ISLAMABAD: As the Reliability Test Run (RRT) of the 660 MW coal-fired Jamshoro Power Plant resumes, concerns are being raised over the quality of coal being used. Experts warn that if the RRT fails again, it could have serious implications for all stakeholders involved in the procurement process.
Well-informed sources told Newzshewz that the plant’s management restarted the RRT, which requires a continuous seven-day operation. The initial test run was halted because it failed to meet the National Power Control Center’s (NPCC) demand.
“The real issue, which hasn’t been publicly acknowledged, is the substandard coal purchased by the Jamshoro plant,” a source said. “This coal failed to deliver the plant’s design capacity. One of the senior officials from Jamshoro reportedly persuaded NPCC to initially allow a test run at reduced capacity to claim Commercial Operation Date (COD) achievement.”
The coal currently being used reportedly has significantly higher ash content and a lower BTU (British Thermal Unit) value than the imported performance-grade coal originally specified—coal that should have lower ash and higher energy content.
“I believe the RRT was restarted on April 24, 2025. If they were using standard coal as per the plant’s design, it would have lasted at full capacity for at least 14 days. However, because of concerns over the quality, more coal is being used to sustain operations. This suggests that while payment was made for high-grade imported coal, a lower-quality variant was actually supplied,” said an insider.
This inefficiency has reportedly led to increased coal consumption, higher ash, reduced capacity, greater auxiliary power usage, increased emissions, and accelerated wear and tear on the plant’s equipment.
According to the insider, consultants engineers had already informed Jamshoro officials that the coal used during the RRT did not meet performance standards.
“I suspect there must be a large kickbacks involved if local or mixed coal was used while invoices were cleared for imported coal,” the source alleged.
Unconfirmed reports also suggest that some senior officials directly negotiated with suppliers in violation of PPRA rules. The project director, who opposed the questionable bid, was reportedly removed from his position.
The plant has reportedly reached full capacity, but only by consuming higher volume of coal than originally required. The increased ash output and reliance on standby coal milling machinery are straining the system, increasing the plant’s internal electricity use and reducing the overall capacity payment.
The Jamshoro issue is expected to be discussed in an upcoming meeting of the newly appointed Boards of GENCOs, which has been convened by the Minister for Power in the coming days. Ends
