Pooling resources: Denmark assures assistance for wind power turbines

More green energy sought by Pakistani authorities.

ISLAMABAD: In an inundated effort to resolve the critical energy crisis that estimates a loss of 3% of GDP each year due to power shortages, the Denmark government extended its support to establish wind turbines in several remote areas of Pakistan.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, a high-level delegation of global wind leader Vestas, a Danish company, in joint collaboration with the Embassy of Denmark and Assistant to the Prime Minister Mussadiq Malik spoke about the advantages of branching into establishing wind turbines in Pakistan.

“It is not aid but trade we are looking for,” Malik said. Pakistan is an attractive place for industries and investment. “There are very few countries in which one can make 17 to 20% dollar denominator returns that are tax free and Pakistan is one of them”

Malik said the government had laid out a new five-year energy plan and was looking at all available sources to enhance energy productions. Government is offering incentives and guarantees to investors in form of fast-track power projects gazing at security as a part of their investment.

Alternative Energy Development Board CEO Asjad Imtiaz Ali said that areas for wind are more secure than other areas of the country.

“Our challenge is not to think of the cost of energy, but the cost of not having energy,” said Mussadiq.

Ali said that a report in assistance with the World Bank is being worked on information that correlates to wind data which will be useful for investors.

Ambassador of Denmark to Pakistan Jesper Moller Sorensen said that Pakistan faces challenges that Denmark is an expert on. Sharing Denmark’s experience, he said that the country went from society dependent on imported fossil-fuel to a completely energy independent economy with an increasing amount of renewable in the energy mix.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 7^th, 2014.

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