Stakeholders Discuss Utilizing Thar Coal

KARACHI: Speakers at a stakeholder consultation session on Wednesday underlined the need for utilizing indigenous coal resources. They emphasized the importance of converting Thar coal into petrochemical products. They also highlighted the potential for producing natural gas from Thar coal.

The session was organized by the Thar Coal Energy Board (TCEB). It aimed to discuss avenues for utilizing Thar coal reserves. The goal was to solve energy problems for Pakistan and drive industrial growth.

The session was attended by representatives from various industries, including textile, cement, power, and mining, such as Shanghai Electric, Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company, and Sino Sindh Resources Ltd.

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A number of prominent energy and economic experts, such as Akhtar Ali, Kaiser Bengali, and Pervez Tahir, among others, also attended the event.

Energy Solution

Addressing the stakeholders, Energy Minister Imtiaz Ahmed Sheikh stated that the province had a complete solution to the country’s energy problems. He described this solution as both cheap and long-lasting.

The Energy Minister stated that the provincial government would go all out in enhancing energy security for the country. He also mentioned that the government was currently working on multiple projects to support the macroeconomic stability of the country.

The energy minister said that Thar coal deposits and natural resources were the best resources to meet the country’s energy needs. He added that utilizing these resources could save a lot of foreign exchange spent on importing fuel. This, in turn, would help the country address its severe economic crisis.

He mentioned that Thar coal reserves currently supply about 2,600 megawatts of electricity to the National Grid. He highlighted that Thar coal is a cheap source of energy.

Published in Dawn, February 23th, 2023