondary concern,&#8221; said Dr. Younus Jafri, Advisor, Economic Planning Commission.

Even though, various feasibility studies have been conducted for the extraction of Thar coal reserves, which are the fifth largest in the world, actual ground work has not yet started. And now, with the recent devastation caused by the flood in Pakistan, it seems the go-ahead of coal extraction in Thar will have to wait even further.
It was decided by the government, in a workshop organised by the Geological Survey of Pakistan in 2005, to enhance the share of coal in the energy mix to five per cent, to 18 per cent by 2018, and further to 25 per cent by 2020. Perhaps, a realisation did occur, but there are many a slip between the cup and lip, and so as it happened, nothing materialsed when transferring work from paper to ground.

Currently, Pakistan is losing over a billion dollars each year due to no electricity. Power-outages have crippled the economy and the everyday life of urban residents and even more so of the rural areas of Pakistan, where electricity provision has been as low as four hours per day. According to PEPCO, the projected demand in the next 20 years would increase tenfold, at 113,695 MW; the supply and demand gap will increase drastically if proper measures are not taken in time.

The current power crisis came to the forefront in late 2007, and since then it has turned to be a great challenge, not only for the developing economy of Pakistan, but the whole nation itself. While the government is looking towards rental power plants as a short-term solution, it has only a vague idea of securing the energy requirements of Pakistan in the long run. There have been negotiations with foreign countries to provide assistance; as a result, China has planned to build two more nuclear reactors in the country, while Turkey funded a wind farm next to the 700 kilometer coastal belt of Pakistan. Although, nuclear and wind energy is being harnessed, its contribution is almost negligible in the energy sector of Pakistan.

Moreover, there has been government backing to a single solar energy project, which is planned for domestic usage, but has a considerably higher cost than the other alternatives available. Even though these alternatives, including solar power, are not a part of the energy mix of Pakistan currently, they can be utilised to a greater degree in the future.

In the process of deciphering this crisis, one has to look at the policies that serve as the foundations of the country&#8217;s modus operandi. Lack of proper planning and inept policies are the reason for the extreme imbalance prevalent in our energy mix &#8211; not to forget that we are actually importing 2.5 million tons of coal per annum for our needs.


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## Omar1984

*Thar coal mining project technically viable: detailed feasibility study completed​*

ISLAMABAD (October 28, 2010) : The Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) has reportedly completed the detailed feasibility study of coal mining project with the capacity to produce 6.5 million tons per annum coal from Block-II of Thar coalfield, as per schedule.

"The project is technically viable. However, to ensure its economic viability it is essential to have in place the required fiscal incentives and infrastructure related to Thar coal development which has to match the timelines of the project," official sources told Business Recorder.

The Sindh government is of the view that no investor can achieve financial close for a project of this level without required incentives and provision of robust infrastructure. Provision of infrastructure is the responsibility of the government; hence, it requires appropriate commitment on the part of the government to attract, and retain, investment.

Sindh-Engro Joint Venture is a pioneering project, which is progressing on fast track, which explains why the first phase of the detailed feasibility has been completed in a record time of eight months. SECMC further stated that to sustain this momentum of the project it is essential that enabling environment should be provided so as to meet the project timelines. The SECMC is now planning to approach the lenders for project financing, for which approved fiscal incentives and approval of infrastructure projects, with financing arrangements, is required.

These include provision of water, effluent disposal system, transmission lines, road and railway network, etc. The Chief Executive Officer has requested the Sindh government to expeditiously act with regard to infrastructure and other allied matters.

Furthermore, the Council of Common Interests (CCI) in its meeting on July 18, 2010, had decided that the Ministry of Water and Power should develop a scheme, with foreign funding, for development of infrastructure to support early completion of Thar coal project.

Similarly, during his visit to Karachi on July 22 and 23, 2010, President Asif Ali Zardarim, in a special meeting on Thar coal had emphasised on the federal and provincial governments to expedite the work on infrastructure development projects relating to Thar coalfield to facilitate the upcoming coal-based power projects.

The infrastructure schemes, which are necessary for Thar coal project, are as follows: (i) construction of canal water carrier with capacity of 300 cusecs (Makhi Farash Link Canal Project, Chotiari Phase-II); (ii) construction of 50 cusecs drainage and wastewater effluent channel from mining area of Thar coalfield Block No.II; (iii) improvement and widening of road network from seaport Karachi to Thar coalfields (360 km); (iv) laying of transmission network up to Thar coalfields; and (v) establishment of broad gauge railway link up to Thar coalfields.

Details of the proposed schemes include construction of canal water carrier with capacity of 300 cusecs (Makhi Farash Link Canal Project, Chotiari Phase-II). The scope of Thar coal mining and power generation projects is to meet initial demand of 300 cusecs fresh canal water.

In this regard, Irrigation and Power Department has prepared a project for supply of canal water from Nara canal system. The project envisages construction of a water carrier. Thar coal water carrier will be constructed in two phases.

The first phase includes CC lining of Makhi Farash Link Canal from RD 0+000 to 304+000, construction of 100 cusecs CC linked channel from Farash regulator to Nabisar through Dhoro escape natural water way about 40 miles in length and further by providing two pumping pipelines of 4ft dia each with suitable pumps and intermediate reservoirs from Nabisar to Vajihar, about 31 miles in length, with carrying capacity of 100 cusecs discharge each, in order to support system with auxiliary arrangement.

As the natural contour limits the gravity flow with very mild gradient, it has been proposed to provide velocity booster (Persian wheels) at appropriate intervals in CC lined channel. The main reservoir at Nabisar Thar, which is a historical depression lake, having surface of about 202 acres, will be converted for retention. Further, the silt-free water will be pumped through proposed spiral steel pipelines.

It has also been proposed to construct a metalled road along the proposed CC lined channel, which will provide additional supporting strength to the embankment of CC channel in Dhoro Escape, and bifurcate the natural waterway and leave sufficient waterway to Dhoro ecology. In addition, this will also provide communication link to the adjoining settlements, and facilitate the monitoring/operational activities.

In second phase after completion of Makhi Farash Link canal project, the 200 cusecs CC lined channel will be constructed with same methodology of additional pumping pipelines arrangements. The project is planned to be completed in two years' time. The total cost of the project (PC-1) has been prepared only for construction of Phase-I, amounting to Rs 27.00 billion and is based on preliminary survey, design and cost estimated on market rates.

II) Effluent disposal from Thar coalfields: In order to initiate mining activity in Thar, there is need of appropriate sized effluent disposal system. It has been assessed by RWE that bottom aquifer will involve disposal and pumping of about 25-30 cusecs from a mine of size 6.5 mtpa. In addition, 5-7 cusecs of effluent shall also be generated by power plant of the size of 1000 mw. Thus, it is expected that Thar coalfields require a robust effluent disposal system for disposal of at least 50 cusecs of effluent.

For the purpose of construction of 50 cusecs drainage and wastewater effluent channel from mining area of Thar coalfields, the Irrigation and Power Department, Government of Sindh, has prepared a PC-II for feasibility study for construction of 50 cusecs drainage and wastewater effluent channel from mining area of Thar coalfields. The PC-II has been approved by the PDWP on 16th September, 2010. The proposed feasibility study under this PC-II would identify and confirm source of disposal for wastewater and effluent drainage to fulfill the requirements and the mechanics to dispose of the same to three sources/options available ie LBOD (Creek), Shakoor Dhandh and Rann of Katchh or any other possible source for Thar Coal power plants as well as to make a proposal if the maximum quantity of wastewater may be reused for irrigation purposes at Vajihar.

Sindh Irrigation & Drainage Authority (SIDA) has been engaged as consultants to prepare feasibility study and planning documents such as PC-I. The PC-I would be developed after completion of feasibility study ie within three months' time. It is anticipated that the project entails cost of Rs 12.75 billion. The PC-II is costing Rs 20.100 million.

III) Improvement and widening of road network from seaport Karachi to Thar coalfields (360 km): Thar coal mining will involve huge machinery. This huge machinery will have to be moved from seaport to coal mine sites. It is expected that the huge machinery such as shovels, trucks, loaders and dozers as huge as 13 metres, will be used in open pit mining process.

For transportation of huge mining machinery, the existing road network up to Thar coalfields requires upgradation and widening. In order to improve and widen the existing road network, the existing road will have to bear 70-ton bridges carrying capacity with a height clearance of minimum 3.2 metres and width of 7 metres.

The Government of Sindh, through Works and Services Department, has prepared a PC-I for improvement and widening of existing road network from seaport to Islamkot through Thatta-Sujawal, Badin-Nindo, Wango-Mithi, Islamkot-Thario Haelpota, having total distance of 360 km. The cost of this scheme is Rs 5 billion.

IV) Laying of transmission line up to Thar coalfieldsz: Keeping in view the possible evacuation of 10000 MW from Thar coalfield within next 5-10 years, NTDC with the support ADB funding has initiated a feasibility study for laying of transmission line up to Thar coalfields.

NTDC has hired consultant for the feasibility study for construction of about 1300 km transmission line, initially for dispersal of 2500-3000 MW power from the coal projects to upcountry load centres. The selection process has been completed and the report had been sent to ADB on October 3, 2009 for concurrence.

The present scope of the study, costing about $3.5 million, funded by ADB, originally covered imported coal plant. This is intended to be enhanced to also cover the dispersal of power from the proposed 1000 MW Thar coal plant. The process/configuration of transmission system (including line/grid/switching station) will actually cater for the evacuation of at least 10,000MW of power--it can also be replicated for an additional 10,000 MW.

The required transmission network along with the voltage level (HV DC or AC) would be decided, based on the outcome of the feasibility study, and the revised PC-1 will be prepared accordingly.

The timeline for completion of feasibility report is fixed as 12 months from the date of issuance of LoA. Ministry of Water and Power through NTDC has awarded preparation of feasibility work for laying of transmission lines to SNC Lavlin. During recent meetings with NTDC, the latter had communicated that SNC Lavlin is going to complete feasibility during November-December 2010. NTDC plans to submit PC-I based on feasibility by end of 2010. Total estimated funding required for laying of transmission line is approx $1.0 billion. Keeping in view the huge scale of funding required, Ministry of Water and Power has to expedite early preparation and approval of PC-I so that funds can be tapped from international funding agencies.

(V) Establishment of broad-gauge railway link up to Thar coalfield areas: Construction of rail link for the coalfields is essential. The Government of Sindh has approved PC-II for feasibility study for providing broad gauge railway link up to coalfield areas of Sindh at a cost of Rs 21.900 million. The feasibility study has been assigned to Pakistan Railway Advisory Consultancy Services (Pvt) Ltd (PRACS).


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## darkhand08

> Originally posted by *Omar1984*
> After the discovery of the Thar Coal Field in Sindh, Pakistan has the 2nd largest coal reserves in the world. U.S.A. has the largest coal reserves in the world.


Well Russia given their huge size are also amongst the top countries in coal reserves...

This article i found in Geological Survey of Pakistan's website
Geological Survey of Pakistan

India does not have world's largest reserves(4th largest)...but we do have world's largest miner i.e. Coal India...

BTW Thar Desert has huge Gas reserves....Cairn India has a huge plant in Bikaner in Rajasthan......


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## niaz

Please let us not be jumping with joy. At least members of this august column should try to keep every thing in proper perspective. Thar coal resrves are good but no "panacea" for our energy needs.

I found a good article in todays Jang written by Dr Abdul Qadir Khan. 

Jang Group Online

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## Omar1984

*Deciphering the energy crisis - II​*





The energy mix in of Pakistan shows only 9 per cent utilisation of coal out of which only 0.1 per cent is used for power generation. - AP Photo (File Photo) 


As we talk of the energy crisis and the possible solutions to it, we need to understand the policies that govern the energy currently being used in Pakistan. The energy mix of Pakistan is no enigma. Primarily based on oil and gas to generate electricity, we simply do not utilise coal or focus on any other form of energy for power generation; and so, we have an alarming situation. There is over 40 per cent dependence on gas, while 30 per cent of all our power is acquired through oil. Majority of which, over 72 per cent is imported oil. This forces Pakistan to import over 300,000 bbl/day of oil.

Muhammad Saleem Sethi, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Finance, explaining the dependence on oil to the students of Public Policy at National Defence University, said that, &#8220;When oil prices peaked in at $147 a barrel, Pakistan&#8217;s finance ministry had kept funds for imports of oil in accordance with $80 a barrel. As a result, not only it had to re-allocate budget, but pay an increased price to keep the power plants running.&#8221;

In 2005, an energy plan was devised by the Government of Pakistan, which showed a heavy reliance on gas, an outcome of which is the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline agreement. Due to increased dependence on gas and imported oil, the debt in the energy sector increased to $3.6 billion dollars in the period of 2005-2008, and no new power generation plant was initiated.

Furthermore, the energy mix in of Pakistan shows only 9 per cent utilisation of coal out of which only 0.1 per cent is used for power generation. In a comparison with other countries, Pakistan lags behind to a considerable degree. It is seen that coal is responsible for 72 per cent of China&#8217;s power needs, 56 per cent of Indian needs, where as the US utilises more than 50 per cent of coal in its power generation.

Globally, the share of coal in power generation is 38 per cent, compared to 0.1 per cent in Pakistan. Although, developed nations discourage power generation through coal, it should be noted that no developed nation which has this resource, had abandoned it as yet. In the past, industrialisation was started in England due to its coal reserves, and a number of English statesmen have termed it the &#8216;lifeline&#8217; of the United Kingdom. Pakistan has been blessed by huge lignite coal reserves, and it is of imminent importance that the same be included in the energy mix of Pakistan. However, such an inclusion faces severe criticism from the eco-friendly post-Kyoto protocol world.

If we only take the cumulative savings into account, due to devaluation of the Pakistani currency and fluctuations in oil prices, the fuel replacement from oil to coal will save Pakistan $87 billion from one block of the Thar Coal fields alone till 2070. Cambridge Energy Research Associates estimates the Net Present Value of savings at Rs. 3.2 trillion over a period of 60 years. With these savings in view, the trade-off between environment and economy seems to be a viable option.

Pakistan is not among the great polluters of the world nor is it utilising its given resource that can easily make its energy secure in the long run. The trade-off is clearly feasible and in our favour. With newer methods of gasification of coal under-ground, even the said pollution can be lowered drastically, and the benefits of these huge reserves reaped for present and future security of our country. A chemical analysis of the given coal reserves shows that not only it is a moderate-good quality lignite coal deposit, but has a lot of moisture in it, further benefiting the gasification process. Being a non-renewable energy reserve, we also have to consider the amount of coal present in these deposits. Studies show that the deposits are enough to meet the energy requirements of Pakistan for at least the next 200 years.

Whether or not we will start the extraction in 200 years is a different debate altogether. Until and unless our policymakers realise the importance of stability, the suffering of the poor, and the merits of austerity, new projects will perhaps never see the light of day. Thar Coal reserves have been left untouched until recently, when a presidential order was given to start yet another committee on it &#8211; a committee, which too has not yielded any significant result due to the raging deluge that came down on our nation, drowning everything in its path.

Ajaz Ali Khan, Secretary to Sindh government, briefing about the amount of coal present in Pakistan said, &#8220;Total reserve is equivalent to 50 billion tones of oil (more than Iran and Saudi Arabia combined oil reserves) or over 2000 TCF of Gas (42 times greater than total gas reserves discovered in Pakistan so far).&#8221; 

The outcomes and advantages of Thar Coal project are sustainable, is a relatively less expensive fuel, massive benefit to the economy, savings on foreign exchange, and employment generation. In May, 2007 the Asian Development Bank released a report which said; &#8220;Thar lignite once mined, is a useable fuel or carbon resource&#8221;.

On February 8, 2008, the President of Pakistan gave a green signal to once again study and initiate the Thar Coal Project for power generation. For the said purpose, Thar Coal Mining Company was initiated to provide coal for the Independent Power Plants (IPPs). This positive step has received a green signal a number of times in the past, now only if we can take the first step.

According to the research conducted by EMR in collaboration with he Petroleum Institute of Pakistan, the contribution to GDP in plants, products, services, employment, etc. would be in the range of $200 - $300 billion, which clearly exceeds the total GDP of Pakistan. Not only that but in July 2009, the World Bank team comprising Ekaterina N. Mikhaylova, Senior Project Officer Oil, Gas, Mining and Chemicals Department, Robert Murphy, a consultant of Oil, Gas, Mining Policy Division visited Thar Coal fields, it was estimated by further studies conducted that the coal deposits of the area have a very large content of water, around 40 per cent, as a result of which it will also help the local population.

Thar coal project will generate positive externalities such as creating hundreds of jobs, along with cumulative net savings, savings on valuable foreign exchange, and most importantly, energy generation and a balance in the future energy mix of Pakistan. 

Policy level issues that are directly related to this project also include displacement and community issues of the local people, because there is no clear community welfare policy. Local government and people of Thar region would like to be in charge of this project and have a say in the final decision making so they not feel left out. Concerns of local people should be kept in mind; a detailed description of the project which outlines the benefits to the local community and people by creating infrastructure and jobs will help gather support for the project, and it can as a result be successfully initiated without much opposition.

Finally, one has to figure out that whether Thar coal reserves offer a positive long term solution for the energy crisis that has crippled the economy of Pakistan, or if other alternatives pose a better solution. There are a number of alternatives available to meet the increasing energy requirements of Pakistan. Besides the indigenous fuel of Thar coal, there are somewhat promising capabilities of Hydel, Wind and Solar Energy. Although, Pakistan has a considerable portion devoted to Hydel Power Generation, Wind and Solar Energy is almost entirely neglected.

It is not difficult to comprehend however, that developing Thar coal fields offer not only higher feasibility and political acceptance than many alternatives available, but it offers far higher and beneficial outcomes, advantages, and positive externalities. Through this project, the imbalance in the energy mix of Pakistan can be addressed, and so can the issue of energy security for the future, and a self-reliant economy that we so impatiently dream about.

Perhaps the crises that Pakistan is encircled in today will not allow any ground work to start in the near future, but there is a serious requirement for consideration of developing the neglected Thar coal fields. Today, all the great nations that stand tall have foundations that were once set on coal. It is about time that Pakistan realises its potential and builds for itself the same foundations, so that tomorrow it too can be a great nation through the gifts of its own land, rather than the crutches of international aid.


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## gangsta_rap

> The energy mix in of Pakistan shows only 9 per cent utilization of coal out of which only 0.1 per cent is used for power generation.



Im guessing the rest is sold 
can somebody fill me in about that ?


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## niaz

According to the info obtained from the Central Statistical Office of Pakistan last year, total production of coal in Pakistan was about 4-million metric tons and consumption about 8- millions tons. Nearly half of the production comes from Baluchistan. Rest is shared between Punjab and Sind. Imports from South Africa & Indonesia.

Best quality coal is from Makerwal with about 50% carbon content. Next in quality is coal produced in Baluchistan. Both are sub bituminous type coals. Sind coal is mostly Lignite with less than 30% carbon content and high moisture.

Main consumer is the Pakistans cement industry. To give an idea of the BTU value, ordinary furnace oil has about the twice the heating value of coal.

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## Omar1984

*Thar Coal and Energy Board

First test burn of UCG project in March 2011​*

KARACHI: Thar region will witness first test burn of the Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) project in March 2011 that will produce initial electricity of three to five megawatts. The UCG project will further be enhanced to 100MW in a years time. 

Renowned scientist Dr Sarmar Mubarakmand stated this while giving progress update on UCG project on Block-V in the 10th meeting of Thar Coal and Energy Board (TCEB) here on Saturday. The meeting was chaired by the Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah and also attended by Federal Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervaiz Ashraf. 

Dr Mubarakmand informed the TCEB that the UCG operation had been initiated by drilling two adjacent boreholes into the coal seam and injecting pressurised oxidants like hot air into the coal seam igniting the coal seam and recovering the combustion gases through the adjacent borehole.

The connectivity between the injection and producer wells is made by special linking techniques such as reverse combustion of coal, he added.

Estimates of coal reserves, selection of site for camp, gasifier, surface structure for gasifier, gas handling plant and power generation, assessment of coal under UCG gasifier and life of gasifier temporarily at Islamkot have already been established, he added.

Power supply arrangements from high tension electricity lines of HESCO to colony site have been made. Design of pre-fabricated colony has been completed, layout plan of camp is prepared and contract has been awarded and construction work is in progress and it is expected to be completed in 90 days, he informed. Design of underground gasification has been completed and contract for the drilling of gasification wells has been awarded to Geological Survey of Pakistan (GSP). The GSP has mobilised its establishment and machinery at Islamkot and site. The drilling rig and ancillary equipment has been tested and made operational and drilling for the first well is complete.

Design work of control system has been completed. While design and layout for plant building have been completed and order for construction on repeat order basis has been placed. Earlier, the Sindh chief minister said the coal reserves of Thar region will play a vital role in resolving the constant energy crisis on long and short-term basis in the country.

The government will also ensure much needed positive paradigm shift in the demand and supply cycle of energy as well as power sources in the country, Qaim added. Qaim said that it is one of the major milestones achieved by this board and it is landmark incentive package to promote investment for Thar Coal.

TCEB Managing Director Ajaz Ali Khan informed the board that the incentive package for Thar Coal has been approved in the ECC meeting held on October 15, this year. The board appreciated the role of its vice chairman and federal minister for finance for getting its approved from the ECC.

The meeting decided that the TCEB Act may be immediately presented to the Sindh Assembly to evolve the organisation on permanent basis and the board approved to shift the TCEB funding from Asian Development Bank (ADB) scheme to Grant in Aid basis. The board also approved the revised structure for executive arm of the TCEB.

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## Omar1984

*Govt stepping up work on Thar Coal project: minister
​*

Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervez Ashraf said Saturday that the government has decided to further step up work on Thar coal project as the import of oil for power generation has become unbearable.

He was addressing a press conference alongwith MNA Rubina Saadat Kaimkhani after attending the 10th meeting of Thar Coal Energy Board (TCEB) at Chief Minister House. Advisor to CM Waqar Mehdi was also present on the occasion. He said Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah chaired the meeting.

He said that in oil equivalent terms, Thar coal reserves are larger than the combined oil reserves of Saudi Arabia and Iran and 68 times more than Sui gas field reserves and can generate 100,000 megawatts of electricity for next 200 years.

Quoting a study presented on Thar coal in today's (Saturday's) meeting, the minister said that just 1 percent of the coal from Block II, can generate 5,000 MW of electricity for next 50 years which is 25 percent of country's total requirements.

"We will not only be able to meet our own's requirements but can export the surplus electricity to neighbouring countries", Raja Pervez Ashraf said. He said Pakistan's future belonged to Thar coal.

Giving details of the decisions at the meeting, the Minister said that, he said that the Federal Ministry of Water & Power will establish dedicated wing in Ministry to exclusively deal with infrastructure development for Thar and seek international financing for it as per the decision of the Council of Common Interest.

He said the meeting decided to immediately presented TCEB Act in Sindh Assembly to evolve the organization on permanent basis and board approved to shift TCEB funding from ADP scheme to grant in aid basis. 

The Board also approved the revised structure for executive arm of TCEB.

The Board approved issuance of TCB for four blocks of Thar coal and also approved issuance of Expression of Interest (EOI) for infrastructure development schemes to attract international financing.

He said the President and Prime Minister are very keen to exploit Thar coal therefore the ECC meeting has approved the incentives package for Thar coal on 15 October 2010. 

Khalid Mansoor apprised the TCEB that on August 31, 2010, Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) completed the "bankable feasibility study" for a 6.5 million ton/annum coal mining project which will supply coal to fuel a 1,200 MW power plant, also to be set up by Engro Powergen limited. 

Dr. Samar Mubarakmand shared the progress update on Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) project in Block V. He informed the TCEB that UCG operation has been initiated by drilling two adjacent boreholes into the coal seam and injecting pressurized oxidants like hot air into the coal seam, igniting the coal seam and recovering the combustion gases through adjacent borehole.

He said that by March next year, they will start production of gas from the field.

The Minister said that media team will be taken to Thar coal site after Eid so that the journalists can themselves see the progress there.

Replying to a question, he said that power generation from Thar coal will be environment friendly and there will be no carbon emission from the project like Germany.

He pointed out that coal gasification project will enable Pakistan to earn carbon credits.


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## ajpirzada

Omar1984 said:


> *Thar Coal and Energy Board
> 
> First test burn of UCG project in March 2011​*
> .



the best part is that we are doing it on our own. meaning we will develop the right skills to exploit its full potential without having to go through any controversy involving foreign companies.

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## sparklingway

This was is relation to Thar Coal. Let's hope the next August deadline for a 100MW production does follow through.


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## Chogy

I don't have time to read the whole thread, and I hope I'm not repeating something...

First, congrats to Pakistan on the coal discover. Coal has a poor reputation as an energy source, because of the bad old days of no emissions control, no technology to avoid the pollution. The good news today is that coal can be used in a clean manner with sulfur scrubbers and such, and is an immensely valuable asset. Coal becomes coke, an important part of the steel industry. And with modern chemistry and industrial processes, it can be turned into liquid fuels, (at some expense) including gasoline.

It forms the basis of fertilizers (ammonia from the coking process), plastics, even pharmaceuticals.

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## Omar1984

*Zardari directs officials to expedite work on Thar Coal project​*
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has underlined the need to expedite the Thar Coal project by reviewing the progress more often and removing any bottlenecks that may come in the way.

The president said this during a meeting with Thar Coal project Chairman Dr Samar Mubarakmand who called on him at the Presidency on Wednesday.

Zardari said that Pakistan had rich energy resources, which had not been exploited, and out of the box solutions need to thought of to provide relief to the masses and remove the problems faced by businessmen and industrialists due to electricity and gas load-shedding. Mubarakmand apprised the president on the progress of the Thar Coal project.

Zardari appreciated the efforts of Dr Mubarakmand and said that the difficulties being faced by the project will be removed to accomplish the task within the stipulated time.


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## Omar1984

*Black gold​*




Thar project requires proper infrastructure and investment incentives, Sindh government. 


Reports of huge reserves of coal buried under the sands of the Thar desert in Sindh have surfaced from time to time. Now something is finally being done to draw benefit from this resource, taking a big step towards meeting an energy shortfall that threatens to cripple us.

The Thar Coal Energy Board Act may be presented very soon to the Sindh Assembly, to set up a body that can use this coal to the best advantage of the country. A meeting of the board at the chief minister&#8217;s house was told that the two billion tons of coal reserves could generate 5,000 megawatts of power for the next 50 years. The findings leave one wondering why we have had so much fuss over energy generation given that a resource of this scale exists. The water and power minister has said that people will be able to benefit from power generated from coal &#8216;very soon&#8217;. International investment to mine and utilise the coal is to be called in.

The Sindh and central governments both need to be commended for moving ahead with a plan to use the coal reserve. We should ask why this was not done sooner, by other governments, Had this happened, perhaps the prolonged loadshedding that has crippled production and added to unemployment across the country could have been avoided. It is unclear if deliberate intent or mere neglect was involved in this. The official confirmation of the presence of huge amounts of coal also inevitably raises questions about whether we need more controversial projects such as the Rental Power Projects.

What is now most important is that the plan to utilise the coal be conducted in an open and transparent manner. The award of contracts to international firms must take place through a clear process. It must also take place quickly, so we can meet the growing energy crisis before it worsens and adds to our many woes.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 15th, 2010.


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## jjdoctor

hmmm... nice info... we have highest reservinever knoew we had such a big reservior of coal...


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## Omar1984

*1000MW coal-power generation plant being installed: NA informed ​*

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Water and Power Syed Naveed Qamar on Thursday informed Lower House of the Parliament that a power plant having capacity of generating 1000 megawatt electricity through coal was being installed in Thar area of Sindh province.

During question-hour session of the National Assembly, he said a contract had been awarded to a private sector company for installation of the power plant.

"The Thar Coal Authority has so far awarded a contract to a private sector party for installation of 1000 MW power plant with Thar coal," he said.

Responding to a question, the minister said an effective strategy had been devised to control loadshedding during the months of April, May, June, July, August and September.

He said five new power plants, namely Foundation Power Project Dherki, Hub Power Narowal, Halmore Power Project Bhikki, Karkay Project Karachi and Chashma Nuclear Power Unit-2 (C-2) having capacity of generating 1184 MW power, would shortly be added in the system.

Presently, he said average hydel power generation was about 3500 MW, adding "In succeeding months, the release of water from dams will increase and hydel generation will reach its peak and help reduce quantum and duration of loadshedding."

Naveed Qamar said a number of measures were being taken for conservation of electricity, which would help save 1000 MW to 1100 MW electricity.

Under the plan, lights up to 50 percent will be reduced in the President House, the PM Secretariat, Federal and Provincial Ministries, Governor and Chief Minister Houses besides official residences and government offices.

He said the measures included "replacement of bulbs and tube-lights with energy savers, use of air conditioners by authorized officers after 11 a.m., illumination of alternate street lights and non-supply of power to billboards and neon signs, ban on commercial decorative lights, staggering of weekly holiday for industry, closure of markets and shops at 2000 hours."

The minister said industries were being motivated for manufacturing and import of energy efficient appliances.


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## VCheng

So this 1000MW plant is the coal gasification project of Dr. Mand, or a new coal-burning unit? Are there any news of how the "test burn" in March 2011 went? What is the status of the 150MW pilot project based on coal gasification?


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## Hyde

VCheng said:


> So this 1000MW plant is the coal gasification project of Dr. Mand, or a new coal-burning unit? Are there any news of how the "test burn" in March 2011 went? What is the status of the 150MW pilot project based on coal gasification?


 
There is no 150MW pilot project but 100MW and that too only 5MW was supposed to be installed this year. Remaining 95MW is step by step procedure to be completed by 2015. That project is expected to begin in April or May and 2 weeks ago there was a news that the coal-gasification will begin after 3 weeks. So I suppose its a matter of 2 or 3 weeks only

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## seekers

Aqeel Kareem Dhadi (AKD security) is Biggest broker of Stock market. He has invested a billions in purchasing a land in Thar.
Dhedi ghaatay ka suda nahin karta!


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## Omar1984

*Leading economies using coal energy: official ​*
KARACHI: All the leading economies of the world are using coal as a viable energy source, the Thar Coal Energy Board said commenting on a news item titled &#8216;Spending resources on coal alone a folly,&#8217; published in The News on April 13.

According to a survey &#8216;Energy Resources-2010&#8217; conducted by the World Energy Council the use of coal would rise 60 percent by 2030, the Thar Coal Energy Board Managing Director Ajaz Ali Khan commented. 

The statement, &#8216;countries around the globe are phasing coal out as the primary source of energy,&#8217; is incorrect Khan said.

