ISLAMABAD (The Thursday Times) — Project documents ke mutabiq, Trump administration ki himayat yafta US companies ka aik nijji giroh Pakistan mein LNG project mein 4 arab 40 crore dollar tak sarmayakari karna chahta hai, jis mein Port Qasim par import aur storage terminal ko mulk ke andarooni ilaqon tak 1,100km gas pipeline ke saath jora jayega.
Yeh tajweez Energas ke dastbardar hone ke baad saamne aayi hai, jo Lucky Group aur QatarEnergy ka venture tha aur isi tarah ke project ke liye sab se aage tha. Energas ne Pakistan ki energy policy aur zaroriyat mein tabdeeliyon ke saath saath policy aur maali masail hal na hone ka hawala dete hue project se haath kheench liya.
Naya consortium Global Vision Energy Partners aur Khanjee Holdings par mushtamil hai, jo aapas mein mutaalliqa firms hain, jin ke saath Luxembourg mein qaim General Mediterranean Holding aur doosre mulkon ke strategic co-investors shamil hain. Sponsors ne Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority mein provisional licence ke liye darkhwast di hai aur aik special purpose company bhi qaim ki hai, aur bataya gaya hai ke site ke liye unhein Port Qasim Authority ki razamandi hasil hai.
Pehle marhale mein, jis ki laagat 1 arab 70 crore dollar rakhi gayi hai, aik terminal tameer kiya jayega jis mein chaar tanks honge, jin ki kul gunjaish 5 lakh 60 hazar cubic metres hogi, aur jo saalana taqreeban 35 arab cubic feet handle karega. Pakistan ke paas is waqt LNG storage nahin hai, jis se is ki supplies mukammal taur par import schedules aur aalami qeematon par munhasir hain. Doosre marhale mein 42-48 inch ki pipeline ka izafa hoga jo rozana taqreeban 1 arab 20 crore cubic feet le jane ki salahiyat rakhti hogi, aisa rasta jis ka Pakistan ne pehle Russia ke saath mil kar jaiza liya tha.
Sponsors Port Qasim ko is ke maujooda port infrastructure aur Strait of Hormuz se bahar waqe hone ki wajah se tarjeeh dete hain, aur chahte hain ke project US aur Middle East ke suppliers ke liye storage aur trading hub ka kaam de. Yeh bare sarf karne walon ko merchant basis par bechega, aur kisi aik hukumat ki himayat yafta khareedar par bharosa nahin karega.
Tajweez kiye gaye tariffs terminal aur storage ke liye $4.93 per mmBtu aur transmission ke liye $1.91 hain, jo pehle 10 saal ke liye hongi, aur us ke baad kam ho kar $2.20 aur $0.92 reh jayein gi. Domestic market ke liye tariffs ko regulator ki manzoori darkar hogi.
Financing 70% qarz aur 30% equity par mushtamil hogi. Yeh project US Trade and Development Agency ke project preparation programme ke teht ghaur ke liye manzoor kiya gaya hai aur US Development Finance Corporation se juzwi financing hasil kar sakta hai, jis ke saath US Export-Import Bank ki export credit guarantees hongi. Maqami sarmayakaron ko equity ka 10% tak pesh kiya ja raha hai, jis ki shuruaat har aik ke liye 5 crore dollar se hoti hai.
Sponsors KKR, Blackstone, Saudi Arabia ke Public Investment Fund aur Kuwait Investment Authority jaise funds ko ragheb karne ki ummeed rakhte hain, lekin ab tak equity ke koi paband commitments ki tasdeeq nahin hui.
