Power crisis and its solution
For the past decade, Pakistan has been hit by the worst power crisis which is now getting out of control. At present, the country requires around 15,000 to 20,000 MWs of electricity per day, while the total production accumulates to 11,500 MW per day, thus, forming a shortfall of 4000 to 9000 MWs.
Presently, our economic progress is being hampered by ever-present load shedding that has resulted in halting the operations of industries. One important factor of lower GDP and inflation of commodity prices, in recent years, is attributed to shortfalls in energy supply. Even though the government has announced certain measures to conserve energy; alternate ways of generating energy need to be considered.
The largest deposits of coal exist in Thar, and it is inconceivable why the mining of this coal has not yet started. Besides coal, renewable energy in the form of biomass can offer solutions to our problems. Another important and widely adopted source is solar energy panels. Though the initial cost of installing solar panels is comparatively high, through them the highest levels of efficiency can be reached. Electricity generation through water reserves is also a productive alternate that will help in overcoming the power crisis.
Rental power plants (RPP) are also a solution to meet short-term and emergency requirements to fulfill the power shortfalls of a country. Pakistan would not be the first country to rent power plants. The US, UK, India, Bangladesh, Kuwait, Sri Lanka, Turkey, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Palestine have been using RPPs in the past. Now that we have rented the Turkish power plant there is no point in delaying the production and supply of electricity when we need it most.
Shafaq Yaqub
Published in The Express Tribune, October 12th, 2011.