Nearly all of the leading and emerging economies of world are increasingly employing coal as the major source of their energy security.

Presently, says a report of International Enrgy Agency (IEA) coal produces more than 49 per cent electricity in the USA, 49 percent in Germany, 76 percent in Australia, 68 percent in India, and 81 percent electricity in China, Khan said.

According to projections released by the US Department of Energy Information and Administration (EIA), China plans an average increase of 4.1 percent in coal-based power use by 2030. According to IEA Outlook Report 2008 global energy consumption will rise by 50 percent by the year 2030, he said. 

For the same period, India plans energy share of coal in the range of 42 to 65 percent as compared to 7 percent for gas and 28 percent for oil in overall power mix.

A latest study highlights that a ton of Lignite coal - the same present in the Thar coalfields - in Germany they produce 1100 Kwh of electricity, 190 cubic meter of substitute natural gas, 160 litres of diesel, 50 cubic meters of synthetic gas. This multiple use of coal is one of the reasons for continuous rise in its global consumption, he said.

World-renowned magazine The Economist carries a special article &#8216;A new age of coal is upon us&#8217; in its January 27, 2011 issue. The coal boom, according to The Economist, &#8220;has spurred a number of mergers & acquisitions in 2010 with a value of $52 billion.&#8221; 

Rio tinto - a global mining giant has offered $3.9 billion for Riversdale in 2010. Chinese firm Yanzhou purchased Austrlia&#8217;s Flex Coal resources in $3.5 billion in 2009. Thermal coal will hit a peak price of $170 a ton in 2012 compared with $110 a ton today. The Economist concludes, &#8220;Asian firms will benefit most out of this price surge.&#8221;

The Thar Coal Energy Board MD said: &#8220;We as a energy - starved country need to keep abreast of planning parameters for regional and global energy security paradigm. Before it is too late, we need to include coal as a major component in national energy basket, and to devise a strategy that helps us to overcome endemic energy crisis.&#8221;

It is unfortunate that when a global utilization of coal for power generation is 42 percent and projected to rise to 44 percent in the next 20 years, &#8220;we with one of the largest coal deposits in the world are still debating its use,&#8221; Ajaz Ali Khan said.


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## BATMAN

^^ this is known fact but i keep saying Pakistan need to use its natural resources very intelligently.
If we leave every thing at the disposal of present regime they will just lay them waste.

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## DelhiDareDevil

Would be great if Pakistan find massive reserves of coal in Sindh, India can benefit too, with cheap, low transit cost and can help improve relationship and trade.


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## my2cents

DelhiDareDevil said:


> Would be great if Pakistan find massive reserves of coal in Sindh, India can benefit too, with cheap, low transit cost and can help improve relationship and trade.


 
I have been hearing about your coal reserves since I was in school. What have you done with this reserve since independence? You guys talk too much, I think. I am not awed by it any more. Sorry to say this, but it shows your inefficiency.


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## Hyde

my2cents said:


> I have been hearing about your coal reserves since I was in school. What have you done with this reserve since independence? You guys talk too much, I think. I am not awed by it any more. Sorry to say this, but it shows your inefficiency.


 
so are you 15 or 16 years old?

because Coal reserves were only discovered in 1988, confirmed by geological survey of Pakistan in 1992 and the practical work only began in 2000s.


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## my2cents

Zaki said:


> so are you 15 or 16 years old?
> 
> because Coal reserves were only discovered in 1988, confirmed by geological survey of Pakistan in 1992 and the practical work only began in 2000s.


 
Look at the time line you have mentioned
discovery--1988
Survey--1992
Work started--2000

I rest my case.


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## nwmalik

my2cents said:


> Look at the time line you have mentioned
> discovery--1988
> Survey--1992
> Work started--2000
> 
> I rest my case.


 
i agree, our political leaders are interested in their own cuts.
the petroleum importers pay big money (probably) to prevent any alternatives


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## my2cents

nwmalik said:


> i agree, our political leaders are interested in their own cuts.
> the petroleum importers pay big money (probably) to prevent any alternatives


 
It is same here. We are not able to meet our electricity demands because we are not exploiting our coal reserves fast enough. We are actually importing coal to meet the demand. Now our Coal India raised enough cash, their should not be any excuse.


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## Hyde

my2cents said:


> Look at the time line you have mentioned
> discovery--1988
> Survey--1992
> Work started--2000
> 
> I rest my case.


 
Edited-----------------------------

How many years has been since India trying to choose the best fighter for MRCA or how many years has been since its negotiating with USA about the Nuclear deals? nothing is done over night Sir, it always takes some time to see positive results.

Coal reserves are located in one of the poorest area of Pakistan with minimal infrastructure available... first the government had to allocate funds to make that area livable, foreign investors to support the projects, 100s of geological surveys and reports, lack of heavy machinery and technical expertise, roads and so on. It take years to complete such projects and still we are not going to see any significant change until 2015. Bohat problems hain yaara.... aik din main kuch nahi ho sakta


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## Omar1984

*CM Sindh meets Chinese delegation over Thar coal ​*





Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah holds meeting with Chinese Delegation regarding &#8220;Introduction of Premium Energy&#8221; at CM House in Karachi on Wednesday, April 20, 2011. &#8211; File Photo



KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah held a meeting with seven-member Chinese delegation at the CM House, on Wednesday.

The meeting was also attended by Advisor to CM for Investment Zubair Motiwala, Secretary to CM Alamuddin Bullo, Secretary Investment Sind

Prime Minister of China during his visit to Pakistan had expressed that his country wants to invest in Pakistan particularly in the energy sector.

Chairman of state owned China Godian Group, Ms. Renaiquin, in her discussion informed that their group is engaged in Mining and Power sector based with coal power, solar energy, wind energy and also in petro-chemicals.

She said that their group is generating 88,000 MW of power in China and intends to invest in Thar coal and, all other projects under infrastructure.

She further informed that their group is generating 6,000 MW through solar system and 3,000 MW through wind power generation. Besides, they possess all types of machinery, equipment, operators with maintenance facility, she said.

The Chinese group informed that they will prepare detailed proposal and the same will be sent to the Sindh Government for further negotiations.

Advisor to CM Sindh for Investments, Zubair Motiwala said that the project is commercially viable and the Chinese group can also utilise sources of solar energy and wind energy together with coal gasification for power generation.

Sindh Secretary for Thar Coal and Energy Department, Aijaz Ali Khan, in his detailed briefing informed that there are coal reserve of 186.560 billion tonnes in Sindh, 235 million tonnes in Punjab, 217 million tonnes in Balochistan, 90 million tonnes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 9- million tonnes is Azad Kashmir.

Aijaz Khan also pointed to the socio-economic impact of load-shedding and said that Pakistan is facing acute energy shortages leading to socio-economic costs of load shedding estimated at $ 37 billion between 2007 and 2012 while loss of Rs 219 billion to industrial sector alone during 2008 in Pakistan.

He said that the vision for Thar coal is to develop it as a source of power generation for energy and economic security of the country and as a Hub of petro chemical industry while as per goal, at least 10,000 MW power will be generated by 2020.

Secretary Thar Coal Energy Department informed that the Thar coal field has been declared as Special Economic Zone (SEZ) with exemptions on with-holding tax and zero per cent Customs duties on import of coal mining equipment and machinery.

He added that the Sindh Government has approved an amount of Rs 972.070 million for the construction of an Airport at Thar for the coal fields.


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## Omar1984

*Chinese group interested in Thar Coal project ​*

KARACHI: A Chinese group has expressed interest in developing Thar Coal for generating electricity&#8212;and will prepare a detailed proposal that would be sent to Sindh Government for further negotiations.

A 7-member Chinese delegation held a meeting with the Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah at his office on Wednesday. 

Syed Qaim Ali Shah welcomed the Chinese delegation on behalf of government of Sindh, Cabinet of Sindh and people of the province. He said that Pakistan and Peoples Republic of China possess friendly and long-standing relations.

Syed Qaim Ali Shah added that Prime Minister of China during his visit to Pakistan had expressed that his country wanted to invest in Pakistan&#8212;particularly in energy sector. &#8220;China is a very advanced country&#8212;and has made remarkable progress in various sectors. So Pakistan intends to avail the facilities from those achievements,&#8221; he added.

Chairperson of state-owned China Godian Group Renaiquin informed that their group is engaged in mining and power sector based with coal power, solar energy, wind energy and petrochemicals.

She said that their group is generating 88000 MW power in China and &#8220;intends to invest in Thar Coal and other projects.&#8221;

She further informed that their group is generating 6000 MW through solar system and 3000 MW through wind power generation. &#8220;We possess all types of machinery, equipments and operators with maintenance facility,&#8221; she said.

The Chinese group informed that they will prepare a detailed proposal and the same will be sent to the government of Sindh for further negotiations.

Advisor to CM Sindh for investments Zubair Motiwala in his views said that Pakistan has always treated China as a trustworthy friend and &#8220;I hope that Chinese Guodian Group will fully participate in development process of Thar Coal and energy project.&#8221;

He said the project is commercially viable and Chinese group can also utilise sources of solar energy and wind energy together with Coal gasification for power generation.

Sindh Secretary for Thar Coal and energy department Aijaz Ali Khan in his detailed briefing informed that there is 860 billion tones coal reserves in the world, which include bituminous & anthracite 405-billion tones, sub-Biluminous 260 billion tones and lignite 195 billion tones.

He added that according to survey of energy resources 2010 by world energy council, the use of coal would rise by 60% by the year 2030, while the share of coal in power generation is set to increase from 41% to 44% by 2030. He said that there is coal reserve of 186.560 billion tones in Sindh, 235 million tones in Punjab, 217- million tones in Balochistan, 90-million tones in Khyber&#8211;Pakhtonkhawa and 9-million tones is Azad Kashmir.


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## Omar1984

*Thar coal power firms get 30-year tax holiday from FBR ​*

KARACHI: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has allowed a 30-year tax holiday for companies aim to produce power from Thar coal fields.

The revenue body, in a notification issued on Saturday, exempted 10 percent income tax on the dividend of any project at Thar coal fields for 30 years from the launch.

Similarly, the payments for goods, services, construction and other operations of the project would be exempted from up to 3.5 percent withholding tax, the revenue body said.

An FBR official said that the incentive was given on the recommendations of the Privatisation Commission and Thar Coal Development Board, which proposed tax-free environment to attract investment.

Pakistan has approximately 186 billion tons of untapped coal reserves. 

The largest reserves, 175 billion tons of lignite coal, are located in the Thar Desert of Sindh.

Despite sky-rocketing prices of oil and depleting reserves of gas in the country, the efforts to produce electricity using coal, as a cheaper alternative, remain short of target.

Analysts believe that the coal reserves in Thar have the capacity to generate estimated 100,000 megawatt (MW) electricity. The Ministry of Water and Power aims to boost annual coal production from the current 4.5 million tonnes to 60 million tonnes over the next five years.

Currently, the electricity produced from coal holds less than one percent of the overall national energy mix in the country, industry sources said.

&#8220;Assuming coal production going up to 50 million tonnes per year, there is a potential to install coal-based power plants with a production capacity of 9,000 to 10,000MW,&#8221; according to the ministry.

The persistent power outages have disrupted the social and industrial life of the country, restraining growth, employment creation and social development, the leading donor of Pakistan, Asian Development Bank said in a report released late 2010.

&#8220;The war against terror and the consequent deterioration in the security situation have compounded problems in the energy sector by blocking the key foreign and domestic investments needed to jumpstart the sector,&#8221; it said.

Currently, a $4 billion project to produce electricity from coal at Thar is underway, which is a joint venture of Sindh government and Engro PowerGen Limited.


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## Omar1984

*Shah, Qamar for fast work on Thar energy project ​*

KARACHI &#8211; Federal Minister for Privatisation and Water & Power, Syed Naveed Qamar, Saturday called on Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah here at the CM House.

Both leaders discussed in detail various projects including Thar Coal & Energy project and reaffirmed that the work being executed on Thar Coal Energy Project will be accelerated so that the process of gasification and generation of power is enhanced, which is essential for the progress and prosperity of the province.

The Chief Minister Sindh informed that various agencies are working in eight blocks of Thar Coal field and the results on the project are encouraging. The CM informed that various agencies are engaged in provision of basic infrastructure for the project, which included roads, communication facility, airport, provision of drinking water etc so as to attract intending investors. 

He added that a group of Chinese government recently visited Sindh province and they were briefed in detail by the government of Sindh about facts and figures and incentives for Thar coal & energy project. 

He said that the Chinese group will submit its report after completion of formal feasibility to participate in development activities of Thar coal & energy project. Both leaders hoped that the gasification and power will be soon generated from Thar coal & energy project and the dream of Shaheed Mohtarama Benazir Bhutto will become a true.


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## Omar1984

*Thar coal power project to be launched next month ​*

MITHI: First phase of project to generate electricity from Thar coal reservoirs will be launched next month. Secretary Sindh Coal Authority Aijaz Ali Khan said the Thal coal project was top priority of the government to meet electricity shortage in the country. 

He said all work on the project would be executed under the supervision of national scientist Dr Samar Mubarak Mand. 

Samar Mubarak has planned gasification project for generating the electricity from Thar coal reservoirs in first phase. He said this gasification project would enable to generate 10,000-mega watt electricity from Thar coal project till 2020. 

He said Pak Oasis industries had been taken revolution steps in the country to provide quality and cheap purified drinking water. 

He informed Thar coal authority had been also given task to Pak Oasis industries to install water filter plants in Thar desert for Thari people after successful project of the company to make drinking water from brackish water on modern procedure and also prepared mineral water for local population. app

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## red_baron

i read somewhere that this reserve is enough for next 500 years....imagine what other resources we have scattered all around and imagine that day when we take the jewels out of the basement and show them to the world


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## Shastra

* Thar Coal: Myths and Realities * 

Spending resources on coal alone a folly: study

Exploiting coal reserves in Thar would squeeze the national exchequer as the coal present in the region is a low-quality type and would require significant resources. Minimum cost of electricity generation would be around Rs5.67 per unit which is 15 time higher than hydroelectricity generation cost in Pakistan.


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## kak1978




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## Hyde

this news is not about Coal but Oil... but better i share here for future references





__ https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1369272048262

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## Evil Flare

yeh lo .. parh lo . jis ki mujhe umeed theeee


KARACHI: 
Sindh Chief Ministers Adviser on Planning and Development Kaiser Bengali made a surprise announcement on Saturday, saying the government would not be able to generate electricity from Thar coal till 2016.
This negated the Sindh chief ministers claims that the government would start producing power from coal this month.
Talking to the media, Bengali said the government was taking measures to speed up the process of generating electricity and in this connection infrastructure like roads and electricity connections was being established. We have inked agreements on coal extraction, but it will not be possible to even generate one unit of electricity before 2016, he said.
Separately, a meeting of the Thar Coal and Energy Board was held at the Chief Ministers House. Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah chaired the meeting where Federal Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh was also present.
Shah said the government wanted to accelerate the pace of work on Thar coal and energy projects, which was essential for the progress and prosperity of the country, particularly Sindh.
He said President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani also desired that full attention was paid to this important project, which would also generate huge employment opportunities.
Convener of the evaluation committee on international competitive bidding for Thar coal blocks, Muhammad Zubair Motiwala, gave a presentation to the meeting. The committee was constituted in the boards last meeting.
He explained the evaluation process and highlighted proposals of different companies, based on their financial strength, mining capabilities and project timelines. The board, on the basis of recommendations of the committee, offered coal blocks for bidding to various local and international companies.
Meanwhile, the meeting was also informed about the status of development projects including Makhi-Farash water supply scheme, a transmission network, a railway link, effluent disposal, etc.
Finance Minister Hafeez Shaikh assured the board that the federal government would provide all possible assistance and funds for these important projects.
The board was also given presentation by Ernst & Young, the international consultant engaged by the government on the proposed royalty model for large-scale coal mining.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 15th, 2011


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## VCheng

But where are the 50,000 MW for 500 years and millions of liters of cheap diesel per year?

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## somebozo

Other than all the hoopla and media controversies..let face the light of truth..

1. Pakistan has no reserves of coal..they are infact lignite..a brown material dubbed as early form of coal.
2. Lignite as fuel is pretty much useless and the fact that its difficult to mine in Pakistan makes it futher expensive.
3. Only way these lignite reserves can be put to use is by underground gassification. Lignite is burned in absence of air and inject with steam. However, if underground water table is high then steam inject is not necessary. Under high temperatures and pressure the lignite undergoes steam cracking and dissassociates into syn-gas a mixture of CO, CO2, H2 and CH4.
4. Large scale gassification of lignite is damn expensive, challenging, unpredictable and cannot turn magic over night..there are many challenges to encounter.

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## fahimbaig

Dear Pakistanis I want to share a link with you. 

Coal Gas is not a myth anymore, we are making Coal Gasifiers to convert Coal to Gas and use it for the crippled Industry who have no oprion other than closing down without Sui Gas.







search words Gasifier Pakistan, kinetixautomation lahore

thank you.


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## S-A-B-E-R->

fahimbaig said:


> Dear Pakistanis I want to share a link with you.
> 
> Coal Gas is not a myth anymore, we are making Coal Gasifiers to convert Coal to Gas and use it for the crippled Industry who have no oprion other than closing down without Sui Gas.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> search words Gasifier Pakistan, kinetixautomation lahore
> 
> thank you.


 
I know for a fact that descon engenearing .co made a proposal of 4 mil $ for coal gas project it was a pilot project for GOP and the dam GOP said they dont have 4 how abt 3 mil and than spent it all on foren trips


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## robinkipson

I have no any idea about this forum.


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## tigermanpk

Topic relates to coal reserves and our reverand intellectual paky bros talk of gold reserves that their big brains failed to extract and finally handed over to some third party extraction corp. 
Now back to topic. Third largest reserves of coal are in PAkistan. Howcome, the existing coal fired power plants arent working, ie. they were established by the british and were never maintained, for instance, the lakhra coal power plant.
Now, why accuse former Govt. of Musharraf for ignoring power sector. He did whatever he could to develop the sector. Backed power gen companies to refurbish coal plants. 
Then how come,,,,,, we don;t see any fully developed coal power plant?

Its because..... our highly nationalist Chief Justice of Pakistan gave stay orders and destroyed power sector corporations. Why did he do so? Perhaps because certain industrial groups were backed by Musharraf and co.
But where's the nationalist spirit? Recently, Walters Power was fined by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudry, for failing to fulfil certain commitments. CJP looks like a pretty active guy when it comes to destroying power sector. A lot more to say, but....... my heart sinks....


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## sur

-
*Pilot Project:-*
*(Part-1)* 




-
*(Part-II)*
-




-
*(Part-III)*
-




-
*Also see post#181 by Zaki FX...*


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## VCheng

^^^ *Lots of gas and hot air, but NO RESULTS so far!*


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## Capt.Popeye

VCheng said:


> ^^^ *Lots of gas and hot air, but NO RESULTS so far!*


 
Gas? Methane or Hydrogen Sulphide? If there is no coal, even gas can be put to work.


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## VCheng

Capt.Popeye said:


> Gas? Methane or Hydrogen Sulphide? If there is no coal, even gas can be put to work.


 

"Gas" and "hot air" as in farts and wasted breaths, lots of hyperbolic claims, but no results.

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## Dance

*Rs900 million for Thar coal power project​*
ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh said on Thursday that Rs900 million had been approved for the Thar coal gasification project to generate 100MW of electricity.

He made the announcement after a meeting attended by Minister of Petroleum and Natural Resources Dr Asim Hussain and Dr Samar Mubarakmand, Member (Science and Technology) of the Planning Commission.

Dr Mubarakmand said at the meeting that success of the Thar coal project would encourage investment by leading international companies dealing with development of underground coal. According to him, several companies had shown interest in the project.

He said the first phase of the project would require $105 million for opening a letter of credit for the import of machinery and equipment. The project would be launched in the second week of September.

In April 2009, the Central Development Working Party had approved two projects; &#8216;Creation of new processing facilities (for production of coal gas by underground coal gasification)&#8217; and &#8216;Creation of new processing facilities (for handling and purification of the gas)&#8217; at a cost of Rs494.45 million and Rs490.48 million, respectively.

Dr Mubarakmand said work on the projects was in progress and the first 50MW gasifier had been completed.

He said no funds were allocated during the last financial year for a &#8216;2×50 MW power plant from Syngas (Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle)&#8217;. And in the current Public Sector Development Programme, only Rs5 million was allocated against a demand of Rs5,703 million.

The project to cost Rs8,898.7 million, with a foreign exchange component of Rs5,847.3 million, had been approved by the Executive Committee of National Economic Council on Dec 9 last year.

The scientist said the finance minister had now accepted the demand of Rs900 million for machinery and equipment keeping in view project&#8217;s importance and financial viability.

Rs900 million for Thar coal power project | Newspaper | DAWN.COM


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## VCheng

^^^ I wish the project well, but I will retain my well-founded skepticism for now.


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## Mabs

I think I will take the word of Dr.Samar Mubarak,a renowned scientist over any of the skeptics here. It takes years to completely make operational a project the size of Thar Coal.


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## VCheng

Mabs said:


> I think I will take the word of Dr.Samar Mubarak,a renowned scientist over any of the skeptics here. It takes years to completely make operational a project the size of Thar Coal.



I respect your choice, but will stick with mine too. The results, whenever they appear, will speak for themselves, right?


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## a. hussain

seekers said:


> Aqeel Kareem Dhadi (AKD security) is Biggest broker of Stock market. He has invested a billions in purchasing a land in Thar.
> Dhedi ghaatay ka suda nahin karta!


 

Guys going a bit tangent but want to raise some points i.e. Normally where there is Coal there are chances of Diamonds? Is there a possibility that in Thar there might be Diamond mines as well. Reason why Iam asking this question is that had noticed a small news clipping long time back (When Zardari used to be Mr. 10% during BB earlier destructive tenure) that a Diamond mine was discovered in Thar and at that time a very resourceful & most highest powerful authority was involved in acquiring the rights. Any news/ comments about it. Do share.

Thanks


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## VCheng

Any updates on the pilot project on Thar Coal Gasification?


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## VCheng

from: Test burn at Thar coal gasification project next month | Newspaper | DAWN.COM

KARACHI: *The first test burn at the underground coal gasification project in Tharparkar is expected to be conducted in September *while two foreign companies, one each from China and Australia, have expressed interest in Thar coal deposits to produce 2,000 megawatts of electricity.

*Project chairman Dr Samar Mubarakmand informed the 13th meeting of the Thar Coal and Energy Board on Saturday that 100MW would be generated through block-V of the underground coal gasification process.*

Dr Mubarakmand told the meeting, presided over by Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, that the first gasifier and civil works had been completed with the availability of $9.22 million for the project. The supply of compressors by Hitachi has been delayed because of earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The completion of the gasifier involved over 36,000 feet of drilling and 18,000 feet of steel-casing.

*The gas to be produced through the first burn will be connected to power turbines and generation of the planned 100MW electricity will start by Dec 2013.*

Zubair Motiwala, chairman of the Sindh Board of Investment, briefed the meeting about the international competitive bidding process. He said that block-I had been allocated to the Chinese company, Global Mining (CMG), which planned to develop five million tons of coalfield annually to produce 900MW and the generation would be gradually increased to 2,100MW.

The company is also willing to invest $1.5 billion in key infrastructure projects and the CMG chairman is expected to sign a memorandum of understanding with the provincial government on Aug 26.

*The meeting was informed that Australian Continental Energy had submitted a proposal for mining six million tons of coal annually and increasing it to 18 million tons. The company intends to generate 1,100MW in five years, 2,000MW in 10 years and 3,000MW in 15 years.*

The evaluation committee suggested that the Australian company might be offered block-IV on the condition that it would provide within two months a credible financing plan to the Sindh government. Khalid Mansoor, the CEO of Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company, told the meeting that substantial progress had been made for obtaining Chinese financing.

Asad Umar of Engro called for early finalisation of infrastructure projects to enable the company to reach financial close on its part of the project.

Irshad Arain of the NTDC informed the meeting that his organisation was working for dispersal of 1,200MW from Thar to upcountry by constructing 500kv transmission lines from the power plant to Matiari, along with the extension of Matiari gird station, by June 2014. The Rs20 billion project is being financed by the China Development Bank.

The chief minister said the provincial government was giving top priority to the issues about provision of infrastructure like water, roads, transmission network and effluent channel for Thar coalfields.

Federal Minister for Water and Power Syed Naveed Qamar assured the meeting that the government would provide support to all Thar-related projects.

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## TARIQ BN ZIYAAD

Assalam alaikum

it was suppose to be in march or april or may , but still it is good if it happens in september 

TARIQ


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## gypgypgyp

Actually it is quiet misleading information (I can't understand the video, but based on what I read from post)


First all, I did not found any JORC tag in article. So I have to doubt that is it RC drilled and who did the feasible study?

In mining industry, you need do RC drilling first to define the "resource", and then carry out feasible study, once the project show positive economic result, we can define "reserve". the word reserve mean you already very good understanding about the resource, and it is nearly bankable .


And there is some special aspect in coal mining industry.

coal is low priced fuel, its economy value largely depend on the quality of coal(like Kcal/ash/moisture) and the distance between mine and end-user.

At the current sea brone market situation, only Bituminous/Anthracite is valueble commodity. (SubBituminous level coal need consume a lot water to wash, so very few SubBituminous has economy value) Most coal exist in world do not have any value for use


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## Uchiha

I love rock and roll.


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## Omar1984

*Thar coal project to be operational from Dec 2013 *


ISLAMABAD: Thar coal project will be operational from December 2013 that will bring prosperity in the country, said Dr Samar Mubarakmand member Science and Technology Planning Commission on Thursday.
Talking to a private news channel, he said Pakistan had enough coal reservoirs that could provide electricity to country for more than 500 years.

He said work on the projects was in progress and the first 50 megawatts (MW) gasified project has almost been completed.

The project to cost Rs 8.898 billion, with a foreign exchange component of Rs 5.847 billion that has been approved by the Executive Committee of National Economic Council last year.Finance minister had accepted the demand of Rs 900 million for machinery and equipment keeping in view project's importance and financial viability, he added.

Dr Mubarakmand assured success of the Thar coal project would encourage global investment by leading international companies dealing with development of underground coal.

He said several foreign companies want to participate in the project and had shown their interest in investing the project along with providing their expertise.

These companies are just waiting the results of maiden 50 MW pilot project and if this pilot project remained successful, a barrage of investment would automatically pour in the country, he added.




Thar coal project to be operational from Dec 2013


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## qing

Aids have nothing to do with this topic nor the issue plzz stick to the topic!


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## Chogy

a. hussain said:


> Guys going a bit tangent but want to raise some points i.e. Normally where there is Coal there are chances of Diamonds?



Not really. Coal & diamonds are carbon, but that's where it ends. Diamonds have a volcanic origin, very different from sedimentary coal. Diamonds of course are made deep underground in extremes of pressure and temperature, and then a phenomenon known as a "pipe" pushes the diamonds through the crust. 

Diamond pipes are generally pretty small. The diamonds once on the surface can be moved about by water and erosion, but in general, a diamond mine is mostly narrow and deep, whereas coal fields can extend for thousands of square kilometers.

Diamonds are of course super-rare, and the vast majority are from Africa. There is ONE diamond region in the U.S. (Arkansas); Canada has seen a couple of finds, too, but it's almost all Africa.


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## lem34

Chogy said:


> Not really. Coal & diamonds are carbon, but that's where it ends. Diamonds have a volcanic origin, very different from sedimentary coal. Diamonds of course are made deep underground in extremes of pressure and temperature, and then a phenomenon known as a "pipe" pushes the diamonds through the crust.
> 
> Diamond pipes are generally pretty small. The diamonds once on the surface can be moved about by water and erosion, but in general, a diamond mine is mostly narrow and deep, whereas coal fields can extend for thousands of square kilometers.
> 
> Diamonds are of course super-rare, and the vast majority are from Africa. There is ONE diamond region in the U.S. (Arkansas); Canada has seen a couple of finds, too, but it's almost all Africa.



Americans would know they are experts at looting raw resources from poorer developing countries


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## Roybot

Aryan_B said:


> Americans would know they are experts at looting raw resources from poorer developing countries



Its basic geology. Only overly optimistic Pakistanis would relate coal reserves to diamonds.


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## Omar1984

*Realising potential of Thar Coal project*

Islamabad&#8212;The Special Committee of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the parliament was informed on Monday that the government needs a total $ 6 billion to convert Thar Coal project into a big energy source to cope with the persisting energy crisis, but due to financial constraints it was unable to start working on the project in time.

Only extraction of coal from the site require $ 2 billion, while present government recently has provided Rs 2.7 billion for the development of the project and Dr Samar Mubarak Mund along with his team is working on the project. The Thar Coal reservoirs are of the inferior quality, but are in a huge quantity, which make it feasible. These coal reservoirs would be utilised through gasification and first grassfire unit would start production in September.

The country at present is facing a gas shortfall of 40 percent as only 4 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD) gas is available against total demand of 6.2, Mohammed Ijaz Chaudhary, Secretary Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources informed the Committee which met here with Yasmeen Rehman Convener of the committee in chair.

The committee members took serious notice of the spreading corruption in the Ministry as well as its attached departments and directed the secretary to hold monthly meeting of the Departmental Account Committee (DAC) so that PAC could focus only on genuine issues.

Ijaz Chaudhary informed that committee under the prevailing circumstance not a single foreign investor is ready to bring investment in the oil and gas exploration sector of the country. He said that Pakistan has to increase the wellhead gas price, saying that present wellhead price is not rationale.

The committee was informed that since 2002 a total of 17 new gas reservoirs were traced across the country out of which some were with limited quantity hence Oil and gas Development Company (OGDCL) was unable to start work on three projects due to law and order situation in the country, while the work on remaining five could not be initiated due to lethargic attitude of the people that matter, but now work has been started and they will start giving production within two years. 

The committee was informed that one of the influential politicians of Punjab owes Rs 300 million to Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Company (SNGPL) as he had not paid the outstanding dues; the SNGPL disconnected his gas supply, but he himself has reconnected the gas. On this PAC asked the department concerned to take stern action against such people and recover all the liable dues.

Azim Iqbal Siddiqui, Managing Director Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) briefed the committee about the developmental schemes and availability of gas in the Southern Region. He said that the company was providing its services to over 2.2 million consumers, out of which 2.2 million are domestic consumers, 40, 000 commercial and 4,000 industrial consumers. He added that at present over Rs 540 million were liable to different consumers, including Rs 90 millions commercial consumers, Rs 70 industrial consumers and remaining Rs 380 domestic consumers, adding that this is only 1.5 percent of the total sale volume of the company. 

