Examensarbete i Hållbar Utveckling 101
Addressing the Electricity Shortfall in Pakistan through Renewable Resources
Addressing the Electricity Shortfall in Pakistan through Renewable Resources
Ayoub Hameedi
Ayoub Hameedi
Uppsala University, Department of Earth Sciences Master Thesis E, in Sustainable Development, 30 credits Printed at Department of Earth Sciences,
Geotryckeriet, Uppsala University, Uppsala, 2012.
Master’s Thesis
E, 30 credits
Supervisor: Associate Professor Mikael Höök Evaluator: Professor Kjell Aleklett
Examensarbete i Hållbar Utveckling 101
Addressing the Electricity Shortfall in Pakistan through Renewable Resources
Ayoub Hameedi
Content
1. Introduction... 1
1.1 Purpose of study... 1
1.2 Significance of the study... 1
1.3 Previous research done on the subject... 2
2. Lessons that need to be learned from China, India and Brazil... 3
2.1 Enhancing consumer awareness in Pakistan... 4
2.2 Enhancing the hydro capacity: a strategy adopted by China ... 5
2.3 Installation of solar panels on canals: a strategy adopted by India... 6
2.4 Sugarcane as a source of bioelectricity: a strategy adopted by Brazil... 7
2.5 Wind Power Strategy adopted in Navarra, Spain... 9
3. Case study: replicating Spanish solar power plants in Pakistan... 10
3.1 Gemasolar power plant in Spain... 10
3.2 Concentrated solar power plant I (CSPP I)... 12
3.3 Concentrated solar power plant II (CSPP II)... 12
3.4 Concentrated solar power plant III(CSPPIII)... 13
3.5 Concentrated solar power plant IV (CSPP IV)... 14
3.6 Concentrated solar power plant V (CSPP V)...14
3.7 Reasons for site selection... 15
3.8 Establishing solar panel industry in Pakistan... 15
3.9 Solar panel installation on motorways and highways in Pakistan... 16
4. Challenges faced by the renewable resource sector in Pakistan... 17
4.1 Lack of proper policy implementation... 17
4.2 Lack of appropriate research institutes... 18
4.3 Lack of community participation... 18
4.4 Corruption in oil & gas regulatory authority... 18
4.5 Red tapery and bureaucracy... 19
4.6 Constraints of renewable energy sources... 19
5. Overall Impact of green electricity generation projects on the lives of people in Pakistan... 19
5.1 Managing surface water resources sustainably... 20
5.1.1 Why sustainable water resource management is important for Pakistan... 22
5.2 Infrastructure building... 22
5.3 Ensuring environmental sustainability...23
5.3.1 Why sustainable forest management is important for Pakistan... 25
5.4 Awareness creation among masses... 25
6. Conclusion & Recommendations... 26
6.1 Conclusion... 26
6.2 Recommendations... 26
7. Acknowledgement...29
8. References... 30
ADDRESSING THE ELECTRICITY SHORTFALL IN PAKISTAN THROUGH RENEWABLE RESOURCES
AYOUB HAMEEDI
Hameedi, A., 2012: Addressing the electricity shortfall in Pakistan through renewable resources. Master thesis in Sustainable Development at Uppsala University, No. 102, 33 pp, 30 ECTS/hp
Abstract: This report focuses on addressing the electricity shortfall in Pakistan with the help of renewable resources. At present, the country is facing a shortfall of almost 7,000 megawatts (MW) which is affecting every walk of life and causing almost 1.5 to 2% GDP loss on annual basis. Previous research done on this subject reveals that electricity demand has always remained high then the total generation capacity of Pakistan.
Similarly, it has been pointed out that the country is not taking maximum benefit from its available hydro, solar and wind resources. This leads us to the basic purpose of this research which is to have an exploratory understanding of the strategies adopted by India, China, Brazil and Spain for electricity generation in a green fashion and how can these strategies be implemented/adopted in Pakistan. Case study has been adopted as methodology for this purpose.
