ISLAMABAD: In the next two weeks, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to officially open two Thar coal power projects. Two Thar coal-based power projects, 330 MW Thal-Nova Power at Block-IL and 1,320 MW at Block-1, reached Commercial Operation Date (COD) with the Ministry of Energy (Power Division) serving as the organizing ministry and the Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB) as the supervising agency. In February 2023, both projects launched their respective commercial operations. The combined power output of the Thar coal-based power generation plants has increased to 2,640 MW with the addition of these power plants.

The coal fields in Thar are among the biggest in the world. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and energy corridor are both where the mining development work first began. For the second phase of the CPEC, the electricity produced by the power plants will be used.

It is important to note that the Pakistani government is also actively working to develop the Thar coal projects to generate electricity in an effort to reduce reliance on imported fuel for power generation. Regarding this, a 660 MW plant at Port Qasim is intended to run on Thar coal. Once fully operational, the project will reduce the amount of coal and imported fuel used by PKR 550 billion annually.