Adviser outlines strategy to cope up with power crisis

The adviser to Prime Minister on Energy Engineer, Mukhtar Ahmad has said that the power crisis in Pakistan is not looming but already here. He was addressing the inaugural session of the 22nd Multi topic International Symposium organised by Institute of Electrical and Electronics engineers at a local hotel here on Friday.
The theme of the symposium is Looming Power Crisis in Pakistan". Mukhtar said that instead of crying over lost opportunities and blaming each other we should look ahead and plan for the future. He outlined the future strategy of the government to deal with the present crisis, which he said started in 2006. He lauded the power policy of 1994 which he said helped the nation.
He was of the opinion that by 2010 Pakistan will again have enough power to meet its demands but he cautioned that the present crisis will become worse in 2008 before it becomes better in 2009 and 2010.
He outlined the steps being taken to solve the crisis in the long term which includes comprehensive energy plan that includes all forms of energy including coal and renewable energy sources. He said we have to take environmental considerations into account before we venture into coal produced power. He gave the example of China the highest producer of power through coal and said this has polluted the environment to the extent that on some days you cannot see from one building to the other in Beijing.
Mukhtar said that per capita consumption of power in Pakistan is lower than Thailand and showed an interesting slide that clearly demonstrated the link between human development and power consumption.
He said in order to enhance human development like education, less mortality rate amongst children etc we have to have a level at least as much power consumption as Thailand. He said renewable energy like Solar and Wind will be 10% of future power requirements.
He lauded the efforts of IEEEP for providing a platform to discuss issues in an academic manner and said the government needs partners like IEEEP to help overcome the power crisis in the country.
Earlier Engineer Munawwar Baseer Ahmad in his key note address said that there seems lack of co-ordination as in some places multiple street lights are burning, neon signs that consume huge electricity are glittering while in some areas there is darkness with people burning tyres in frustration. He said we have the second largest coal reserves in the world after America but we have not bothered to use that to produce energy. This coal in terms of energy is as big as the oil reserves of Saudi Arabia.
He said WAPDA and KESC could have done much better and lamented the fact that for last ten years there has been no addition to power generation in Karachi. He said we can not achieve our economic goals if we do not have power. He said he had in the national power conference in 1997 predicted such a crisis but nothing was done and the crisis is upon us now.
Not only Karachi but the entire country is in the grip of power crisis. He said addition to power generation in the country for the last two years has been practically zero. He blamed inadequate energy forecasts, lack of effective implementation, modalities and project development for the present crisis. He said there was also lack of co-ordination between Hydel, Thermal, Oil and Gas.
He said the technical losses due to theft and other reasons are also one of the reasons for the crisis and this loss is not evaporating in thin air but the money is going in someone's pocket. He said in Sui Gas we have reduced such losses from 12 percent to 6 percent and this can also be done in the power sector. He also called for conservation policy which is direly needed in these circumstances.
The Chairman IEEEP Karachi Centre Engineer S.S.A. Jafri in his address of welcome said that IEEEP provides a forum for discussion on national issues in an academic atmosphere. He said the institute has been organising this symposium since 1981 without fail and the organising committee consists of professionals from public and private sector who devote their time as volunteers to make this symposium a success.-PR