In 2009, the company formed Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) with the Government of Sindh—establishing the largest public-private partnership in Pakistan’s history—to unlock the Thar coalfield. In 2014, it broke ground on Thar Coal Block-II. But, as Saeed noted, Thar coal also contains metallic oxides, including sodium and potassium oxides, that can accelerate slagging and corrosion on boiler tubes when concentrations rise. Investigators concluded that Thar coal dust could explode when dispersed in a confined space and exposed to an ignition source such as friction, a heated bearing, or faulty grounding. Saeed said other Thar coal plants have since begun deploying similar protection, though many plants still rely mainly on dust-mitigation protocols rather than formal combustible-dust hazard systems.