Engro successfully synchronizes 330mw power plant on Thar coal.

Byline: Shabbir Kazmi

It was opening up of a new chapter in the history of Tharparkar when Engro Powergen Thar (Private) Limited (EPTL), fed electricity from its first unit into the national grid. It was realization of the nation's dream of producing electricity from Thar coal. EPTL - the majority owned company of Engro Energy Limited, tested and energized the first unit of 330MW of the combined 660MW power plant located in TharBlock II. EPTL operates as a subsidiary of Engro Energy along with other sponsors that include Habib Bank; Liberty and China Machinery Engineering Corporation.

The successful synchronization happened amidst presence of senior officials of the Company and from China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) - the EPC contractor of the project. The injection of the electrons produced for the very first time from Thar coal - regarded as the 7th largest coal reserve in the world with 175 billion tons of lignite coal - has redefined Pakistan's energy landscape and secured country's energy future on an indigenous coal which will eventually free Pakistan from the dependence on foreign fuel mix. EPTL - one of the early harvest projects of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) - commenced construction of Pakistan's first 660MW power plant after the financial close of the project in April 2016.

The synchronization of the first unit of the power plant is a considerable achievement given that the project has been constructed in a record time of less than 3 years - as per schedule and projected costs, a feat in itself given the complexity of the project. EPTL power plant will annually consume 3.8 million tons coal supplied by Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company as both projects achieve their commercial operations date (COD) in June 2019.

Together both the mining and power projects, managed by Engro Energy, will be able to bring average foreign exchange savings of up to US$1.6 billion per annum thereby delivering on Company's promise of producing electricity which is from indigenous resources; is abundantly available and is economical.

The 660 MW power plant of EPTL will use circulating fluidized bed (CFB) technology to burn coal. Post-COD, the plant will transmit 660MW of electricity through a 282-km long 500 kV Double Circuit Quad-Bundle transmission line from EPTL plant to Matiari in Sindh province. The power plant - although first for Pakistan to run on Thar coal - complies with all local environmental laws and has...