Iqbal Siddiqui added 100 percent recovery is not possible and company was seriously considering to wave off the longstanding dues.

The committee was informed that gas theft and other line losses 12 percent are highest in the systems of SNGPL and SSGC. The committee also directed the MD OGDCL to black list all such companies against which cases are registered.



Realising potential of Thar Coal project


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## mr42O

lol talk talk and more bullshit. Plz ban all Thar coal project news until its up and runningt

---------- Post added at 09:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:05 PM ----------




roy_gourav said:


> Its basic geology. Only overly optimistic Pakistanis would relate coal reserves to diamonds.



lol alawys some Indian had to be BIN BULHE MEHMAN ?? Did some one asked u or care about ppl like u ? why waste ur time and our time ? dont u have some thing else to do in ur super cool India ? lol


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## fd24

mr42O said:


> lol talk talk and more bullshit. Plz ban all Thar coal project news until its up and runningt
> 
> ---------- Post added at 09:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:05 PM ----------
> 
> 
> 
> lol alawys some Indian had to be BIN BULHE MEHMAN ?? Did some one asked u or care about ppl like u ? why waste ur time and our time ? dont u have some thing else to do in ur super cool India ? lol



brother he is obsessed with us. Thats why he is on here having a sniff

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## VCheng

from: Test burn at Thar coal gasification project on 19th | Newspaper | DAWN.COM

ISLAMABAD:* The first test burn at the underground coal gasification (UCG) project in Tharparkar will be carried out on September 19 in the presence of four experts from Uzbekistan.*

The chairman of the project, Dr Samar Mubarakmand, told the National Assembly&#8217;s standing committee on petroleum and natural resources at its meeting here on Tuesday that although his team of scientists and engineers had expertise in metallurgy, mining, testing, blasting and other relevant fields, the Uzbek experts had been invited to oversee and ensure success of the test burn.

He said Uzbekistan was successfully operating a UCG project near Tashkent.

He said the Thar project would start producing 100MW electricity from December 2013 and its capacity would be gradually increased. &#8220;If the project is successful it will produce electricity at Rs2 per unit.&#8221;

*The committee was informed that the total cost of the project was $115 million. An amount of $9.2 million was released in 2010-11 and $8 million allocated for the current fiscal year.*

Dr Mubarakmand said civil works, installation of compressors and gasifier had been completed, adding that the process involved over 36,000 feet of drilling and 18,000 feet of steel-casing.

*However, Sindh Coal and Energy Secretary Muhammad Younis Dagha said there was no technical study or verification of the claims made by Dr Mubarakmand. He said the UCG projects launched in Australia and the United States had been shut down. Besides, Chinese and Uzbeks are not producing electricity from their UCG projects.*

*&#8220;There are also chances of severe underground water pollution.&#8221; The committee chairman Talib Hussain Nakai asked Dr Mubarakmand to clarify the points raised by Mr Dagha.*

*Dr Mubarakmand said water in Thar was very saline and unusable for any purpose. Besides, he added, there was a 35-metre solid rock layer between water and the coal-bed.*

Officials of the Geological Survey of Pakistan said if the UCG pilot project succeeded it could be taken up in nine other areas of the country.

The committee was informed that projects relating to mining and electricity generation from coal would not be shelved even if the UCG project succeeded.

The committee was informed that Block-I had been allocated to the Chinese Global Mining (CMG) company which planned to mine five million tons of coalfield a year to produce 900MW of electricity, to be gradually increased to 2,100MW.

Australian Continental Energy had submitted a proposal for mining six million tons of coal annually and increasing it to 18 million tons. The company intends to generate 1,100MW in five years, 2,000MW in 10 years and 3,000MW in 15 years.

*Despite concerns expressed by Nawab Yousuf Talpur over the project, the committee gave a go-ahead to the UCG pilot project.*


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## mughaljee

Sindh Coal and Energy Secretary Muhammad Younis Dagha & Nawab Yousuf Talpur.
When Mangla & Tarbala Dam built, Sindh Resist.
When we talk about Kala Bagh Dam , Sindh Resist.
When we talk about Ther Coal, Sindh Resist.
What is this ?


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## VCheng

mughaljee said:


> Sindh Coal and Energy Secretary Muhammad Younis Dagha & Nawab Yousuf Talpur.
> When Mangla & Tarbala Dam built, Sindh Resist.
> When we talk about Kala Bagh Dam , Sindh Resist.
> When we talk about Ther Coal, Sindh Resist.
> What is this ?



I just reported the news story. What do you think?


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## mughaljee

VCheng said:


> I just reported the news story. What do you think?


^
I am not blaming you.


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## VCheng

mughaljee said:


> ^
> I am not blaming you.



I know that, I am not saying that either.

The exploitation of natural resources is not a simple task, and includes political considerations such as those that you point out above, in addition to financial and technical aspects.


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## Jango

Political resistance is viable until the thresh hold is broken. The sindhis have had a problem with everything, as well as baloch leaders. They always resist any major project. They should know that certain sacrifices are always given, and you have to weigh the Pros and cons every time. As Dr. Samar said, there is a 35 m rock layer, so it should be fine. I US and Australia have not done it, so what, why should we not go ahead?


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## Sky_123

VCheng said:


> from: Test burn at Thar coal gasification project on 19th | Newspaper | DAWN.COM
> 
> ISLAMABAD:* The first test burn at the underground coal gasification (UCG) project in Tharparkar will be carried out on September 19 in the presence of four experts from Uzbekistan.*


Does anyone knows about this test burn? or any new date announced?


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## Gofer

I heard they are sub-quality coal reserves. Can anyone confirm?


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## Gofer

mughaljee said:


> Sindh Coal and Energy Secretary Muhammad Younis Dagha & Nawab Yousuf Talpur.
> When Mangla & Tarbala Dam built, Sindh Resist.
> When we talk about Kala Bagh Dam , Sindh Resist.
> When we talk about Ther Coal, Sindh Resist.
> What is this ?



It only looks like Sindh resisting because you are from Punjab. you are not seeing things from their perspective. For the sake of our future, we must not make a Punjabistan, but should all work together as Pakistan.

P - Punjab
A- Afghania
K- Kashmir
i
S- Sindh
TAN- Balochistan

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## Jango

Gofer said:


> It only looks like Sindh resisting because you are from Punjab. you are not seeing things from their perspective. For the sake of our future, we must not make a Punjabistan, but should all work together as Pakistan.
> 
> P - Punjab
> A- Afghania
> K- Kashmir
> i
> S- Sindh
> TAN- Balochistan



And how will this exactly make it Punjabistan?


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## Omar1984

*Thar coal guarantees energy security: Dr Samar*


ISLAMABAD: Scientist Dr. Samar Mubarakmand has said that only Thar Coal can provide guaranteed long term energy security to Pakistan&#8217;s industrial competitiveness, due to its cost effectiveness.

He stated this while briefing the National Assembly Standing Committee on Inter Provincial Coordination, which met held here on Friday under the chairmanship of Mir Ahmedan Khan Bugti.

Dr. Samar Mubarakmand informed the Committee that the current energy crisis was causing Rs 230 billion loss and making 400,000 people jobless.

According to PEPCO &#8220;our energy demand by the year 2030 will be more than 100,000 MW &#8220;.

He said that the total power generation capacity of the country on coal based was 2.27 per cent while India had 64.6 per cent . In this situation, Thar Coal would play a pivotal role in meeting this energy crisis both in long and short term. The Coal should be declared a matter of national security of strategic important so that donors and multilateral invest more, he added.

He said that Thar lignite coal reserves were 175 billion tons spread over 9600 Sq.Km, having generation potential of 100,000 MW consuming 536 million tones / year. These reserves are equivalent to 50 billion tone of oil, which are more than Iran and Saudi Arabia combined oil reserves or over 2000 TCF of gas (42 times greater than total gas reserves discovered in Pakistan so far).

He said that four blocks were available for investment in Thar. The Thar project for 100 MW was planned for mid 2012. Gasifier has been designed, major equipment ordered and technical team is mobilized. Drilling is in full swing, he said.

After the presentation, the committe members appreciated Dr Samar Mubarakmand and supported his project.



Thar coal guarantees energy security: Dr Samar | Sci-tech | DAWN.COM


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## Omar1984

*Thar coal, energy projects in motion*


MIRPURKHAS: The work on Thar Coal and Energy Project is in full swing as out of four, the study on two blocks of the project has been completed and the study on remaining two is being carried out with rapid pace.

The execution work on the project from two companies is expected to be carried out by next June 2012 while the project would start power generation by 2013-2014, Sindh Secretary for Coal and Energy Department Younus Dhaga informed the official media here the other day. 

He informed that number of national and international companies have expressed their interests of investment on other blocks of the project.

He said that after power generation, Thar Coal and Energy Project would not only fulfil the energy requirement of the country but gradually it would enable to export in future.

When asked about taking more time in generation, the Secretary said that actually the coal reserves are in depth varying from 100 to 200 meters requiring time for excavation and removal of waste. 

He said that this project would not only fulfil the energy requirement of the country but also create job opportunities and other business activities particularly in Tharparkar and generally in Sindh province and subsequently raise purchasing power of the people.He informed that a number of schemes of laying infrastructure are in the way to make the project successful. 

Giving details of some major schemes, he informed that PC-I for construction-reconstruction of road from Karachi to Thatta, Badin, Mitthi and Islamkot with its estimated cost of Rs. 4.5 billion have been submitted for approval and it will be approved shortly. Similarly, he said another scheme for disposal of waste water from excavated coal mines has been approved with estimated cost of Rs. 3.5 billion.

He said PC-I of another major scheme of laying transmission line from Islamkot to Matiari prepared by Water and Power Development Authority have also been submitted for approval and it is expected that work on the said scheme would be started in December 2011. Responding to the question about utilization of effluent of L.B.O.D in Thar Coal Energy Project, he said that study on this scheme is in progress and execution work could be started in February 2011. 
He said that according to the scheme the water coming through L.B.O.D. would be utilized for Thar Coal and Energy Development Project after its treatment at the point of store. 

He said that this water would be stored at RD-362 of L.B.O.D. near Nabisir where it would be treated and supplied to Islamkot. He concluded that the project would be proved a project of prosperity for the country.



Thar coal, energy projects in motion


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## VCheng

I wish the project good luck, but in all honesty, I think the claims made by Dr. Mand are UNREALISTIC.


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## TARIQ BN ZIYAAD

Assalam alaikum

the pilot project was supposed to start working in march or april then it was september ( i think ) now it is 2012. 

Vcheng may be the figure r a bit exaggerated but atleast we wanna see some progress if any

TARIQ


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## VCheng

TARIQ BN ZIYAAD said:


> Assalam alaikum
> 
> the pilot project was supposed to start working in march or april then it was september ( i think ) now it is 2012.
> 
> Vcheng may be the figure r a bit exaggerated but atleast we wanna see some progress if any
> 
> TARIQ



Of course I encourage any and all progress with this important project. But equally importantly, the expectations must be realistic, and at present, they do not appear to be.


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## AZADPAKISTAN2009

I think the Federal Government in Pakistan is weaker then Provincial Government and this is why we have problems implementing any kind of projects

If the Federal Government , did things like done in China for Prosperity we would have 10 dams built in Pakistan and Million and Million tons of water saved for crops enough to last 20 years


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## Omar1984

*Chinese may invest in Thar coal * 

Thursday, October 13, 2011

BEIJING: Ambassador of Pakistan to China Masood Khan has said that he would contact the Chinese conglomerate King Hu Group to invest in coal mining and railway infrastructure in Pakistan.

Khan said the Pakistan Embassy in Beijing had arranged a visit of the company officials to Pakistan for initial study of investment in Thar Coal and Power Project.

*He said that news were afloat that the company has backed out from a billion dollar deal. 

It is not possible for a company to back out if it hasn&#8217;t gone forward, Khan said. &#8220;King Hu group was in Pakistan for only an initial study.&#8221;*

More than five Chinese companies are working on the Thar coal project and they have no fear of security, the Pak envoy said. One of biggest coal mining company in china, China Coal is working on Thar coal project with Engro Pakistan and they are making huge investments in the area, Khan said.

China is also working in Pakistan on mega projects including the upgrading of dams, manufacturing plants and other infrastructure projects, Khan said.



Chinese may invest in Thar coal

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## Omar1984

*More Thar coal fields to be offered for exploration*


KarachiThe Sindh Government has planned to offer more blocks this month for exploration of coal in Thar coal field to meet the demand of investors from various countries.

According to a statement of Coal and Energy Development Department issued here on Sunday, there are several investors from China, Australia, Germany, Turkey, South Korea, and the United Kingdom, who are frequently visiting Thar coal field either working for the ongoing projects, developing their studies and project papers or for the companies which are planning to participate in the future offerings of Thar blocks.

There have always been satisfactory arrangements for their facilitation, logistics and security, it added.

Thar coal field, with its estimated reserves of 175 billion tons spread over 9000 sq kms, is regularly attracting investors from inside and outside the country.

It has a tremendous potential and size, unequalled by any coal field in the region, it added.

The federal and the provincial governments are providing all possible resources and are developing various schemes to meet the challenge of completing the infrastructure needs of the area. The attractive incentives package offered by the Federal and Provincial governments for Thar coal projects, is receiving enthusiastic attention of the investors, it further maintained. 


More Thar coal fields to be offered for exploration


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## Omar1984

*Thar coal to ensure energy security for 300 years: PM*


KARACHI - Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Saturday said that the disruption in democratic government and political uncertainty in the past led to energy crisis being faced by the country today. He, however, vowed the present PPP government was committed to fully exploit Thar coal reserves to overcome the energy crisis.

He was addressing the International Coal Conference 2011, organised by the Sindh government in Karachi, which was attended by a large number of international investors and industrialists.

The Prime Minister said energy was a key for economic progress and prosperity of the country. He said Pakistan had been gifted by Allah Almighty with abundant natural resources, which needed to be fully exploited, but unfortunately no plan was implemented due to inconsistencies in the policies and repeated disruptions in the democratic process in the past.

He said the present government was fully committed to develop and exploit the reserves of Thar coalfield, which was inaugurated by Shaheed Benazir Bhutto in 1993 for generating electricity. Now the PPP government was transforming the vision of Shaheed Benazir into reality by exploring the coal reserves for energy purpose, he added.

The Prime Minister said these reserves were ensure the energy security of Pakistan and with the utilisation of the coal reserves could produce 100,000 MW electricity for next 300 years, adding the surplus electricity could be exported.

Gilani said the PPP-led government had launched Diamer-Bhasha Dam project, which would generate over 4,500 MW after completion.

He further said the present government was striving to ensure uninterrupted power supply to the people as at least 3,400MW power had been added to the system during the three years of his government, adding the other projects of power generation was in pipeline.

The Prime Minister said various institutions were effectively working under Thar Coal Energy Board led by Sindh Chief Minister. He said the government would encourage foreign investment in this field. 

The Prime Minister maintained in view of the energy shortage being faced by the country it was an important event whereby a way forward has been devised to utilise the coal reserves.

He further said that our prime objective is to attract local and foreign investment in mining, power generation and infrastructure development in Thar coalfield. We offer enabling environment, guaranteed rate of return, unprecedented incentives and commit robust infrastructure to investors working in this vital sector that will usher a new era of economic sustainability and development.

APP adds: Prime Minister Gilani directed for expediting the pace of implementation of the Supreme Courts October 6 judgment in Karachi unrest case.

At a meeting held to review the law and order situation in Karachi and progress on the implementation of the SC judgment, he ordered to implement the court verdict in letter and spirit. The meeting was attended by Sindh Governor Ishratul Ebad, Chief Minister Qaim Ali, Law Minister Ayaz Soomro, chief secretary, IGP, advocate general and others.


http://nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-...al-to-ensure-energy-security-for-300-years-PM


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## Omar1984

*5,300MW plants will be converted to coal: Qamar*


KARACHI - The speakers at an international coal conference 2011 on Saturday emphasised on the federal government to develop the Thar coal reserves for ensuring energy security in Pakistan. They also stressed to switch the power generation from existing expensive furnace oil and gas to coal based plants.

Renowned international and national coal sector specialists, foreign investors, existing project developers, representatives of development financial institutions, diplomatic corps and other stakeholders attended the international event, which was organised by Coal and Energy Department of Sindh and Sindh Board of Investment here at a local hotel. Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani delivered the concluding speech at the one-day conference.

The international conference was told that Thar region of Sindh province is endowed with mammoth coal (lignite) reserves estimated to be 175 billion tonnes which can produce 100,000MW of electricity for next 300 years and can be a key to energy security and economic prosperity.

Federal Minister for Water and Power Naveed Qamar, while addressing the conference, said the government is focusing its attention on shifting power generating system from existing expensive furnace oil and gas to coal.

&#8220;The government has started working on the policy of retrofitting 5300MW of furnace oil based power plants to coal-based initially on imported coal and then on indigenous coal when available,&#8221; he informed the audience.

He dispelled the image that the government was not ready to import electricity from Iran, saying that federal government has already made an agreement with neighbouring country to import electricity for Gawadar through Zahidan route.

He admitted that the needs of electricity through rental powers plants/IPPs have not been fulfilled, so we have to think on other options and explore other resources for power generation. The coal reserves of Thar could be sustainable solution of energy crisis, he said, reminded that government deliberately shelved the Thar coal projects, which was inaugurated by the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto during her second government.

If the Thar coal field project was not hindered by the successors of the PPP government in past, the country would not have been facing the energy crisis today, the federal minister said.
Naveed Qamar said the present government has approved an attractive incentive package to facilitate investment for the development of Thar coal reserves. The development of infrastructure has also been given immense importance. Infrastructure projects are being executed on a fast-track basis, he added.

Sindh Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah, in his welcome address, highlighted the objectives of this first-ever international coal conference and thanked President and Prime Minister of Pakistan for extending their utmost support for the early materialization of Thar coal projects.
He said that early announcement of upfront of tariff for power generation to be produced from Thar coal reserves will attract the investors. He also advocated for conversion of power generation from existing furnace and gas to coal based generation.

The representatives from international investment firms and coal mining companies made presentations in the conference and termed the Thar coal &#8216;good for production of electricity&#8217;.

They, however, said that there are security problems, but international investors must come and get benefit from the incentives being offered by the present government to explore the coal reserves.

Removing the misconceptions about Thar coal, Dr Marcos Leontidis, mining expert from Greece, said that the stripping ratio in Thar is around 6.6: 1, which is much better than many lignite mines in the world including Greece.

Dr Larry Thomas, coal expert from United Kingdom, said that sulphur content in Thar is acceptable being at 0.7%, which is lower than found in many other lignite resources already being used in the world and its moisture levels are same or even less than found in most of the lignite mines in the world. He further said the coal from Thar although may not be exportable to other countries but can be transported to be used in other parts of the province after drying.
Nigel Pickett from SRK-UK in his presentation said renewable energy cannot provide Pakistan reliable energy supplies due to its seasonal and cyclic nature. It has to be part of our energy mix to meet the peak demands and reduce fossil fuel consumption. Volatility of oil prices in 2007 brought heavy stress on the economy and indigenous coal provides the only option to achieve energy security for the country.

Zubair Motiwala, Chairman Sindh Board of Investment, briefed the forum about investment potential of Thar coal and said many international companies from China, South Korea, Germany, Czech Republic, Australia, UK and Turkey have shown their interest in investment in coal mining and power generation in Thar coal and also in the infrastructure projects. He also informed that the Government of Sindh is conducting 3rd International Competitive Bidding for blocks VIII, IX and X of Thar Coalfield and also blocks in Sonda and Badin for attracting international companies to develop coal mining and power generation projects in Sindh.

Mohammad Younus Dagha, Provincial Secretary Coal and Energy Development Department/MD Thar Coal and Energy Board stressed the need to create an ideal energy mix by replacing imported furnace oil to indigenous coal for power generation.


5,300MW plants will be converted to coal: Qamar | Pakistan | News | Newspaper | Daily | English | Online


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## Omar1984

*International Coal Conference: Gilani believes Thar can solve energy crisis*


KARACHI: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Saturday vowed to solve Pakistan&#8217;s energy crisis through full exploitation of the Thar coal reserves.

The PM was addressing the International Coal Conference 2011, which was organized by the Sindh Government and attended by international investors and industrialists.

Gilani traced the history of the Thar coalfield back to its inauguration by Benazir Bhutto in 1993. The plan to extract coal was shelved by the subsequent government, but Gilani said the current PPP-led government was finally transforming Bhutto&#8217;s vision into reality.

With full utilisation of the coal reserves, 100,000 MW could be produced over the next 300 years, the PM claimed. He even looked forward to a future in which surplus electricity could be exported.

The PM said various institutions have been joined under the umbrella of the Thar Coal Board Energy Board, led by the Sindh chief minister, and are working together to maximise coal resources in Thar which have been estimated at 175 billion tons. He added that the government would encourage foreign investment in the project.

Gilani also mentioned the Diamer-Bhasha Dam, which will generate over 4500 MW electricity after completion. This was another example of using indigenous sources of power generation &#8211; a necessary process in order to reduce dependence on foreign oil, and thus eliminating the menace of circular debt, according to the PM.

Gilani called for a balanced energy mix, gradually increasing coal-based power generation and bringing it at a par with the world average of 40% coal-based power generation.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 23rd, 2011.


International Coal Conference: Gilani believes Thar can solve energy crisis &#8211; The Express Tribune


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## Omar1984

*China to invest in coal sector of Pakistan*

ISLAMABAD: Sino Resources Group Limited China showed interest in coal processing of removing moisture to turn it into high version coal, which is highly efficient in upgrading the commercial value of lignite. 

The company also gave detailed presentation of the most advanced coiled tubing, drilling and nitrogen stimulation technologies. A six member delegation of Sino Group, Shaanxi Dingbian Lide Oil well technology Service Limited and China Cultural Heritage Foundation, led by Jane Geng, Chairman called on Zia Uddin, Executive Director General of Board of Investment (BOI). 

The China Cultural Heritage Foundation members were interested to open up super stores in Islamabad for the availability of Chinese products in Pakistan. 

This store will promote the Chinese products and culture in Pakistan to create a cultural bonding between the two countries. 

In this regard, the delegation will meet the competent authority of Capital Development Authority for the allocation of the site and other acquisitions for the super stores.

Zia Uddin appreciated the efforts being made by the company for their investment plans and briefed that in order to attract investment in Thar, a comprehensive incentive package has been developed with consultation from all stakeholders, which included 20 percent IRR to firms, 30 years exemption on corporate tax, all custom duties on import of coal mining projects allowed at zero percent to reduce the initial capital investment, exemption on withholding tax to shareholder etc to reduce the initial capital investment. ppi


Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

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## VCheng

All they made was a "detailed presentation". That is all.


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## blackcobran

FlyingEagle said:


> Reko Diq is a small town in Chagai District, Balochistan with world's largest Gold and Copper reserves.]
> 
> Tethyan Copper of Australia has taken the contract to develop this mine. Barrick Gold Corporation of Canada and Antofagasta of Chile have a joint-ownership of the copper-gold deposit at Reko Diq.
> 
> The Reko Diq deposit is being explored by Tethyan Copper Company Pty Ltd (75%) and the (BDA) Balochistan Development Authority (25%). Tethyan Copper Company is held jointly (50:50) by Barrick Gold Corporation and Antofagasta Minerals.
> 
> Currently the deposit is at scoping / pre feasibility stage. It is a world class copper / gold porphyry style deposit, typical of the tethyan belt.
> 
> It has been sold to the Zionist controlled regimes by the Pakistani Government under the dictator at a price of $21 billion. Rough estimates suggest that the gold and copper at the surface alone accounts for $65 billion worth of deposits.
> 
> Tell me how many of us know about it ...remember the total debt on Pakistani Nation is $38b.
> 
> Now the question is why Pakistani media and Govt is silent about it? why it is kept secret from Pakistani Nation?




Because We've learnt to be silent & sit back & watch the whole drama & when it finishes & we lose everything Then WE say OHH my GOD!!!!

THAT's PAKISTAN's people NATURE MAN

In simple urdu,
HUM PAKISTANI HYN HEE 1 BEGERAT QOUM
Sub kuch hone k baad b kehte hyn G.a nawan sahif G.a ppp G.a altaf G.a pml-q G.a imran khan kehte hyn.
Koi G.a PAKISTAN NHi kehta
We are disgraced people & self destroyers
abb bhi mazeed barbad hone k liye imran khan ko bula rahe ho..


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## Omar1984

*Sindh inks energy deals with Chinese companies*






Thar project covers coal mining and 4,000 megawatts of power generation with an estimated investment of around $8 billion. PHOTO: FILE 


KARACHI: Sindh Coal and Energy Department has been able to attract attention of two large Chinese energy companies &#8211; China Three Gorges Corporation and Orient Group, and has signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with them in Beijing, says a Sindh government official.

These MoUs were signed during visit of a Sindh investment delegation to China, led by Sindh Assembly speaker.

Wang Shaofeng, Vice Chairman of China Three Gorges Corp and Mohammad Younus Dagha, Secretary Coal and Energy Board signed the MoU on Tuesday. Under the agreement, the Chinese company will participate in international bidding for Thar coalfield&#8217;s blocks VIII, IX and X as well as for Sonda coalfield.

The Thar project covers coal mining and 4,000 megawatts of power generation with an estimated investment of around $8 billion.

Apart from participating in future projects in Thar, the company has already purchased a ready project in Sonda coalfield at Thatta, which was earlier developed by CMC of China for coal mining and power generation.

Another MoU was signed on Wednesday by Hongwei Zhang, Chairman of Orient Group and United Energy Group (UEG) and Mohammad Younus Dagha, Secretary Coal and Energy Board.

The MoU covers both coal power and wind energy projects in Sindh. The group has shown interest in developing coal-based power plants in Thar and Badin coalfields.

It has also acquired letter of intent for a 150-megawatt wind power project in the first two years, which the company intends to scale up to 500 megawatts in four years.

UEG has already invested in oilfields of Badin by acquiring British Petroleum&#8217;s concessions in the district. The new endeavours of UEG will bring another investment of around $1.2-$2.5 billion.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 17th, 2011


Sindh inks energy deals with Chinese companies &#8211; The Express Tribune


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## niaz

blackcobran said:


> Because We've learnt to be silent & sit back & watch the whole drama & when it finishes & we lose everything Then WE say OHH my GOD!!!!
> 
> THAT's PAKISTAN's people NATURE MAN
> 
> In simple urdu,
> HUM PAKISTANI HYN HEE 1 BEGERAT QOUM
> Sub kuch hone k baad b kehte hyn G.a nawan sahif G.a ppp G.a altaf G.a pml-q G.a imran khan kehte hyn.
> Koi G.a PAKISTAN NHi kehta
> We are disgraced people & self destroyers
> abb bhi mazeed barbad hone k liye imran khan ko bula rahe ho..




Hon Sir,

Regret to say that majority of my countrymen are passionate and only think with the seat of their pants but not with their brains. This disease is endemic in all sections of the society and such thinking has done immense harm to the country over the years. One must understand that what we think anything is worth is totally different from what the market thinks. Real value is what the market will carry.

If Pakistan has sufficient resources and did not need foreign investment, your argument would have some justification. Since this is not the case, as long as tender process is transparent, regardless of what you think any project is worth, real value is what the market is prepared to pay. 

Estimates in Hon Flying Eagle&#8217;s post are based upon &#8216;Potential&#8217; which is currently under the ground. One can only guess as to how much of it will be recovered. The language you have used based upon a guess worth of Reko Diq project indicates complete lack of rational thinking. 

Pakistan steel mill is a glaring example of the harm that this way of thinking can do to the national economy.

Quote

In response to wide spread public outcry and call for action the Chief Justice of Pakistan took a suo moto action against the privatisation citing irregularities in the process. The verdict was delivered on 8 August 2006. 

The Supreme Court on 8 August 2006 held that the entire disinvestment process of the Pakistan Steel Mills reflected haste, ignoring profitability aspect and assets of the mills by the financial adviser before its evaluation. The transaction was the outcome of a process reflecting procedural irregularities, said the 80-page judgement in the PSM case.

On 23 June, a nine-member bench of the Supreme Court had annulled the sale of the country&#8217;s largest industrial unit to a three-party consortium and had directed the government to refer the matter to the Council of Common Interests within six weeks. It had declared the $362 million transaction with the Russian-Saudi-Pakistan investors as null and void.

Authored by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, the judgement said the entire exercise reflected haste by the Privatisation Commission (PC) and the Cabinet Committee on Privatisation (CCOP). The PC had processed the 30 March final report of the financial adviser the same day and a meeting of the PC board and a summary had also been prepared the same day when a six week time was mandatory to examine and fix a fair reference price for approval by the CCOP.

&#8220;This unexplained haste casts reasonable doubt on the transparency of the whole exercise and reflects CCOP&#8217;s disregard towards mandatory rules and materials, essential for arriving at a fair reference price,&#8221; it maintained.

The board had proposed to value the share of the mill at Rs17.43 but it was reduced to Rs16.18 without assigning any reason, the verdict said. The verdict said that keeping in view the annual net profit of the mill, its shares&#8217; value should have been ascertained by offering 10 per cent equity of the mills on the stock exchange.

&#8220;A constitutional court would be failing in its duty if it does not interfere to rectify the wrong, more so when valuable assets of the nation are at stake,&#8221; the judgment said.

Unquote.

The same Supreme Court is now calling Steel as biggest robbery in history. Who is going ask the Hon Judges that this happenned because of their intervention in the affairs of the executive. However, there is good reason for SC 

Quote.

According to the official figures obtained by The News, the PSM production attainment was 82% of capacity utilization in the year 2007-08.

It experienced a decline to 64% in 2008-09, and further to 40% in 2009-10. In the following year, 2010-11, the production remained 35% mostly due to shortage of raw material like iron ore and coal etc that was further declined to 25% in July, 26% in August and 15% in September, 2011.

As for the sale of the PSM products is concerned, it was recorded PKR 42.938 billion in 2007-08 and has been on decline afterward with PKR 34.340 billion in 2008-09 (the start of PPP government), PKR 23.832 billion in 2009-10 and PKR 27.379 billion in 2010-11.

In terms of profit, the PSM had it last time in 2007-08 when it fetched PKR 2.38 billion whereas the following years saw the mill continuously running into loss with no let up as it recorded a loss of PKR 26.53 billion in 2008-09, PKR 11.52 billion in 2009-10 and PKR 11.49 billion in 2010-11. The loss incurred in the first three months of the running financial year has been recorded to the tune of PKR 4.30 billion.

