Karachi

The Board of Directors of Sindh Lakhra Coal Mining Company in its 21^st meeting held Wednesday with Energy Minister Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh in the chair, decided to auction the Lakhra coal mining area.

Lakhra Coal Mining Company however would seek the approval of competent authority for auctioning the area.

The meeting, held at the minister’s office, was attended by Abu Bakr Madani Director/Secretary of Energy Sindh, Sajid Jamal Abro Director / Secretary Finance, Independent Director Ayaz Dawood, Independent Director Mir Muhammad Pahor, Director/Managing Director (TCEB) Khadim Hussain Chana, CEO/ Director General Coal Mines Development Mushtaq Ahmad Soomro.

It was also approved to give the additional charge of Chief Executive Officer to DG Coal Mines Development Mushtaq Ahmed Soomro.

The speed of work and other issues were also discussed in detail. Provincial Energy Minister Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh directed to expedite the work in Lakhra Coal Mines and to maintain transparency as well. (PR)

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Glasgow

Efforts to end the world’s reliance on fossil fuels received two major boosts at the COP26 summit, as on Saturday 20 governments promised to stop financing oil, coal and gas projects beyond their borders, and several countries pledged to phase out coal power.

Ending the use of coal, oil and gas isn’t on the official agenda at the meeting in Glasgow, UK, but is a key aim of campaigners and several countries. A recent analysis found that if the world is to meet its most ambitious climate goal of holding warming to 1.5°C, 89 per cent of coal, 58 per cent of oil and 59 per cent of gas reserves must stay in the ground.

Canada, the UK and the US are among the 20 countries that signed a statement today committing to halt the use of public funding for international fossil fuel energy projects by the end of 2022. It is also backed by five public banks, including the European Investment Bank. Collectively, the group is estimated to provide $18 billion of finance a year, through lines of credit and other measures.

“This is fantastic news,” says Nina Seega at the University of Cambridge. “We know that the US is among the top five G20 countries for international public finance for fossil fuels. Their inclusion in the list is absolutely key.”

However, the move doesn’t preclude backing domestic projects and allows for exceptions in “limited” circumstances if they are deemed consistent with the Paris Agreement’s goals. “It needs to be complemented by similar domestic announcements,” says Seega.

Meanwhile, the world’s seventh-biggest user of coal power, Indonesia, and the 13th biggest, Poland, were among 23 countries that committed to stopping new coal power schemes and phasing out existing infrastructure. “The end of coal is in sight,” said COP26 president Alok Sharma.

Dave Jones at UK non-profit organization Ember says: “To have a focus on phasing out coal in developing countries in Asia, that is pretty monumental. And with the shifts in Europe and Africa, this really is an impressive deal.” The Coal to Clean Power Transition Statement requires high-income countries to phase out coal sometime in the 2030s and low-income ones to do so in the 2040s.

Poland has classified itself as falling in the latter camp, despite being one of the world’s 25 largest economies. Indonesia insisted it will only meet the goal if it receives financial assistance from wealthier countries.

The timeline is also too late for what the International Energy Agency says is needed to limit global warming to 1.5°C. That would require firmer dates of no later than 2030 and 2040, respectively. Seega says the deal is “really, really good news”, but she hopes the dates will be brought forward.

There are omissions in the alliance, principally the top three coal power-generating countries: China, India and the US. However, Sharma rejected the idea that the US wasn’t committed to phasing out coal, noting it had previously backed a statement that promised an “overwhelmingly decarbonized power system in the 2030s”.

A further squeeze on fossil fuel production is expected next week at COP26, with new countries anticipated to join an alliance led by Costa Rica and Denmark to stop future extraction of oil and gas. The UK, COP26’s host, hasn’t made such a pledge.

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Courtesy: The New Scientist

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The project also faces the issue of discharging saline water of coalmine

40 percent mining work completed so far – Thar Coal Block-I Power Generation Company

Karachi: The residents of two villages in Thar Coal Block-I have been displaced where over 40 percent mining work has been completed. This project also faces the issue of discharging the saline water of the coalmine.

A delegation of Thar Coal Block-I Power Generation Co. requested the Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Tuesday to resolve their water issue. “The water being drilled out from the mine has to be disposed of somewhere and the water required for the power plant was also needed at Block-I,” the delegation said.

“The mining work would be completed by the end of 2021 and the first unit of the power plant would also start working from 2022 and the entire project would be completed by 2023,” Mr. Meng Donghai, CEO of Thar Coal Block-I Power Generation Co. said.

Mr. Meng, led a delegation of his company and held meeting with Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in Karachi. The delegation consisted of CEO SSRL Mr. Li Jigen, Deputy CEO SSRL Mr. Huang Jinting and Deputy CEO Chaudhary Qayyum. Minister Energy Imtiaz Shaikh, Secretary Energy Tariq Shah and others were also present.

Thar Coal Block-I project involved a 7.8 million tons per annum (MTPA) open pit coal mine and installation of 1.3 GW ultra-supercritical coal fired power plant.

Talking to the delegation, Chief Minister said he will visit the project by the end of this month.

The chief minister directed Minister Energy Imtiaz Shaikh to conduct a feasibility study where to dispose of the mine water. “As far as provision of water for power plants was concerned a separate project from Nabirsar to Vajihar and then to Block-I has been launched,” he said and added that the Irrigation and Energy department would have to finalize it.

Shah said that the Block-I Power Generation Co. would have to sign a water user agreement with the energy department. “We will provide water to Thar Coal Block-I,” he said.

The chief minister urged the visiting delegation to re-settle the displaced people of Block-I. The CEO of Thar Coal Block-I said that the people of two villages have displaced with the development of the mine. “We are committed to settle them and the settlement process has already been started,” the CEO said.

Murad Ali Shah also urged the visiting delegation to accommodate local people in employment opportunities. “I want to share the fruits of the development with the local people of Thar and they have the foremost right,” he said.

The CM said that he would visit Thar Block-I and would meet with the affected people and review their settlement plan.

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Sindh Courier

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