Agriculture university to set up first solar power plant

Shahbaz Sharif will lay foundation stone of clean energy project.

FAISALABAD:

Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif will lay the foundation stone of the first-ever solar-powered electricity generation plant, with a capacity of 3.8 megawatts, at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad on August 27.

He will also inaugurate Solar Green Houses, a step forward in the government’s fight against energy crisis that will provide green energy and reduce crop production cost for farmers, university officials say.

The university is setting up the plant in collaboration with Apollo Ampex (Private) Limited in an attempt to produce clean and pollution-free energy.

According to the officials, the university has taken some tangible steps including the launch of degree programmes in energy system engineering, food engineering and environmental engineering aimed at producing a pool of professionals who will help cope with energy demand through alternative energy.

UAF is also going to establish Punjab China Biogas Institute in association with the Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture, China.

Moreover, UAF has designed and installed a commercial biogas tube well system and off-grid power generation (15kva) for solving problems of the farming community.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 16^th, 2013.

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