ISLAMABAD, Sept 5: In the backdrop of crippling energy crisis, a conference on coal-fuelled power generation on Wednesday called for a serious dialogue to support and provide sustainable and efficient solutions to problems confronting coal energy projects.

Coal is fuelling more than 50 per cent of power generation in China and India and 40 per cent worldwide, but less than one per cent is consumed in Pakistan despite huge coal reserves of 175 billion tons at Thar alone, speakers pointed out at the conference, organised by the Attock Oil Refinery here on Tuesday.

The speakers stated that transformation of the energy mix for power generation from hydel rich to thermal over the last three decades and decreasing indigenous natural gas availability has resulted in overwhelming dependence on expensive imported furnace oil.

The demand and supply gap now exceeding 6000MW is likely to double in the near future.

According to ARL Chief Executive Officer Adil Khattak stated that investors and project developers are now looking at policy makers, scientists and technologists for providing the right environment supported by attractive incentives, reliable, efficient, safe and cost-effective solutions for coal-based power generation.

In a presentation on transportation of coal to power plants, it was assumed that seven tons of coal would be required to produce a single megawatt of electricity while 83,000 tons of coal would be required per day by Wapda and IPPs to generate 12,000MW of electricity in case of conversion from gas and oil.