LAHORE: Pakistan possesses the potential of producing approximately 150,000 MW power from wind energy sources, S.M. Naveed, President PCJCCI, said.
During a think tank session held at the PCJCCI office on Wednesday, Naveed maintained that the wind projects can fetch investment of around US $two billion. Asking the government for short-term and quick start up of energy projects, to curb the prevailing energy crisis, he said that power shortages had crippled down the national economy in general and the industrial sector in particular. He claimed that the government has planned to achieve up to 2,500 MW from wind energy and from renewable energy resources including 1000 MW from solar, 50,000 MW from hydro (large), 3,100 MW from hydro (small) and 500 MW from waste. Daud Ahmed, Senior Vice President PCJCCI said that power shortfall is causing a serious setback to the industrial sector and the industrialization process. The energy mix in Pakistan is quite imbalance in comparison to other countries, with greater reliance on non-renewable resources of gas (43.7%) and oil (29% majority of which is imported), therefore; a rational energy mix planning ought to be developed giving greater dependency to renewable (hydel power), indigenous (coal) and wind energy resources.
Khalid Rafique Chaudhry, vice-president PCJCCI, said that wind turbine projects are relatively fast to install, however dams and nuclear plants take five to six years to complete, whereas the wind power plants can be installed in shortest period of 12 to 18 months and the major cost is just the price of land.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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