TransGas Pakistan Ltd
The development opportunity with the most maturity is TransGas Pakistan Ltd.
Pakistan has few energy resources and must depend upon imports to much a greater extent than the USA. In addition the potential for supply interruption is heightened by instability of neighboring governments.
In the 1990’s large deposits of coal were discovered in the Thar Desert in southwestern Pakistan. The Pakistan government has established an organization to use this coal to offset coal imports. In this effort significant exploration of the deposits has been completed providing information needed to evaluate mining and utilization options.
In 2011, TransGas was asked to consider the potential for converting Thar coal into liquid transportation fuels. After evaluating the resources, market, and multiple meetings with government and potential partners a project concept was developed and TransGas Pakistan Ltd formed.
The project would develop a surface coal mine in Block VII of the Thar region designed to produce approximately four million tons per year of lignite coal. In the process water produced from the mining operation would be utilized for irrigation of disturbed and adjacent lands to enhance agricultural production and revegetation.
The plant would be designed to gasify the local coal converting into methanol then into gasoline. In addition, the facility would produce sufficient electricity to power itself and export approximately 200 megwatts to adjacent communities. A portion of the water treated for plant consumption would be upgraded to potable standards to provide fresh drinking water to those communities as well.
The approximately 250 million gallons (946 million liters) of gasoline produced would be conveyed by road to the national highway initially with eventual connection to a gasoline pipeline.
TransGas Pakistan staff are currently finalizing necessary preliminary actions. A project timeline has not yet been finalized.
