The 1,320 MWs China Power Hub Generation Co. (CPHGC) has invited tenders for the supply of local coal in Pakistani currency, Gwadar Pro reported on Sunday. The company has sought proposals from firms registered in Pakistan for the supply of 40,000 tons of local coal per month at a fixed price in Pakistani rupees. CPHGC is a joint venture between China Power Int’l Holding and Pakistan’s Hubco under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework. The power plant is situated in Hub, Balochistan. The plant was operating with South African and Indonesian coals but is now shifting to local coal as per the government’s policy after skyrocketing prices of imported coal. Masood Khan Nasar, owner of a coal supplier company, welcomed the move and said that it will benefit the country and local coal traders in many ways. The price of Indonesian coal has reached Rs 95,000 per ton while coal imported from Afghanistan reaches Karachi at around Rs 75,000 per ton. However, the local coal is available for Rs 40,000 per ton. Regarding the availability and quality of the local coal, Masood said that coal mines in the Duki and Harnai districts of Balochistan could produce as many as 6-8 thousand tons of coal per day. “We are already supplying coal to the Sahiwal coal-fired power plant”, he added. Shifting to local coal will not only save precious foreign reserves but also reduce costs, an energy economist said. Moreover, it will also increase employment and business opportunities for Pakistani workers and traders, he added.