ISLAMABAD: The Special Investment Facilitation Council has helped clear a key water-supply requirement for Sapphire’s planned soda ash plant in Khushab, paving the way for one of the country’s notable private-sector chemical manufacturing projects to move ahead.
According to official reporting, the project has been allocated 2.7 cusecs of water from the Mohajir Canal to meet its operational needs. The decision is being described as a major step for the Sapphire Soda Ash Production Project, which is expected to strengthen Pakistan’s domestic chemicals industry and reduce dependence on imported raw material.
Soda ash, also known as sodium carbonate, is a basic industrial input used in glass manufacturing, detergents, textiles, paper, chemicals and several other downstream sectors. For Pakistan, where manufacturers often face cost pressures from imported inputs, even a modest increase in reliable local supply can make a difference.
The project is linked to Sapphire Chemicals (Private) Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sapphire Textile Mills Limited. In a corporate disclosure last year, Sapphire Textile Mills said its subsidiary was setting up a soda ash manufacturing facility with a planned capacity of 220,000 tons per annum. The company said the plant would be based on local raw material and was expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
For the company, the water allocation removes a practical bottleneck. Chemical plants of this scale need a steady water source not just for production processes but also for supporting utilities and plant operations. In Khushab, that issue had been under discussion for some time. In June 2024, state-run Radio Pakistan reported that approval had been granted for 2.5 cusecs of water through the Muhajir Branch Canal for a soda ash plant in the district. The latest reports now cite 2.7 cusecs, suggesting the requirement has either been revised or updated as the project moved forward.
Officials see the project as part of a wider push to build industrial capacity in sectors where Pakistan has local raw material advantages. Business Recorder reported that the SIFC-backed facilitation is expected to improve supply-chain stability, create jobs and support economic activity around the plant site in Khushab.
The SIFC, formed in 2023, has been positioned by the government as a high-level coordination platform to fast-track investment decisions and resolve interdepartmental hurdles. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs describes it as a forum headed by the prime minister, with federal and provincial representation as well as participation from the armed forces.
Still, the success of the Sapphire project will depend on more than water. Financing, construction timelines, machinery procurement, energy availability and environmental compliance will all matter before commercial production begins. The company has previously indicated that project financing was in its final stages, with a consortium of banks involved.
For now, though, the clearance of water supply gives the project a visible push. And for Pakistan’s manufacturing sector, where delays over utilities can quietly stall big-ticket investments, that is no small thing.
