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Energy crisis in pakistan
1. ENERGY CRISIS AND CONSERVATION IN PAKISTAN
MUHAMMAD AMMAR SABZWARI, HAFIZ MUHAMMAD REHAN GHANI
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEEERING, UCE&T BAHAUDDIN ZAKARIYA UNIVERSITY
MULTAN, PUNJAB, PAKISTAN
Email:ammarsubzwari@yahoo.com, rehan2859@gmail.com
Abstract:
Pakistan is facing a shortfall in oil and
electricity fields since last five to six years. It effects our
economy and lifestyle adversely. As a Pakistani it is our
responsibility to save energy and use renewable sources
like wind, water, sun and biomass.
In this paper we discuss what renewable energy
resources are and how we can utilize them for the
betterment of Pakistani economy and in current energy
crisis.
Key Words: Energy, Crisis, Resources, Solar Energy
1. Introduction:
Without energy, the accomplishment of any
task is impossible. The resources are limited while
consumption has been increasing day by day. The
availability of energy resources and dependency on them
is changed after industrial revolution due to many
reasons such as climatic conditions and mostly due the
availability and transportation. Pakistan is a developing
country and facing energy crisis since last two decades.
The article is a discussion about that short fall of energy.
It also discusses about conservation methods and
generation of some through economical mode. Solar
energy is also one of these. Authors also talk about some
benefits of solar energy with special relation to
Pakistan’s requirements.
2. Discussion: Energy is the life blood of socioeconomic
development. It is essential for technological
applications that promote productivity increases. The
three domains where energy is used are the production of
electricity, the extraction/generation of thermal energy
(heating and cooling), and transportation. During the
past two centuries, fossil fuels (coal, oil, and gas) have
been the main sources used to meet humanity’s energy
requirements.[1]
Only 55% of the Pakistan’s population has access to
electricity and per capita supply is about 520 kWh. At
present, the people are facing severe load
shedding/blackout problems due to shortage of about 3
GW power supply. Gas and oil have 65% share in
conventional electricity generation. Indigenous reserves
of oil and gas are limited and the country heavily
depends on imported oil. The oil import bill is a serious
strain on the country’s economy. Though there is huge
coal potential in the country but has not been utilized
due to various reasons. This shows that Pakistan must
develop renewable to manage the energy crises. There is
substantial potential of renewable in the country for
managing the present energy crises as well as meeting
the future energy needs.[2]
With the advent of the year 2008, Pakistan faces a gap of
4500 MW between the demand and supply of electricity,
registering a shortfall of 40%. The key dimensions of the
crisis, i.e. growing gap between demand and supply,
diminishing indigenous oil and gas reserves, rising
energy cost and security concerns. It also explores
hydropower, solar energy, biomass and wind power as
sustainable energy options for the country. In has been
found that the total estimated hydropower potential is
more than 42 GW out of which only 6.5 GW has been
tapped so far. In terms of available solar energy Pakistan
is amongst the richest countries in the world, having an
annual global irradiance value of 1900–2200 kWh/m2
.
Despite that fact that the biomass plays an important role
in the primary energy mix by contributing to 36% of the
total supplies, it has not managed to break into the
commercial energy market. Wind power, also been
identified as a potential source of energy, is yet to take
off.[3]
All energy sources bring their own problems. The
challenge is thus to find appropriate and reliable
solutions for providing energy sources for social and
economic development and meeting the needs.
Most of our energy comes from nonrenewable energy
sources. Coal, petroleum, natural gas, propane, and
uranium are nonrenewable energy sources. They are
used to make electricity, to heat our homes, to move our
cars, and to manufacture all kinds of products.
These energy sources are called nonrenewable because
their supplies are limited. Petroleum, for example, was
formed millions of years ago from the remains of ancient
sea plants and animals. We cannot make more petroleum
in a short time.
2. Renewable energy sources include biomass, geothermal
energy, hydropower, solar energy, and wind energy.
They are called renewable energy sources because they
are replenished in a short time. Day after day the sun
shines, the wind blows, and the rivers flow. We use
renewable energy sources mainly to make electricity.
Electricity is different from the other energy sources
because it is a secondary source of energy. We have to
use another energy source to make electricity.