The PSM&#8217;s immediate/deferred payments liability of PKR 60 billion (as of September 2011) are in addition to the losses suffered in the present regime. Besides, the PSM faces damages claims of PKR 10 billion filed in different courts by the contractors, dealers and suppliers.
Unquote

Main reason for SC action was that instead of Rs 17.43 per share Al Tuwairqi group only agreed to pay Rs 16.48 or about 5% less. In other words the value should have been $380 million. In Rupee terms (at that time it Rs 65 for each dollar) value should have been Rs 24-7 billion instead of Rs 23.53 billion. A difference of Rs 1.2-billion. Even at today&#8217;s conversion rate it only comes about Rs 1.5 billion.

In other words because we felt cheated by Rs 1.5-billion, country has lost FE worth $382-million and also suffered a drain of Rs 49.54 billion with lot more to come. Conditions of sale included that Al Tuwairqi would also modernize the steel mill which would have been completed by now. Understand that USSR has offered to revamp the mill which would take at least another 5 years. 
In the meantime Pakistan had to import larger amount of steel due to decline in steel production by about 0.7-million tons in production. Real losses due to that decision are enormous.

Therefore before you start calling Pakistani nation (Baighairat) please look into your own twisted logic. Pakistan needs people like you like we need a hole in the head.

Finally, Imran Khan is no doubt an honest man but he has no magic wand and it is by no means taken for granted that TI would be able to get majority in National Asssembly.


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## ziaulislam

public private patnershp/privitization over looked by govt is the only way ...as human have corruption and greed gene in them...


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## Omar1984

*Thar coal: First 50MW project almost complete*

ISLAMABAD: The first 50 megawatts (MW) in the Thar coal gasification project has almost been completed and the development process is in progress, said Member of the Science and Technology Planning Commission, Dr Samar Mubarakmand, on Thursday.

Talking to a news channel, he said the project is to cost Rs8.9 billion with a foreign exchange component of Rs5.8 billion.

He said the success of the Thar coal project will lead to investment from leading international companies.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 25th, 2011



Thar coal: First 50MW project almost complete  The Express Tribune

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## Omar1984

*Thar coal project to become operational by 2013: Samar*


ISLAMABAD - The Thar coal project will become operational in December 2013, Science and Technology Planning Commission member Dr Samar Mubarakmand said on Thursday.

Talking to a private news channel, he said that the project would bring prosperity in the country. &#8220;Pakistan has enough coal reserves that can provide electricity to the country for more than 500 years,&#8221; he said. He said that development work is in progress and the first 50 megawatts (MW) gasified project has almost been completed.

He said that the project is to cost Rs 8.898 billion with a foreign exchange component of Rs 5.847 billion that was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council last year.

Dr Samar said that the success of the Thar coal project would lead to investment from the leading international companies. He said that several foreign companies wanted to participate in the project and had shown interest.

He said that the 50 percent coal-fired power generation work has already been done, while the rest would be completed within a few months. With the completion of this project, the nation would get cheap and sufficient power supply, thus resolving the current pestering energy crisis, he added.

He said that it was for the first time in Pakistan that the coal gasification project was being launched on commercial basis, adding that abundant and cheap electricity would be available if it gets through.

He said that coal gasification was already producing 50,000 MW around the world, as the cost of electricity per unit is relatively low.

He said that four continents in the world were working on this project as this method has enhanced energy efficiency to 76 percent.

He said that the new growth strategy of the country was being emphasised on power generation through coal, adding that the country&#8217;s installed capacity of thermal generation is 12,000 MW against hydel generation of 9,000 MW. 


Thar coal project to become operational by 2013: Samar | Pakistan Today | Latest news, Breaking news, Pakistan News, World news, business, sport and multimedia

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## niaz

Good news. Pakistan will go bankrupt paying for the energy needs. This is the ony way forward.


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## VCheng

This is an important project indeed, and I hope it meets its goals.


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## Jango

The way forward is definitely solar and wind, along with coal, We really need to get less dependent on foreign oil.

---------- Post added at 03:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:22 PM ----------

What is the expected lifetime of the project??


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## Omar1984

*Government plans to convert coal into diesel*

* PCSIR is taking the lead in the project

* 68.7% of China&#8217;s electricity comes from coal

By Ijaz Kakakhel

ISLAMABAD: The government has planned a project for the purchase of Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) reactor for laboratory scale conversion of coal gas into liquid diesel, sources told Daily Times here on Saturday.

In this regard a PC-1 is under process. Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) is in close coordination with several suppliers abroad for the purchase of the FTS reactors for conversion of coal gas into diesel on laboratory scale. These include Chinese and US suppliers. However purchase would be carried out on completion of codal formalities, the sources maintained. The sources claimed that the production of diesel from coal involves a number of steps including preparation of a catalyst, preparation of Carbon Monoxide Gas on Pilot Plant Scale, designing and fabrication of reactor, a 1 litre gas capacity Fischer Tropsch Reactor has been designed and fabricated from indigenous resources.

The production of diesel from coal is carried out through Syngas (carbon monoxide + hydrogen). The coal has been converted into Syngas but as the gas purifying unit was not available at the PCSIR Labs Complex, Karachi, which is prerequisite for the conversion of Syngas gas into diesel. A small quantity of diesel was produced using purified Syngas at lab scale, which was tested and found comparable with commercially available diesel.

The sources said coal is the cheapest and the most common fuel used directly or indirectly to produce electricity and heat in the world today. Global coal consumption was about 6.7 billion tonnes in 2006 and is expected to increase 48 percent to 9.98 billion tonnes by 2030, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). China produced 2.38 billion tonnes in 2006. India produced about 447.3 million tonnes and Pakistan mined only about 8 million tonnes in 2006. 68.7 percent of China&#8217;s electricity comes from coal.

Thar desert region in Pakistan is endowed with one of the largest coal reserves in the world. Discovered in early 1990s, the Thar Coal has not yet been developed to produce usable energy. With the devastating increases in imported oil bill and the growing shortages of gas and electricity in the country, the coal development is finally beginning to get the attention it deserves. Coal contributes about 20 percent of the worldwide greenhouse gas emissions but it is the cheapest fuel available, according to Pew Centre on Global Climate Change. It can provide usable energy at a cost of between $1 and $2 per MMBtu compared to $6 to $12 per MMBtu for oil and natural gas, and coal prices are relatively stable. Coal is inherently higher polluting and more carbon-intensive than other energy alternatives.



Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan


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## jamal18

I have said before, 'cracking' coal and turning it into liquid fuel is the way to go.

Last time I checked, it was said that oil has to be above 35$ a barrel for it to be commercially viable, that barrier is history.

South Africa is a world leader and produces 30% of its requirements that way. It has supplied this technology to China, which I believe the chinses have improved upon.

Enviromentally this causes problems, it causes significant pollution.


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## Omar1984

*KESC to generate 1100MW electricity till March 2012*


Islamabad&#8212;Karachi Electric Supply Company CEO Tabish Gohar on Sunday said that KESC will increase its electricity generation capacity around 1100 MW till March 2012 through thar coal.

Talking to a private news channel, he said that Bin Qasim power plant is being converted on coal from which 400 MW cheap electricity will be generated for consumers in next two years.

He elaborated that Abrash Capital has invested 30 million in KESC in 3 years and an other amount of six million rupees is expected by next years.

It enhanced at least 8,50 Mw power generation and by the next march this figure will be increased to 1000 mw, he added.

To a question, he said that coal generated electricity is cheaper than that of furnace oil adding that coal generated electricty is Rs 07 per unit while regular electricity price is Rs 16 per unit.

He hoped that KESC will be generating 400 mw electricity from coal in next two years.

He said that we have an agreement with british company for the thar coal project, in this connection 300 MW cheaper electricity will be generated during next two years. He said that KESC to get 1100 MW additional power in next three-four years to end Load-shedding. 


KESC to generate 1100MW electricity till March 2012

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## Omar1984

*Coal reserves to provide electricity for more than 30 years: Dr Samar*

ISLAMABAD: Member of the Science and Technology Planning Commission, Dr Samar Mubarakmand has said Pakistan has enough coal reserves that can provide electricity for more than 30 years.

Talking to a private news channel, he said that Thar coal power generation project has been completed successfully and it would bring prosperity and development.

Dr Mubarak said, coal was burnt at about 250 feet underground on December 11, and on December 19, scientists found the gas in Islam Kot area of Thar.

He said this project can generate 10,000 megawatts electricity for 30 years and can produce 100 million barrel diesel per year.

The Thar coal project will become operational in December 2013, he said.

He said the project is to cost Rs 8.898 billion with a foreign exchange component of Rs 5.847 billion that was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council last year.

Dr Mubarakmand said that the success of the Thar coal project will lead to investment from the leading international companies.

With the completion of coal-fired power generation project, the nation would get low-cost and sufficient power supply thus resolving the current energy crisis, he added.

Dr. Samar said it is for the first time in Pakistan that the coal gasification is being launched on commercial basis and abundant inexpensive electricity will be available.

He said the coal gasification was already producing 50000 MW around the world, as the cost of electricity per unit is relatively low.



Coal reserves to provide electricity for more than 30 years: Dr Samar


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## FriendOfPakistan

How long will it take - knowing the pace of progress in infrastructure there - for Pakistan to even supply 20% of its needs from coal, gasified or not ? 

What are the most optimistic estimates, and how many 1000's of MW in what year ?


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## ziaulislam

a grid line of only a few 100 km is needed..if govt get committed, it would takee 12-20 months at best howevr it would take 2-3 billion dollars of investment just to get the water and electricity to and from site


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## Omar1984

*Thar coal gas extraction proves successful *


ISLAMABAD: Member of the Science and Technology Planning Commission, Dr Samar Mubarakmand has said that Pakistan has enough coal reserves to provide electricity for more than 30 years.

&#8220;The Thar coal power generation project has been completed successfully and it would bring prosperity and development,&#8221; he said talking to a local news channel. Dr Mubarakmand said that the coal was burnt at about 250 feet underground on December 11, and on December 19, and the scientists found the gas in Islam Kot area of Thar.

He said this project can generate 10,000 megawatts of electricity for 30 years and can produce 100 million barrel diesel per year. &#8220;The Thar coal project will become operational in December 2013,&#8221; he said.

He said the project would cost Rs8.898 billion with a foreign exchange component of Rs5.847 billion that was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council last year. &#8220;The success of the Thar coal project will lead to investment from the leading international companies,&#8221; Dr Mubarakmand said. 


Thar coal gas extraction proves successful


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## FriendOfPakistan

That is good news. At least on the energy front, there is some hope for Pakistan.


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## Omar1984

*Thar coal to generate 10,000 MW by 2020: Sindh governor*


KARACHI: The Sindh government has devised a plan to generate 10,000 megawatts of electricity from Thar coal by the year 2020.

Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan said federal government has been approached for laying a transmission line to take electricity from Thar field to national grid.

Presiding over a meeting on Thar coal he said installation of transmission network was the integral part of the plan, which should be ready by the time, power projects were ready to generate electricity from Thar coal.

He pointed out Thar coal would be utilised to make Pakistan self sufficient in power generation to strengthen economy and make this area as the hub of petrochemical industry.

He was of the opinion approval of transmission network by the federal government was vital for the successful progress of Thar coal project. All the stakeholders and financial institutions can play more effective role when transmission network takes a final shape, he added.

Provincial Secretary Coal and Energy Development Younus Dagha briefed the meeting on the progress of Thar coal project. He said at least 2,400 MW of power would be generated under the project in next three years. About 25,000 MW will be generated from Thar coal in next 17 years, he added.

He said laying of transmission line is planned to be completed in two phases by June 2014 at a cost of Rs 21 billion.

He said Thar coal field is the 7th largest coal reserves in the world with nearly 175 billion tonnes of black gold equivalent to 50 billion of crude oil (TOEs).

This is larger than the oil reserves of Saudi Arabia and Iran and equal to 2000 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of gas reserves. 

He said Sindh has a total of 186 billion tonnes of coal, Punjab 235 billion tonnes, Balochistan 217 billion tonnes, Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa 90 billion tonnes and Azad Jammu Kashmir 9 billion tonnes of coal reserves.

Dagha said Thar coalfield has been declared as special economic zone where the rate of return on investment is 20 percent in dollar terms. In addition, the import of machinery, equipment and vehicles for the coal site is duty free while withholding tax, excise duty and other levies are exempted for initial 30 years, he added.

He informed three road network schemes costing Rs 9.6 billion would be completed in the area by the end of 2012. These included a 200-kilometer road connecting Thar coalfield to Karachi via Thatta and Badin.

Similarly, effluent disposal system will be completed by December 2012 at a cost of Rs 3.7 billion to flush out water from Thar coalfield. Three reverse osmosis plants for producing clean drinking water and rescue station have already been completed at the site, he said. app

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

---------- Post added at 03:17 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:14 AM ----------

Thar coal gasified project has completed successfully on Wednesday, member of the Science and Technology Planning Commission, Dr Samar Mubarakmand, said.

Talking to Aaj news, he said that the project would bring prosperity in the country. &#8220;Pakistan has enough coal reserves that can provide electricity to the country for more than 500 years,&#8221; he said.

He said that development work is in progress and the first 50 megawatts gasified project has almost been completed.

He said that the project is to cost Rs8.898 billion with a foreign exchange component of Rs 5.847 billion that was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council last year.

Dr Mubarakmand said that the success of the Thar coal project will lead to investment from the leading international companies.

He said that several foreign companies wanted to participate in the project and had shown interest.

He said that fifty per cent coal-fired power generation works has already been done, while the rest would be completed within a months.

With the completion of this project, the nation would get cheap and sufficient power supply thus resolving the current pestering energy crisis, he added.

Dr. Samar said it is for the first time in Pakistan that the coal gasification is being launched on commercial basis and abundant and cheap electricity will be available.

He said the coal gasification was already producing 50000MW around the world, as the cost of electricity per unit is relatively low.

He said the four continents in the world are working on this project, as this method has enhanced energy efficiency reaching to 76 per cent.

He said the new growth strategy of the country is being emphasised on power generation through coal.
He said our installed capacity of thermal generation is 12000MW against hydel generation of 9000MW.
Thar coal project


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## Omar1984

*Thar coal project to get funds*

ISLAMABAD - Leading nuclear physicist Dr Samar Mubarakmand on Thursday briefed Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on producing coal gas to generate 100 megawatts of electricity by 2013 using underground coal gasification (UCG) at Thar. Mubarakmand told the prime minister that the coal gasification project achieved a significant breakthrough in December 2011 by successfully producing coal gas from ignited coal 600 feet below ground.
&#8220;This blue pollution-free flame of the gas burns in a flare and illuminates the dark night skies of Thar,&#8221; Mubarakmand said. 
The total cost of the UCG project stands at Rs 9.9 billion. Dr Mubarikmand requested the prime minister to arrange immediate funds of Rs 2.4 billion for this year, and the remaining amount during the next financial year to start power generation before the end of 2013. The prime minister directed the ministers of Finance, Petroleum and Natural Resources to urgently have a meeting and arrange the financial resources required for the project without delay.
The nuclear scientist also discussed the ongoing gas shortage in the country. He said the fertiliser factories and the industrial sector consumed 43 percent of the total gas in the country.
He said that he would soon make a presentation on coal gas to meet the industrial needs before the ministries of Finance and Petroleum. The Prime Minister may also like to attend the meeting, Dr Samar said. He said the project was expected to cost $250 million approximately and the gas from the project, when approved, will begin to flow into the national system as early as 2014.
However, he added that if the process of approval and financing was handled on a fast-track basis, and the project commences within the next three months, the outflow of gas could start even at the end of 2012 or early 2013. 

Thar coal project to get funds | Pakistan Today | Latest news, Breaking news, Pakistan News, World news, business, sport and multimedia

---------- Post added at 03:32 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:29 AM ----------

*PM orders release of funds for Thar power project *

ISLAMABAD: Distinguished scientist Dr Samar Mubarak Mand called on Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani here at the Prime Minister House on Thursday and briefed him on the current project of coal gas from Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) of Thar Coal for generation of 100 MW of electricity by the end of 2013 at a total cost Rs. 9.9 billion.

Dr Samar Mubarak Mand informed the Prime Minister that in December 2011, a very significant breakthrough occurred in (UCG) project whereby coal gas was successfully produced by ignition of coal 600 feet below ground.

This blue pollution-free flame of the gas burns in a flare and illuminates the dark night skies of Thar, he added.

To complete power generation phase of the project, Dr Samar Mubarak Mand requested the Prime Minister to arrange immediate funding of Rs. 2.4 billion this year and the remaining 7.8 billion during the next financial year so that the country can benefit from the generation of 100 MW of electricity before the end of 2013.

The Prime Minister directed the Ministers of Finance, Petroleum and Natural Resources to have a meeting at the earliest and arrange financial resources required for the project without further delay.

Dr Samar Mubarak Mand also discussed the current situation of deficiency of gas in the country in detail.

He said that fertilizer plants and the industrial sector consumed 43% of the total gas in the country.

Dr Samar Mubarak Mand said that he would prepare a presentation on coal gas to meet the demand of two sectors of Pakistan's economy by the end of this week or early next week, which will be presented to the Ministries of Finance and Petroleum. The Prime Minister may also attend the meeting, he added.

He said that the project was expected to cost $ 250 million approximately and the gas from the project, when approved, will begin to flow into the national system as early as 2014.

He, however, added that if the process of approval and financing was handled on fast track basis and the project commences within next three months, the outflow of gas can start even at the end of 2012 or early 2013.


PM orders release of funds for Thar power project


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## FriendOfPakistan

Good news. Although 100 MW is very small, it's a start. If Pakistan can become energy self-sufficient, a great step would have been achieved. My guess is that it will take 5-8 years for this to happen, assuming the investments are made. Building power stations will be expensive, perhaps investment from China will help.


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## patna_ke_presley

Well, I have one Question to Pakistani member, Some Pakistani told me Pakistan has fifth largest coal reserve but I visited wikipedia Article on Coal Reserves which says Pakistan only account for 0.3% of World Coal reserve. Can you clarify in this regard

Coal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## Xeric

i hope you guys know of this:

http://www.defence.pk/forums/curren...malang-gold-valley-pak-armys-gift-nation.html

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## Jango

patna_ke_presley said:


> Well, I have one Question to Pakistani member, Some Pakistani told me Pakistan has fifth largest coal reserve but I visited wikipedia Article on Coal Reserves which says Pakistan only account for 0.3% of World Coal reserve. Can you clarify in this regard
> 
> Coal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Maybe it is coal excavated rather tan coal reserves currently held.


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## Omar1984

*Thar coal power project top priority, says Ibad*

KARACHI: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad on Thursday said that Thar coal power project was top priority of the government as its commissioning would help making the country self-sufficient in its energy requirement and subsequently turn it into a stable economy.

&#8220;The provincial government has approached the federal government seeking approval of the installation of the power transmission lines network from Thar coal field to the national grid at a cost of Rs21 billion,&#8221; said Dr Ibad, while presiding over a meeting held at the Governor`s House to review progress on the Thar coal power project.

The power transmission lines network would be completed in two phases by June 2014, he added.At an initial stage, the project would start producing around 2,400 megawatts within three years. It was expected that the project would start generating 25,000 MWs by the year 2029, he said.

Earlier, Sindh Coal and Energy Development Secretary Mohammad Yunus Dagha briefed participants in the meeting about the progress on the project.

He said that there were 186 billion tonnes of coal reserves in Sindh alone and 175 billion tonnes of them were discovered in Thar which is said to have the seventh largest reserves of coal in the world.

Giving details of the reserves discovered in other provinces, Mr Dagha said that there were 235 million tonnes of coal reserves in Punjab, 217 million tonnes in Balochistan, 90 million tonnes in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and in nine million tonnes in Azad Kashmir.

Infrastructure

About progress on the development of infrastructure in the project area, the participants were informed that a road network was being led at the project site at a cost of Rs9.6 billion which would be completed by December 2012. While work on a rescue station and three reverse osmosis plants had already been completed, effluent disposal system and the Thar Airport would be established soon.

He added that work on a water project to clean the left bank outfall drain (LBOD) and laid its line up to the Thar coal was also under way at a cost of Rs3.5 billion.

Recalling the incentives being given to investors in the Thar coal project area, he said that the government had declared Thar Coal Field as a special economic zone where profit rate was 20 per cent on dollars. He said the import of the machinery and other equipment required for coal mining as well as vehicles for the use on the site were exempt from customs duty.

Besides, he said, withholding tax, excise duty and other levies would not be collected for a period of 30 years.



Thar coal power project top priority, says Ibad | Sci-tech | DAWN.COM


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## Omar1984

*Call to start work on Thar coal for energy*


Khaksar Tehreek Quaid Dr Sahiha Al-Masharaqi has said that the government should start work on Dr Samar Mumbarakmand&#8217;s project of power generation from coal resources of Thar on a priority basis to overcome energy crisis.

Addressing a protest rally at Ichhra here on Sunday, she said that through power generation by the coal, the country&#8217;s industry which was closed due to non-availability of gas and electricity would become operative again and create job opportunities for the unemployed people. She appealed to the Supreme Court to trial Gen (Retd) Pervez Musharraf on the charges of killing innocent citizen, violating the constitution and handing over hundreds of citizens to the US to earn dollars. She said Musharraf should be hanged on these counts.

Sahiba further stated that those who were not implementing the Supreme Court&#8217;s decisions were committing contempt of court. She said 15 percent people occupied the country&#8217;s resources and soon people would snatch their rights from the ruling elite.


Call to start work on Thar coal for energy


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## Omar1984

*Underground coal gasification off to promising start in Thar*






The complex network of pipelines is in fact the work of Pakistani scientists and engineers who are working on the Underground Coal Gasification project. PHOTO: FILE


KARACHI: The red and blue interconnected pipeline network, with a state of the art infrastructure right in the heart of desert is not what one expects to see in the Thar desert. At first sight, it gives the impression that some multinational corporation is drilling oil in the sands of Thar.

But this complex network of pipelines is in fact the work of Pakistani scientists and engineers who are working on the Underground Coal Gasification project, designed to generate cheap electricity. After the successful experiment of extracting gas in December 2011, the beaming team of scientists is confident that it will successfully produce 100 megawatts of electricity through a pilot project by the end of 2013.

The project had been subjected to considerable scepticism, with many suggesting that the country simply did not have the expertise to run such a complex project. Others argued that Pakistani coal may not be suited for gasification. The scientific team at Thar, however, believes they have proven their critics wrong. In December 2011, they successfully light the first chimney using the coal, an achievement that took about a year&#8217;s worth of effort.

Muhammad Shabbir, the head of the team in Thar, said that the project is running on the right track and will be able to produce 100 MW of electricity in the desired period.

Shabbir, a nuclear scientist by training, says his team can produce over 2 billion cubic feet of gas by replicating its current model. That amount is equal to the current shortfall of gas in Pakistan. &#8220;If we get $1.1 billion in funds, we can end the present gas shortage in the country,&#8221; said Shabbir.

His team is working on Block V in Thar, a 64-square kilometre area that is estimated to have about 1.4 billion tons in coal reserves. Shabbir estimates that his team can use those reserves to generate about 10,000 megawatts of electricity for about 30 years.

The team claims that their costs will be some of the cheapest in the world because the underground coal gasification process does not require the coal to be mined. Meanwhile, the advent of a team of nuclear scientists working on solving the country&#8217;s energy crisis appears to have been good for the neighbourhood. The project team has set up a water pump that can supply up to 600 litres of water per minute to the neighbouring villages, saving them the trouble of giving to look for water for their own consumption and for their crops and animals.

&#8220;We have lived in this land for centuries without any change in our living habits. Now that we have drinkable water at this site, we may not leave this place for years,&#8221; said an old man, whose home was around 50 metres away from the site.

The availability of water, as well as doctors, has begun to make the project site something of a magnet for people in the region.

&#8220;We welcome these outsiders since they have never interfered in their lives. Instead, they have helped them a lot because many have got jobs and most importantly water &#8211; the source of life in the vast Thar desert.&#8221;

Published in The Express Tribune, January 17th, 2012


Underground coal gasification off to promising start in Thar &#8211; The Express Tribune

---------- Post added at 10:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:15 PM ----------

*Consortium claims $10b interest in Thar coal*





Representatives of the TharPak Consortium met with government officials at the Pakistani Embassy in Washington DC on January 5 to introduce their consortium and announce their intention to explore and invest in the coalfields in Thar. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: 
A group of firms based in the United States claims to have formed a consortium that will look to raise up to $10 billion to invest in coal mining, electricity generation, and fertiliser manufacturing in the Thar desert in Sindh.

Representatives of the TharPak Consortium met with government officials at the Pakistani Embassy in Washington DC on January 5 to introduce their consortium and announce their intention to explore and invest in the coalfields in Thar.

The consortium&#8217;s plans for Thar sound ambitious. TharPak wants to set up a &#8220;mega energy complex&#8221; in Sindh that would mine about 100 million tons of coal per day to feed a Direct Coal-to-Liquids plant that could replace up to 80,000 barrels per day of oil imports.

In addition, the complex would include power generation capacity of up to 6,000 megawatts as well as a fertiliser manufacturing facility that would have an as yet unspecified capacity to produce urea. The consortium claims that these industrial processes will be supported by a carbon capture and storage program, and a liquefied carbon dioxide production and transportation system for sale to enhanced oil recovery projects.

&#8220;With Pakistan&#8217;s energy deficit in mind, we believe that with the combination of our deep mining and engineering expertise and the use of commercially proven clean coal combustion technologies, TharPak will deliver a solution to what is holding Pakistan back from competing on a level playing field in the global economy; dependable, abundant and affordable energy,&#8221; said Steve Carpenter, business development director for the consortium. TharPak officials seem aware of the scale of their proposal. &#8220;When fully built out, the cumulative capital investment for the lignite mining operations alone will likely exceed $10 billion,&#8221; said Hans Naumann, TharPak&#8217;s chief engineer.

Addressing some of the scepticism about the willingness of foreign investors to put up that much money in Pakistan, an official close to the development of the consortium &#8211; who asked not to be identified &#8211; said that TharPak had the credentials to make the investment.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 15th, 2012


Consortium claims $10b interest in Thar coal &#8211; The Express Tribune


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## Omar1984

*Expats offer support to Thar Coal project *

KARACHI: The overseas Pakistanis have offered their financial assistance of $115 million for the underground coal gasification project to produce 100 megawatts electricity in the country.

Dr Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, Federal Advisor on Textile addressing a conference on &#8216;We need crisis or growth&#8217; said the project was facing financial constraints. The financial support was conveyed to Dr Samar Mubarikmand, who informed Dr Baig that since it was a government financed project by the federal government and as such they cannot accept cash funds from overseas Pakistanis but requested to arrange machinery and equipments. staff report


Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan


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## Tauhaa

""KARACHI: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad on Thursday said that Thar coal power project was top priority of the government -----""


Priority !! ?? -------- The Chinese company working for the thar coal project has backed off due to lack of interest by Government ----- another local company (Engro) in a similar venture is in no different situation. 

Even the developed countries like USA and China are producing more than 50% of their electricity requirement thru coal boilers instead of diesel or gas--- whereas despite the gross electricity deficit and circular debt due to payments of oil / diesel ---- and the availability of sufficient indigenous reserves of coal we are not producing a single unit thru coal boilers !! What a pity !!


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## ziaulislam

problem is the govt
1.is not ready to invest a single passa
2. its not ready to give grantees due to electricity stealing
3.its not ready to put the transmission lines


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## Omar1984

*Thar Coal &#8211; Energy security for Pakistan *





The Thar Lignite Coal resources are equivalent to around 50 billion tons of oil, which is more than the combined oil resources of Saudi Arabia and Iran. PHOTO: FILE



Discovered accidentally in the year 1989, during an exploration project of defunct SAZDA (Sindh Arid Zone Development Authority) to find drinkable water in the desert, Thar Coal has remained a matter of active national debate. The size and the quality of Thar Coal reserves were known to a great extent since 1993 after a study by John T Boyd Company, US Mining consultants, only to be reinforced in subsequent studies by other international experts. However, there have always been conflicting views which at times create confusion about technical viability and commercial feasibility of mining and power generation on Thar Coal.

Thar Lignite Coal resource was initially estimated to be around 135 billion tons which was subsequently enhanced to 175 billion tons after review of data by USGS (United States Geological Survey) and GSP (Geological Survey of Pakistan). This estimate was based on distanced bore holes over an area of 9,000 sq kms which meant a source estimate of around 194 million tons of lignite per sq km. Subsequent explorations carried over an area of 1,200 sq have provided even higher figures of proven reserves of being around 200 to 350 million tons of lignite per sq km.

According to the standard conversion rates, the Thar Lignite Coal resources are equivalent to around 50 billion tons of oil, which is more than the combined oil resources of Saudi Arabia and Iran. In terms of gas reserves, these are around 68 times the present resources of natural gas in Pakistan.

Shenhua &#8211; an opportunity missed

In 2002 China sent a team of 136 coal mining engineers, geologists, hydro-geologists and power plant specialists with M/s Shenhua Group, to open up Thar coal resources for commercial use. The company established a field camp in the desert and worked on Thar Coalfield for a period of two years. In 2004, they prepared a comprehensive feasibility report which found the Thar lignite resource suitable for commercial mining and proposed open cast mining with mine-mouth power generation of 600 MW in the first phase to be scaled upto 3,000 MWs based on the lignite reserves in Block II, with an area of 55 sq kms (0.6% of Thar coalfield area of 9,000 sq kms).

Shenhua Group asked for a tariff of 5.6 US cents per KWH for the electricity generated by its proposed power project. They asked for just a transmission line to be provided by the government. At that time we were buying electricity from IPPs at 6.5 US cents per KWH. However, Wapda insisted on a tariff of 5.3 US cents per KWH and negotiations broke down. A subsequent feasibility report by Germany&#8217;s RWE Company funded by the Federal and Sindh Governments proved that the real commercial cost for power generation in first power project on Thar Coal, as per European standards could be upto 7.6 US cents per KWH.

The revival in 2008 

In May 2008, the Government of Sindh through the Mines and Mineral Development Department (the predecessor of Coal and Energy Department) offered a joint venture, a public private partnership, to the private sector with a 60:40 (Private : GOS) equity participation and management control with the private partner. A joint venture company with the name of Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company was formed and it started working on the work left unfinished by the Chinese in Block II.

The writer is Secretary Coal and Energy Development Department, Government of Sindh.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 30th, 2012


Thar Coal


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## VCheng

^^^ So this effort is in addition to the Coal Gasification Project being spearheaded by Dr. Mand, I assume?


