Power Cement will conduct a trial run of Thar coal for cement production in their kilns under terms of MoU, which will help them offset their demand for imported coal.
Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) and Power Cement have agreed to conduct a trial run of Thar coal for cement production in their manufacturing unit. Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company CEO Amir Iqbal and Power Cement CEO Kashif Habib signed the memorandum.
Power Cement’s Chief Operating Officer Ahsan Anis, Director Export Marketing Saifuddin Khan, and DGM International Trade Badar Bin Anwar were also present. Manager Business Development Faisal Aziz, Manager Technical and Mine Planning Arsalan Anwar, and Manager Commercial Faizan Rafique accompanied him.
Power Cement will conduct a trial run of Thar coal for cement production in their kilns under the terms of the MoU, which will help them offset their demand for imported coal.
In response to this development, Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company CEO Amir Iqbal stated that Thar coal has the potential to reverse the country’s short- and long-term economic crisis.
The utility and economic significance of Thar coal as a raw material for the cement industry has increased in light of the extraordinary increase in the price of coal on the international market and the foreign exchange crisis in Pakistan.
He stated that other cement companies have successfully blended up to 20% Thar coal into the cement manufacturing process.”Because coal is an important raw material for cement production, blending Thar coal will help cement companies contain rising input costs.”It will also help to relieve the country’s reliance on foreign exchange reserves for coal imports.
According to Kashif Habib, CEO of Power Cement, the cement sector, like other industries, is being impacted by the global increase in commodity prices and the country’s difficult economic conditions. Importing raw materials such as coal raises our production costs, whereas using indigenous resources enables us to be competitive locally as well as internationally.
He emphasised that Thar coal will be an excellent resource due to its consistent availability and low cost.
Experts estimate that 5 million tons of coal will be required per year for blending up to 20% of Thar coal in the cement industry. This will save a substantial amount of foreign exchange reserves for the country and prove once again that Thar coal is the game changer for Pakistan.