Electricity generation through renewable resources

[Salman]

Electricity generation through renewable resources

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani was informed here on Tuesday that renewable energy in Pakistan has become investors’ choice and they had the offers for generating 1,500 megawatts (MW) electricity through these resources.

While chairing a meeting of the Alternate Energy Development Board (AEDB) to review the Renewable Energy Development Projects at the PM House, the prime minister said that the government has initiated a number of projects in the power sector to overcome the energy shortages in the country. He said that apart from hydel power generation, the country possessed enormous potential for power generation through other renewable energy resources of wind, solar, geo-thermal and biofuel energy. He said that wind energy could produce 350,000 MW, solar 2.9 million MW and geo-thermal 2,500 MW.

AEDB Chief Operating Officer Arif Alludin said that in view of the vast potential of the renewable energy in Pakistan, this sector has become investors’ choice and they had offers from the private sector for generating 1,500 MW of electricity through these resources.

The CEO apprised the meeting that projects of 400 MW would start this year and the units would start generating electricity early next year.

He said that the project of 150 MW of wind Jhampir in the province of Sindh is already under construction and would start operation during the first half of 2012.

The waste to energy sector projects are under various stages of development and would start production of electricity in the next two years.

The prime minister directed the ministries of finance and water and power to provide solar electricity to villages of the far-flung areas, which were located away from the national grid. The CEO said that it was a cost-effective project for the remote villages and will be instrumental in social development through poverty alleviation and job creation.

The prime minister also directed that off-grid application like solar water heater, biogas and water pumping be implemented through renewable resource. Its application would result in significant saving of gas, electricity and also provide organic fertilizers for the farmers, he said.