LCCI holds seminar on bio-fuel challenges, opportunities

RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: Provincial Minister for Agriculture Ahmad Ali has said that government is spending sufficient amount of energy and resources for the promotion of bio-technology.

He was speaking at a seminar on “Bio-fuel Challenges and Opportunities” organized by the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Tuesday.

Vice Chancellor University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS), Dr. Talat Naseer Pasha, Prof. Waheed Akhtar of Punjab University, Dr. Farkhanda of Lahore College for Women University and Convener LCCI Committee on Bio-technology, Dr. Shahid Raza also spoke on the occasion.

The minister said that the Punjab government had already handed over 1500 biogas plants to the rural community at a subsidy of Rs. 50,000 per unit and the only objective is to promote alternate energy resources. He said that since more than 60 percent of country’s exports belong to agriculture therefore biotechnology is of prime importance.

He said that the recent electricity shortage has badly hit the agriculture and the industrial sectors and it is very unfortunate that the country is getting no benefit of its bio-fuel potential while by next year India would be fulfilling 20 percent of its total energy needs through bio-fuels.

The minister said the Punjab government is well aware of the energy crisis and taking necessary steps to explore alternative resources of energy. To expedite the research work on bio-fuels, a memorandum of understanding with Chinese firm has been signed to set a research Institute in University of Agriculture Faisalabad which would help develop Bio technology to prepare bio-fuels.

He further said the Punjab government is providing financial assistance to research institutes including University of Agriculture Faisalabad to conduct modern research to deal with energy crisis. He told that survival of industrial sector is not possible without progress in agriculture sector because more than 85 percent raw material for industrial sector is being provided by agriculture sector.

Addressing the seminar, speakers gave presentations regarding importance, preparation and current scenario of bio-fuels production using bio-technology. They said that currently Pakistan’s energy requirements are being met by using 32.8 percent oil, 45.6 percent gas, 13 percent hydro power, one percent nuclear energy and 6 percent through coal. Alternatives resources of energy like bio-fuels, solar energy, wind energy and bio gas have become very important for economic growth of any country, because these resources are renewable and cost effective than traditional fossil fuels.

Develop countries like USA and Brazil are using ethanol and gasoline as fuel for vehicles. In Pakistan daily production of ethanol is about 2,415 kilo litres which is currently being exported because of non availability of modern bio-technology services in the country.

Speaking on the occasion, the LCCI President Farooq Iftikhar said that there is no doubt about the enormous potential of biotechnology in Pakistan. He said that there are a number of fields derived from biotechnology like agriculture biotechnology, environmental biotechnology, health biotechnology, industrial biotechnology.

He said that renewable and sustainable energy resources are the best substitute to the conventional fuels and energy sources as the business community understands that bio-fuels will reduce our dependence on petroleum to some degree and enhance energy security. It is really unfortunate that no significant work has been done in Pakistan in this field. There is abundant availability of cultivable area in the shape of barren and waste land in our country. Government should encourage utilizing its land for growing jatropha plant at a wider scale. We can extract non edible oil from this herb to produce bio-diesel. This can be used in vehicles by way of mixing up to 10 percent with diesel. He said that it will certainly help to a great deal in bringing down the import of oil but also serve as an environment friendly source of energy.

Dr. Shahid Raza stressed the need for highlighting the importance of bio-fuel at national level and also project this area as a profitable sector for national and foreign investors. He said that it is high time that public and private sector must come up and join hands in order to utilize the untapped potential of bio-fuel and especially government of Punjab should take initiative to utilize barren and waste land for bio-fuel production.