With the rapid depletion of fossil fuel reserves, it is
feared that the world will soon run out of its energy
resources. This is a matter of concern for the developing
countries whose economy heavily leans on its use of
energy. Under the circumstances it is highly desirable
that alternate energy resources should be utilized with
maximum Conversion efficiency to cope with the ever
increasing energy demand. Among the non-conventional
energy resources, solar energy, wind energy and Biomas
has emerged as most prospective option for the future.
Detailed information about the availability of solar
radiation on horizontal surface is essential for the
optimum design and study of solar energy conversion
system. For a country like Pakistan, the economical and
efficient application of solar energy seems inevitable
because of abundant sunshine available throughout the
year. Solar radiation data are available for most part of
the world, but is not available for many countries which
cannot afford the measurement equipment and
techniques involved. Global solar radiation in Pakistan
are measured at five stations namely Karachi, Lahore,
Multan, Quetta and Islamabad.[4]
On average solar global insolation 5–7 kWh/m2/day
exists in the country over more than 95% of its area with
persistance factor of over 85% [2–3]. The South Western
province of Balochistan and North Eastern part of Sindh
offer excellent conditions for harnessing solar energy
where sun shines between 7 and 8 h daily or
approximately more than 2300–2700 h per annum.
Despite the favourable conditions, the use of solar
energy for generating electricity or heating is still in its
beginnings. Mostly photovoltaic systems of generation
capacity 100–500 W/unit have been used for producing
electricity in a few rural areas. According to a survey
report, more than 40,000 villages of Pakistan have no
access to electricity and it is expected that within next 50
years, it is difficult to electrify these villages with
present pace of development in the energy sector. As far
back as the early 1980s, the Government of Pakistan had
18 PV systems with acomposite output of 440 kW
installed in various parts of the country. Due to lack of
technical know-how about operation and maintenance,
these systems were no longer in operation in
1990s.Under such conditions PCRET started ensuring
development and sustainability of solar and other
renewable energy projects in the country. AEDB joined
such efforts in 2003. But unfortunately both these
governmental organizations are so weak in financial and
technical manpower resource to imagine any
breakthrough in near future. More than 20
manufacturers, suppliers, etc. in private sector are active
in solar energy business in the country.[5]
Wind power provides opportunity to reduce
dependence on imported fossil fuel and at the same time
expands the power supply capacity to remote locations
where grid expansion is not practical. Recently
conducted survey of Wind Power Potential along coastal
areas of the country by Pakistan Meteorological
Department (PMD), indicates that a potential exists for
harvesting wind energy using currently available
technologies, especially along Sindh coast. Gharo, one
of the sites in Sindh where the wind data have been
recorded and studied by PMD, has been selected for
Using the measured wind data the annual gross energy
production by an 18 MW wind farm consisting of thirty
– 600 kW turbines will be 45 million kWh. Taking into
account the wind turbine availability, net losses and
wake effects in the wind farm the net annual energy
production is estimated to 31 million kWh per year
corresponding to a capacity factor of 28%.[6]
People used the phenomenon of tides and tidal currents
long before the Christian era. The earliest navigators, for
example, needed to know periodical tide Suctuations as
well as where and when they could use or would be
confronted with a strong tidal current. There are
remnants of small tidal hydro mechanical installations
built in the Middle Ages around the world for water
pumping, watermills and other applications. Some of
these devices were exploited until recent times. For
example, large tidal waterwheels were used for pumping
sewage in Hamburg, Germany up to the nineteenth
century. The city of London used huge tidal wheels,
installed under London Bridge in 1580, for 250 years to
supply fresh water to the city. However, the serious
study and design of industrial-size tidal power plants for
exploiting tidal energy only began in the twentieth
century with the rapid growth of the electric industry.
Electrification of all aspects of modern civilization has
led to the development of various converters for
transferring natural potential energy sources into electric
power. Along with fossil fuel power systems and nuclear
reactors, which create huge new environmental pollution
problems, clean renewable energy sources have attracted
scientists and engineers to exploit these resources for the
production of electric power. Tidal energy, in particular,
is one of the best available renewable energy sources.[7]
Biomass/Waste to Energy has been recognized as a
clean, reliable, renewable source of energy.
