Daily Times

Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB) today announced achievement of Commercial Operation Date (COD) of yet another Thar coal based power project located at Thar Block-II. ThalNova Power Project having generation capacity of 330 MW has achieved such a momentous milestone today. This significant development is another achievement in PPIB’s endeavors to provide cheap and indigenous electricity to the national grid.

Sponsored by a joint venture comprising HUBCO, Thal Limited, Novatex Limited, China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC), and Descon with 497.7 million US Dollars investment, ThalNova Power is a mine-mouth lignite-fired power plant at Thar Coal Block II Sindh and is a part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The plant will be fueled by coal extracted from Thar Block II by the Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company and will utilize 1.9 million tons of coal to generate over 2 billion units of electricity per annum with anticipated annual savings of Rs. 55 billion.

Successful commissioning of this Project is another demonstration of PPIB’s effective facilitation towards promoting Thar coal for power generation. With this latest addition, total production of electricity from five Thar coal based power generation plants has reached to mammoth 3,300 which indicates growing interest of investors in Thar coal. Prior to ThalNova, PPIB has already facilitated commissioning of four Thar coal based project having gross capacity of 2,970 MW, namely 660 MW Engro, 660 MW Lucky, 330 MW Hubco and 1320 MW Shanghai Thar power projects, all of which are at Top of NPCCs merit order list.

Commissioning of this Project will result in huge annual savings of foreign exchange outflow and reduce dependence on imported fuels while cumulative estimated reduction in fuel bill from 3,300 MW will be Rs. 550 billion. Hence basket price of electricity shall also be reduced significantly. Additionally, the ThalNova Project will play pivotal role for bringing prosperity to local & regional communities and improving living of local Thari people by generating employment & business opportunities.