The Gwadar Coal–Power Plant represents a 300-megawatt (MW) coal-fired power facility situated in

Gwadar Gwadar (, ) is a Port, port city on the southwestern coast of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Balochistan, Pakistan, Balochistan. The city is located on the shores of the Arabian Sea, opposite Oman and has a populati ...

Balochistan Balochistan ( ; , ), also spelled as Baluchistan or Baluchestan, is a historical region in West and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. This arid region o ...

, Pakistan. It is part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Project details

The power plant is projected to meet the energy demands of approximately 150,000 residents in the

region by the conclusion of 2023, aligning with the 2050 Master Plan of Gwadar. Former Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives

Ahsan Iqbal Ahsan Iqbal Chaudhary (; born 28 March 1959) is a Pakistani politician currently holding the position of Federal Minister of Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives and Inter Provincial Coordination. He is also the Secretary General of ...

granted approval for this initiative and set a completion target for January 2025. The power plant holds immense importance in strengthening energy collaboration between China and Pakistan, advancing the

Belt and Road Initiative The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI or B&R), known in China as the One Belt One Road and sometimes referred to as the New Silk Road, is a global infrastructure development strategy adopted by the government of China in 2013 to invest in more t ...

, enhancing the power infrastructure in

, and propelling economic growth in the Gwadar Port locality.

Controversies

The

National Electric Power Regulatory Authority The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (, abbreviated as NEPRA) is responsible for regulating the electricity supply in Pakistan. It is also responsible for issuing licences for generation, transmission and distribution of electricity, ...

(Nepra) has expressed concerns about relying exclusively on imported coal for power generation at the 300MW Gwadar coal-fired power plant. Nepra raised multiple inquiries about the decision to utilize solely imported coal instead of considering indigenous or Thar coal for the 300 MW Gwadar coal-based power facility. However, it was clarified that both the Prime Minister and the Planning Commission had instructed to proceed with the installation of the Gwadar coal-fired plant using imported coal.

References

{{coord missing, Pakistan China–Pakistan Economic Corridor Coal-fired power stations in Pakistan Energy infrastructure completed in 2023 2023 establishments in Pakistan Buildings and structures in Balochistan, Pakistan Gwadar