1000 MW Coal Gassification Project in Pakistan

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

Block 5 to start producing electricity in December – The Express Tribune

Block 5 to start producing electricity in December
There is enough gas in Block 5 to produce 1,000 megawatts for
KARACHI: Dr Samar Mubarakmand, the man who played an instrumental role in strengthening Pakistan’s defence capabilities by working on missile and nuclear technology, has entered the race to find a permanent solution to the looming energy crisis.

Member of the Planning Commission and incharge of Block 5 of the Thar coal fields Dr Mubarakmand revealed that work had started on the pilot project to produce 100 megawatts (MW) of electricity in Block 5 of the Thar coal fields. If the trial is successful, production capacity of the project could be increased to 1,000 MW.

In an exclusive interview with The Express Tribune, he explained that underground gasification technology would be used to generate electricity from Thar coal. Through this technology, coal would be burned underground to create gas which would then be used to produce electricity. The gas could be used to power large electricity producing turbines and generators.

Dr Mubarakmand claimed that Pakistani scientists and experts had complete access to this technology. “If our scientists can make atom bombs and world class missiles, why can’t they produce electricity from coal?” he questioned.

It was claimed that since the gas produced would be colourless, there was no chance of it containing carbon. He further clarified that since the coal is in powder form, burning it would result in carbon free gas. This meant that it would not harm the environment in any way. Furthermore, due to underground gasification no ash or waste would be released into the air.

The World Bank (WB) had objected to the production of gas through underground gasification on the basis that it would be detrimental to the environment and pulled back its funding from the Thar coal project.

In order to address their concerns, the WB team was briefed on the benefits of underground gasification and how the extraction process would be completed in an environment friendly manner.

He said that Pakistani scientists possessed exceptional capabilities and urged the government to organise a national conference of scientists so that ideas could be exchanged on how to extract mineral resources.

He compared the coal project with the national nuclear programme in terms of national pride and said that the success of the pilot would be a big step towards self sufficiency.

All technology to be used will be from local areas and only the power generators would have to be imported from abroad. He said that the entire project, including monitoring, would be computerised. These computerised systems were being designed by the same experts who work on Pakistan’s defence system.

The federal and provincial governments are seriously considering the proposal and are keen to implement it as soon as possible.

It is expected that mining for the 100 MW pilot project will be started soon and that the price of gas produced in Thar will be equivalent to the gas coming from Sui.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 23rd, 2010.

 

[Donatello]

Wow!

I hope he is right. I mean, all the time he was. Can't wait to see this achievement!

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

They will plan to increase from 100 MW - this december and gradually raise the capacity to 1000 MW for karachi should be a great project for Karachi zone

 

[Nahraf]

Burning coal produces many pollutants that effect air, water and health of both humans and animals. Pakistan does not need dirty coal power plants. USA and Canada are closing down coal power plants due to health problems and Pakistan is starting to build them We should learn from mistakes made and rely on nuclear power plants. We need to build more nuclear power plants.

Coal is Dirty | The Dirty Facts on "Clean Coal


#1: "Clean" Coal Increases Rates of Disease
The United States burns more than a billion tons of coal each year – that’s 20 pounds of coal for every person in the country, every day.

According to the American Lung Association, 24,000 people a year die prematurely because of pollution from coal-fired power plants. And every year 38,000 heart attacks, 12,000 hospital admissions and an additional 550,000 asthma attacks result from power plant pollution.

#2: "Clean" Coal Kills Jobs
Despite coal industry claims that coal mining creates lots of jobs, the truth is that coal mining employment has been declining for decades, due to increased use of machinery instead of manpower.

In West Virginia alone, coal mining employment has plummeted from 126,000 miners in 1948 (who produced 168 million tons of coal), to just 15,000 miners employed in 2005 (who, with the help of machinery, produced 128 million tons of coal).

#3: Burning "Clean" Coal Emits Mercury

Coal-fired power plants are the largest source of human-generated mercury pollution in the U.S. Mercury emissions from electrical generation continues to rise.

