Roshan Pakistan Scheme: 20,000 houses to switch to solar energy system

Adviser urges business community to tap unexploited resources

ISLAMABAD: Around 20,000 houses will be shifted to solar energy under the Roshan Pakistan Scheme in order to exploit alternative energy resources to overcome power crisis in the country.

This was said by Adviser to Prime Minister on Energy Zahid Muzaffar at a roundtable conference organised by the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) on Tuesday.

Speaking on the topic of “Efficient energy mix through entrepreneurial engagement”, Muzaffar said the government had taken drastic measures, which had started bringing significant results in the energy sector.



Currently, he said, local gas production was 4 billion cubic feet per day against demand for about 8 billion cubic feet, adding the gap could not be bridged overnight.

First liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal had helped enhance gas supply to different sectors including fertiliser and textile, Muzaffar said, adding for the past 16 to 18 months gas was supplied without interruption to the textile sector as it was the main contributor to exports of the country.

He pointed out that oil and gas were main components in the energy mix and the government was planning to develop more LNG terminals in the next two years. These measures, he believed, would help overcome energy shortage, which was a major impediment to economic development and industrial growth.

The adviser called on the business community to come forward and initiate joint ventures in order to exploit the huge alternative energy resources of the country.

“The country is endowed with huge hydel, coal, solar and wind energy resources,” said Muzaffar while pointing to the decreasing reliance on fossil fuel. He suggested to the business community to install solar energy plants to meet their energy requirements, sell surplus energy to the national grid and earn a reasonable profit.



Speaking on the occasion, Independent Power Producers Advisory Council Chairman Abdullah Yousuf said 66% of energy needs were met through fossil fuel, which was not an efficient mix.

ICCI President Khalid Malik said the aim of the event was to provide a way forward for the policymakers to develop an efficient energy mix by engaging the business community.

He stressed that the country was rich in energy resources and a comprehensive policy was required to exploit these reserves.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 22^nd, 2017.

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