Textile industry mulling replacing CPPs with solar energy

RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: Textile industry is thinking seriously of opting for replacing Captive Power Plants (CPPs) with solar energy and feasibilities are under consideration to invest in near future.

Reliable sources said power generation through solar is bit expensive comparing with gas but still it is feasible against thermal generation.

According to them, each unit of electricity costs around Rs 5 per out of gas, which would reach to Rs 8 out of solar against Rs 13 out of thermal. Therefore, they added, serious consideration is underway to switch over to solar energy.

Textile industry is passing through troublesome situation due to power crisis. Heavy investments were made back in 2002 to generate electricity through gas, which has also become unviable due to high demand of gas for domestic and transport purposes.

About 30 percent industrial capacity is closed down since the energy crisis has hit the country and chances of revival are bleak due to depleting gas availability. Also, high cost of furnace oil has also made it unviable to generate electricity through thermal and consume for power generation.

A series of meeting have recently taken place in All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma), Punjab chapter, where the members have evolved a consensus to seriously look for renewable energy sources for power generation, particularly the solar.

It may be noted that Aptma group leader Gohar Ejaz has succeeded in winning the case of textile industry, the federal Petroleum Minister Dr Asim Hussain has announced five days a week gas supply to CPPs of textile industry from March 26 soon the demand on domestic side has come down with the end of winter season.

However, still there are serious questions about the continuity of five days a week gas supply during summer ahead, as gas supply to textile industry on the SNGPL network remained suspended for about 170 during last summer due to various issues.

Accordingly, the textile industry is considering seriously of looking for other options, particularly the solar for power generation to deal with power crisis in the country. Pakistan is witnessing severe power crisis of its history and textile industry is the prime target of all sorts of short supplies. Textile industry had contributed precious $14 billion last year when President Asif Ali Zardari had taken special interest in smooth supply of gas to textile industry.