Mercury in mothers' blood and breast milk can interfere with the development of babies' brains and neurological systems and can lead to learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, problems with coordination, lowered IQ and even mental retardation.

#4: Burning "Clean" Coal is Fuel for Global Warming
The U.S. produces about 25 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels.

Burning coal contributes 40 percent of U.S. CO2 emissions. Coal is the most carbon intensive fossil fuel. According to the United Nations Environment Program, coal emits around 1.7 times as much carbon per unit of energy when burned as does natural gas and 1.25 times as much as oil.

#5: "Clean" Coal Kills Miners
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 12,000 coal miners died from black lung disease between 1992 and 2002.



#6: "Clean" Coal Wastes Huge Quantities of Water
Coal mining requires an estimated 70 to 260 million gallons of water every day.



#7: "Clean" Coal Pollutes Seafood and Freshwater Fish
49 U.S. states have issued fish consumption advisories due to high mercury concentrations in freshwater bodies throughout the country.

Coal-fired power plants are the largest source of human-generated mercury pollution in the U.S.

#8: "Clean" Coal Destroys Mountains

Instead of traditional mining, many coal companies now use mountaintop removal to extract coal.

Coal companies are increasingly using this method because it allows for almost complete recovery of coal seams while reducing the number of workers required to a fraction of what conventional methods require.

Mountaintop removal involves clear cutting native hardwood forests, using dynamite to blast away as much as 800-1000 feet of mountaintop, and then dumping the waste into nearby valleys, often burying streams.



#9: "Clean" Coal Kills Freshwater Streams

More than 1,200 miles of Appalachian streams have been buried or damaged by mountaintop removal mining. At least 724 miles of streams were completely buried by valley fills from Appalachian mountaintop removal between 1985 and 2001.

400,000 acres of rich and diverse temperate forests have been destroyed during the same time period as a result of mountaintop mining in Appalachia.

#10: "Clean" Coal Costs Billions in Taxpayer Subsidies

The U.S. government continues to aggressively fund coal-related projects despite all that is known about coal’s impacts on health, climate and the economy.

The Department of Energy is currently seeking $648 million for “clean coal” projects in its 2009 budget request, “representing the largest budget request for coal RD&D in over 25 years.”

 

[Frankenstein]

Karachi is a home for electricity stealers, they shud be targeted and least punishment shud be 1 year without electricity

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

Burning coal produces many pollutants that effect air, water and health of both humans and animals. Pakistan does not need dirty coal power plants. USA and Canada are closing down coal power plants due to health problems and Pakistan is starting to build them We should learn from mistakes made and rely on nuclear power plants. We need to build more nuclear power plants.

Coal is Dirty | The Dirty Facts on "Clean Coal


#1: "Clean" Coal Increases Rates of Disease
The United States burns more than a billion tons of coal each year – that’s 20 pounds of coal for every person in the country, every day.

According to the American Lung Association, 24,000 people a year die prematurely because of pollution from coal-fired power plants. And every year 38,000 heart attacks, 12,000 hospital admissions and an additional 550,000 asthma attacks result from power plant pollution.

#2: "Clean" Coal Kills Jobs
Despite coal industry claims that coal mining creates lots of jobs, the truth is that coal mining employment has been declining for decades, due to increased use of machinery instead of manpower.

In West Virginia alone, coal mining employment has plummeted from 126,000 miners in 1948 (who produced 168 million tons of coal), to just 15,000 miners employed in 2005 (who, with the help of machinery, produced 128 million tons of coal).

#3: Burning "Clean" Coal Emits Mercury

Coal-fired power plants are the largest source of human-generated mercury pollution in the U.S. Mercury emissions from electrical generation continues to rise.

Mercury in mothers' blood and breast milk can interfere with the development of babies' brains and neurological systems and can lead to learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, problems with coordination, lowered IQ and even mental retardation.

#4: Burning "Clean" Coal is Fuel for Global Warming
The U.S. produces about 25 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels.

Burning coal contributes 40 percent of U.S. CO2 emissions. Coal is the most carbon intensive fossil fuel. According to the United Nations Environment Program, coal emits around 1.7 times as much carbon per unit of energy when burned as does natural gas and 1.25 times as much as oil.

