Consultants engaged for study to establish Keti Bandar power project

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that he has taken an important step towards realising the dream of the late Benazir Bhutto to establish the Keti Bandar power project, for which his government has finally engaged an international consortium of consultants to carry out a study for laying a railway line, installing a power plant and building a jetty to transport equipment and machinery.  

This he said while presiding over a meeting regarding the Keti Bandar project at the Chief Minister House on Saturday. The meeting was attended by Planning and Development Chairman Mohammad Waseem, Energy Secretary Agha Wasif, Energy Department’s Special Secretary Rasid Hussain Kazi, SCA DG Abu Bakar Madani, technical officer Shariq Raza and Chief Investment Officer Syed Shahnawaz Nadir.

The chief minister said the Keti Bandar project had been conceived by former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, but due to political reasons it could not be materialised. “Now her government in Sindh is going to make the Keti Bandar mega project a reality. We have included it in CPEC projects.”

Briefing the chief minister, Energy Secretary Agha Wasif said M/s Bridge Factor Consortium had been engaged. 

The firm will carry out a feasibility study of the project, which includes the laying of a 450-kilometre railway line from the Thar coalfield to Keti Bandar, the installation of a 1,320-megawatt power plant extendable up to 10,000 megawatts at Keti Bandar and the development of a jetty for the transportation of machinery and equipment to the power house. Conducting a strategic environmental assessment will also be an integral part of the study.

Energy Secretary Agha Wasif said that the CM had entrusted energy department with the task of pursuing the development of Keti Bandar and also allowed the utilisation of the project development fund for the study. 

The study would cost Rs326.44 million that would cover all aspects of development. “The consultant will also prepare a business plan and assist the government up to the stage of financial close,” he said and added the feasibility would be completed within 10 months and the project being part of the CEPC was expected to bring Chinese financing.

Khurshed Anwar Jamali, chairman of the BoD of SECMC, emphasised the need for preparing a complete master plan, a special economic zone and future expansion provisions in the area.

At the start of the meeting, Waseem Ahmed, chairman of the P&D Board, stated that the development of Keti Bandar was an important part of the provincial government’s strategy towards developing the energy sector, and the Sindh Energy Department was pursuing the development of the Keti Bandar project vigorously.