3. Unfortunately in Pakistan this source of energy has not
been utilized for power generation in the past. The
growing urbanization and changes in the pattern of life
has given rise to generation of increasing quantities of
wastes and it’s now becoming another threat to our
environment. However, in recent years, waste-to-energy
technologies have been developed to produce clean
energy through the combustion of municipal solid waste
in specially designed power plants equipped with the
most modern pollution control equipment to clean
emissions. Biomass and waste to energy plants are used
not only to generate sufficient power but also used to
clean up the environment as well by conserving non-
renewable fossil fuel resources and reducing the
environmental impacts of trash disposal. Biomass and
waste-to-energy facilities can also contribute to the
country’s economy by providing jobs apart from
generating electricity.
Biogas, one of the most significant types of biomass
energy, makes optimal utilization of the valuable natural
resource of dung. It provides (soot-free) clean gas for
meeting cooking and energy needs as well as enriched
bio-fertilizer for improvement of fertility/ productivity of
agricultural lands. Promotion of the biogas technology
seems to be one of the best options, which cannot only
partially offset the fossil fuel from wood consumption
but also facilitates recycling of agro-animal residues as a
bio-fertilizer. Moreover, being clean and renewable, it
will also contribute towards environment protection,
sustenance of ecosystem and conservation of
biodiversity.
Biogas has proved to be a viable technology in the
physical and socio-economic conditions. Pakistan is rich
in Biogas potential, the technology provides nearly three
times more useful energy than that dung directly burnt,
and also produces nutrient-rich manure. Besides
production of Biogas, the Biogas Plants can result in
improving economic and financial conditions at micro as
well as macro level and abating emission of greenhouse
gases that has been polluting the environment due to its
direct exposure.[8]
Small hydro has many benefits, both for the environment
and for Pakistani society. Small hydro produces no
greenhouse gas emissions after it is built. In addition,
unlike tidal power, the ecosystem is not adversely
affected. Pico hydro only requires a 1-metre rop in
height, which means the technology is guaranteed to
work more of the time than wave power, which depends
on very large waves.
With regards to society, mall hydro guarantees that there
will be electricity available more of the time, which
means that children can study at night and women can
also make handicrafts ormarkets, which gives them more
economic power in society. In addition, women are
given even more free time because they do not have to
collect firewood anymore.
Pakistan can also benefit from the experience and
knowledge of its neighbour India, which has 1694 MW
of small hydro installed. Lastly, it is very mportant to
note that many people in rural Pakistan do not have
electricity and small hydro is very well suited to many of
these areas because it does not have to be connected to
the grid. Another option is to build grids that only cover
one village or town, which is a very popular option in
China, India and Vietnam because small hydro can
easily be connected to this type of grid, state Taylor,
Upadhyay and Laguna.
Thus, small hydro is by far the best option available for
Pakistan due o the presence of many rivers, the
environmental and societal benefits as well as the
drawbacks of wave and tidal power. It is now up to the
government to put in place policies that would allow
people to purchase these systems cheaply. If Pakistan is
able to independently produce power, this would greatly
increase the Number of jobs and the benefit to society.[9]
CONCLUSION:
Energy is basic necessity for life. With the increasing
demands and decreasing sources it is our responsibility
to use energy wisely. We should adopt some measures to
save energy. Here are some suggestions for the
conservation of energy.
Passive energy design is recommended by the experts in
which, buildings doors, walls and windows of a building
are made such that they can absorb maximum of energy
in winters and reject maximum of heat energy in
summers. In this way, maximum utilization of stored
energy inside the buildings could be saved.
Preserve resources:
Many resources like as flow of water in rivers, streams,
canals could be utilized in an organized way and more
energy could be got by using small hydro generation
equipments. Their local utilization could also save
transmission, manpower and maintenance cost. Tidal
and wind could also an important source for generation
of energy. The places where these resources are in
abundant form could be utilized and more appropriate
way. Solid and liquid waste could also be other sources
that could be use it such a beneficial method that provide
energy and prove helpful for conservation of resources.
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Estimation of Global and Diffuse Solar
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6. Project, Wind Energy Project, in Project 2008,
Pakistan Meteriological Department: Ministry
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7. Garlov, A.M., Tidal Energy, 2001, Northeastern
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8. ; Available from:
http://www.aedb.org/BioMass.htm.
9. Katz, M.