Pakistan Council of Renewable Energy Technologies is executing a pilot production of silicon solar cells and modules project to meet power needs in the country. The project, costing over Rs 37 million, aims at providing electricity to improve the socio-economic conditions of the people in remote areas.
The government plans to promote use of compressed natural gas (CNG) by facilitating operators and to enhance the number of operational stations to 1500 by the current year-end, officials at Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources said.
The Ministry foresees 0.5/6 million vehicles switched to CNG as compared to the present 475,000 vehicles. The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) has issued CNG licences to 1140 parties and currently 740 CNG stations are operational in the country, which will be brought to 1500 units," an official said.
CNG is not only cost-effective but it also helps to keep the environment clean. Therefore, more motorists will be encouraged to adopt use of this fuel source, he said.
In Pakistan the number of CNG-powered vehicles has risen from a few thousand to 475,000 in three years. Apart from the government's efforts in the right direction, the operational cost remains an important factor. Argentina is on top where 1.2 million vehicles are using CNG while Brazil has 803,645 vehicles switched to CNG. In Iran, the number of vehicles running on CNG rose from 1,000 to 14,000 in a year, while in Thailand, about 5,000 vehicles use CNG and their government target is to have 180,000 units by 2010, the official said.
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