Two bn tonnes of coal reserves found in Pakistan
By IANSFriday, October 1, 2010
ISLAMABAD - At least two billion tonnes of coal reserves have been discovered in Pakistan’s Sindh province, an official said.
The reserves have been found in Sindh’s Tharparkar district, Xinhua reported.
According to the technical and economic feasibility report, the coal was good enough to generate power, and that it was “economically, socially and commercially exploitable”, said Khalid Mansoor, chief executive officer of Engro Energy, the company involved in the exploration.
The report was prepared by multiple foreign consultants, and would convince banks on financing the project, he said.
The total cost of constructing the mine and power plant will be around $1.5 billion, sources said.
Experts and power industry officials said the discovery was important as the country was facing a major shortage of power.