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## ziaulislam

Thar coal project okayed by UK firm Oracle Coalfields

KARACHI: 

UK-based Oracle Coalfields has said that the results of its feasibility study on the Thar Coalfields has underlined its technical and economic viability.

According to the report, the required total capital expenditure for open-cast development is estimated at $610 million, which includes $224 million for mining equipment. This initial investment will allow the company to produce five million tons of lignite coal per year.

However, starting in 2013, initial plans limit mining to around a million tons a year  the coal from which will be sold to Lucky Cement for use in heating in its kilns. Every wet ton of coal will cost $42.21, and the mine will have an operating life of 23 years.

According to the feasibility study, there are reserves of 529 million wet tons of coal in the mining area, estimated by the guidelines in the Joint Ore Reserves Committee Code. Every wet kilogramme has a gross calorific value of 3,182 kilo calories, with ash content at 5.89 per cent and sulphur at 0.91 per cent. By these specifications, the coal has been qualified as suitable for power generation.

This is another important step for Oracle as we look to provide a sustainable source of energy to Pakistan and bring its first large scale open-pit coal mine into production. The feasibility study indicates technical and economic viability of the mining project. We are undertaking further work to refine overall project economics, specifically in respect of off-take agreements with respect to power plant and mining contractor opportunities, prior to making any definitive announcements, said chief executive of Oracle Coalfields Shahrukh Khan.

The company is currently working on a bankable feasibility study as it seeks funding required for project. Citigroup Global Markets has been brought on board to find a comprehensive funding solution for the project.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 7th, 2012.

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## Omar1984

*Chinese, British firms to invest in Thar coal project*






KARACHI - The 14th meeting of Thar Coal and Energy Board was held at Chief Minister House on Saturday under the chairmanship of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah.

The meeting was also attended by Syed Naveed Qamar, Federal Minister for Water & Power, Syed Murad Ali Shah, Sindh Minister for Finance, M Zubair Motiwala, Chairman Sindh Board of Investment, Imtiaz Hussain Qazi, Secretary Water & Power, Raja Muhammad Abbas, Chief Secretary Sindh, MNA Mrs Rubina Saadat Qaimkhani, Mohammad Younus Dagha, Secretary Coal and Energy Development Department, GoS/Managing Director Thar Coal and Energy Board, Secretary to CM Sindh Agha Jan Akhtar and others.
Chief Minister Sindh welcomed the participants of the meeting and said the government is fully committed to the development of Thar coal project which has the potential of turning the country&#8217;s economy around. Thar coal resources, he said, can be used for power generation, chemical production and other uses and has the potential of providing energy security to the country. He added that basic infrastructure and facilities are being ensured at the project site.

Mohammad Younus Dagha, Secretary Coal and Energy Development Department, briefed the forum that Government of Sindh is financing and executing development of infrastructure projects like roads, water supply, waste water disposal, airport and Reverse Osmosis Plants for potable water for local people and project developers on fast track basis. He also informed that for laying of transmission line from Thar to Matiari, NTDC has completed the PC-I at the cost of Rs 20b with detailed technical designs and submitted it to the Planning Commission. &#8220;Federal Government is urged to arrange funding for this critical project either from PSDP or from international lenders like Asian Development Bank, China Development Bank or Japan International Cooperation Agency,&#8221; he said.

Syed Naveed Qamar assured the forum that the project of transmission line will be expedited. Imtiaz Qazi gave update on the project financing through Pak-China Joint Energy Working Group and informed that the next meeting will be held in March. The Working Group is likely to finalize financial assistance for Thar Block II Coal Mining & Power Project of Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company during its upcoming meeting.

Zubair Motiwala briefed the Board about the process of third International Competitive Bidding and said that four companies China Three Gorges Corporation, Thar Coal & Power Consortia, Tae Ryun Co Ltd and Australasian Continental Energy Pvt Ltd had submitted proposals for coal mining & power generation projects in Thar. Besides these companies, a US-based consortium Thar Pak also submitted proposal to develop coal-based projects in Thar. He further briefed the forum about proposed projects of all companies and their technical/financial strength. On the recommendations of the Evaluation Committee, the Thar Coal and Energy Board approved the allocation of Block IV of Thar Coalfield to China Three Gorges Corporation, which will develop open pit mine of 20 million tons per year and mine mouth power plant of 3000MW in two phases. In the first phase by 2016, they will develop open pit mine of 10 million tons per year and power plant of 1500MW.

Shahrukh Khan, Chief Executive Officer of Oracle Coalfields, UK presented its detailed Feasibility Study for Coal Mining and Power Generation Project at Block VI of Thar Coalfield. Oracle Coalfields, UK is investing $610 million for a coal mine of 5 million ton per year capacity. Oracle has also signed a MoU with KESC to develop initially a 300MW mine-mouth power plant with plan to develop up to 1100 MW at the Block VI site. Initial coal production is expected in 2014. The Board appreciated the work of Oracle Coalfields and assured them of government&#8217;s support.


Chinese, British firms to invest in Thar coal project | The Nation


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## AZADPAKISTAN2009

Just 23 years? I thought it was good for 500 years ? This british company is crap get rid of them and bring local companies

The UK company is just trying to Under value the coal reserves , so it can get a 100 year contract to gain profits form coal mine 

If its just 100 million to mine this thing get Local Company to do it

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## ziaulislam

^^^^
they are talking about the respective block.
each block covers an area of about 0.5% of total mine area having 30-40 years of coal.


govt should stop wasting time on negotiation and allow them to invest regardless of price*BECAUSE NO MATTER WHAT PRICE THEY SHOW, IT WILL STILL BE 3 TIMES CHEAPER THAN OIL,and 2 times cheaper than imported gas..*


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## Highway_Cop

Khud Kafeel Pakistan COAL Part 1 - YouTube

---------- Post added at 06:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:44 PM ----------

Khud Kafeel Pakistan Coal Part 2 - YouTube

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## Omar1984

*UK firm to invest $610m in Thar coal*

KARACHI: The UK firm Oracle Coalfields is set to invest $610 million to develop an open pit coal mine in Thar, according to its CEO Shah Rukh Khan. The project is expected to produce five million tons of coal, which will fuel a planned 300 megawatt (MW) power plant for the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC), he said. He was addressing a press conference along with the secretary of the Sindh Board of Investment and the Coal and Energy Development Department, Mohammad Younus Dagha, on Monday.

Khan said that the equity portion of financing for the project is ready, while the debts will be financed from outside. A lot of lenders had shown keen interest and were amenable to loaning money for the project because the KESC, which will buy all output from the mine, is a trustworthy company, he added. Referring to a feasibility study Oracle recently concluded, Khan remarked that the report had underlined the technical and economical viability of the project itself as well.

He said that Oracle had signed a memorandum of understanding with the KESC to develop a 300 MW mine-mouth power plant at the site. Khan said that the company was also undertaking a comprehensive environment and social impact assessment in compliance with both local and international regulatory requirements.

Speaking on the occasion, Dagha said that the mine has been leased for 30 years, extendable for more if needed. Responding to a question, he said that the first project cycle for the installation of a transmission line between Thar and Matiari has been completed and will cost Rs20 billion. To another question, he said that electricity from coal will cost 10 to 11 cents per unit, compared to oil-fired power plants that produce at 22 to 25 cents per unit.

Khan expects initial development work to be initiated by late 2012 and the mine to be in production by 2014.

UK firm to invest $610m in Thar coal Pakistan Business

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## Evil Flare

so how many megawatts ? or still discussing


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## Omar1984

*Russians keen on investing in Thar coal*







MOSCOW - Pakistan and Russia Wednesday agreed to promote and enhance the bilateral relations in diverse fields including trade and energy. The Russian investors have shown keen interest to invest in Thar coal energy project and Pakistan Steel Mills.

Addressing a joint press conference along with her Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said there has been a scope for cooperation between the two countries in different areas and all the aspects for improving cooperation have been discussed during the meeting of two foreign ministers. Khar is on four-day visit to Russia at the invitation of her Russian counterpart Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov.

She held in-depth talks with Lavrov on expanding and diversifying Pakistan-Russia relations. The two foreign ministers exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interests, besides increasing cooperation in energy, infrastructure development, agriculture, science and technology. Replying to a question on Afghanistan, Khar said Pakistan has a clear policy on that and it would extend full help and cooperation to any Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-driven peace initiative as it is the only long lasting solution to the problem.

She said Pakistan has repeatedly said there should be political solution to Afghan problem for durable peace in the region. The foreign minister said TAPI and KASA 1000 energy projects were also discussed during the meeting. She said Pakistan also got very encouraging response from Russia for more investment in the most important project of Pakistan Steel Mills.

She said both countries also agreed to enhance parliamentary interaction, besides increasing cooperation at the level of foreign ministries of two countries. Khar said it has also been agreed that there would be more interaction between the chambers of commerce and industries of two countries to improve trade activities. She said the Russian investors have also shown interest to invest in different energy projects like Thar coal. Regarding cooperation in energy sector, she said: We are looking forward for the energy group to be meeting within the first half of this year.

Talking about the regional level of cooperation, Khar said Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), is exceptionally important forum within the region to face and counter the regional challenges.

She said Pakistan has been actively participating in the deliberations of SCO and seeking its permanent membership and thanked the Russian Federation for extending its support on the issue.

The foreign minister said next quadrilateral summit to be held in Pakistan was also discussed during the meeting with her Russian counterpart and added Pakistan is looking forward to host this summit. She said she has extended invitation to the Russian leadership on behalf of President Asif Ali Zardari for this quadrilateral summit.

She said the visit of President Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to Russia and their meetings with the Russian leaders have also improved the bilateral ties and it also indicated that Pakistan gives importance to its relations with Russia. Addressing the press conference, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said both the countries also agreed to cooperate in fighting terrorism and drug crimes.

He said: We have a good future in implementation of major transnational energy projects at the border between the Central Asian and South Asian regions.

He said: In our international cooperation we pay special attention to the issues of terrorism and drug crimes.

He said soon, federal service representative of Russia on control of drug substances will start working in Islamabad.

On the issue of promotion of trade relations, Lavrov said the Pakistani side received Russias draft of a joint action plan in trade and investments.

We discussed cooperation in the framework of the SCO, the Dushanbe quartet and the UN Security Council, as Pakistan is the Security Councils permanent member for 2012-2013, Lavrov said.

He said: We share approaches to major international problems, principles, on the basis of which it is necessary to settle emerging problems.


Russians keen on investing in Thar coal | The Nation

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## silk route

russians are welcome to the land of silk road.

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## ziaulislam

russians really want to invest and increase their presence in pakistan but govt is idiot..end of story


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## mughaljee

Well Come Russia


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## Omar1984

*Punjab backs Sindh on Thar coal project*

Karachi As the Sindh government was reportedly facing problems in getting approval and funds from the Centre for some of the vital infrastructure projects to make Thar attractive for investors to utilize coal reserves, the Punjab government has also joined Sindh to stress on the federal institutions to make &#8220;every possible effort&#8221; in completing the vital national project, it was learnt by The News on Sunday.

Sindh complained that the federal government&#8217;s concerned institutions were not &#8220;cooperating&#8221; in initiating infrastructure projects specially pertaining to power and water supply in Thar.

The development of roads was taken up by the provincial government out of its own resources, and the ministry of railways was shouldering the responsibility of railway lines, said the chief minister of Sindh at the 19th meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) held in Islamabad recently.

Syed Qaim Ali Shah informed the council that the responsibility of laying of transmission lines for power evacuation and arrangement for water supply rested with the federal government. He said that the Sindh government had been facing hardships in arranging funds for these projects from the planning and development division and the economic affairs division, according to minutes of the meeting of the CCI obtained by The News.

Shah also said that the investors had been waiting for completion of infrastructure, and China had also shown interest in providing soft loans. The chief minister of Punjab fully supported the chief minister of Sindh and emphasized on the importance of the Thar coal project. The secretary of economic affairs division said that a JICA mission had visited the site of the Thar coal project recently, and a breakthrough in this connection was on the cards.

Punjab backs Sindh on Thar coal project


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## Hyde

*Local, foreign companies keen to invest billions in Thar coal project​*






ISLAMABAD: The initiatives to generate electricity from reservoirs of Thar Coal are bearing fruits as some local as well as foreign companies have shown their interest to invest billions of rupees in the mega project.

*According to details regarding status of projects at Thar Coalfield, a mining company of China has shown its intention to invest US$ 1.5 billion in key infrastructure projects including mining of 5 MTPA and 900 MW - Phase-I GMC in Block-I.*

In Block-II - Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company, (joint venture : 40% Sindh government and 60% Engro with two 600 Power Plant) plans to invest for Open Pit Mining.

*In Block-III-A - Cougar Energy (United Kingdom) plans to invest for 400 MW Under Ground Coal Gasification Project while in Block-IV - Gorges Corp of China plans to invest for mining and to generate 1500 MW.
*
Similarly, in Block-V - UCG Project, *Under Ground Coal Gasification Project two plants of 50 MW IGCC are planned. In Block-VI* - Oracle Coalfields, PLC (UK), would invest for strip mining and in this regard it signed an MoU with Karachi Electricity Supply Corporation (KESC) for 300 MW.

An official source told APP on Thursday that PC-I for Thar-Matiari-Rahim Yar Khan Transmission has been submitted to the Planning Commission for its placement in its upcoming CDWP meeting.

He said Thar Coal and Energy Board is pursuing to develop infrastructure like laying of a transmission line, water supply schemes, laying of rail lines, construction of roads, development of coal field etc. for early completion of Thar Coal project.

The official said some incentives, concessions and protection for development of indigenous resources have also been announced which are: zero percent customs duties on import of coal mining equipment and machinery including vehicles for site use, exemption on withholding tax to shareholders on dividend for initial 30 years, exemption on withholding tax on procurement of goods and services during project construction and operations, exemption for 30 years on other levies including special excise duly, federal excise duty, WPPF and WWF.

He said in addition to the aforesaid incentives, Coal Based Power Projects and Coal Mining Projects in Sindh would also have the same incentives, concessions, protection and security package.

According to an estimate, the total reserves of coal in Pakistan are 184,656 billion tonnes. Out of these, the resources of Thar coal field alone are 175 billion tonnes.

Thar coal is low in sulphur with high calorific values, suitable to power generation and industry, he added.

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## ziaulislam

*
Credibility gap: Engro may pull out of $3b coal mining project* 
By Zafar Bhutta
Published: April 3, 2012

The govt has failed to clear the energy sector&#8217;s circular debt and provide 100mcf of gas per day to Engro&#8217;s fertiliser plant in Daharki. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD: 
Having been bitten once by the government&#8217;s failure to keep its promises, Engro Corporation seems unwilling to let itself be sucked in once again.
The company&#8217;s subsidiary Engro Powergen is considering pulling out of its joint venture with the Sindh government for a $3 billion coal mining and power generation project after the government has failed to clear the energy sector&#8217;s circular debt and also failed to honour the sovereign guarantee to provide 100 million cubic feet of gas per day to Engro&#8217;s $1.1 billion fertiliser plant in Daharki.
Engro has gone about as far as it can on its own in this partnership. It has conducted a bankable feasibility study for a 6.5-ton per day coal mining and 1,200-megawatt power generation project. Were the project to go ahead on time, it would cost about $3 billion and be completed by 2016.
&#8220;It is now close to getting into the project execution stage and being able to attract financing and investors,&#8221; sources told The Express Tribune.
However, the sources added that Engro&#8217;s management is hesitant to pull the trigger on the project for a variety of reasons. The primary reason appears to be the government&#8217;s failure to provide the promised gas to Engro&#8217;s plant at Daharki, for which the company raised $1.1 billion mostly in debt. While the company is not facing immediate financial difficulty, its ability to continue expansion depends on the success of its previous projects.
&#8220;The government also appears non-serious. They have not developed the infrastructure that they promised they would. There is a lack of incentives, and there is low coordination between the provincial and federal governments. And they have not even resolved the issue of tariffs and coal pricing,&#8221; said one source familiar with the matter.
In addition, the company appears reluctant to trust the government&#8217;s ability to pay the promised tariffs, even once they are agree upon, given the fact that many other independent power producers have been forced to invoke their sovereign guarantees several times in order to get paid.
&#8220;No investor wants to their outstanding receivables and payment stuck. However, the government is not keen on solving circular debt,&#8221; sources close to the company said.
Engro Corporation officials were unavailable to comment on the record.
Some sources also alleged &#8211; without naming any names &#8211; something more sinister afoot. &#8220;Some interest groups are also causing hindrance in the work on the Thar Coal project and these groups are working to disrupt relations between the government and those parties interested in Thar&#8217;s coal,&#8221; sources said.
The Thar desert in Sindh is estimated to have as much as 175 billion tons of lignite, a variety of coal that is often used in power generation. Thar&#8217;s reserves can generate up to 100,000 megawatts of electricity for several decades and are likely to be an important factor in helping reduce the country&#8217;s energy import bill.
The Pakistan Business Council estimates that the country will spend $120 billion by 2020 in oil imports to meet its needs, much of which stem from the power sector. The country can currently generate about 14,000 megawatts of electricity but will need to produce about 26,000 megawatts by 2020.
While there are some hydroelectric and oil-fired thermal power plants coming online over the next few years, the bulk of the 12,000 megawatt gap in electricity production will have to come from Thar&#8217;s coal fields. Experts estimate that the country needs to generate up to 7,000 megawatts of electricity from Thar. Yet the government&#8217;s inability to live up to its contractual obligations appears to be a severe impediment in raising any investment in Pakistan&#8217;s power sector.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 3rd, 2012.


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## Omar1984

*Punjab to assist Sindh in Thar coal project: Shahbaz*

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif has said that the prevailing power crisis has hit trade and industries in Punjab, and extended the provincial government's support to center and Sindh in Thar coal energy project.

He was addressing two-day second National Energy Conference presided over by Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani in Lahore to find out ways to resolve the power shortage issue.

According to the government the conference is amid at finding sustainable remedy with the help of stakeholders and technocrats.

The moot was attended by stake-holders from all provinces including Gilgit- Baltistsan (GB) and Azad Kashmir and chief ministers. Representatives from all federal and provincial organizations related to the energy sector also joined the conference.

Addressing on the occasion, Shahbaz emphasized the need of utilizing all available resources for producing energy realizing 'gravity' of the issue. "Pakistan is full of natural resources but dictators have harmed the country in past. We must undo their steps," said Shahbaz Sharif.

He urged the federal government to take steps in order to convince wealthy countries of the world, including China and Korea, to invest in Pakistan's power sector.

"China and Korea can help us meet our energy demands. Immediate steps are needed to be taken to steer the country out of electricity crises. We should not wait and waste the time."

He said Punjab government was ready to assist federal and Sindh government in the Thar coal energy project, also suggesting that sugarcane could be utilized to produce 200 Mega Watt electricity.

Shahbaz was of the view that construction of Bhasha dam would surely help end the energy shortage problem. "The whole country is facing energy crisis today, including Punjab."

Punjab to assist Sindh in Thar coal project: Shahbaz - PakTribune


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## Omar1984

*Thar: UK-based firm to develop first coal mine*





Sindh government granted the long-awaited lease for a block on the Thar coalfield and extends for 30 years with an option be renew it for a further three decades. PHOTO: FILE


KARACHI: UK-based Oracle Coalfields bid to develop the country&#8217;s first major coal mine was boosted on Thursday as it was issued a mining lease.

Sindh government granted the long-awaited lease for a block on the Thar coalfield and extends for 30 years with an option be renew it for a further three decades.

This meeting held at Chief Minister&#8217;s House also disclosed that the company has entered a memorandum of understanding with Karachi Electric Supply Company to develop initially a 300MW mine &#8211; mouth power plant by 2015 to be scaled up to 1,100MW.

The company plans to invest up to $610 million for development of the open pit coal mine with $224 million allocated just for the mining equipment.

Oracle Coalfield CEO Shahrukh Khan on the occasion said work is expected to commence in early 2013 and full scale production of five million tons per annum coal in 2015.

Total cash costs were put at $42.21 per ton, and life of the mine at an estimated 23 years, according to multi-media news organisation proactive investors.

Thar Coal resources can be used for power generation and provide the much-needed energy security to the country, he said.
Pre-development groundwork will commence from next month which will include a four kilometre access road to their block, site office and ancillary buildings for initial management team.

Work on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is also planned to commence form May 2012 which will be part of a long-term sustainable development for local communities including job creation and training of local workforce. Establishing a medical centre, provision of clean water and electricity to local communities and veterinary services for livestock of the community is also part of the plan.

Khan added that &#8220;the company remains committed to achieving its objective of earliest possible production and contribution to the energy sector&#8221;. Sindh Chief Minister said that power production will benefit the people of the province.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 13th, 2012


Thar: UK-based firm to develop first coal mine &#8211; The Express Tribune


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## Jango

Did somebody see the TV programs on Thar coal project last few days, on AAJ and Dawn news, Dr. Samar also came on Dawn, and what he said looked promising. No pollution, clean flame, and then the b-products could be used for fertilizers and all.

But just one question. On AAJ program Bolta Pakistan, the host said that the BTU for thar gas is around 150 TU, while in the Sui gas and all the gas reaching our stoves is around 1000 BTU. But I saw some documents http://fossil.energy.gov/international/Publications/cwg_april06_ucg_reliance.pdf, on the link, Page 5. The flowchart indicates that the BTU of around 150 is used all over the world. I am don't have much knowledge in this area, can anybody shed some light on this?

Electrical generation on the flowchart is 100-180 BTU, for fields all over the world (Australia, Ukraine, Poland, South Africa etc etc)

So, did the program host make a mistake? And also by saying that nowhere in the world is electricity produced like this, while it is being produced in countries mentioned above, and total output in the world is around 80,000 MW.

So, reporter got it wrong just to score some points?


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## Jango

News Night With Talat - 15th May 2012

THis is the program I am talking about.


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## Perceptron

*Dr. Mubarakmand befooling nation on Thar Coal: Dr. Qadir*




Islamabad: Reiterating his opinion about ineligibility of Dr. Samar Mubarakmand in operating Thar Coal Project, Pakistan national hero Dr. Abdul Qadir Khan says Dr. Mubarmand is only befooling the nation.

You see, as I am a Doctor in Metallurgy and this is my field of expertise so naturally I could work efficiently in my field only, he said in an interview.

Similarly, he (Dr. Mubarakmand) is an expert in Nuclear Physics and not in mineral sciences to work on projects like Thar Coal, he added.

The leader of founding team of Pakistans nuclear program, Dr. Qadir is a strong critic of Dr. Mubarakmand over his stance on producing power from Thar Coal and digging out gold from Recodec in Balochistan.

Billions have been spent on producing energy from coal but this is not the way to work, he says in sarcastic tune.

A Chinese firm Shen Hua had been working on generating electricity from Thar coal which was ready to invest billion of dollars on the direction of Chinese government.

But then prime minister Shaukat Aziz had made this willing company to run away from Pakistan with delaying tactics.

When he was asked about Dr. Mubarakmands opinion that he has not been provided funds to produce electricity, Dr. Qadir reaffirmed his opinion that Dr. Mubarak has failed in generating coal power and now he was only leveling claims.

Producing gas flame doesnt mean that you actually are in the position to generate electricity, the national scientist added.


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## Jango

The CHinese company story is a very interesting one. Showing the typical behaviour of our power industry.

The Chinese got the contract and were going to produce electricity for X amount of dollars. But the Pakistani authorities were hell bent on Y amount of dollars, and there was only a marginal difference in X and Y.

See the link that I posted, there Dr. Samar is very optimistic it seems. And says that the worlds leading companies are amazed that how did we do this with no ToT.

But at the same time, objections are being raised.


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## Windjammer

This news was reported just a few days earlier, I guess it's not a life time before we get the results.


http://www.defence.pk/forums/econom...l-project-gas-production-begin-next-week.html


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## niaz

nuclearpak said:


> Did somebody see the TV programs on Thar coal project last few days, on AAJ and Dawn news, Dr. Samar also came on Dawn, and what he said looked promising. No pollution, clean flame, and then the b-products could be used for fertilizers and all.
> 
> But just one question. On AAJ program Bolta Pakistan, the host said that the BTU for thar gas is around 150 TU, while in the Sui gas and all the gas reaching our stoves is around 1000 BTU. But I saw some documents http://fossil.energy.gov/international/Publications/cwg_april06_ucg_reliance.pdf, on the link, Page 5. The flowchart indicates that the BTU of around 150 is used all over the world. I am don't have much knowledge in this area, can anybody shed some light on this?
> 
> Electrical generation on the flowchart is 100-180 BTU, for fields all over the world (Australia, Ukraine, Poland, South Africa etc etc)
> 
> So, did the program host make a mistake? And also by saying that nowhere in the world is electricity produced like this, while it is being produced in countries mentioned above, and total output in the world is around 80,000 MW.
> 
> So, reporter got it wrong just to score some points?




I didnot see the programme and thus am not in a postion to clarify the question raised in the above post. My comments are:

BTU per cubic foot (cft) or per cubic meter (cbm) depends upon the percentage of combustible materials as well as nature of the combustible materials present in the fuel. BTU values of fuels normally used for burning are noted below:

Methane 1,011, Ethane 1,783, Butane 3,225, Acetylene 1,498, Typical Natural gas 1,150, Propane (main component of LPG or the cooking gas in cylinders) 2,572, Carbon monoxide 323, Hydrogen, 325, coal gas 149, Sewage/biogas 690, 

Sui gas is about 94% Methane thus BTU/cft should be about 1000. Syngas produced thru UCG process is primarily a mixture of Hydrogen, Carbon monoxide, Carbon dioxide, Methane and water vapours (steam). Since Carbon dioxide and water vapours don&#8217;t burn, it is therefore logical to expect low BTU product.

I have no information on the BTU value of gas produced thru UCG of Thar Coal. However, I am aware that simple gasification process which uses air as the reactive agent and converts coal/char into gas produces a fuel gas with 150 to 200 BTU per cft. 

Despite the low BTU value, there is no problem in burning syngas into boilers or gas turbines/gas engines and producing electricity. You just need to burn more of the low BTU gas (compared to high BTU gas) to produce the same amount electricity. There are quite a few low BTU gas generators available in the market and low BTU gas is used all over the world for power generation. There is no reason why it can't be used at Thar.

Dr AQ Khan and Dr Mubarakmand are old rivals from their Atomic Energy days. Without any disrespect to Dr AQ Khan (He is and will remain my hero); the fact is that Pak nuclear project was a team effort, certainly not a one man show. The press and the public on the other hand has showered all the praise and glory on one man; Dr AQ Khan.

UCG project primarily involves Geochemistry/Geophysics, fuel technology and mining. A metallurgist (Dr AQ Khan) is therefore not better qualified than a Nuclear Engineer (Dr Mubarakmand) as claimed in Dr AQ Khan's article.

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## v9s

niaz said:


> Dr AQ Khan and Dr Mubarakmand are old rivals from their Atomic Energy days. Without any disrespect to Dr AQ Khan (He is and will remain my hero); the fact is that Pak nuclear project was a team effort, certainly not a one man show. The press and the public on the other hand has showered all the praise and glory on one man; Dr AQ Khan.



I don't think anyone thinks that the Nuclear project was a one man show. 

In retrospect, A.Q. Khan was the main guy rallying for the Nuclear project and if it wasn't for his efforts, we might've gone nuclear much later on, and that's why I think the press and the public showers most of the praises on him.


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## Jango

niaz said:


> I didnot see the programme and thus am not in a postion to clarify the question raised in the above post. My comments are:
> 
> BTU per cubic foot (cft) or per cubic meter (cbm) depends upon the percentage of combustible materials as well as nature of the combustible materials present in the fuel. BTU values of fuels normally used for burning are noted below:
> 
> Methane 1,011, Ethane 1,783, Butane 3,225, Acetylene 1,498, Typical Natural gas 1,150, Propane (main component of LPG or the cooking gas in cylinders) 2,572, Carbon monoxide 323, Hydrogen, 325, coal gas 149, Sewage/biogas 690,
> 
> Sui gas is about 94% Methane thus BTU/cft should be about 1000. Syngas produced thru UCG process is primarily a mixture of Hydrogen, Carbon monoxide, Carbon dioxide, Methane and water vapours (steam). Since Carbon dioxide and water vapours don&#8217;t burn, it is therefore logical to expect low BTU product.
> 
> I have no information on the BTU value of gas produced thru UCG of Thar Coal. However, I am aware that simple gasification process which uses air as the reactive agent and converts coal/char into gas produces a fuel gas with 150 to 200 BTU per cft.
> 
> Despite the low BTU value, there is no problem in burning syngas into boilers or gas turbines/gas engines and producing electricity. You just need to burn more of the low BTU gas (compared to high BTU gas) to produce the same amount electricity. There are quite a few low BTU gas generators available in the market and low BTU gas is used all over the world for power generation. There is no reason why it can't be used at Thar.



So, what are the cons of having low BTU gas as found by UCG in Thar gas?

It is reported to be around 150 BTU.

Dr. Samar said that the flame will be lit very soon and electricity generation is only a little time away. (testing only I think).


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## niaz

nuclearpak said:


> So, what are the cons of having low BTU gas as found by UCG in Thar gas?
> 
> It is reported to be around 150 BTU.
> 
> Dr. Samar said that the flame will be lit very soon and electricity generation is only a little time away. (testing only I think).



I don't see any 'Cons'. What matters is how much investment is required to produce one Kilowatt of elecricty and the cost of production per KWH. 

Don't think you can compete with the hydel power but as long as it is cheaper than what we produce thru burning furnace oil, it would do fine. Only other consideration would be underground water pollution.


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## ziaulislam

i think what dr abdul qadeer means that it is low qaulity coal and thus has low BTU which is true and is accepted by many experts but even with such a low BTU its good for electricity generation and after some treatment as good for general purpose as it wills til be cheaper than oil based plants and will save huge chunk of foreign exchange that we need desperately.

however the claims that we can get diesel at cheap rates is little exaggerated. i think even after all those treatment we may get diesel but nearly at same price as imported plus it would waste a lot of coal.


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## niaz

ziaulislam said:


> i think what dr abdul qadeer means that it is low qaulity coal and thus has low BTU which is true and is accepted by many experts but even with such a low BTU its good for electricity generation and after some treatment as good for general purpose as it wills til be cheaper than oil based plants and will save huge chunk of foreign exchange that we need desperately.
> 
> however the claims that we can get diesel at cheap rates is little exaggerated. i think even after all those treatment we may get diesel but nearly at same price as imported plus it would waste a lot of coal.



I am no expert in the conversion of coal to liquid hydrocarbons but having spent nearly all my working life in the petroleum industry; any technology that produces cheap hydrocarbon is of interest to me. 

