KARACHI: The other day, President Asif Ali Zardari inaugurated a 50MW windmill project in Jhimpir near Thatta. This plant has been set up by the Fauji Fertiliser Company (FFC) and will cost around $134 million and produce 50MW of energy generated by the wind. This is a most laudable investment carried out by the FFC, not least because it could pave the way for further enhancing of the country’s energy supply and that, too, based on a non-traditional and abundant source of energy: wind.
According to reports, Pakistan possesses an estimated wind power generation capacity of over 350MW. Pakistan is a mountainous country and has a long coastline as well and hence its terrain is ideal for setting up windmill projects. The initial investment of these windmills is high but after that, no big investment is required. Wind power energy is also very environmentally friendly and that is another plus. This means that electricity generated by this source could be priced cheaper compared with the rest that is produced either by plants that use gas, coal or furnace oil.
I hope that when the next government is installed next year, it will carry on with this excellent initial step.
Mubashir Mahmood
Published in The Express Tribune, December 28th, 2012.
