Scrapping a coal power avenue

With energy minister Awais Khan Leghari listing the planned 300MW Gwadar coal power plant amongst projects considered unaffordable for the consumers and hinting at scrapping it — along with several other proposed generation schemes of 10,000MW — the future of the long-stalled project appears more uncertain than ever. The ‘warning’ comes at a time when the imported coal-based plant’s Chinese developer, according to the media reports, has already approached the Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB) to seek its support for negotiating an upward revision in the project cost and tariff with the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra). Announcing a series of actions the government proposes to take to bring down electricity prices, the minister said only the projects with 40 per cent to 50pc physical progress and those that have already achieved financial close would be implemented.