Alternative energy: ‘Punjab can generate 5,400MW electricity

By Shamsul Haq

MoU signed to launch bio-gas tube-well scheme.
FAISALABAD: 
As many as 700 million people in South Asia would still be without electricity in 2030 if alternative sources of energy were not utilised, concluded speakers at a training workshop on Construction, Operation and Maintenance of Bio-Gas Tube wells here on Saturday.
The workshop was organised by the Punjab Agriculture (field) Directorate General and University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, at the New Senate Hall. Speaking at the workshop, Dr Rai Niaz Ahmad, the Arid Agricultural University, Rawalpindi, vice chancellor, said Pakistan had a huge renewable energy potential.
He said the country should make credit guarantees easier since it had the third largest off-grid population [after India and Bangladesh] and excellent solar, bio-mass and micro-hydro opportunities.
Ahmad said many such projects were being launched in Chakwal.
Planning Department additional secretary Ahmad Ali Zafar said the domestic solid waste in Pakistan was not being managed properly.
He said, “According to an estimate the urban areas of Pakistan generate over 55,000 tonnes of solid waste daily.”
Dr Muhammad Iqbal of UAF said the annual cost of energy used by tube-wells installed in the Punjab was nearly Rs337 billion. He said the Punjab was capable of generating 5,400 megawatts of electricity from bio-mass.
Director General Dr Muhammad Bashir said that according to the recent livestock census, there were nearly 46.69 million cattle in Pakistan. He said the average daily waste produced by every cattle was 15kg.
Bashir said that Pakistan was spending 16 billion dollars per annum on the import of oil for generation of energy.
Dr M Ghaffar Dogar, the bio-gas project director, said the provincial government had launched a project to build 50 bio-gas plants with a subsidy of over Rs500,000 per unit. He said the project would be completed by end of May this year.
UAF Vice Chancellor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan stressed the need for developing commercial options of bio-gas use.
Khan and Bashir Ahmad also signed a memorandum of understanding in order to promote collaboration between their organisations for launching a bio-gas tube-well scheme.
The workshop was presided over by Iqrar Ahmad Khan and Rai Niaz Ahmad, Ahmad Ali Zafar Muhammad Bashir were the guests of honour.
Other speakers on the occasion included Dr Muhammad Iqbal, the UAF Faculty of Agriculture dean, and the bio-gas project deputy director, Dr Muhammad Ashraf.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 14th, 2013.