Our Story

Specialized Studies & Business Development Services to Principal

Sifaat (SA) is a Business Consultancy boutique firm, catering to specific and specialized studies, in four broad segments;

Project Pre-Feasibility and Viability studies

Power Generation & Energy Logistics studies

Market Development studies

Socio-Economic Development studies

Our most initial ‘consultancy advisories’ were in BPR (with Earth Llc, USA) and Business Risk Management (innovative insurance & re-insurance contracts through W. T. Butler in Lloyds Market). The above-stated segment studies included specific power generation project studies, Phosphatic fertilizer marketing in Pakistan, Value-Addition industrial venture in fruits & vegetables as well as income generation & poverty alleviation, health care interventions for poorest in society, natural water resources potential in Pakistan, solid waste conversion to energy (WTE) for Karachi city, gold-based Reinsurance product profile, etc. These studies & Reports were for few selected high-end Clients such as Bangladesh power sponsor company, Hubco, Ma’aden of KSA, Expat-Pakistani Investors Group, Agha Khan Foundation, Multinet CSR, Gaamco Malaysia group, etc. (see Work References for details)

Our first major engineering project consultancy started with our early involvement for the Coal Conversion and Expansion project (1280 MW) of Hubco Power (Pakistan’s biggest power generation company) in 2014-15-16. In that project, Sifaat provided the “Concept Study and Economic Viability Assessment for Coal Imports Handling Options” (2013-14). This was a two-phase Study which took an in-depth assessment of dry bulk / coal handling capacity at Karachi Port (and PQA) and their ancillary facilities (berth, stockyard) which was the sole port for coal imports at that time. The net result of that Study was to conclude that KPT Port, with draft capability only for Supramax 60,000 DWT vessels, was wholly inadequate to handle incremental coal imports of 5 MTPA in addition to approximately 4 MTPA it was already handling for various cement producers. A bold conclusion at the time, starkly differing from other consultant studies for Client, and proven prophetically right by subsequent developments for KPT!

In Options Screening, we (SA) consequently proposed Hubco a Concept Study for a most innovative out-of-the-box first-of-its-kind “Offshore Floating Coal Unloading / Handling Solution (OFUS)” for 5 MTPA coal imports, to provide a wholly dedicated and fully secured coal transit operation in Open-sea conditions directly along its plant-site on Hub Coastline, to feed their new proposed power plant by engaging Panamax & Capesize vessels (85,000 & 150,000 DWT vessels respectively, not possible in Karachi Port), greatly economizing Hubco’s coal transport & handling cost.

For this project at next stage (2015), upon follow-up assignment from Hubco, the Technical Feasibility and Sea-keeping conditions of their Offshore Platform + Barges solution was performed by Logmarin-Rina Consulting through SA, including subsequent OE role (2016) for their primary coal unloading & storage vessel construction in China. This first-of-its kind solution was successfully implemented and commissioned in early 2018, and continues operational, providing complete security & independence (no reliance on any port) and substantial savings in operating costs to the China-Hub Power Generation company’s new 1320 MW Coal fired power station in Hub.

That was our first successful foray into the domain of energy logistics!

Since that initial engagement for Hubco, our affiliation with Rina Consulting S.p.A of Genoa, Italy, has gone from strength to strength over the last 6 years, to great mutual advantage, where we continue to operate as their One-window Local Representative for developing Rina footprint as a global broad-spectrum engineering consultancy in Pakistan through various project Proposals and Assignments spanning diverse segments across Rina’s 12 operating consultancy divisions and with different focal persons. This association has resulted in over 20 different assignments in last 6 years, entirely from private sector. The repeat business from prestigious blue-chip clients reflects their satisfaction with Sifaat and Rina consultancy services.

In the projects mentioned below, we and Rina Consulting are privileged to have been associated with prestigious group of Client companies in Pakistan for few very high-profile energy projects with Pakistan’s blue-chip corporates.

Engro Group EETL & EVTL for development of their 2nd LNG terminal from beginning (2015) thru all phases of evolution of this project to current time;

Offshore FSRU based terminal on island in PQA & HDD pipeline – with EETL – as Technical Consultant
Offshore FSRU based terminal adjacent to EVTL jetty on shore side of PQA – with EETL – completing FEED study as OE
Onshore LNG Storage & Terminal adjacent to EVTL jetty – with EVTL & Vopak Holland (current & ongoing) – from Concept Layout to FEED, as OE
Addition of Onshore Propane Storage Tanks to existing EVTL chemical jetty & tank farm site – Basic Design & Layout

In all the above, repeat cycles of specialized HSE studies & services as Technical Consultant - Navigation Simulation Studies, Full Bridge NavSim and Quantitative Risk Assessments (QRA) - were provided by Rina Consulting, upto current assignment as OE

Similarly for other projects mentioned below (see Project References for further details).

Gasport PGPC for LNG Offshore Terminal project – as LTA for Bankers Group (BOP, Askari, UBL, NBP) – Full scope Due Diligence Studies were provided with subsequent PMC upto commissioning
Fotco Ltd for their HDD Pipeline under seabed to link Gasport gas to main SSGC Nationwide Gas Grid – Design Review and PMC for HDD pipeline
Bahria Foundation for Offshore LNG Terminal off Churna Island – FEED Review of 3rd party FEED development (CPPE) with gap-fill and HSE studies
Mitsubishi Tabeer LNG for Offshore LNG Terminal – HSE studies QRA & NavSim
JS Energy for LPG Terminal co-operational with coal unloading at PIBTL – Layout review, QRA and Navsim studies, including assessment of cross-risks or Domino effects between the two fuel lines (coal & LPG)
Hub Power Company for their Offshore Coal Handling Solution, from Logistics Options screening, concept development and economic viability (by Sifaat) to Technical Specifications of vessels and unloading, loading and conveying systems and OE monitoring of New-build platform vessel and barges (by Rina Consulting)

We and Rina Consulting continue to look optimistically to enlarging Rina footprint even further in the coming years in all the diverse opportunity areas that we see unfolding in Pakistan’s economy. We strive to support both Rina and our valued Clients in reaching their respective project objectives. Through our network of local technical partners, we are also able to support Rina activities offshore, as and when opportunity arises.

We look forward to offering similar business footprint development for other principals in diversified segments as Pakistan’s energy mix and economy continues to evolve dynamically.