ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Wednesday said that the present government was making rapid progress to complete the Thar Coal Power Project by the first quarter of 2023 for which as many as 7,000 local people have been employed. Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif and Chief Minister Sindh will sign the Memorandum of Understanding this evening.
A combined coalmine and coal-powered electricity generating facility called the Thar Coal Block-I Power Plant is located in Mithi, Pakistan’s Tharparkar District. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is developing the 1,320 MW project, which is expected to cost roughly 2.5 billion USD (CPEC). The project’s majority stake is held by Shanghai Electric. Construction on the first 660 MW power unit is expected to begin in October 2019 and be completed by August 2022. Locally produced lignite will be used for this project’s coal.
The Thar Coal Power Project, which was meant to be finished a long time ago, has allegedly being purposefully delayed by Prime Minister Imran Khan’s administration. When finished, the project will produce 1,320 MW of power using local coal, he continued.
But he went on to say that he has now given the duty to Special Representative Zafaruddin Mehmood and Additional Secretary Nadeem Chaudhry to help Shanghai Electric complete the Thar Coal Project as soon as possible.
Speaking at the event, Shahbaz committed to ensure that existing development projects in Pakistan being carried out by Chinese businesses be completed as soon as possible. He also stated, “My administration would take all necessary measures to safeguard the security of engineers and staff members of Chinese enterprises operating in Pakistan.
He said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was crucial to Pakistan’s growth and that the government was considering stepping up its partnerships and investments with Chinese businesses.The entire country, according to PM Shahbaz, is appreciative to Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Chinese leadership for assisting Pakistan through trying times.
PM Shahbaz welcomed Shanghai Electric’s enthusiasm in making more investments in Pakistan’s energy generation, transmission, and distribution, noting that Chinese collaboration and investment had improved Pakistan’s infrastructure, public transportation, and power problem. He applauded the Chinese corporations’ assurances that projects in Pakistan will be finished quickly.
