During a stakeholder consultation session on Wednesday, speakers highlighted the importance of converting Thar coal into both petrochemical products and natural gas. The session, organized by the Thar Coal Energy Board (TCEB), aimed to explore ways to utilize Thar coal reserves to address Pakistan’s energy problems and boost industrial growth. Representatives from various industries, including textile, cement, power, and mining, such as Shanghai Electric, Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company, and Sino Sindh Resources Ltd, attended the session, as did prominent energy and economic experts like Akhtar Ali, Kaiser Bengali, and Pervez Tahir.
In his address to the stakeholders, Energy Minister Imtiaz Ahmed Sheikh emphasized that the province had a cost-effective and long-term solution to Pakistan’s energy challenges. He pledged that the provincial government would work diligently to improve the country’s energy security and was currently involved in multiple projects to support the macroeconomic stability of the nation. The minister also stressed that Thar coal deposits and other natural resources in the province were the best resources to meet Pakistan’s energy needs and reduce the country’s dependence on foreign fuel imports, which would help alleviate the current economic crisis. Additionally, he pointed out that Thar coal reserves already provide around 2,600 megawatts of electricity to the National Grid, making them an affordable energy source.
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