Establishment of solar parks proposed
Some farmers use a solar-powered fans to separate the grains from the husks. The use of solar energy has become an integral part of life, especially in rural Pakistan. photo: China Economic Net
There is a need to exploit the renewable energy resources in order to meet the growing needs of the country. In clean energy, solar is one of the most economical, pollution-free and environment-friendly sources of energy that can help mitigate power crisis in Pakistan.
These were the remarks made by Pakistan Hi-Tech Hybrid Seed Association Secretary General and United Business Group Chairman Shahzad Ali Malik. He was talking to a delegation of progressive farmers, led by Sabir Hussain.
“Pakistan is confronted with a severe energy crisis and load-shedding is badly affecting the economic growth besides hitting the agriculture sector and commercial activities,” Malik pointed out, according to a statement issued on Thursday.
He said that countries around the globe were opting for the relatively inexpensive power generation but unfortunately Pakistan was lagging behind. “What we need is a large-scale establishment of solar parks at the technically feasible locations.”
In the prevailing scenario, Malik emphasised, the country was in dire need of uninterrupted hydro and solar power generation to meet the ever-increasing energy demand.
At present, the country relies on expensive, non-renewable fossil fuels for power generation, which are depleting rapidly. Fossil fuels have remained the dominant source of energy for the last few centuries. They have helped accelerate economic growth but at the cost of countless conflicts and greenhouse gas emissions, posing a threat to the planet in the form of human-induced climate change.
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“Notwithstanding this troubling backdrop, today’s world seems to be embracing a new era of solar energy revolution,” he added.
Malik underlined the need for shifting power generation to the renewable energy resources under a phased master plan as Pakistan was blessed with tremendous solar energy potential.
He pointed out that Pakistan had got multiple regions with sufficient solar intensity for power generation through solar thermal power plants.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 13th, 2022.
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