#5: "Clean" Coal Kills Miners
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 12,000 coal miners died from black lung disease between 1992 and 2002.



#6: "Clean" Coal Wastes Huge Quantities of Water
Coal mining requires an estimated 70 to 260 million gallons of water every day.



#7: "Clean" Coal Pollutes Seafood and Freshwater Fish
49 U.S. states have issued fish consumption advisories due to high mercury concentrations in freshwater bodies throughout the country.

Coal-fired power plants are the largest source of human-generated mercury pollution in the U.S.

#8: "Clean" Coal Destroys Mountains

Instead of traditional mining, many coal companies now use mountaintop removal to extract coal.

Coal companies are increasingly using this method because it allows for almost complete recovery of coal seams while reducing the number of workers required to a fraction of what conventional methods require.

Mountaintop removal involves clear cutting native hardwood forests, using dynamite to blast away as much as 800-1000 feet of mountaintop, and then dumping the waste into nearby valleys, often burying streams.



#9: "Clean" Coal Kills Freshwater Streams

More than 1,200 miles of Appalachian streams have been buried or damaged by mountaintop removal mining. At least 724 miles of streams were completely buried by valley fills from Appalachian mountaintop removal between 1985 and 2001.

400,000 acres of rich and diverse temperate forests have been destroyed during the same time period as a result of mountaintop mining in Appalachia.

#10: "Clean" Coal Costs Billions in Taxpayer Subsidies

The U.S. government continues to aggressively fund coal-related projects despite all that is known about coal’s impacts on health, climate and the economy.

The Department of Energy is currently seeking $648 million for “clean coal” projects in its 2009 budget request, “representing the largest budget request for coal RD&D in over 25 years.”

Get us a 10,000 MW nuclear power plant and we will not dig coal
In case ou have not noticed , sensitive nuclear plant technologies are forbidden to be delivered to Pakistan and most Muslims countries

 

[Nahraf]

Get us a 10,000 MW nuclear power plant and we will not dig coal In case you have not noticed , sensitive nuclear plant technologies are forbidden to be delivered to Pakistan and most Muslims countries

We can build more nuclear power plants with cooperation of China. May be building Nuclear power plants should be our next next project similar to JF-17. We should get technology to build our own nuclear power plants.

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

We can build more nuclear power plants with cooperation of China. May be building Nuclear power plants should be our next next project similar to JF-17. We should get technology to build our own nuclear power plants.

I think the problem is capacity , production levels - Japan I think has nuclear power plants that give you 10,000 MW worth of electrical power but do we have access to these ? No

The nuclear plants we will attain from China will help resolve the electrical problems but we will not have the same capacity or production levels (correct me if I am wrong). The ones from China are not gona produce that much power.

Also , Japan is able to run electric trains and cars off the energy and they don't steal from electric companies they also have wiring above not underground wiring.

What we need is the high yeilding Power plants - that generate enormous amounts of energy levels.

Untill that happens coal energy is the only viable option for us


#1: "Clean" Coal Increases Rates of Disease
No true if you wear your mask , and follow guidelines you will be fine
Also if you smoke then yes you will have cancer from cigrettes

#2: "Clean" Coal Kills Jobs
Coal will generate electricity , businesss will open long , consumers will buy more
This effect will create supply / demand chain and improvements in life style

#3: Burning "Clean" Coal Emits Mercury
There will be blocks , and filters used

#4: Burning "Clean" Coal is Fuel for Global Warming
Most of the Global warming is casued by animal farting.

#5: "Clean" Coal Kills Miners
Every job has risks
#6: "Clean" Coal Wastes Huge Quantities of Water
hmmm

#7: "Clean" Coal Pollutes Seafood and Freshwater Fish
depend on dosposal policy

#9: "Clean" Coal Kills Freshwater Streams
fish are also killed by soap and detergent and plastic bags should be stop using it

#10: "Clean" Coal Costs Billions in Taxpayer Subsidies

not always

 

[mughaljee]

This meant that it would not harm the environment in any way. Furthermore, due to underground gasification no ash or waste would be released into the air.

