Energy mix: Seminar on the potential of green energy held

Businessmen, academics urge shift to coal, bio-diesel and solar power.

LAHORE: The scientific and business community of Pakistan urged the government to invest in alternative sources of energy like bio-diesel, coal and solar power to mitigate the energy crisis here on Thursday at a seminar arranged by the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) in collaboration with the Institute of Research Promotion (IRP) and National Forum for environment and health (NFEH) in connection with the World Environment Day 2013.

President LCCI Farooq Iftikhar said some hybrid system needs to be chalked out, warning that we can’t rely on solar energy alone. When talking about Lahore for example we have no place for the placement of solar panels, he said.

Iftikhar said the shortage of power in Lahore and Punjab in particular is a burning issue. “My personal feeling is that there seems to be shortage of technical experts, so it is up to the academia and the business community to come forward and offer their expertise to mitigate the energy crisis by establishing privately owned small power plants using green technology which are environment friendly and cost effective too,” he said.

The ex-chairman of the Pakistan Science Foundation Professor Dr Farid A Malik said that after the passage of the 18th Amendment provinces can generate their own power and exploit their own energy resources. In other words, the provincial governments are empowered to exercise control over their own energy resources.

From an energy standpoint, Punjab is seriously handicapped as it lags behind in oil, gas and hydel energy resources as compared to other provinces. He added that there are three main energy options for the province in the near future: solar, biogas and coal.

“Global warming and environmental issues have come to the forefront. While energy resources are becoming scarce, the environment has also become critical. Coal may be a cheap source of energy but it cannot be burned directly in the 21st century, it has to be processed,” said Dr Malik.

Malik advised that as coal is the future energy resource of Pakistan, we must take the lead and develop a unified plan to mine and then convert natural resource into a cleaner fuel.

Abid HK Shirwani, CEO of IRP said Green Energy is one of the most cost effective means of energy so the industry must invest in it. “We failed to disseminate the research and studies before, but we hope that the business community will learn from it,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28^th, 2013.

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