‘Use of gas for power generation needs to stop’

Pakistan Economy Watch for reversal of policy introduced by Pervez Musharraf.

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Economy Watch asked the government on Friday to stop the use of gas by power generation companies.

He said that the plan formulated by Pervez Musharraf made Pakistan the first country in the world to use its limited reserves of non-renewable clean fuel for power generation

Before 2002, KESC’s 750 megawatt power generation unit at Port Qasim was the only plant using natural gas.  On 30th May 2011, Private Power and Infrastructure Board presented a concept paper in its board meeting to convert thermal power stations on cheaper fuel that was approved by Pervez Musharraf.

This decision saved some foreign exchange but eventually deprived masses and industry of an economical fuel, and contributed to the rapid environmental degradation, said PEW President Dr Murtaza Mughal.

Reduction in oil import bill can be made possible by using coal for power generation which is being practiced in many industrialised nations. The countries that avoid using coal use lowest possible quality of furnace oil, he informed.

Pakistan is currently producing 12.5MW from coal through a plant in Quetta while Lakhra plant has been shut down, on the other hand India has 126 coal power plants, China has 66, India 126, UK 18, and Russia has 48 coal powered plants.

Bangladesh is producing 20 times more power than Pakistan using coal while Zimbabwe is generating 74 times more power.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 24^th, 2012.