This is my main concern , now i am happy.

 

[monitor12345]

Block 5 to start producing electricity in December – The Express Tribune

Block 5 to start producing electricity in December
There is enough gas in Block 5 to produce 1,000 megawatts for
KARACHI: Dr Samar Mubarakmand, the man who played an instrumental role in strengthening Pakistan’s defence capabilities by working on missile and nuclear technology, has entered the race to find a permanent solution to the looming energy crisis.

Member of the Planning Commission and incharge of Block 5 of the Thar coal fields Dr Mubarakmand revealed that work had started on the pilot project to produce 100 megawatts (MW) of electricity in Block 5 of the Thar coal fields. If the trial is successful, production capacity of the project could be increased to 1,000 MW.

In an exclusive interview with The Express Tribune, he explained that underground gasification technology would be used to generate electricity from Thar coal. Through this technology, coal would be burned underground to create gas which would then be used to produce electricity. The gas could be used to power large electricity producing turbines and generators.

Dr Mubarakmand claimed that Pakistani scientists and experts had complete access to this technology. “If our scientists can make atom bombs and world class missiles, why can’t they produce electricity from coal?” he questioned.

It was claimed that since the gas produced would be colourless, there was no chance of it containing carbon. He further clarified that since the coal is in powder form, burning it would result in carbon free gas. This meant that it would not harm the environment in any way. Furthermore, due to underground gasification no ash or waste would be released into the air.

The World Bank (WB) had objected to the production of gas through underground gasification on the basis that it would be detrimental to the environment and pulled back its funding from the Thar coal project.

In order to address their concerns, the WB team was briefed on the benefits of underground gasification and how the extraction process would be completed in an environment friendly manner.

He said that Pakistani scientists possessed exceptional capabilities and urged the government to organise a national conference of scientists so that ideas could be exchanged on how to extract mineral resources.

He compared the coal project with the national nuclear programme in terms of national pride and said that the success of the pilot would be a big step towards self sufficiency.

All technology to be used will be from local areas and only the power generators would have to be imported from abroad. He said that the entire project, including monitoring, would be computerised. These computerised systems were being designed by the same experts who work on Pakistan’s defence system.

The federal and provincial governments are seriously considering the proposal and are keen to implement it as soon as possible.

It is expected that mining for the 100 MW pilot project will be started soon and that the price of gas produced in Thar will be equivalent to the gas coming from Sui.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 23rd, 2010.

Out of 8 blocks of THAR COAL RESERVES, 4 BLOCKS HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO FOREIGN COMPANIES. NO TAX ON THEIR PROFITS FOR 30 YEARS, FOR THOSE COMPANIES. WHY ? ?
I THINK ANOTHER SCAM IS IN THE MAKING . LIKE GWADOR WAS GIVEN TO PSA ( SINGAPORE ), AND RIKO DIQ WAS GIVEN TO TCC COMPANY.
WHY DON`T U HAVE A TRANSPARENT PROCEDURE FOR IMPORTANT PROJECTS ?

 

[monitor12345]

Burning coal produces many pollutants that effect air, water and health of both humans and animals. Pakistan does not need dirty coal power plants. USA and Canada are closing down coal power plants due to health problems and Pakistan is starting to build them We should learn from mistakes made and rely on nuclear power plants. We need to build more nuclear power plants.

Coal is Dirty | The Dirty Facts on "Clean Coal


#1: "Clean" Coal Increases Rates of Disease
The United States burns more than a billion tons of coal each year – that’s 20 pounds of coal for every person in the country, every day.

According to the American Lung Association, 24,000 people a year die prematurely because of pollution from coal-fired power plants. And every year 38,000 heart attacks, 12,000 hospital admissions and an additional 550,000 asthma attacks result from power plant pollution.

#2: "Clean" Coal Kills Jobs
Despite coal industry claims that coal mining creates lots of jobs, the truth is that coal mining employment has been declining for decades, due to increased use of machinery instead of manpower.

