Project to promote market-based adoption of biomass gasification technologies for agro-processing enterprises. STOCK IMAGE
Owing to the serious energy crisis prevailing in the country, the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) has announced to implement a project to promote market-based adoption of biomass gasification technologies for agro-processing of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Pakistan.
Drawing funding from Global Environmental Facility (GEF), the project will particularly introduce rice husk based gasification power plants in the rice producing areas in order to generate cheap and uninterrupted electricity. The rice husk is usually burnt and goes in vain.
A report of the UN’s information centre Islamabad observed that Pakistan today faces serious energy challenges that include frequent power cuts, brown outs and unreliable supply of fossil fuels. For SMEs power breakdown results in reduced production levels, reduced quality of production etc.
In view of this, the UNIDO, by helping SMEs develop biomass gasification power plants, seeks to enable SMEs to contribute towards addressing the energy challenges in the country, it said.
As part of this process, the UNIDO has signed a memorandum of understanding with Punjab Rice Mills Association to support the development of a feasibility study for 1MW rice husk based gasification power plant at Bhawalnagar, the report said.
The UNIDO’s country representative Esam Alqararah said, “Pakistan being an agricultural country possesses a fuel for future which is cheap, clean and abundant. Such projects will enable SMEs to have uninterrupted electricity to run their operations, which will increase their productivity and also help in providing low cost electricity.”
The industrial development officer at UN, Alois P Mhlanga, had visited Pakistan for the project. He mentioned the feasibility study for this 1MW gasification plant does lay a strong foundation for finding new ways of clean energy by demonstrating technical feasibility and economic viability of biomass gasification technology, UNIDO report added.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 23rd, 2015.
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This country desperately needs to invest more in alternative energy like this to get rid of the power crisis and petrol shortages. But that requires long-term thinking which you cannot expect from this govt. Let's pray that this money doesn't end up in the pockets of some corrupt officials.