Pakistan yet to exploit alternative energy resources: The News

By Mansoor Ahmad
LAHORE: Despite an acute energy shortage and worsening environmental pollution, Pakistan has not exploited the vast potential of environment-friendly alternative energy resources which could add billions of dollars to the economy in the form of carbon credit.

Besides developed countries, many developing economies are adopting alternative methods to produce energy from sources other than fossil fuel. Pakistan, on the other hand, has almost doubled its fossil fuel consumption in order to generate electricity.

Pakistan having a breezy and long coastline has the potential to churn out over 50,000 megawatts of electricity from wind, but at present it hardly produces 100 megawatts.

India and China are among top 10 producers of wind energy. Total installed wind power capacity of China is 12,210MW, of which 6,300MW was added in 2008. In India, total installed wind energy capacity is 9,645MW, of which 1,800MW was added in 2008.

Pakistan’s solar energy potential is also unlimited but no credible progress has been made except for importing some solar-powered geysers from China, which enjoys 66 per cent of global solar water heating capacity. It is followed by Turkey with a 5.8 per cent share. India is also among top 10 countries in solar water heating system with a global share of 1.2 per cent. Pakistan’s share in this area is zero.

Ethanol production in the world increased by 34 per cent in 2008 to 67 billion litres, in which Brazil’s share was 27 billion litres, which make up more than 50 per cent of its non-diesel fuel consumption.

The US was the top ethanol producer with 34 billion litres. India has made it mandatory to add 20 per cent ethanol to motor gasoline. In Pakistan, the first petrol pump started selling ethanol-blended fuel in Islamabad five years ago. However, only a few fuel stations have been added during this period at an average of one outlet per year.

The World Bank’s solar home system projects in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka remained continued, with cumulative installations in 260,000 households by 2008 in Bangladesh and 125,000 households in Sri Lanka. There are not more than 500 residences in Pakistan which have this facility.

The world has made progress in generating energy from waste which Pakistan currently dumps in low-lying areas, polluting the environment. Electricity is being produced through biomass around the world. Though most sugar mills in Pakistan produce electricity from biomass, the government is reluctant to buy this cheap power. The Alternative Energy Development Board has so far signed agreements to buy this electricity with only two out of 73 sugar mills.

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