To the best of info, only place that is currently producing commercial quantities of hydrocarbons from coal is Sasol's main plant in the province of Mpumalanga- South Africa that produces about 150 000 barrels of synthetic fuel per day. The cost of production is about $45 per barrel as vast quantities of coal are available nearby.

Understand B/E point versus imports is about $50 per bbl crude price. With crude price in excess of $100 per bbl, the CTL (coal to liquid) technology is now commercially viable.

Another hurdles is the initial investment. To get an idea of the investment required, kindly refer to the following article

Quote
Energy and chemicals group Sasol would make an investment decision on what could be a $10-billion coal-to-liquids (CTL) project in China during the 2010 calendar year, CEO Pat Davies reported on Monday.
The project, which had been reconfigured from an 80 000-bl/d plant to a 90 000-bl/d facility, would be the JSE-listed group's first CTL investment outside South Africa, where the technology is used to produce about 40% of the country's fuel.
Sasol and its partner, the Shenhua Group, had focused their attention on a potential project in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.
Sasol to make investment call this year on $10bn China CTL project
Unqoute

Conclusion: UCG is commercially viable as well as the CTL process to covert the fuel gasses into liquid hydrocarbons. However all of this comes at a cost but then what is cheap in life?


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## Jango

niaz said:


> ...
> Conclusion: UCG is commercially viable as well as the CTL process to covert the fuel gasses into liquid hydrocarbons. However all of this comes at a cost but then what is cheap in life?



Dr. Samar has been saying this point, that it is viable, while some corners shout no.

According to Dr. Samar, only little work is done now, to prove that it is going fine on the pilot stage, and then a company can come in and generators and all.


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## Redbull

Dr samar said for $1bn he can make 1000 megawatz electricity. I wonder how much would be needed for 1 million barrels day.


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## ziaulislam

Hong Kong Company shows interest in Thar Coal Project
PPI | 18 hours ago 
0 







Thar coal reserves- File Photo

KARACHI: Jong Tai Energy Corporation of Hong Kong has showed its keen interest in investment in Thar Coal Project, Chairman Sindh Investment Board Muhammad Zubair Moti Wala said.

According to an official hand out on Sunday a meeting in this connection was held between Samson Pan, Chairman Jong Tai and Muhammad Zubair Moti Wala in which the matter was discussed.

Jong Tai Energy Corporation is interested in commencing of a project of producing fuel from coal in Thar by using Coal Water Slurry Technology which is not only effective but also environment friendly.

This technology would reduce 50 percent of the cost of production.

During the meeting Chairman Sindh Investment Board welcomed Jong Tais interest in the project, offered it provision of all necessary facilities and said that coal reserves in Thar were one of the best reserves of coal in the world.
Hong Kong Company shows interest in Thar Coal Project | DAWN.COM

*Coal-water-slurry- a new source of Hydrogen? *
Dirty coal is still a popular choice for power generation around the world, irrespective of the status of the country, whether industrially advanced or backward. The abundant availability and cheap cost, makes coal more attractive from investor&#8217;s point of view; they care less for the environment, while Governments turn a blind eye to all the emissions and pollutions. It is a question of survival for millions of people who work in coal mines and industries. It is one of the toughest challenges many Governments are facing. Take for example India; about 65% of power generation still comes from coal. The import of coal increases year after year and there is no immediate solution in sight. Indian coal is a low grade coal with very high ash content. Each coal-fired power plant generates huge amount of fly ash and they stockpile them; supposed to be used in the production of Portland cement. It is a big business. China and Indonesia too uses coal as a major fuel for power generation. But they have come out with an innovative and pragmatic method of using coal. They use coal-water-slurry (CWS), a finely pulverized high grade coal (calorific value 5100-6100Kcal/kg) in water. They use some chemical additives that make the slurry a homogeneous fluid, similar to a Hydrocarbon such as Heavy fuel oil (HFO).The advantage with CWS is it can be easily pumped and injected into a furnace or boiler using ceramic nozzles, obviously to avoid erosion due the abrasive nature of coal, just like firing diesel or heavy oil. According to the literature, 1.8 -2.2 tons of CWS is equivalent to 1 ton of Heavy fuel oil (HFO) and it costs the same. It cost only US$ 62 million to retrofit an existing coal fired power plant with CWS system and the yearly savings are estimated at US$ 41 mil per year, an attractive rerun on investment. The beautiful aspect of this method is it generates Hydrogen rich Syngas according to the following chemical reaction. 2C + O2+2 H2O -------- 2H2+2 CO2, when the mixture is subject to gasification instead of mere combustion. The combustion efficiency is about 96-99% and the boiler efficiency of more than 90%. It generates less Sulfur dioxide and Nitrogen oxide emissions and good for the environment compared to conventional coal- fired power plants. It is a good technology that needs the attention of Governments especially India, China and Indonesisa.Even coal rich countries like US, Australia should focus on this technology apart from their persuasion such as carbon sequestration. In fact, this will open up new avenues for India and China to switch over to Hydrogen economy, without making substantial investments. The coal-water-slurry fluid has a property similar to a Hydrocarbon as shown below. Density 65-70% ,Viscosity 1000Cp, Size d< 50 microns, Ash content <7, Sulfur<0.5%. It is easier to handle a liquid than solid coal. Pulverised coal is pneumatically conveyed and fired in rotary cement kilns for so many years. There is nothing new about it. Similarly coal water slurry can be a game changer for the power industry if it is combined with Gasification and combined cycle. It will lead into Hydrogen based power generation industries using Fuel cell such as Molten Carbonate Fuel cell (MCFC). I believe there is a clear opportunity for the Governments and private industries to seriously look into CWS technology which I believe, is a &#8216;precursor&#8217; for Hydrogen economy of the future.


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## Nishan_101

Perceptron said:


> *Dr. Mubarakmand befooling nation on Thar Coal: Dr. Qadir*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Islamabad: Reiterating his opinion about ineligibility of Dr. Samar Mubarakmand in operating Thar Coal Project, Pakistan national hero Dr. Abdul Qadir Khan says Dr. Mubarmand is only befooling the nation.
> 
> You see, as I am a Doctor in Metallurgy and this is my field of expertise so naturally I could work efficiently in my field only, he said in an interview.
> 
> Similarly, he (Dr. Mubarakmand) is an expert in Nuclear Physics and not in mineral sciences to work on projects like Thar Coal, he added.
> 
> The leader of founding team of Pakistans nuclear program, Dr. Qadir is a strong critic of Dr. Mubarakmand over his stance on producing power from Thar Coal and digging out gold from Recodec in Balochistan.
> 
> Billions have been spent on producing energy from coal but this is not the way to work, he says in sarcastic tune.
> 
> A Chinese firm Shen Hua had been working on generating electricity from Thar coal which was ready to invest billion of dollars on the direction of Chinese government.
> 
> But then prime minister Shaukat Aziz had made this willing company to run away from Pakistan with delaying tactics.
> 
> When he was asked about Dr. Mubarakmands opinion that he has not been provided funds to produce electricity, Dr. Qadir reaffirmed his opinion that Dr. Mubarak has failed in generating coal power and now he was only leveling claims.
> 
> Producing gas flame doesnt mean that you actually are in the position to generate electricity, the national scientist added.


 
I think the KRL and A.Q Khan should be given a chance n doing R&D on Thorium Reactors as well as on Thar and Bhawalpur Coal too.


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## The Great One

Man. It is really shocking to see that Pakistan wants to depend on Coal to meet it's future energy needs. Why do you want to increase the already dangerous problem of greenhouse effect. The Day After Tomorrow wasn't enough?


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## Jango

The Great One said:


> Man. It is really shocking to see that Pakistan wants to depend on Coal to meet it's future energy needs. Why do you want to increase the already dangerous problem of greenhouse effect. The Day After Tomorrow wasn't enough?



The current emphasis is on UCG, which is not a pollutant.

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## Edevelop

The Great One said:


> Man. It is really shocking to see that Pakistan wants to depend on Coal to meet it's future energy needs. Why do you want to increase the already dangerous problem of greenhouse effect. The Day After Tomorrow wasn't enough?



There are lots of easy ways to produce energy. But what is needed is some brains...

Apart from Coal:

- Nuclear Technology
- Wind Turbines in coastal Sindh and in coastal Balochistan
- Solar power (lots of sunshine is available all over Pakistan)

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## niaz

I have read the article as posted by Hon Zial Islam and find it strange that people are making so much fuss about coal water slurry technology applicable to Thar Coal. 

The article clearly states

Quote 

They use coal-water-slurry (CWS), a finely pulverized high grade coal (calorific value 5100-6100Kcal/kg) in water. 

Unquote.

I don&#8217;t have data on the cal. value of Thar Lignite, however that it is a scientific fact that lignite coal does not have the calorific value in the 5, 100 Kcal/kg range.

Depending upon quality, lignite coal&#8217;s calorific value ranges between 8,000 KJ/kg and 15,000 KJ /kg. 1 Kcal = 4.186KJ. This means that lignite coal has max cal. value of 3,583 Kcal/kg. Good quality bituminous coal on the other hand has cal value of about 5,500 Kcal/kg. 

Based on the above this process cannot be used with Thar Coal.

Additionally, all this process does is to produce &#8216;syngas&#8217;. Dr Mubarkmand UCG experiment is also producing syngas as chemical reaction is the same. 

Don&#8217;t you think it is ironic that while we already have a project in place to produce syngas, we don&#8217;t fund it but look towards something altogether new?


Hon Great One,

About 40% of all the world's energy is produced by coal. In some countries such as South Africa & Poland it is higher than 90%. To the best of my info about 70% of all electricity production in India is coal based. Whereas in Pakistan it is less than 1%. 

It is natural to base the strategy on something that we have. Besides, unlike India, we don&#8217;t have the luxury of nuclear technology assistance from the US.

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## ziaulislam

that coal has low caloric value but it can be used in variety of ways including open pit mining,water coal and underground gasification..all are proven and useful.


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## niaz

Understand that GOP has decided to stop funding Dr Mubarakmand's UCG project. The project will probably be shelved. 

Can anyone with contacts in the Finance Ministry confirm this?


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## Jango

Another project shelved after pumping in a lot of money. 

Dr Samar was very hopeful with the pilot project and the supposed flame, and said that generators were coming on short scale if I recall correctly.

And has it been the initiative of Finance ministry or power ministry, which has the dubious figure of Ahmed Mukhtar at the helm.


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## Hyde

I have not heard about this project being shelved. The funds were not being received but the work was still going on. I had heard the funds will be released soon but don't think they have shelved the entire project.


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## VCheng

niaz said:


> Understand that GOP has decided to stop funding Dr Mubarakmand's UCG project. The project will probably be shelved.
> 
> Can anyone with contacts in the Finance Ministry confirm this?



While the claims were impossible to achieve, the project itself deserves to be completed if finances allow, for even the smaller, realistic goals would help the energy-starved economy.


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## Jango

WB has withdrawn $30m pledge for Thar coal project, PA told | DAWN.COM

WB has withdrawn $30m pledge for Thar coal project, PA told

I think this is the cause of it.


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## killerx

load shading will not end by 2018 said government until the dams are complete and until now no foreign company is willing to take the projects reason every one wants commission and it wasn&#8217;t of the commission in fuel Pakistan would not have been facing the load shading and the coal no matter how many we have cant use them mate need to change the leaders and the minds of those who elect them long live Pakistan.


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## niaz

We have road transporters (Bilour) as Minister for Railways who has ensured that Railway is virtually destroyed. We had people who stopped privatization of steel mill because GOP was selling a national asset very cheap. Now the same steel mill is a bottomless pit devouring billions of rupees every year. PIA, once great people to fly with is another white elephant.

There are far too many posts in this very thread where members have boasted that we have the biggest coal reserves in the world and felt great about. Have you seen any real benefit to the nation from this greatest coal field in the world? All the gold and copper deposits in Baluchistan are merely &#8220;Deposits&#8221; with no return for the national exchequer. How long would we wait for return from this potential great wealth of ours?

Eventually may be, but not in our (at least mine) lifetime. Because Pakistan is severely lacking in human resource, which is the most valuable commodity in the world. 

We read about the hundreds of trillions cft of &#8216;frac gas&#8217;. Ground realty is that we have severe shortage of gas and of electricity (some parts of the country is suffering from 18 hours a day of load shedding). We are incapable of stopping terrorists destroying PN aircrafts, attacking the GHQ. We can&#8217;t even keep our most dangerous criminals from breaking out of prison! They dole out crores of rupees to politicians for election campaign but despite severe power shortage, PPP can&#8217;t find $90-million to exploit Thar coal project! 

What is the point of having natural resource if the nation gets no benefit out of it? I repeat that real shortage in Pakistan is of competent executives, competent politicians, and competent leaders of the armed forces and competent managers of industry; in short of competent human resource. If you point out a few scientists such as AQ Khan & Mubarakmand, I would say that exception proves the rule. 

Main culprit however is the Pakistani public, who provide succour to the terrorists (FDI has disappeared as a result) and who vote in the same dastardly corrupt elite again and again. 

I sincerely pray Allah to keep Pakistan safe as Pakistanis are hell bent on destroying it.

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## Jango

niaz said:


> What is the point of having natural resource if the nation gets no benefit out of it? I repeat that real shortage in Pakistan is of competent executives, competent politicians, and competent leaders of the armed forces and competent managers of industry; in short of competent human resource. If you point out a few scientists such as AQ Khan & Mubarakmand, I would say that exception proves the rule.
> 
> Main culprit however is the Pakistani public, who provide succour to the terrorists (FDI has disappeared as a result) and who vote in the same dastardly corrupt elite again and again.
> 
> I sincerely pray Allah to keep Pakistan safe as Pakistanis are hell bent on destroying it.



You hit the jackpot.


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## VCheng

niaz said:


> ..................
> Main culprit however is the Pakistani public, who provide succour to the terrorists (FDI has disappeared as a result) and who vote in the same dastardly corrupt elite again and again.
> 
> I sincerely pray Allah to keep Pakistan safe as Pakistanis are hell bent on destroying it.



How can the people be the culprits if they are doing what they want for their nation and themselves?


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## Jango

There are some government of sindh ads recently in TV and in those ads, there is also a energy section 

It is written that by 2020 there will be 10,000 MW of electricity produced from Thar coal. The figure seems really far fetched considering that right now, the production is negligible and no significant progress has been made. So just a election ploy or is there something going on?


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## VCheng

nuclearpak said:


> There are some government of sindh ads recently in TV and in those ads, there is also a energy section
> 
> It is written that *by 2020 there will be 10,000 MW of electricity produced from Thar coal.* The figure seems really far fetched considering that right now, the production is negligible and no significant progress has been made. So just a election ploy or is there something going on?



That is just about as likely as pigs flying interplanetary space missions, not just flying about in the air.


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## alibaz

nuclearpak said:


> There are some government of sindh ads recently in TV and in those ads, there is also a energy section
> 
> It is written that by 2020 there will be 10,000 MW of electricity produced from Thar coal. The figure seems really far fetched considering that right now, the production is negligible and no significant progress has been made. So just a election ploy or is there something going on?


This just seems to be election gimic. Had they been so sincere they would have at least released funds to Dr Samar for a hundred megawatt plant.


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## niaz

One doese not have to agree with the writer of the artilce below, but he seems to know what he is talking about. Whereas my naive countrymen never stop gloating over the so called 85-billion ton of Thar coal.


Thar coal: not a feasible option


THERE has been a debate in the media about underground coal gasification by the burning of Thar coal.

Thar coal&#8217;s product is useful for several purposes, especially for power generation. From the ongoing deliberations it is evident that opponents of this method are many; Dr Samar Mubarakmand is the only one advocating it tooth and nail.

Being a mining engineer myself, I have been following this debate with keen interest.
All coal in Sindh is &#8216;lignite&#8217;, i.e. brown coal, (very young) the first rank in the ladder of coal formation. Therefore, the rocks (mostly clays and sands) over and underlying this lignite are young, weak and friable, thus are not at all self &#8211; supporting.

In the case of fire, it will result in hollow spaces by consuming coal underground. The roof of this hollow space consisting of soft, friable clays and sands will not hold for long and will collapse, thus completely filling/choking the space created by the burnt &#8211; out coal/lignite.
As huge quantities of coal will have to be burnt to feed the proposed plants, large hollow spaces will be created with no support to hold the roof/upper strata of those spaces, and will collapse filling/ choking these spaces.

Therefore, the fire once started will continue till such time the hollow space is not large enough to cause a fall. This respite may not be more than a few days at a time. The instant it reaches that stage, falls will cause choking and extinguish the fire underground.
The underground coal gasification (UGC) gasification/burning is practicable and effective in stratas which are strong and self &#8211; supporting to a great extent.

This only is possible in higher rank coals having strong self &#8211; supporting upper and lower strata. Also UGC gasification is preferable in situations where underground mining is not economically feasible due to difficult mining conditions.

Sustaining the coal for large volumes and for longer periods seems to be impossible for reasons enumerated above.The only viable method of mining Thar coal is by &#8216;open pit&#8217;.

Thar coal seems not at all suitable for underground mining due to their geological formation. Mining lignite coal by underground mining method is wasteful and especially in case of Thar coal it is not at all feasible because of multi &#8211; seam deposition.

Also for power generation etc large quantities of coal are required which cannot easily be mined in this way.

SHAHID ALI BAIG
Karachi

Thar coal: not a feasible option | DAWN.COM

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## alibaz

*Thar project is nation&#8217;s future, says Raja*

THARPARKAR: Completion of the Thar coal power project will bring about a revolution not only in the life of locals but also ensure prosperity in Sindh and the entire country, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf said at a public meeting here on Thursday.

Earlier he visited the test burn site of the pilot project undertaken by nuclear scientist Dr Samar Mubarakmand. &#8220;The coal reserve in one block alone can produce two billion barrels of diesel,&#8221; the prime minister said.

He said three companies &#8212; Global Mining China, Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company and Oracle Coalfields UK &#8212; were working on three other blocks.

The prime minister recalled that Benazir Bhutto had initiated this project in 1994, but successive governments ignored it.

&#8220;Credit goes to President Zardari for revival of the project,&#8221; Raja Ashraf added.

Summing up the post-2008 general election situation, he again praised President Zardari for taking all parties along and cobbling together a coalition government. &#8220;PPP needs no lessons on politics and democracy as examples of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto are before us. Every member of the party has suffered and given sacrifices in the struggle for democracy,&#8221; Raja Ashraf said.

&#8220;For us there is no other way but to pursue the path of democracy which comes through elections and holding free, fair and transparent elections is the right of people.&#8221;

The prime minister said the People&#8217;s Party believed in fair and transparent election because the nation had always voted for PPP despite character-assassination of its leadership.

&#8220;Now is the time to tolerate each other and carry forward the message of love and respect as hatred has not given us anything.&#8221;

Raja Pervez Ashraf announced a grant of Rs 200 million for electrification of villages and asked the Sindh government to set up information technology centres in every town.

QAIM ON JUDICIARY: Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah thanked Dr Mubarakmand for working on the Thar pilot project and for seeing to it that 83 per cent of jobs went to locals.

Mr Shah made a veiled criticism of the judiciary, saying it did not realise that &#8220;the prime minister is the elected representative of 180 million people&#8221;.

&#8220;The judiciary&#8217;s decisions in the past were regrettable and again efforts are being made to harm democracy.&#8221;

Mr Shah said democracy should not be derailed as it was vital to the country&#8217;s progress.

Provincial Information Minister Sherjeel Memon, Senator Gul Mohammad Lot and MNA Dr Mahesh Mallani also spoke on the occasion.

Chief Secretary Raja Muhammad Abbas highlighted the potential of Thar coal in battling the energy crisis.

Ejaz Ahmad, Secretary of the Coal & Energy Department, gave a briefing about the companies which were developing three blocks in Thar coal field.

The project will generate 2100 megawatt of electricity.

Dr Mubarakmand said his team had demonstrated that coal gassification can be used for power generation and other uses like production of diesel, methanol and urea.

In reply to a question by the prime minister, Dr Mubarakmand said one ton of coal produced one megawatt of electricity per hour. The average cost of power from UCG is two to three cents per unit while for a 100mw project its cost is expected to be four to five cents per unit.

Capital expenditure on a UCG power station inclusive of gassifiers is $ 1.2 per wt, the lowest for any production plant.

Dr Mubarakmand said two German scientists had developed a process to convert coal gas into diesel or methanol. This process was now being used for commercial purposes, recalling that a South African company was producing 160,000 barrels of diesel per day at an average price of $ 30 per barrel.

Dr Mubarakmand, addressing apprehensions expressed by MNA Dr Khatumal Jeevan, said there was neither any danger of water contamination from gasification nor of environmental pollution.

Thar project is nation


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## niaz

I did say that one does not have to agree with the writer. Nevertheless, it must be said that so far all we have heard is talk. 

I was a great fan of Dr Mubarakmand; however I was shocked see him on the TV when he did not reject the Water Car outright as Dr Atta ur Rahman did. I feel Dr Mubarakmand is now becoming more of a politician which is a blemish on his otherwise excellent record.

I wish with all my heart that UCG process is successful and it points the way towards sorting out Pakistan&#8217;s energy problems for a long time to come. 

Proof of the pudding is in the eating. Only time will tell if Dr Mubarakmand is correct or the critics of the project such as the mining engineer Shahid Ali Baig


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## raazh

niaz said:


> I was shocked see him on the TV when he did not reject the Water Car outright as Dr Atta ur Rahman did. I feel Dr Mubarakmand is now becoming more of a politician which is a blemish on his otherwise excellent record.



I watched the same clip of Dr Mubarak. He did say that water kits are now being used in conjuction with CNG / Petrol cars for a little better mileage and is something not new now. Infact already few ppl are offering these in Pakistan and a relative of mine is already using it in his CNG car with success. 

However Dr. Mubarak did say that to run a car totaly on water will be new and remarkable but why to label the guy without giving him a proper chance to prove himself. Dont u think its very unscientific to call a man fraud without giving him a fair chance to prove his concept or theory, no matter how crazy it is. Im sure all big scientific break throughs faced similar opposition when they were disclosed.


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## ziaulislam

raazh said:


> I watched the same clip of Dr Mubarak. He did say that water kits are now being used in conjuction with CNG / Petrol cars for a little better mileage and is something not new now. Infact already few ppl are offering these in Pakistan and a relative of mine is already using it in his CNG car with success.
> 
> However Dr. Mubarak did say that to run a car totaly on water will be new and remarkable but why to label the guy without giving him a proper chance to prove himself. Dont u think its very unscientific to call a man fraud without giving him a fair chance to prove his concept or theory, no matter how crazy it is. Im sure all big scientific break through faced similar opposition when they were disclosed.


well it will be not unscientific , if its scientifically proven a gizzillions of time...
this is proven a billions of time by very careful experiemnts that electrolysis is a very ineffieicent method so any sort of water kit is utterly ridiculous ..

however there could be one exception..if we found a very power ful source of cheap energy(for example large scale fusion or improved and large scale fission) then we can use the vast amount of avaliable energy on electrolysis to create hydrogen fuel


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## A.Rafay

_*Mukhtar announces setting up of two coal cities near Thar*_
Minister for Water and Power, Ahmad Mukhtar on Tuesday announced establishing two coal cities dependent on imported and local coal near Thar generating 2500MW each and spread over 3,000 acres. Mukhtar made this announcement at the licence award ceremony for Heavy Mechanical Complex 3 (HMC-3) as nuclear safety class-1 equipment manufacturer, by the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA). 

"I am planning to set up two coal cities, and this idea is yet to be discussed with the President and the Prime Minister, but I hope both will approve my plan," he added. This project is expected to be discussed at a high level meeting on Wednesday (today) to be presided over by Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf. 

He maintained that coal-fired generation is the only thing that can save Pakistan. Mukhtar also discussed the issue of circular debt which has choked the energy sector, saying if the government could get rid of circular debt, 25 percent of Pakistan''s problems would be resolved. 

The minister did not talk about nuclear energy and when a journalist asked why he opted to discuss coal energy at a function arranged in connection with nuclear energy, he replied that he knew nothing about nuclear energy, and could not speak on nuclear energy in presence of the country''s top scientists. Later, talking to reporters, Mukhtar did not comment on Thar coal gasification project initiated by Samar Mubarakmand, saying he did not know if this project would be a success. He also denied he accompanied Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf during his recent visit to Thar wherein the Premier witnessed coal gasification project. 

"I was not with the Prime Minister..... there are other ministers who were accompanying the Prime Minister," he said. Earlier, Dr Amjad Pervez, Chairman PAEC said that with the grant of licence to HMC-3 as nuclear safety class-1 equipment manufacturer Pakistan has entered a new phase of nuclear equipment manufacturing. He maintained that Pakistan is now in a position to establish nuclear equipment manufacturing industry out of PAEC and for this purpose both the public and private sector can take advantage of its expertise. 

Chairman PAEC applauded the minister for clearing the payments of nuclear power plants, adding that all nuclear power plants are operating at full capacity. He said Karachi nuclear power plant is still in operation despite the fact that it is now 40 years old whereas its actual life was 30 years. Answering a question, he said that Chashma-3 and Chashma-4 will be completed by 2016, adding that PAEC will achieve the target of 8800 MW nuclear power by 2030. 

Replying to another question, he said that PAEC has not yet planned to set up Chashma-5 and Chashma-6, but indicated that these projects would be around 500 MW each. Chairman, PNRA, Engineer Anwar Habib said that before the grant of nuclear safety class-1 equipment, HMC was manufacturing low class equipment. He appreciated the performance of HMC in getting this licence, saying that licencing is a step forward by the PAEC towards indigenization of nuclear program. 

"For such a program, the government support is essential which I hope will continue," Habib maintained. He, however, said the prime responsibility for public and staff''s safety from harmful substances is PNRAs which has established a regulatory framework with the assistance of China Nuclear Regulatory Authority. 

"We applaud China Nuclear Regulatory Authority in developing a framework for PNRA and licencing to HNC-3," he added. Earlier, Waqar Butt, Member Engineering, gave a brief history of HMC and the process of obtaining a licence, adding that Pakistan has entered the list of those countries which are manufacturing nuclear equipment of international standards. He said Pakistan started indigenization process in 70s when restrictions were imposed on Kanupp. 

Mukhtar announces setting up of two coal cities near Thar | Business Recorder


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## Karl

A.Rafay said:


> _*Mukhtar announces setting up of two coal cities near Thar*_
> Minister for Water and Power, Ahmad Mukhtar on Tuesday announced establishing two coal cities dependent on imported and local coal near Thar generating 2500MW each and spread over 3,000 acres. Mukhtar made this announcement at the licence award ceremony for Heavy Mechanical Complex 3 (HMC-3) as nuclear safety class-1 equipment manufacturer, by the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA).
> 
> This good news, Pakistan is facing an energy crisis - no energy, no devlopment.

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## A.Rafay

*Utilisation of Thar coal*
*The government has decided to convert all existing thermal power plants on coal-firing to save foreign exchange required to import heavy fuel oil (furnace oil). At present the plants are either operating on gas or heavy fuel oil. In future Thar coal is intended to be used in boilers of all thermal plants.*

In this context I would like to mention that due to my 35 years of experience in construction, operation and maintenance of thermal power plants inside and outside of the country, I have some reservations for burning of Thar coal in the existing thermal power plants which are as under:

First, Thar coal is lying underground in water. As soon as the coal is taken out, water evaporates and coal becomes powder. It will not be easy to transport the powdered coal to different thermal power plants. All other transportation methods will be very difficult and expensive.

Second, Thar coal is lignite, containing about seven per cent sulphur in it. It will not be suitable for burning in conventional boilers.

Third, a lot of wastage and pilferage is likely to occur on the way from the mine to power plant sites.

Fourth, at the power plants the stacking of coal is necessary to keep plants running round the clock. The stacking of coal is a big problem because the inner layer of coal gets heated up, produces gas which catches fire in the presence of air.

To avoid such fire, we have to compress the stack to remove air and sprinkle water continuously on it to keep it cool.

I have seen in Germany sprinkling of water on the coal stack continuously, though the ambient temperature in Germany remains much low as compared with Pakistan. This coal stack was small and was not meant for burning in the power plant.

In our country big stacks of coal are required, particularly for Jamshoro, Guddu and Muzaffargarh power plants, and it will be difficult to maintain such stacks due to high ambient temperature. Ambient temperature also accelerates coal stack firing.

Generally, thermal power plants are preferred to be installed near coalmines to avoid transportation and stacking of the coal. I visited two thermal power

plants in Germany  one 1600 MW and another 600 MW  installed close to coal mines and the excavated coal was being carried on conveyor belts to boilers directly without stacking.

I suggest that new thermal plants should be installed in Thar area near to the coalmine and the existing thermal power plants in the country be supplied with gas whenever available.

The dual firing equipment (oil and gas) is already existing in almost all thermal units. This will save substantial amount of money required for conversion to coal-firing mode.

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## A.Rafay

*Going indigenous*

*The economic development of any country mostly depends on growth models characterised by maximum exploitation of the indigenous resources, less reliance on the extraneous factors and prudent policy choices. In our case, it has been just the opposite leading to a chaotic economic order in the country. Take, for example, the generation of the much needed energy resources and the energy security that is so vital for and a guarantee to sustained economic growth. *

The current energy crisis (since 2006) that has badly affected the industrial sector and consequently the job market in the country, as well as adversely impacted the lives of the masses through power outages, unfortunately, is the cumulative effect of the unimaginative policies of successive regimes and their inability to project the future energy needs of the country.
No country can conceive of a sustainable growth without sustainable energy resources that are available for running its industrial machine and meeting its current developmental and other needs without compromising the requirements of the future generations. Energy efficiency and renewable energy are said to be the pillars of sustainable energy. The perennial supply of sustainable energy depends on renewable energy sources such a hydroelectricity, solar energy, wind power, tidal power and geothermal energy. These resources can also be supplemented by power projects based on indigenous coal, gas and oil resources if need be, provided they are available in abundance in the country.

