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Gasification experiment conducted

KARACHI:

As part of a project to generate 100 megawatts of electricity through underground coal gasification (UCG) of lignite in Thar, a lab scale experiment was conducted by the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) at its headquarters here on Saturday.

Planning Commission member Dr Samar Mubarakmand, a renowned scientist, initiated the pilot project, in which a six-foot-long coal bed was built and almost 400 kg of coal lignite was placed in it in different layers. Later, they began generation of 740 volts of electricity through two generators.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Fuel Research Centre Director Gulzar Hussain Jhatial said, ?We have now made another 15-foot-long coal bed and have put 3.5 tons of lignite inside it to conduct the test successfully as per requirement of Thar coal, which has high volatile matter and moisture content. This will enable us to generate up to four times more electricity.?

This was the first of its kind lab test in the country, where electricity was produced through underground gasification, while a similar process will be undertaken in Thar. ?Our aim is to study the potential of UCG in order to exploit Thar coal resources,? he said.

PCSIR Chairman Dr Shaukat Parvez said that after successful experience of underground gasification, they would start the liquefaction process to convert gas into diesel. ?We are facing a major energy crisis and such efforts will help cure the energy problem,? he stressed.

When asked about the moisture level in coal, Parvez said that 200 samples had been analysed and the results indicated there would be no problem in generating electricity through UCG. He added that Thar had sufficient deposits to generate electricity for 70 years.

According to sources, a lack of resources will make it difficult to generate 100 megawatts of electricity through the project. ?The government had announced that all arrangements have been finalised and electricity will be generated by the end of March. However, I feel it will take up to six months, as the government has not yet provided all required equipment,? said a source.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 13th, 2011.