Qadirabad Coal-fire Project: PM wants early completion
1320 MW coal-fire power project at Qadirabad, Sahiwal district
Dunya News Report (Saleem Khilji)
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s pledge to provide cheap and sufficient electricity to all sorts of consumers would be materialized on time or not is a question of ‘to be or not to be’.
In his address to the employees of the plant, federal government officials and political dignitaries on Tuesday during his review visit of the Qadirabad coal-fire plant, he said Pakistan should exploit its own coal reservoirs besides importing the same.
“Nobody since the last 70 years ever thought to use coal for power generation,” he said, adding that this is for the first time that we are using coal reservoirs for power generation, which exist in the country in huge quantity.” He said the existing capacity of Tarbela and Mangla Dams is being increased and some 3,600 MW projects will be completed till 2018. He said he wants an early completion of the project so that the people could judge the pace of progress in his government.
Earlier, on May 30, 2015, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of the project on the occasion of its ground-breaking ceremony.
The 1,320 Mega Watt (MW) Coal-fired Power Plant at Sahiwal district, the first of its kind in the country, is likely to start power generation by end of 2017.
The project was first signed between the Punjab government and China Western Power Company in November 2013. Later, it was put to halt when the company showed lack of interest due to certain reasons.
In 2015, the plant later handed over to a consortium of two Chinese companies-- Huaneng Shandong Electricity Limited and Shandong Ruyi Group – and now it is to be completed at an estimated cost of $1.8 billion.
The project again took momentum after it was made the part of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in April 2015. Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB) on April 17, 2015 also awarded it the letter of support. According to media reports, the company has purchased turbines, generators, and boilers used for the integration of the two plants.
In October 2015, the Lahore High Court in October 2015 granted a stay on a petition, moved by the farmers and residents of the area, against the installation of the plant near their lands. They argued that the project would affect the best agricultural land as well as the health of people, animals and corps besides impacting the nearby industry. They also argued that the environmental assessment of the project had been conducted in haste, as the plant would breach the air pollution standards. In its remarks, the court also said that while the world is doing away with coal power plants, Pakistan is going in the opposite direction.
However, on the assurance of the company that it would produce less emissions, as its chimneys would be built 180 meter high for the safe emissions, the court vacated the stay. In its remarks, the court also said that while the world is doing away with coal power plants, Pakistan is going in the opposite direction.
Being built at a thousand acres of land, the number of workers employed to work on the project is 3,000, including 1,000 Chinese workers. A heavy contingent of police has been deployed there.
According to company officials, the company would produce and sell the electricity for 30 years on a BOT (Built, Operate and Transfer) basis before handing over the plant to the Punjab government. However, the life of the plant is also about 30 years.
After Sahiwal, a 1320 MW Thar coal-based independent power plant at Thar (Block I), Sindh, also included in CPEC, will established by a Chinese company, Shanghai Electric and will start power generation in 2017-18.
In July 2015, Pakistan became the first country in the region to generate four Mega Watt of electricity from the Thar Coal Power Plant. One MW was produced in May 2015 from coal gasification power plant and now in June it has commissioned a total of four MW which will be increased to 10 MW by the end of this year. With four MW, a 100 KV transformer can be run, which can cater to the electricity requirements of the project and nearby village.
Other coal power projects which are under process are:
• 1,320 MW Imported coal power plant at Port Qasim by two companies-- one from China and another from Qatar
• 1,320 Thar coal based power project at Thar (Block II), Sindh by Engro Powergen
• 1,320 MW Imported coal based power project at HUB Balochistan by Hub Power Company
• 300 MW Imported coal based power project at Salt Range, Pind Dadan Khan (Punjab) by a Chinese company.
• 600 MW Imported coal based project near Port Qasim, Karachi by Lucky Electric Power
• 350 MW Imported coal based power project at Port Qasim, Karachi by Siddiqusons Ltd.
• 150MW Impoerted caol based power project ar Arifwala (Punjab) by Grange Power Ltd
