Balochistan plans to set up coal based power projects

Quetta: The Balochistan government is planning to set up coal-fired power plants to overcome increasing power shortage in the province, sources in provincial Irrigation and Power department told APP here on Wednesday.

They said the provincial government concluded an agreement with two private companies, Balochistan Power Generation and Canadian Everlight Energy Corporation on December 4 last.

Under the agreement, both the companies would prepare feasibility for setting up of 50 megawatt coal-fired power plants on various localities in the province within 180 days after the signing of the agreement.

The Provincial Thermal Power Board (PTPB) would review the feasibility and if it found the project feasible, it would give green signal to these companies to launch physical work on the project, the sources said.

They further said Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO) would purchase the electricity generated by these plants on the price recommended by PTPB. Besides, these companies would be bound to spend five percent of their total revenue on the development of social sector in the areas where they supply power. They appreciated the setting up of coal-run power plants, as it would help overcome power shortage by utilising locally extracted coal.