*Pakistan presently has three sources of energy, namely hydel, thermal and nuclear. As of April 2010, the country had a total installed power generating capacity of 19855 MW, comprising 12,932 MW thermal power, 6,461 MW hydel electricity and 462 MW nuclear power. But PEPCO is generating only10,000 MW against the total demand of 14,500 MW. The reason for this below capacity production of electricity has two components.* First, heavy dependence on thermal power (66 percent) produced through imported oil is arguably the major reason for the burgeoning oil crisis in the country. The international oil prices are continuously on the rise and consequently Pakistan has to foot the ever-increasing oil bill with the result that the cost of electricity generation is increasing with every passing day. *The government has perforce to provide subsidy to the consumers and presently more than Rs200 billion are going to subsidies on power. The result is that the circular debt has touched the astronomical figures of Rs400 billion.* The power generating companies are not buying oil from PSO saying that they do not *have money to pay for it. Consequently, many refineries are operating at 40-50 percent of their capacity.
The second reason is that hydel electricity generated by Wapda varies between two extremes, i.e. between minimum of 2,414 MW and maximum of 6761 MW, depending on the river flow. These factors are beyond the control of any government. Although the present government has added 3,400 MW to the system during the last four years, the position of power outages has not improved much due to these factors.* The inability of the successive regimes to lessen dependence on thermal energy and finding alternate policy options has indeed aggravated the situation.
*Pakistan has a potential of generating hydel power between 19,000 MW and 20,000 MW, but unfortunately projects like Kalabagh Dam have fallen victim to political considerations and work on Bhasha Diamir has just begun that might take more than five years to come on stream. Hydel power is the cheapest and the most reliable indigenous source for producing electricity, despite the seasonal fluctuations and needs to be fully exploited. The present government is seized of the matter and is according priority to the Neelum Jhelum and other hydel projects being completed with Chinese assistance. These projects, likely to become operative by 2017, will also tremendously contribute to easing the energy crisis.*
There is, however, an imperative need to reduce dependence on electricity produced through imported oil. This policy should have been adopted long ago. It is, however, heartening to note that the government has realised the necessity to go indigenous and taken a first step in this regard. 

*It has decided that in future only Thar coal would be used for thermal power generation. The process will begin by converting the existing thermal power projects on Thar Coal. Accordingly, the Ministry of Water and Power has been directed to sign within a week , a Coal Off-Take Agreement between GENCO and SECMC for Asian Development Bank financed conversion of the existing 800 MW and new 600 MW thermal power project at Jamshoro.*
*Thar Coal reserves discovered in the early 90s and spread over a single geographically contained area of 9,000 square miles have the potential to produce 100,000 MW of electricity. *This single source can provide sustainable energy to meet our energy needs for decades to come. Further, use of Thar coal reserves for power generation would also help in reducing excessive reliance on imported fuel, thereby easing the balance of payments situation as well as tackling the problem of circular debt. The venture also provides an excellent opportunity for profitable investment for prospective investors. In order to exploit Thar coal resources on a fast track basis for power generation, the federal and provincial governments of Sindh jointly established the Thar Coal and Energy Board (TCEB) in July 2008. Reportedly, a road network linking Thar coal field to major towns, including Karachi, has already been laid. A railway line is also contemplated to be built. Apart from Thar, we also have big coal deposits in Balochistan that can also be used for generating electricity on local basis.
The government has, indeed, taken a very prudent decision in view of the ground realities. These efforts also require to be supplemented by enhancing our dependence on other renewable energy sources like solar energy, tidal power and geothermal energy and wind power. *According to a USAID report Pakistan has the potential to produce150,000 MW of wind energy, of which only the Sindh corridor can produce 40,000 MW electricity. These are inescapable options if we desire to meet our present needs and also leave a good legacy for the posterity.*


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## A.Rafay

*Thar coal most feasible fuel for power plants*

KARACHI - The Sindh government has urged the Asian Development Bank to finance the conversion of existing oil-based power plants on coal of Thar, sources told TheNation.
A high-level delegation of Board of Directors of Asian Development Bank held a meeting with Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah at the CM Secretariat on Wednesday, which discussed the uplift schemes being financed by the ADB in the province.
Executive Directors of Asian development Bank Kazuhiko Koguchi and Jerome Destombes, Alternative Executive Director ADB Richard Edwards, Alternative Executive Director Khin Khin Lwin, Executive Director ADB Werner Liepach, Executive Directors of ADB Ashok Lahiri and Siraj Shamsuddin represented the Asian Bank, while Additional Chief Secretary Planning and Development Department Israr Malik, Principal Secretary to CM Agha Jan Akhtar, Chief Economist at planning and development department and other officials of Sindh government assisted the chief minister in the meeting.
The CM highlighted the potential of Thar coal for power generation and said the Thar coal was the most feasible fuel for the power plants which are being converted on coal and also for new coal based power plants at Jamshoro and elsewhere.
The chief minister appreciated the engagement of Asian Development Bank in financing the conversion of GENCO&#8217;s oil-based power plants to coal and establishment of new 600 MW coal-based power plant at Jamshoro as this conversion will diversify the Pakistan&#8217;s fuel mix away from imported fuel oil.
However, the Sindh chief minister said it would be a great tragedy if despite availability of huge coal resources in the country new power plants are based on imported coal. This will be a huge drain on foreign exchange and the price of coal will always be subject to international market fluctuation.
He urged the Asian Development Bank to use Thar equivalent coal for upcoming coal-based power plants particularly at Jamshoro as this will boost the mining activity at Thar and will also have long term economic benefits for Sindh and Pakistan.
Werner Liepach, Country Director of Asian Development Bank dispelled the impression that ADB has some issues or reservations on technical viability of use of Thar coal for power plants. However, he said that the environmental standards and project time lines are very important criteria for the Bank. He further said the Government of Pakistan has set its priorities for using imported coal similar to Thar coal specification, as it may increase the cost.
Malik Israr, Additional Chief Secretary (Development) said that only Thar coal, being indigenous resource, can provide long-term cost effective solution to the energy problem and ensure much needed energy security to the country. It may cost more initially but will have long-term positive impact on economy.
The forum was also informed that the international environmental standards will be followed in Thar coal mining and any timing mismatch, between conversion of existing power plants at Jamshoro and the readiness of coal mining at Thar Block-II, will be covered by Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company through imported coal of Thar specification. The meeting also discussed other items of agenda which included provision of drinking water, proper sanitation system and drainage schemes in seven cities of province. He said that agreement was signed in 2009 and project was scheduled to be completed within two years. The ADB team termed the discussion with satisfactory advancement and expressed hope for cooperation.
It was presented that the ADB and Sindh government will work for better understanding and go ahead for future progress. The meeting was informed that an amount of $105 million will be extended for such projects.
The chief minister thanked the Asian Development Banks&#8217;s cooperation extended for solving acute problems faced to the province of Sindh.


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## UmarJustice

*Japan may provide 'yen loan' for Thar power projects *

KARACHI: The joint survey team of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) recommended JICA to finance the 250-kilometre (km) long power transmission line and power projects in Thar through a &#8220;yen loan&#8221;, according to Michio Hasegawa, chief of JICA's joint survey team.

The team had conducted a detailed survey of Thar coalfield, quality of coal, development of the field, coal procurement system, generation and transmission. The survey, which began in September 2012, also examined room for potential assistance for infrastructure including laying transmission lines and construction of power plants, securing water for generation and development of logistical support in the area.

While launching the survey report at a seminar 'Data Collection Survey on Thar Coal Field in Pakistan', Hasegawa said JICA had undertaken the survey on the announcement of Pakistan's premier to utilise coal from Thar for power generation in the future and conversion of the existing thermal power plants.

A 500-kilovolt (kv) transmission line will cost $226 million and facilitate transmission of 2,700 megawatts (MW) from power plants at Thar to the national grid. The surveyors had also suggested JICA to provide a &#8220;yen loan&#8221; to the government for building the power plants.

According to the survey, power demand in Pakistan had increased at a rate of 9.3% per annum in the last ten years, adding that the peak demand will touch 100,000MW by 2028-29, with an average growth of 5% annually. Cost of generating power from fuel oil was Rs25 per kilowatt hour (kWh) compared to Rs10 per kWh from Thar's coal reserves. Coal ranked lignite-A and lignite-B had high moisture content, making it suitable for power generation. Report also underlined the need for broadening and improving the existing logistical infrastructure to take the load of heavy machinery and transportation of coal.

A mining development plan was recommended, which suggested a mine size of 10 million tons per annum at the initial stage along with using dry air cooling to reduce usage of cooling water.

They also recommended pulverised coal boiler for 600MW projects and circulating fluidised-bed combustion boiler for 300MW projects.

The report also proposed to use coal liquefaction technology to cover coal from solid state liquid fuels as a substitute for petroleum products. They also advised to use latest coal upgrade technology developed by KOBELCO of Japan for briquette manufacturing.

The Senior Consul of the Consulate General of Japan Masamichi Abe said, &#8220;Japanese investors have keen interest in Thar and they want to invest in power generation.&#8221; Thar coal will help in enhancing power generation in Pakistan, preventing capital flight and attracting foreign investment in power generation.

Sindh Board of Investment Chairman Zubair Motiwala said Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf agreed to provide a sovereign guarantee of $700 million for Engro-Sindh coal power project. Motiwala said he will announce this assurance at a meeting to be held in Islamabad on Wednesday.

Japan may provide 'yen loan' for Thar power projects Pakistan Business


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## BATMAN

Mystery Behind Unexploited Thar Coal 


By: Shabbir H. Kazmi

January 30, 2013 


It was in 1992 that the Geological Survey of Pakistan (GSP) discovered huge deposits of coal &#8211; the second largest in the world &#8211; in Tharparkar District, Sindh. Thar coal field is estimated to have reserves of 175 billion tons, 68 times higher than Pakistan&#8217;s total gas reserves.

Thar coal has been declared as lignite type, and spreads nearly 10,600 square kilometers, with power generation potential of 100,000 MW consuming 536 million tons a year. Experts often say that development of the Thar Coal is the only viable long-term solution for meeting energy demands of the country.

Since the price of crude oil is likely to hover around US$100/barrel, the only way out for energy starved Pakistan is to convert the existing power generation units from furnace oil to coal. On a fast track basis &#8212; in three to five years &#8212; Pakistan&#8217;s entire power generation of steam-based power plants can be switched over to coal, saving the country over $10 billion annually at current oil prices.

A visionary approach can wipe out Pakistan&#8217;s entire debt in 10 years. However, if we do not move fast, a $200 a barrel of oil price will bankrupt Pakistan and huge civil unrest will prevail. The CWS technology has reached a level where a plasma gasifier can convert the coal to high BTU brown gas for use in gas turbines and soon in large stationary engines.

Pakistan&#8217;s leading scientist, Dr Mubarakmand has said that coal reserves are also available in powder form under water and Pakistan could produce 50,000 megawatt electricity and 100 million barrel diesel just through the gasification of these reserves.

Large reserves of coal in Thar can help generate energy to save billions of dollars spent on import of oil. Thar Coal Project which has the potential to change the energy landscape of Pakistan continues to move slowly, thanks to country&#8217;s economic managers. There is a perception vested interests are out to ensure it does not happen.

One of the problems is that Thar Coal project needs investment of billions of dollars for infrastructure and development of the field, and the government instead of relying on local talent and funds wants to give contract to aliens giving overriding consideration to personal over national interest.

They say Pakistan is endowed with enormous natural resources and minerals, if explored and utilized properly; the country can become a self-reliant country and get rid of dependency syndrome. Weak economy, technical resource constraints coupled with flawed decisions of the inept governments have brought the country to the present dismal position.

Given the prohibitive cost of fossil oil, meeting energy needs has become a challenge for both developed and developing countries; and to keep the wheels of industry going every country is obliged to keep this subject on the top of its agenda.
Pakistan is endowed with enormous reserves of coal in Thar, Lakhra and other places, but no serious effort has been made to exploit these coal reserves and establish the coal-fired power plants. It is true there are financial constraints and international pressures on installation of nuclear reactors and generation of electricity. The government should expedite the development of Thar Coal project, which involves much less investment as compared with large reserves.

Dr Mubarakmand assured that the difficulties in the way of the utilization of Thar coal would be removed to accomplish the task within stipulated time. The project &#8220;Creation of New Processing Facilities for handling and purification of Coal Gas (HPCG) produced by underground coal gasification&#8221; was approved in the CDWP meeting held on April 30, 2009. The aim of the project was to create new processing facility for handling and purification of coal gas by underground coal gasification in Tharparkar.

While Dr Mubarakmand insists on coal gasification rather than any other type of mining or establishing mine-mouth power plants various controversies have brewed up on the use of Thar coal as a fuel for Pakistan&#8217;s power generation needs instead of furnace oil and natural gas.

Coal has the following basic values for consideration: volatile matter, which is the igniter for the fixed carbon in the coal, the ash content, the sulphur content and, lastly, the water content. Experts say that water within the coal would soon evaporate in the hot season at Thar and turn the coal to powder and dust. The volatile matter will evaporate as well and reduce the thermal value by at least 10 per cent.

Assuming, the coal reaches the power plant, about two million gallons a day of fresh sweet water will be needed to keep it cool for seven-day storage of a 300MW plant. Considering all facts, the only solution is to convert the coal to coal water slurry &#8212; a process now perfected by Zheijang University in China and in use in over 100 locations &#8212; at the mine and transport the slurry to Sindh&#8217;s and Punjab&#8217;s existing and new power plants by pipeline, thus saving road from transporting the fuel.

A report has been published in local media that certain quarters are working on selling Thar coal to India. While no one can overlook this probability, experts say Thar coal seams extent into India and if it wants to exploit it there is no need to negotiate with Pakistan. As such coal produced in India is of much superior quality and the country has coal-based power plants.

One has to believe in the rumors that oil lobby is deadly against using coal for power generation. The critics often say that people related with oil import make billions of dollars. These statements get some credibility if one looks at short shipments and procurement from specific suppliers. It also on record that every year a huge quantity of oil is pilfered from oil installation area in Shireen Jinnah Colony in Karachi, provincial capital and port city of Sindh and pipelines connecting Karachi port with Mahmoodkot oil storage facilities located near Lahore, provincial capital of Punjab.


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## muse

This is what happens when the govt is involved in commercial projects -- the article above should be read by all Pakistanis who think in terms of "Awam" and government controlled nationalism when it comes commerce. Below is an example of the same - please ask yourself as you read it, why are govt officials involved? Why do govt officials have to guarantee natural gas delivery? After all, is it govt officials who can stop the gas delivery and therefore extort businessmen??


*Qaim, Asim discuss proposed tripartite pact for Thar coal projects*
Monday, 11 February 2013 02:38
Posted by Abdul Ahad


KARACHI: A meeting jointly chaired by Sindh *Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Advisor to Prime Minister for Petroleum Dr. Asim Hussain on Sunday discussed details of a proposed agreement to be signed by Pakistan State Oil (PSO), Sindh Coal Department and Engro Chemicals for provision of facilities for development of Thar Coal projects*.

The meeting held in connection with coal and gas projects also discussed in detail the pace of Thar coal related projects and other on-going development schemes in the province.

All concerned *officials including Secretary Coal Ijaz Khan, Secretary Energy Sohail Rajput and Chief Executive of Engro Chemical Ali Ansari attended the meeting *at the Chief Minister House.

The *CE of Engro Chemicals apprised the meeting that the required gas supply is not being provided to the projects of his company.
*
*Dr. Asim assured him that required natural gas supply would be ensured for the projects*.

Sindh Chief Minister informed the meeting that the provincial government has provided Rs 5 billion for supply of natural gas to 1222 villages.

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## Cyberian

Salaam to all the Muslims,



Is the coal myth still alive?

Salaam to all the Muslims.


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## Mian H Amin.

well, we do have such reserves but thing is we are asking chiniese, us companies to mine it. and if you read contract, ultimately you wont even get 30% of those reserves ... thats why SC broke in and asked govt to cancel those contracts with chiniese and us companies to mine rekodic.. and govt had to cancel it...


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## Cyberian

Mian H Amin. said:


> well, we do have such reserves but thing is we are asking chiniese, us companies to mine it. and if you read contract, ultimately you wont even get 30% of those reserves ... thats why SC broke in and asked govt to cancel those contracts with chiniese and us companies to mine rekodic.. and govt had to cancel it...



Salaam to all the Muslims,



Seriously, if there were any proven huge reserves of coal in Pakistan, Chinese and the Americans wouldn't be asking Pakistan nicely, they would've just invaded the country by now. Therefore, I strongly believe the Pakistani Coal Reserve belief, so far is just a myth.

Salaam to all the Muslims.


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## Mian H Amin.

SUPARCO said:


> Seriously, if there were any proven huge reserves of coal in Pakistan, Chinese and the Americans wouldn't be asking Pakistan nicely, they would've just invaded the country by now.


well, you can say that but i doubt anyone will agree with you. because, its not as easy to invade Pakistan directly as you said it.


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## Cyberian

Thar coal project ready to kick-start
_Friday, March 15, 2013_

*KARACHI*: *Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) and government of Sindh broke ground on Thursday to mark the beginning of coal extraction project at Thar Coal block II.*

The Chief Minister of Sindh Qaim Ali Shah attended the groundbreaking ceremony along with senior management of Engro Corporation. 

SECMC is a joint venture between Engro Corporation and government of Sindh. SECMC has completed the feasibility study on Thar Coal project, confirming the technical, commercial and environmental viability of the project.

*All the required government approvals have been obtained and the Economic Co-ordination Committee (ECC) has approved $700 million sovereign guarantee for the project. The mining project, which will cost $1.3 billion is likely to start later this year and is expected to take less than four years for completion.*

Ali Ansari President and CEO Engro Corporation said, For over four decades Engro has been a part of Pakistans economic landscape sharing the various challenges and triumphs the country has offered. As a good corporate citizen, our investments in Thar Coal project today are a preliminary step towards building the capacity, which will foster a more developed and energy-efficient Pakistan. Investments in Thar Coal are not only the need of the hour but also make sound economic sense.

Shamsuddin Shaikh CEO Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company said Thar has an enormous energy potential. SECMCs Thar Block-2 can produce 4,000 megawatts (MW) for next 50 years. Total foreign exchange savings for 4,000 MW of Thar coal based power plants are estimated at more than $50 billion for life of the project.

The strategic investment and development of the Thar Coal Block II will not only help alleviate the chronic energy crisis of the country but also usher in a new era of prosperity for the people of Sindh and ultimately the people of Pakistan. The project will yield 4,000 new direct and indirect job opportunities for the local community.

SECMC applauded the support and efforts of Sindh government and reiterated its firm commitment to fulfill all its obligations in a timely manner, which would bring energy security to Pakistan and accelerate the industrial development in the country. staff report

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan


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## Cyberian

2 advisory boards on aviation, mining and coal formed
_Friday, March 15, 2013_

*ISLAMABAD*: *The Board of Investment (BoI) Executive Committee on Thursday constituted an advisory board on aviation, and mining and a separate advisory board on coal with provincial representation. The purpose of the constitution of the advisory boards was to update the existing policies to the new challenges and future needs so that these sectors could be made engine of economic growth in years to come. *

Finance Minister and BoI Chairman Senator Saleem H Mandviwalla headed the 2nd meeting of BoI&#8217;s Executive Committee.

All agenda items of the meeting were approved by the committee with complete consensus. The committee approved the creation of sector advisory board for aviation and Captain Aijaz Ali Faizi was nominated to jointly head it.

It was also decided that the advisory board on mining may also be constituted and Asian Energy Ventures Karachi Managing Partner M Waqas Mohsin to jointly head the energy sector.

It was also proposed to nominate the DGs from provinces from mining industry to be nominated in the advisory board for the representation of the government sector.

The executive committee jointly presented a request to the finance minister to constitute a separate advisory board on coal with the members from each province. The finance minister approved the request. staff report

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan


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## Cyberian

PSO, Engro sign MoU for Thar coal project
_Wednesday, April 03, 2013_







*KARACHI*: The Pakistan State Oil (PSO) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Engro Powergen Limited (EPL) to review the technical and economical feasibility of the Thar coal project. The MoU was signed between PSO CEO and MD Naeem Yahya Mir and Engro Corporation Limited President and CEO Muhammad Ali Ansari, according to statement issued by PSO on Tuesday.

This MoU has been signed keeping in view the fact that as coal is comparatively cheaper and easily available in comparison to other fuel sources, it has become the fuel of choice for developed nations across the world. Therefore, with an aim of responsibly providing for the rising energy needs of the country, PSO is exploring multiple investment opportunities in the energy sector with special emphasis on Thar Coal and intends to acquire 50 percent of EPL shares in Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) as part of this plan, statement stated. 

Speaking after the event, Mir said, &#8220;Through this MoU, two companies have combined their synergies to develop a self-reliant energy supply chain for the country. Indigenous fuel is our future and with the support and backing of the Sindh government we are taking steps to meet Pakistan&#8217;s energy needs in the years to come.&#8221; 

Echoing his sentiments, Ansari said, &#8220;This is a momentous occasion as both companies have joined hands for a project of national interest and one which will provide for the energy security of the next generation.&#8221; In his speech after the signing ceremony, Sindh Board of Investment Chairman Zubair Motiwalla stated, &#8220;The government of Sindh has been working tirelessly to meet the rising energy needs of the population and the decision to purchase 51 percent.&#8221;

Both PSO and Engro are in agreement that coal is the best possible indigenous fossil fuel resource for Pakistan and has the potential to address the country&#8217;s severe power shortage and bring energy security to the country. Through this project, not only will the energy chain be strengthened it will also generate extensive economic activity nationwide while developing Pakistan&#8217;s human capital through the execution and operation of state-of-the-art coal mining and coal-based power generation projects. Additionally by playing a lead role in developing this national resource, both companies will be able to strengthen their financial bottom line and expand further through downstream commercial projects based on Thar Coal. Both companies are of the opinion that this MoU will serve as the foundation for a mutually beneficial partnership, which will result in extensive benefits for future progress and prosperity of Pakistan, according to the statement. staff report

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan


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## Kompromat

Sindh Province to utilize Thar coal for generating and other applications
Engro, PSO to work jointly on Thar coal &#8211; The Express Tribune
Engro to start work on Thar coal project next month &#8211; The Express Tribune


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## Argus Panoptes

Aeronaut said:


> Sindh Province to utilize Thar coal for generating and other applications
> Engro, PSO to work jointly on Thar coal &#8211; The Express Tribune
> Engro to start work on Thar coal project next month &#8211; The Express Tribune



These are all "feel good" stories fed to and propagated by local press, with no scientific or technical feasibility of the claims made, Sir.

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## Argus Panoptes

Hassantahir97 said:


> Well According to this situation, all Pakistan need is only Plants of Coal Converter into Electricity. *Why not we do this*....



Because it is not easy and not cost-effective.

To use low grade Thar coal as a power source for thermal power plants requires a large investment in mining and transporting vast quantities of material.


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## fatman17

Total World Electricity Generation by Fuel (2009)

Source: IEA 2011

*Other includes solar, wind, combustible renewables, geothermal & waste

Modern life is unimaginable without electricity. It lights houses, buildings, streets, provides domestic and industrial heat, and powers most equipment used in homes, offices and machinery in factories. Improving access to electricity worldwide is critical to alleviating poverty.

Coal plays a vital role in electricity generation worldwide. Coal-fired power plants currently fuel 41% of global electricity. In some countries, coal fuels a higher percentage of electricity.

Coal in Electricity Generation 
South Africa 93%
Poland 87% 
PR China 79% 
Australia 78% 
Kazakhstan 75% 
India 68% 
Israel 58% 
Czech Rep 51% 
Morocco 51% 
Greece 54% 
USA 45% 
Germany 41% 

Source: IEA 2012

How is Coal Converted to Electricity?

Steam coal, also known as thermal coal, is used in power stations to generate electricity.

Coal is first milled to a fine powder, which increases the surface area and allows it to burn more quickly. In these pulverised coal combustion (PCC) systems, the powdered coal is blown into the combustion chamber of a boiler where it is burnt at high temperature. The hot gases and heat energy produced converts water &#8211; in tubes lining the boiler &#8211; into steam.


The high pressure steam is passed into a turbine containing thousands of propeller-like blades. The steam pushes these blades causing the turbine shaft to rotate at high speed. A generator is mounted at one end of the turbine shaft and consists of carefully wound wire coils. Electricity is generated when these are rapidly rotated in a strong magnetic field. After passing through the turbine, the steam is condensed and returned to the boiler to be heated once again.

The electricity generated is transformed into the higher voltages (up to 400,000 volts) used for economic, efficient transmission via power line grids. When it nears the point of consumption, such as our homes, the electricity is transformed down to the safer 100-250 voltage systems used in the domestic market.

Efficiency Improvements
Improvements continue to be made in conventional PCC power station design and new combustion technologies are being developed. These allow more electricity to be produced from less coal - known as improving the thermal efficiency of the power station. Efficiency gains in electricity generation from coal-fired power stations will play a crucial part in reducing CO2 emissions at a global level.

Efficiency improvements include the most cost-effective and shortest lead time actions for reducing emissions from coal-fired power generation. This is particularly the case in developing countries where existing power plant efficiencies are generally lower and coal use in electricity generation is increasing. Not only do higher efficiency coal-fired power plants emit less carbon dioxide per megawatt (MW), they are also more suited to retrofitting with CO2 capture systems.

Improving the efficiency of pulverised coal-fired power plants has been the focus of considerable efforts by the coal industry. There is huge scope for achieving significant efficiency improvements as the existing fleet of power plants are replaced over the next 10-20 years with new, higher efficiency supercritical and ultra-supercritical plants and through the wider use of Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) systems for power generation.

A one percentage point improvement in the efficiency of a conventional pulverised coal combustion plant results in a 2-3% reduction in CO2 emissions.


where do we stand...? all talk.....no action.....


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## Argus Panoptes

fatman17 said:


> ............
> 
> 
> where do we stand...? *all talk.....no action*.....



Well said Sir.

All talk and no action means lots of loadshedding will continue.


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## niaz

First an article on Thar Coal.


Rescuing Thar coal


Syed Mohibullah Shah
Wednesday, June 12, 2013 
From Print Edition

Even as Pakistan's energy woes worsened - causing industries to shutdown, piling miseries upon people - the cheap and abundant solution to its energy problems languished and seemed lost in the wilderness. Many years and billions of rupees down the road, neither has a single ton of coal been mined from the much talked about Thar coalfields nor a single bulb been powered from one of the largest energy sources in the world.

Why such a state of affairs has persisted for so many years has puzzled everybody with no satisfactory explanation coming forth. A simple power-generation project, using time-tested technology, saw its technical and financial end within 18 months of its marketing in 1996. For the last ten years, however, coal-based power generation from Thar coalfields has been marred by confusion and conflicting interests making its ultimate takeoff even more difficult than before.

Before more problems emerge, the Thar coalfields need to be rescued from inertia and measures taken so that affordable and abundant power can be produced for the energy-starved Pakistan.

The country has been suffering from power outages for many years but a crisis-like situation has persisted during the last five. Endless loadshedding has disrupted the lives of millions of people, strangulating the economy, forcing the rupee to lose 40 percent value in five years as our reliance on back-breaking foreign energy sources increased.

The worst energy crisis witnessed during the last five years not only inflicted immense suffering upon the people and the economy, but it also played an important role in bringing down the government and practically wiping out the largest political party from most of the country. The former government paid this price, even though the solution to the problem was staring them right in the face, in the shape of the Thar coalfields from which cheap and abundant power could have started coming on stream within three years!

It is a sad state of affairs especially for a leadership whose own leader Benazir Bhutto, laid the foundation stone of the Thar coal power project at Keti Bandar in 1996 and whose details and documentation were also available for a quick update to deliver on that promise.

Nevertheless, the permanent solution to our national energy crisis lies nowhere else but in Thar coal. One example may suffice to illustrate this. If Pakistan produces 100,000 MWs of power from Thar coal and keeps producing this amount for the next 100 years, it would have consumed only one-fourth of the coal reserves at Thar! Compare that with our total installed capacity today &#8211; from all sources of power generation of less than 20,000 MWs.

Three things are essential if Thar coal is to deliver its potential. First, let us not reinvent the wheel. Coal-based power generation is simple, time-tested, labour intensive and intermediate technology used all over the world for over 150 years (now with reduced carbon emissions). There is no need to keep experimenting with fancy ideas and no need to move away from direct conversion of coal into electricity.

Second, we should design and market the Thar coal power project worldwide, for direct investment by genuine and reputed private power producers and not be taken in by fly-by-night operators. Our mountain of public debt should put an end to any wishful thinking of spending more public funds on this account.

Third, like too many cooks spoiling the broth, the Thar coal power generation has suffered from pulling and pushing by several clueless cooks who have gatecrashed the kitchen to look after their own interests. A lot of time and resources have gone into secondary and tertiary works, while the core issue of mining coal and generating power from it has been pushed to the back-burner.

If such a course of events is followed, the first 1000 MWs of coal-based power would come on stream within three years of signing. Thereafter, another 1000-1500 MWs would continue to be added every 18 months to balance the demand and supply position and then go on to meet any rising demand for as long as the nation needs.

For immediate relief from massive loadshedding, it is good to pay-off the backlog of circular debt to get the wheels moving again. Simultaneously, tough reforms are needed to cut down massive power thefts continued under various euphemistic labels to reduce the gap between installed capacity and what is delivered to the consumers.

But the circular debt is merely a symptom &#8211; one of the several &#8211; not the cause of persistent power outages which lies deeply embedded in our unaffordable energy paradigm. Because of an irrational energy mix, the electricity rates in our country are already among the highest charged anywhere in the world. And matter of circular debt will keep coming up until the energy mix in the country is rationalised by letting coal contribute to more than 50 percent of power generation &#8211; like many other countries &#8211; to provide affordable energy to the people of a low income country like Pakistan.

Unexplained delays and failure to generate power from the Thar coalfields for several years have raised concerns in the minds of some people, who have often questioned why power generation from these reserves is not coming on stream even when the nation has been passing through its worst energy crisis for several years.

Various excuses have been given to cover up the real causes of failure that need to be put in proper perspective:

&#8226; Thar coal reserves are not large enough to build high hopes on it.

Wrong. The GSP report &#8211; with technical assistance from the US Geological Survey &#8211; of 175 billion tons is more credible than any individual guesstimates.

&#8226; Thar coal has higher sulphur content, therefore, it is not fit for power generation.

Wrong again. Several countries &#8211; including China, India and even the US have been using coal with much higher sulphur content for power generation for decades.

&#8226; Thar coal has high water content, which makes it unfit for power generation.

Wrong. The 40 percent water content in Thar coal is, in fact, a blessing in disguise for the people living in the Thar Desert. I have visited several power plants run on coal in other countries, where the water content in the coal is extracted, filtered and used for human consumption and agricultural purposes.

All of which further highlight the national urgency of generating coal-based power. There is nothing wrong with Thar coal and it can generate cheap, abundant and affordable power for Pakistan for the next 400 years. All it needs is a rescue in the shape of an independent Thar coal energy board to start delivering on its great potential for Pakistan.