In West Virginia alone, coal mining employment has plummeted from 126,000 miners in 1948 (who produced 168 million tons of coal), to just 15,000 miners employed in 2005 (who, with the help of machinery, produced 128 million tons of coal).

#3: Burning "Clean" Coal Emits Mercury

Coal-fired power plants are the largest source of human-generated mercury pollution in the U.S. Mercury emissions from electrical generation continues to rise.

Mercury in mothers' blood and breast milk can interfere with the development of babies' brains and neurological systems and can lead to learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, problems with coordination, lowered IQ and even mental retardation.

#4: Burning "Clean" Coal is Fuel for Global Warming
The U.S. produces about 25 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels.

Burning coal contributes 40 percent of U.S. CO2 emissions. Coal is the most carbon intensive fossil fuel. According to the United Nations Environment Program, coal emits around 1.7 times as much carbon per unit of energy when burned as does natural gas and 1.25 times as much as oil.

#5: "Clean" Coal Kills Miners
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 12,000 coal miners died from black lung disease between 1992 and 2002.



#6: "Clean" Coal Wastes Huge Quantities of Water
Coal mining requires an estimated 70 to 260 million gallons of water every day.



#7: "Clean" Coal Pollutes Seafood and Freshwater Fish
49 U.S. states have issued fish consumption advisories due to high mercury concentrations in freshwater bodies throughout the country.

Coal-fired power plants are the largest source of human-generated mercury pollution in the U.S.

#8: "Clean" Coal Destroys Mountains

Instead of traditional mining, many coal companies now use mountaintop removal to extract coal.

Coal companies are increasingly using this method because it allows for almost complete recovery of coal seams while reducing the number of workers required to a fraction of what conventional methods require.

Mountaintop removal involves clear cutting native hardwood forests, using dynamite to blast away as much as 800-1000 feet of mountaintop, and then dumping the waste into nearby valleys, often burying streams.



#9: "Clean" Coal Kills Freshwater Streams

More than 1,200 miles of Appalachian streams have been buried or damaged by mountaintop removal mining. At least 724 miles of streams were completely buried by valley fills from Appalachian mountaintop removal between 1985 and 2001.

400,000 acres of rich and diverse temperate forests have been destroyed during the same time period as a result of mountaintop mining in Appalachia.

#10: "Clean" Coal Costs Billions in Taxpayer Subsidies

The U.S. government continues to aggressively fund coal-related projects despite all that is known about coal’s impacts on health, climate and the economy.

The Department of Energy is currently seeking $648 million for “clean coal” projects in its 2009 budget request, “representing the largest budget request for coal RD&D in over 25 years.”

ALL SO CALLED `FACTS` ARE HALF FACTS, WHICH DO NOT AFFECT THAR COAL PROJECT, BECAUSE , THAR COAL PROJECT IS UNDERGROUND COAL GASIFICATION PROJECT.
THIS POST WILL HELP TO DELAY THAR COAL PROJECT.
WONDER WHY THIS POST IS NOT DELETED.

 

[fahimbaig]

I wonder why some people post at all without any real knowledge of the subject.

UG gasification is an experimental technology and needs to be explored properly.
let Samar do what he is trying to do only thing is that his findings should be truly reported on a weekly or bimonthly basis on the internet so that everyone knows where he is leading to.

Coal is a source of energy, like Nuclear is a source of energy.
We should study and know why nuclear did not flourish in Pakistan.
the cost of electricity is more than Rs.10 /KwHr (per Unit)
as compared to Hydel which is less than a rupee.
so its costlier than Coal which would be around somewhere Rs.8 per KWH

so sit tight and let those at the helm of Power destroy your Industry please do not create hurdles in their way, they are going to lose the commission from the Oil companies and you will have to take the blame....

Pakistan Zindabad

 

[T90TankGuy]

^^^ why reactivate a 2 yr old thread mate?

 

[Safriz]

^^^ why reactivate a 2 yr old thread mate?

Because 2 years on.......nothing happened on the project..
All vote for PPP and rot in loadshedding.