Effective solution? ‘PAEC to generate 40,000MW of electricity by 2050’

Chairperson expresses confidence in their ability to meet the target

KARACHI: The government has assigned a target of generating around 40,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity by 2050 to help resolve the electricity crisis being faced by the country, said the chairperson of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), Muhammad Naeem. 

"We are confident about achieving this target within the stipulated period, as all the requisite projects and plans are in place for this purpose," he said, while speaking as chief guest at the 13th convocation of the Karachi Institute of Power Engineering (KINPOE) on Friday. He said that the PAEC is all set for meeting the target set by the government to produce 8,800 MW of electricity by 2030.

Naeem said that the PAEC has been striving to enhance its role in power generation, as the country is facing an acute power shortage. He added that an immense contribution had been made by the graduates of the Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS) and KINPOE to the country's nuclear programme.

The PAEC has established 18 Atomic Energy Cancer Hospitals in different cities, providing diagnostics and therapeutic facilities to the surrounding areas. Around 800,000 patients are benefitting from these hospitals per year, which is roughly 80 per cent of the total cancer patients in the country.

Similarly in the agriculture sector, the PAEC has established four agriculture research centres, NIA at Tandojam, NIBGE and NIAB at Faisalabad and NIFA in Peshawar. These centres are producing weather and disease resistant crop varieties including wheat, rice, lentils, legumes and cotton. Around 88 new crop varieties have been introduced to date, which are making a significant contribution towards the betterment of the country's agriculture sector.

Naeem conferred MS degrees in nuclear power engineering (NPE) on KINPOE graduates, along with medal and merit certificates to position holders. He congratulated the graduating students and expressed his hope that they would play a role in the country's development.

PIEAS rector Dr Muhammad Aslam and KINPOE director Muhammad Tariq informed the audience about the human resource development institutes run under the aegis of PAEC. At the convocation, 94 graduates from 19th and 20th batches received their degrees of Master of Science in Nuclear Power Engineering. 

Published in The Express Tribune, August 22^nd, 2015.