The writer, as head of BOI, helped develop the 5200MW Thar coal private investment power project at Keti Bandar.Email: smshah@alum.mit.edu


Rescuing Thar coal - Syed Mohibullah Shah


The author is correct in all of his statements. For example per 2010 figures power generation structure of Germany was:

42.4% from coal (of which 23.7% was from lignite and 18.7 % from hard coal), 22.6 % from nuclear, 13.6 % from natural gas, 16.5 % from renewable energy sources and 4.9% from other sources. 

Thus lignite is a good fuel for power generation. However the author deliberately ignored to mention what is required before lignite can be used as power source. First you need to invest in huge open pit mining operation to extract lignite. Secondly, before any industrial use, lignite must be dried. Nature has given lignite very high moisture content which is bound by capillaries. This stored moisture aggravates lignite combustion. In view of the high moisture content, drying is an energy-intensive process. One of the latest methods involves pre-drying lignite in a fluidized bed drying process using hot flue gasses from the power plant. The moisture can be condensed to make potable water. 

Even a small drying plant based at the power plant itself will add about $50 to $60-million to the cost of the power plant. Let us not ignore the investment in the power plant itself. With FDI dried up, most of the investment has to be financed from the state funds.

Every sane & rational person would like to see Thar coal utilised for the benefit of the people and the country, however, this requires lot of investment & would take a minimum of 2 to 3 years. I find it irritating when highly educated and knowledgeable persons only mention partial truth to prove their point. I call it intellectual dishonesty.

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## Jango

niaz said:


> Every sane & rational person would like to see Thar coal utilised for the benefit of the people and the country, however, this requires lot of investment & would a minimum of 2 to 3 years. I find it irritating when highly educated and knowledgeable persons only mention partial truth to prove their point. I call it intellectual dishonesty.



In the end, it is not impossible but difficult...right sir?

Can we expect foreign investors to get some confidence a year or so down the line? Maybe the Saudi friends can help Mr Nawaz Sharif?


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## Argus Panoptes

nuclearpak said:


> *In the end, it is not impossible but difficult*...right sir?
> 
> Can we expect foreign investors to get some confidence a year or so down the line? Maybe the Saudi friends can help Mr Nawaz Sharif?



Nothing is impossible. 

It will take a lot of money and effort to utilize Thar coal, given its many limitations. Large scale open pit mining, transportation to power generation plants, preparation of the fuel, and dealing with the environmental issues including sulfur, ash and acid rain, are all issues that can be solved. It will take a properly managed program to achieve, but the real question is whether we can do it.

Of course, after all that, the power produced has to be affordable by the consumers given the many other choices that will compete as energy sources.


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## T90TankGuy

This thread was started 4 yrs ago , no action yet but people seem to still be hopeful.


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## Jango

Argus Panoptes said:


> Nothing is impossible.
> 
> It will take a lot of money and effort to utilize Thar coal, given its many limitations. Large scale open pit mining, transportation to power generation plants, preparation of the fuel, and dealing with the environmental issues including sulfur, ash and acid rain, are all issues that can be solved. It will take a properly managed program to achieve, but the real question is whether we can do it.
> 
> Of course, after all that, the power produced has to be affordable by the consumers given the many other choices that will compete as energy sources.



After all, other countries are also doing it and open pit mining isn't a new concept, nor is drying of coal or any of the associated processes.

The current state machinery though, such as Railways is in a dire condition, the FDI is not all that great...but in a couple of years time, this does seem a viable project considering Nawaz Sharif lives up to the hype.


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## Argus Panoptes

nuclearpak said:


> After all, other countries are also doing it and open pit mining isn't a new concept, nor is drying of coal or any of the associated processes.
> 
> The current state machinery though, such as Railways is in a dire condition, the FDI is not all that great...but in a couple of years time, *this does seem a viable project* considering Nawaz Sharif lives up to the hype.



The viability is not a given. Please read this line I posted again earlier:


Of course, *after all that, the power produced has to be affordable by the consumers* given the many other choices that will compete as energy sources.

Source: http://www.defence.pk/forums/econom...ves-discovered-pakistan-18.html#ixzz2W0HklcxC


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## Ayush

thoda india bhi bhej dena.. @Aeronaut


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## niaz

Lignite is in plentiful supply in most countries meaning that poor countries have access to it too. Therefore for emerging nations like China, India and Brazil and also for Pakistan, there is really no other alternative. 

Arguments for and against lignite have been raging in Germany for decades. Nevertheless in 2010, there were 22 coal or lignite based power plants currently under construction or in detailed planning in Germany, due to start up in the period 2010 -2015. These plants will have a combined capacity of 24,800 MW and emit almost 150 Million tonnes CO2 per year which would be very bad for the global warming. However when it comes to electricity requirement, green lobby always loses out.

Leaving hydroelectric generation aside, Pakistanis do not have sufficient indigenous gas or oil to produce electricity. Thus we must depend upon imported fuel, either LNG or furnace oil or upon nuclear power and other non-conventional sources. 

I keep reading a lot about non-conventional sources by people who have little or zero knowledge of power production. By all means go for all non-conventional & renewable sources but remember that solar power only works in daylight, when wind is not blowing windmill will not produce electricity. Therefore for uninterrupted electric supply, base load must be from normal conventional sources such as hydroelectric, nuclear or fossil fuels. 

Currently Pakistan is spending about $12-$14-billion annually on crude & products import that is 50% of total export target. Even if the economy grows at a modest 5% per annum; in the absence of any new discoveries of oil & gas structures, we could be spending almost 80% of our total foreign exchange earnings on importation of oil & gas. This does not leave much for other essential imports. Are we prepared to accept such a scenario?

Most new coal/lignite fire plants would base on pulverised coal to produce steam which is an efficient system. Basically raw coal is crushed into fine particles in the coal before being injected into the furnace. Flue gases with a temperature of up to 1,450 °C from the pulverized fuel being burnt generate high-pressure and high-temperature steam. The superheated steam (about 550 deg C) is directed into a turbine which turns the turbine shaft connected to the electricity generator. Additionally, to be fair to future Pakistani generations, we must include removal of Nitrogen oxides, flue gas desulphurization system, and electrostatic precipitators in the new power plant. 

As a very rough guide about 30 to 35% of the fuel cost makes up the total production cost of electric generation, rest being manpower, plant maintenance & depreciation. A pulverised coal fired steam plan may not be as efficient as gas fired combined cycle plant, but since local resource would be used as fuel;it would save a lot of foreign exchange. 

Per the oil Minister&#8217;s statement, power from imported coal would cost about Rs 8/- per unit, Thar coal being available locally should provide even cheaper power. Additionally there is security of supply as importation cannot be disrupted during the period of hostilities. 

Personally I am all for the Thar coal development. My earlier post was only meant to highlight the fact that a lot of writers only reveal part truth to make their point. In my view there is no need for this deception. Pakistan needs to produce electricity & as soon as possible. Pakistani public must be made aware that life sucks and if you want electricity, you need funds to build the plant and the consuming public has to pay for it thru taxation.

Internationally, a coal fired plant costs about $3000 per KW. Thus a 500 MW (500,000 KW) would cost about $1.5-billion. However in the Pakistani scenario manpower & labour costs are a lot less, nevertheless a 500 MW plant should still cost close to $1-billion and would take about 18 months to 2 years to complete.

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## Jango

@niaz sir, recently on TV shows and in the budget discussions, the PML representatives were still talking about coal gasification rather than open pit mining and direct transportation. Shouldn't gasification project be buried for good?


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## niaz

nuclearpak said:


> @niaz sir, recently on TV shows and in the budget discussions, the PML representatives were still talking about coal gasification rather than open pit mining and direct transportation. Shouldn't gasification project be buried for good?



Uderground coal gassification in altogether a different project and only one block has been allocated to it. Understand the existing project encountered some under ground water problems. However main reason why the project has been stalled is lack of allocation of funds. 

UCG is a new technology and many scientists & engineers in Pakistan are not convinced that it will work. Primary reason as to why funds were not released is because many in the Ministry of Finance consider funds for UCG as money down the drain. I have faith in Dr Mubarakmand. I am convinced that he and his team will eventually overcome the underground acquifer problem. 

In my humble opinion we should not abondon this project but for the energy starved Pakistan, I would hedge my bets and would give open pit mining top priority.

Open pit mining is one of most common mining procedure for lignite. This is basically making a very big hole in the ground and digging out the lignite with machine operated shovel & bucket.


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## Argus Panoptes

niaz said:


> .............
> 
> Internationally, a coal fired plant costs about $3000 per KW. Thus a 500 MW (500,000 KW) would cost about $1.5-billion.* However in the Pakistani scenario manpower & labour costs are a lot less*, nevertheless a 500 MW plant should still cost close to $1-billion and would take about 18 months to 2 years to complete.



In the Pakistan scenario, the manpower and labor costs will be less, but still the overall project for a 500MW plant could easily take $5 billion and 15 years to construct, if you take into account all the other factors typical to our way of doing things.


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## patentneer

Question:

Urgently speaking, why not import electricity from neibhbours Iran, China or India?

Emergency, times are tough, no.


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## W.11

Mining for Thar coal to begin in first quarter of 2014 - Express Tribune







KARACHI: 
With all the disruption and delays in the development of Thar coal, the Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) is nonetheless confident that it can kick off mining activity in Thar during the first three months of 2014, saying that it is &#8220;now or never&#8221;.
While presenting the Sindh Budget 2013-14 on Monday, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah &#8211; who holds multiple portfolios, including the province&#8217;s finance ministry &#8211; said that the provincial government will continue to invest in Thar coal as it is the most reliable future source of energy for Sindh and for Pakistan.
Reiterating his commitment to develop the Thar coal reserves, Shah said that the groundbreaking ceremony of the SECMC &#8211; a joint venture between Engro Corporation, one of the biggest conglomerates operating in Pakistan, and the Government of Sindh &#8211; is expected in January 2014.

&#8220;It [the groundbreaking ceremony] will be conducted by January 2014 or maximum by March 2014, but it has to be in the first quarter of next year,&#8221; Shamsuddin Sheikh, SECMC CEO, told The Express Tribune. &#8220;There is immense pressure on us from the Sindh government as well as the federal government to start this project. We know it is now or never.&#8221;
Dismissing any impressions that there will be further delays, Sheikh said the project is a unique mining project in Pakistan, which needs sovereign guarantees from the government to kick off. &#8220;Now that we have a sovereign guarantee of $700 million, we are confident that things will move fast in the right direction in the coming months,&#8221; he said.

Industry officials say that the biggest hurdle for the SECMC has been financing, because lenders were hesitant after the government fell short in its sovereign commitments to independent power producers.
In his budget speech, Shah also mentioned that the sovereign guarantee will help in overcoming financial problems, but he still requested further support from the federal government. Even if the SECMC starts mining from January next year, it will take at least 3.5-4 years to produce the first megawatt of power from Thar coal.
The Sindh government has allocated Rs12 billion for fiscal 2014 for the development of Thar coal, up 16% from last year&#8217;s Rs10.1 billion.
Disagreeing with analysts who say that Rs12 billion is not enough, Sheikh said that the amount will be sufficient since the Sindh government only has to take care of infrastructure development in the area.
&#8220;It is wrong to say that nothing has been done [so far] to develop infrastructure in Thar. A lot of work has been done to build roads and maintain the infrastructure, especially in the last few months,&#8221; Sheikh said, when questioned about the slow progress of development in the vicinity of the mines.
&#8220;You can gauge the interest of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Thar coal, as he asked our team to give him a detailed presentation on Thar coal development even before the general elections,&#8221; he said; adding that Sharif pressed the SECMC to swiftly complete mining so that Pakistan can resolve the energy crisis and reduce its dependence on expensive fuel imports.
With all the support of the provincial and the federal governments behind it, Sheikh feels confident that the company will move fast in the future. &#8220;We know Pakistan has no other reliable energy option other than Thar coal,&#8221; he stressed.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 19th, 2013.


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## muse

> Industry officials say that the biggest hurdle for the SECMC has been financing, because lenders were hesitant after the government fell short in its sovereign commitments to independent power producers.




Should power producers be able to sell their production directly to the consumer without the the govt in the middle?


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## Bobby

Pakistan may have huge coal reserve ...but India has the biggest in the world

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## W.11

muse said:


> Should power producers be able to sell their production directly to the consumer without the the govt in the middle?



semi private investment should be encourgaed


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## Kompromat

Bobby said:


> Pakistan may have huge coal reserve ...but India has the biggest in the world



Anyone talking about India here?


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## muse

W.11 said:


> semi private investment should be encourgaed



You like govt ownership of part of the power producers? If yes, WHY? Why do you want the govt in the middle of what is essentially a business transaction between the producers, distributors and consumer - Shouldn't govt role be that of regulator?


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## W.11

muse said:


> You like govt ownership of part of the power producers? If yes, WHY? Why do you want the govt in the middle of what is essentially a business transaction between the producers, distributors and consumer - Shouldn't govt role be that of regulator?



my dear its very common even in UK, national rail is semi privatised

it keeps the private companies in check from taking extra undue advantage from the consumer

personally i think that the national resource of a country belongs to its people and not owned by a person


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## muse

W.11 said:


> my dear its very common even in UK, national rail is semi privatised
> 
> it keeps the private companies in check from taking extra undue advantage from the consumer
> 
> personally i think that the national resource of a country belongs to its people and not owned by a person




And how is my private investment a national resource? You give the example of UK like it was heaven or the way it is supposed to be - and you are quite mistaken that Govt is involved to not allow prducers from taking "extra advantage" of consumers, after all are also going to suggest that govt should be part owner in the clothing business, in the grocery business, after all, to stop these business from taking "extra advantage" ? 

See, if govt is not involved then power producers and distributors have to compete for your business, the cost to you goes down - just like a PIA ticket cost more than private airline ticket - govt does not protect you from business, govt is supposed to regulate, competition protects you.


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## Kompromat

*World's institutions endorse quality of Thar Coal: Motiwala

June 20, 2013 RECORDER REPORT*

*Chairman Sindh Board of Investment Muhammad Zubair Motiwala said the world's renowned institutions recognised quality of huge reserves at Thar Coal. He was speaking at Clean Coal Forum 2013 held at Beijing, China. In his keynote address, Chairman SBI explained the international audience about current development projects in Thar, Sindh, to increase access and develop infrastructure for increased participation of local and foreign investors. These include development of Airport, which is expected to be functional till December. *

He said that re-strengthening of road heading from Karachi to Thar on specification of 70kms load bearing capacity, improvement of water scheme, establishment of effluent treatment plants, upgrading of grid for evacuation of power, development of reverse osmosis plants and many other development projects are also in development programme. 

They also clarified all misconceptions about Thar Coal. He said that Coal contributes 41 percent of total generation capacity of the world; however, it only constitutes 0.1 percent in Pakistan. 

Chairman further clarified that the specifications of coal reserves available at Thar Coal are duly certified by RWE of Germany, M/s Shenhua of China, Mangolian Institute, United States Geological Survey, etc. He also presented comparisons with world as well as country to country basis. Thar lignite has a stripping ratio of 6:1, heating value of 11-12 MJ/Kg, Ash 7%, Moisture 45-47% and Sulphur 0.9-1.3%. This lignite is suitable for Power Generation and other uses. 

As a consequence, many of participating companies have committed to visit Pakistan and Thar and a few of companies are also willing to participate in next international bidding. Muhammad Motiwala instilled that Coal is the only solution to resolve Pakistan's Energy crisis. Pakistan has no option and Government of Pakistan, both Federal and provincial should apply all its efforts to explore Thar Coal to overcome energy crisis of Pakistan. He added that Thar Coal resources have an estimated potential of generating 100,000MW of electricity for a period of 300 years; thus, providing an opportunity for large scale mining and power generation over a long period of time. However, according to estimates, if we start today then it will require minimum 31/2 years from today for sand evacuation only. So decision today will be better than taking decision tomorrow. 

Chairman SBI informed that Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) is a jointly managed company by Government of Sindh and private sector. This company is near its financial close. However, few of guarantees like sovereign guarantee for mining and power plant of GENCO are still in pipeline. Looking at seriousness of Federal Government, it is advisable that they should come up with trigger to explore this most important resource of Pakistan. It is matter of ownership and commitment which is required. Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC), Department of Coal and Energy Development Department, Government of Sindh and Sindh Board of Investment participated and represent Pakistan at the event.-PR 

World's institutions endorse quality of Thar Coal: Motiwala | Business Recorder

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## W.11

muse said:


> And how is my private investment a national resource? You give the example of UK like it was heaven or the way it is supposed to be - and you are quite mistaken that Govt is involved to not allow prducers from taking "extra advantage" of consumers, after all are also going to suggest that govt should be part owner in the clothing business, in the grocery business, after all, to stop these business from taking "extra advantage" ?
> 
> See, if govt is not involved then power producers and distributors have to compete for your business, the cost to you goes down - just like a PIA ticket cost more than private airline ticket - govt does not protect you from business, govt is supposed to regulate, competition protects you.



we have experience with KESC so please dont teach me something

semi privitased because government will also earn through it and it will regulate the prices and keep check and balance

any national resource is a public property it shouldnt be sold to any buyer to be misused in any way

selling some national resource solely means monopoly of one person which cant be challanged by any public authority

their monopoly on revenues and income


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## Edevelop

Bobby said:


> Pakistan may have huge coal reserve ...but India has the biggest in the world





Obviously because we are in the same region and your country is 6x bigger than us.


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## Argus Panoptes

Aeronaut said:


> *..............
> 
> Chairman further clarified that the specifications of coal reserves available at Thar Coal are duly certified by RWE of Germany, M/s Shenhua of China, Mangolian Institute, United States Geological Survey, etc. He also presented comparisons with world as well as country to country basis. Thar lignite has a stripping ratio of 6:1, heating value of 11-12 MJ/Kg, Ash 7%, Moisture 45-47% and Sulphur 0.9-1.3%. This lignite is suitable for Power Generation and other uses....................]*


*

This original report by John T. Boyd Co. makes for good reading:

http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNABU472.pdf




2.8
The total in-place seam resources within the study area are estimated to be 19.7 billion tonnes. The associated in-place stripping ratio for the resource is 5.6:1 (bank cubic meters of overburden/interburden : in-place seam tonne). The average cumulative coal zone thickness for the study area is 23 meters.
2.9
Based on available hydrogeological reports for the region and BOYD supervised pumping tests, the coal-bearing formation contains a significant aquifer above Seam Zone A, occasional aquifers between Seam Zones B and C, and a large aquifer below the Seam Zone C. All aquifers in the coal formation are under pressure. Water volumes vary depending on the aquifer. Field conductivity tests indice.te that all aquifers tested are brackish.
2.10
The estimated quantity and in-seam resources within the study area are:
quality
(dry basis) of the
lignite
Seam Zone Designation A B C Average
Estimated In-Place Seam Tonnes (millions) 3,699 10,807 5,200 19,706
Ash M 21.54 18.22 16.85 18.48
Average In-Seam Quality (dry basis) Volatile Fixed Calorific Matter Carbon Sulfur Value (%) (%) (%) (Btu/Ib) 47.38 31.08 3.37 9,780 49.65 32.13 2.72 10,380 49.94 33.21 1.41 10,420 49.30 32.22 2.50 10,280
Additional drilling is recommended to identify poorer quality areas in Seam Zone A as well as to obtain samples for more detailed coal quality testing.

Click to expand...


as does this update by the World Energy Council:

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/sol...iness/electricity/survey_energy_resources.pdf




Pakistan

Proved recoverable reserves (total coal, million tonnes) = 2 265
Production (total coal, million tonnes, 1999) = 3.3

The republic&#8217;s coal resources appear to be substantial: The Geological Survey of Pakistan (GSP)
gives measured resources as 3 775 million tonnes, with indicated resources of a further 12 124
million tonnes, inferred resources of 87 366 and hypothetical resources as 81 391 million tonnes,
as at June 30, 1999. The Pakistan WEC Member Committee considers that 60% of the measured
resources should be regarded as proved recoverable reserves.

The discovery of a huge coalfield in the Thar Desert of eastern Sindh province transformed the
country&#8217;s coal resources and Thar now contributes 84% of the measured reserves. Under the
auspices of an USAID programme which began in 1985, the field was located in the 1980&#8217;s; in the
early 1990&#8217;s a drilling programme largely confirmed its extent.

Since issuing the end-June 1997 data quoted in the 1998 WEC Survey, the GSP has reassessed
the allocation of the Thar coal field&#8217;s resource base, increasing its measured resources
by 36%, indicated resources by 61% and inferred resources by 30%; overall some 24 billion
tonnes have been transferred out of the "hypothetical" category, whilst maintaining the level of
total resources.

Notwithstanding its massive potential, Pakistan&#8217;s coal production in recent years has been only
about 3-3.5 million tonnes per annum. About half is currently produced in the western province of
Balochistan; no Thar coal is produced at present.

Small tonnages of indigenous coal are used for electricity generation and by households, but by
far the largest portion is used to fire brick-kilns. Just over 1 million tonnes of Australian coking
coal is imported each year for use in the iron and steel industry.

Click to expand...

*


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## muse

W.11 said:


> we have experience with KESC so please dont teach me something
> 
> semi privitased because government will also earn through it and it will regulate the prices and keep check and balance
> 
> any national resource is a public property it shouldnt be sold to any buyer to be misused in any way
> 
> selling some national resource solely means monopoly of one person which cant be challanged by any public authority
> 
> their monopoly on revenues and income



It's really unfortunate that you do not understand how things work - you say you have experience with KESC and it monopolistic behavior - precisely, it's because there is only KESC and no competition

See, do you really imagine that govt is hearing you and not a business that can bring to bear politival pressure and $$$???

Govt's regulate, but onsumer behavior and competition is a major determinate of prices onsumers are charged - with competition, if you don't like what company A offers you can choose company B and if a couple of months down the line you don't like the price of company B, you can choose company C or A.

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## Kompromat

cb4 said:


> Obviously because we are in the same region and your country is 6x bigger than us.



He is just bragging, the US and Australia have the largest coal reserves in the world. This reserve in Pakistan is the largest in the world in a single geographic location.


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## Edevelop

Aeronaut said:


> He is just bragging, the US and Australia have the largest coal reserves in the world. This reserve in Pakistan is the largest in the world in a single geographic location.



In our case it is 180 million people and the resources stand enough. Going by distribution of resources India holds world's 2nd largest population in the world at 1.2 billion and has the potential to face more problems. Maybe not much in Coal but they are specifically facing acute shortage of Water and Gas

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## Kompromat

Thar coal offers cheap Pakistan Business


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## Argus Panoptes

Aeronaut said:


> Thar coal offers cheap Pakistan Business



Notice how it is all self-aggrandizement with no proper verification of the claims made by someone with no real knowledge of the subject:

Thar coal offers cheap
26 June, 2013


ISLAMABAD: The* Islamabad Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IWCCI) on Tuesday said precious resource of Thar coal is lying unexploited* due to need of coordinated efforts therefore the government should consider establishing a Coal Ministry to exploit its potential.

The 175 billion tonnes of coal, sixth largest in the world, was discovered 23 years back that could not be put to work so far despite the fact that it can meet the country's and neighbouring nations fuel requirements for centuries, it said.

Pakistan has emerged as one of the leading countries, seventh in the list of top 20 countries of the world after the discovery of huge lignite coal resources which must be exploited,* said IWCCI President Farida Rashid.*

Speaking to business community, she said that countries have lesser coal than Pakistan have coal ministries, which ensure smooth flow of things.

Different federal and provincial departments, warring over petty matters, have only wasted time and funds to make the situation worst casting a dark shadow on the future of the country, she said.

She noted that despite decades of efforts, Pakistan is yet to claim any success on coal front therefore it should find an alternative solution to find support of other countries.

Ms Rashid said that coal has met nearly half of the rise in global energy demand over the last decade, growing faster even than total renewables while there are 1,004 billion tonnes of coal reserves left which is equivalent to 130 years of global output.

Coal use in India continues to rise and by 2025 it will overtake the United States as the world's second-largest user meaning that it will need to import more coal while Thar coal may be most economical for her.

Currently India imports coal from Indonesia, South Africa and Australia to satisfy annual deficit of 204 million tonnes.

According to World Coal Association, presently India is producing around 585 million tonnes of coal while importing 105 million tonnes and exporting nothing.

Converting captive power plants on coal may settle gas crisis while conversion of state-run power plants can resolve issue of budget deficit.

Pakistan's economy's steady drift towards collapse can be averted if a powerful coal ministry or a regulatory authority is established, she said.

Ms Rashid termed statement of Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Thar coal and Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline Project highly encouraging.

End.


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## Nishan_101

I am sure there are some open Coal Reserve in Balochistan from which it can supply electricity to Balochistan and also in there in Punjab some coal reserve which needs to be utilized...


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## F-16 Viper

They got to utilize it in the correct manner... I am not surprised because its Allah's blessings to Pakistanis...


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## niaz

Just heard on TV that Minister of Petroleum said that proposed 6000 Power Generating Complex at Gadani will based on imported coal and that Thar Coal cannot be used as fuel for power generation. 

It appears that our so called 85-billion ton coal deposit will remain under ground for ever. Our hopes for future riches from Thar Coal down the drain!!!


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## Argus Panoptes

niaz said:


> Just heard on TV that Minister of Petroleum said that proposed 6000 Power Generating Complex at Gadani will based on imported coal and that *Thar Coal cannot be used as fuel for power generation. *
> 
> It appears that our so called 85-billion ton coal deposit will remain under ground for ever. Our hopes for future riches from Thar Coal down the drain!!!



Our Thar coal is simply of too poor a quality to be used for power generation, all 85 billions tons of it. The hopes attached to Thar coal were always a mirage.


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## W.11

__ https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=669800653049760


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## Kompromat

KARACHI: Mining has been started at Thar coal site; The Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) has started mining in Thar block 2.

It has been estimated that 175 billion ton lignite existence on the site which is equal to collective reservoir of oil of Saudi Arabia and Iran. It is estimated that as many as 0.1 million mw electricity can be produce from the reservoir for 200 years. The reservoir of Coal has been discovered in 1991 by geological survey of Pakistan and United States Agency for International development.

Thar coal mining commences after two decades | The News Tribe

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## Black Eagle 90

Aeronaut said:


> KARACHI: Mining has been started at Thar coal site; The Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) has started mining in Thar block 2.
> 
> It has been estimated that 175 billion ton lignite existence on the site which is equal to collective reservoir of oil of Saudi Arabia and Iran. It is estimated that as many as 0.1 million mw electricity can be produce from the reservoir for 200 years. The reservoir of Coal has been discovered in 1991 by geological survey of Pakistan and United States Agency for International development.
> 
> Thar coal mining commences after two decades | The News Tribe


Nice and they should be provided with complete security and other needed requirements.


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## ziaulislam

thar coal quality is low but still can be used for power generation, however the intial capital investment required is large due to three reasons.
1. setting integrated coal -power plants is always expensive as minig cost is higgh intailly
2. lack of infrastructure 
3. lack of water and transmission lines.

so far other than engro and one chinese company we are seeing nothing, engro is having difficulty in raising capital,
govt is ready to bail out billions for PIA but not ready for capital injection with engro.

*all credit goes to sindh govt and PPPP here in this case*


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## Kompromat

*SECMC allays fears on Thar coal quality*
The Newspaper's Staff Correspondent
Updated about 5 hours ago
Comment
Print
HYDERABAD: Thar’s coal is not of inferior quality as its sulphur content is better than most coals, which is why it is attracting investment from various sectors, said Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) on Saturday.

Talking to journalists on Saturday, SECMC’s CEO Shamsuddin A Shaikh said Thar’s is a brown coal which is considered younger coal and used everywhere for production.

As for the production, he said the SECMC would establish eight power plants with four of 330MW of electricity each by mid 2019. “First power plant will be there by end of December 2017 followed by second in mid 2018.”

The SECMC, a joint venture of the Sindh government and Engro Corporation set up to exploit the huge Thar coal reserves to produce cheap power, is going to spend two to three per cent (Rs3 billion) of total project’s cost of $1.8bn (Rs180bn). Mr Shaikh said 20 million tonnes of coal would be used every year to produce energy.

The project is part of public-private partnership for which sovereignty guarantee had been issued by the government. “The joint equity of Sindh government and the SECMC is 25pc and the remaining 75pc is the debt. Of this 75pc, 85pc is to be financed by China while the remaining 15pc will be borrowed from local banks,” he said.

Sindh government’s share is 51pc and SECMC’s is 49pc and more companies would contribute to it, he said.

Pakistan, he said, has 7th largest coal deposits but uses only 0.1pc of it. In comparison, India uses 550m tonnes of coal, of which 450m tonnes are of its own and the rest is imported.

He feared that if Pakistan remains dependent on imported fuel for energy production then by 2030 $50bn would have to be spent on oil. Heating value of Thar coal (175bn tonnes) is equivalent to that of Iran and Saudi Arabia’s heating value of oil combined.

“One per cent of coal will produce 5000MW of energy for 50 years,” he said. Out of 12 blocks, the SECMC is given block-II which has 2bn tonnes of coal but only 1.57bn tonnes of it would be used.

He said that coal is available at 135 metre depth underneath soil in this block. There are three underground aquifers and barring first one, which is discontinuous aquifer, the remaining are entirely brackish. He said 95-98pc of water is underneath coal.

Hydrological mapping is to be done for it and this water would be used for cooling in the plant and for the community after treatment. The good thing, he said, is that seam of the coal is very thick.

He said that brackish water would be diverted toward salty lakes in Rann of Kutch and afterwards water would be treated in reverse osmosis plants. Villagers would be provided water resource first. “We will get 30 cusecs of underground water and after treatment we will get 20 cusecs and remaining 30 cusecs would be achieved through LBOD [Left Bank Outfall Drain] after treatment to make for a total of 50 cusec of water for community and our project,” he said.

Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepca) has approved Environment Impact Assessment (EIA), he said, adding that Nepra has determined 8.57 cents upfront tariff for two power plants against national average of 13 cents but cost will drop to five cents with more plants coming up.

About relocation of villages, he said it would be required after eight years as two villages — Senhri Dars with 135 and Thahriyo Halepota with 303 households — are to be relocated.

“Roads are being properly built in the area and we have given specifications to the government to transport machinery,” he said.

He added that local drivers would be hired for running the heavy trucks, each of them costing Rs10m, and they would be trained through simulators.

_Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2014_


SECMC allays fears on Thar coal quality - Newspaper - DAWN.COM


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## VCheng

Aeronaut said:


> Thar’s coal is not of inferior quality as its sulphur content is better than most coals



Thar coal is of poor quality not because of sulfur, but because it is Grade B Lignite with a poor energy content.

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## Khurram541

Where we are on Thar project - Newspaper - DAWN.COM

I would say current govt should fully utilise the potential and make the max out of Thar Coal reserves.

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## fatman17




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## AsianLion




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