By JEFFREY TANENBERG/Associated PressKARACHI: The developer behind a $2 billion solar energy project in northwest Pakistan has announced plans to establish a coal-fired power plant in northwest India.
Energy Development Projects Ltd (EDP), a subsidiary of Pakistani billionaire Hasan Khan, plans to convert a coal plant into solar power, according to a statement posted on its website.
The solar power plant would produce more than 7,000 megawatts (MW) of power, the statement said.
It did not give details about its financial structure.
EDP’s other projects include a power station and a wind farm.
The project was first announced last year, but has since received no official government approvals.
Edna Farooq, a spokeswoman for the Indian Embassy in Islamabad, said Pakistani officials were not immediately available to comment.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
India has been trying to develop solar power as part of its energy security strategy to curb emissions of carbon dioxide and methane from the country’s power sector.
Pakistan is India’s biggest investor in solar energy and the second-largest producer of renewable energy.
India has also been pursuing solar energy for years.