Promise of indigenous power production for Pakistan- Engro declares 'commercial operations date' of Thar coal project.

Engro Powergen Thar (Private) Limited (EPTL) - a majority owned Company of Engro Energy - and Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) - a joint venture of Engro Energy with the Government of Sindh and other corporate partners - have successfully declared the Commercial Operations Date (COD) of the first phase of the Thar coal project.

SECMC successfully unearthed the first layer of coal in June 2018 and has also completed the 60-day testing period of steady state production of on-specification coal. This culminates the first phase of the mining project. On the other hand, Engro Powergen Thar Private Limited - the Company tasked to construct 2x330 MW mine mouth power plants has also declared its Commercial Operations Date (COD).

The EPTL plant demonstrated the proof of concept earlier by synchronizing both the power units in March and April respectively. The Company has since been involved in extensive testing of both the power units and has successfully completed all relevant inspections and commissioning of the plant thereby achieving COD.

The COD milestone of both the mining and the power projects is a significant achievement given that the Thar dream has been an elusive reality for millions of Pakistanis for over 27 years. The mining project of SECMC and the EPTL power plant began approximately 3 years ago in 2016 - after the financial close of the project - led by Engro Energy and in collaboration with other commercial partners including Government of Sindh; Thal Limited; HBL; HUBCO; SPIC and China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) for the mine project; and HBL, CMEC and Liberty for the power plant.

Developed in a record time, as per schedule and within projected costs, the Thar Coal projects are part of the early harvest component of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework - making it truly a project of national and strategic significance.

Commenting on the occasion, Ghias Khan - President, Engro Corporation - said: "The declaration of the Commercial Operations Date (COD) of the Thar coal mine and power projects is a monumental achievement. This showcases not just the ability of Engro to deliver on mega projects that are good for Pakistan but also underscores the success of public-private partnership models to deploy inclusive development in the country.

At this juncture, I would like to congratulate the Government of Sindh and the Federal Government, along...

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