Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated two coal-fired power plants in Thar on March 22, expressing hope that they would turn the desert into an “economic hub”.
The projects, the 1,320 MW Thar Coal Block-I and Thal Nova 330 MW Block-II were launched alongside Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, with Mr. Sharif describing them as a testament to the strong partnership between China and Pakistan.
During the launch event in the Islamkot area of Thar, the Prime Minister expressed his joy and called it a “moment of celebration” for the country as the Tharparkar desert was now receiving a “source of basic facilities for life”.
“The journey of progress will spread across the country and will strengthen the national economy,” the premier said, adding that projects which were abandoned during the last four years were being made operational again.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif unveiled plaque to inaugurate the 1320 MW Shanghai Electric Power Plant at Thar, Sindh. pic.twitter.com/ij6P3gaZyy
— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) March 22, 2023
He also set a deadline of April 30 for the water and power ministry to complete work on the transmission line, enabling the electricity generated by Thar plants to be linked to the national grid.
Officials who attended the ceremony included MNA Mahesh Kumar Malani, MPA Fakir Sher Mohammad Bilalani, Senator Gian Chand Tharani, and Krishna Kumari.
The PM thanked the government of China, the companies involved, and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah for his support for the Thar coal-mining and power generation project, as well as all those who contributed to the completion of the two plants.
“We are proud of this achievement and remain committed to working together with China to make CPEC a success,” he said.
Meanwhile, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said that those who had criticized the Thar coal project had failed, adding that a total of 2,640 MW of electricity is being produced using Thar coal.
The chief minister recalled that during Benazir Bhutto’s tenure as prime minister, she had made agreements for launching coal-mining and power generation projects at Thar.
“Had her government’s agreement been honouredThar would have been producing more than 40,000MW electricity today,” he said.
He added that the people of Thar were providing the cheapest electricity to the country and, in return, they should be provided with free electricity.
According to Federal Minister for Power Khurram Dastgir, the development of indigenous resources under CPEC was a “big step towards self-reliance” and will help in improving foreign exchange reserves.