Kerosene use

Letter December 31, 2022
Kerosene use

KARACHI:

Many regions in Pakistan do not have access to natural gas due to which citizens either use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders or rely on wood or burning waste to fulfil daily chores. Both these options are expensive and cumbersome. Now with the supply of natural gas dwindling and Regasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) being an expensive and unfeasible option for domestic use, the government and the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) must introduce an alternative fuel source. One option is kerosene oil as it is safer to use, easier to transport, and is produced in abundance in the country.

Kerosene burns cleaner and more efficiently than heating oil due to its refining process, and it does not gel in winter. Pressured stoves can be made to burn kerosene at higher pressure to help reduce cooking time. Similarly, mobile heaters can be made to use kerosene for heating with auto-shutdown and start at fixed temperatures because kerosene’s high heat output makes it best to be used for small intervals for better efficiency.

The Pakistani government should promote the use of kerosene by implementing residential use safety rules, establishing a kerosene supply policy, and helping local industries design and manufacture kerosene-pressured stoves and residential heaters with temperature control. The use of kerosene will significantly reduce deforestation in the country. It will also create jobs in the new supply chain and equipment manufacturing industry.

Shahryar Khan

Peshawar

Published in The Express Tribune, December 31st, 2022.

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