This research work also discusses the factors contributing in the lack of promotion of renewable energy resources in Pakistan and provide detailed analyses of positive changes these projects can bring in lives of people in Pakistan. The sustainable management of surface water resource in Pakistan has been discussed in particular as the country faced worst floods in its history during years 2010 & 2011. It will result in enhancing the surface water storage ability of Pakistan which will significantly reduce our dependence on underground water reserves and will directly increase our electricity generation capacity through hydro dams as well. Similarly, sustainable forest management has been discussed at length as it will not only ensure environmental sustainability but will also result in increase availability of biomass. Not to mention the fact that wood biomass is much cheaper then conventional source of electricity generation provided it is obtained through sustainable forest management.
Finally, if all the green strategies discussed in this research work will be implemented, it will increase the overall electricity generation capacity of Pakistan up to 9% respectively.
Keywords: Sustainable Development, solar panels, Physical water scarcity, Gemasolar power plant, climate change, biogas plants, windmills
Ayoub Hameedi, Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Villavägen 16, SE- 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
ADDRESSING THE ELECTRICITY SHORTFALL IN PAKISTAN THROUGH RENEWABLE RESOURCES
AYOUB HAMEEDI
Hameedi, A., 2012: Addressing the electricity shortfall in Pakistan through renewable resources. Master thesis in Sustainable Development at Uppsala University, No. 102, 33 pp, 30 ECTS/hp
Summary: The United Nations declared year 2012 as an international year for sustainable energy for all and this report had been written while keeping this in mind. The main focus of this report was on Pakistan as it is facing an electricity shortfall of nearly 7,000 MW which is affecting every walk of life in the country. The basic aim was to understand as how Pakistan can satisfy its electricity shortfall with the help of available renewable resources. By doing so, the country will reduce its dependence on imported oil which is already consuming one- third of its total annual budget. For this purpose, the strategies adopted by India, China and Brazil had been studied extensively to understand as how these countries are utilizing their available renewable resources for electricity generation. Most importantly, how can these strategies be adopted/implemented in Pakistan. Case study was adopted as research methodology for this purpose. In addition, sustainable management of surface water resource in Pakistan has been addressed specifically as it will not only enhance electricity generation capacity but will also ensure food and water security as well, particularly in a situation when the country is expected to have an exponential growth in its population.
Gemasolar power plant located near Seville, Spain had been studied closely as it was the main case study of this research project. Five different sites in Pakistan had been identified accordingly to replicate the idea. Besides this, particular attention had been given to canals, motorways and national highways in Pakistan as how can we use them for electricity generation in a green fashion. Last but not the least, forest cover in country had been studied as well as it is not only a prerequisite for environmental sustainability of any place but also enhances the biomass availability as well. All in all, this report will provide you a comprehensive inside of renewable resource availability in Pakistan and how they can be used to provide maximum benefit to the people of Pakistan.
Keywords: Sustainable Development, solar panels, Physical water scarcity, Gemasolar power plant, climate change, biogas plants, windmills
Ayoub Hameedi, Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Villavägen 16, SE- 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
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1. Introduction
The world has overseen tremendous development and progress during the last fifty years which nobody has ever witnessed before. It has long been dominated by a single superpower but with the passage of time other countries like India, China and Brazil are progressing rapidly in terms of economic development.
However, all this economic development has brought up other facts especially on the environment in terms of greenhouse gas emissions as the aim of continuous and sustained economic progress is incomplete without an increase in the electricity generation capacity.
The ability to enhance electricity generation is directly related to millennium development goals and therefore it cannot be avoided. Quality of life cannot really be improved without having an adequate access to electricity. Therefore it is paramount that the whole population should have total access to electricity and at the same time electricity must be generated in an eco-friendly manner, which produces no or bare minimum effect on environment.
1.1. Purpose of this study:
The purpose of this study is to explore the sustainable strategies adopted by China, India, Brazil and Spain in meeting their rapidly growing energy demands and how these strategies can be adopted/implemented in Pakistan.
Pakistan is a developing country and is facing a number of challenges, however, one of the biggest challenges is electricity shortfall which is hindering the socio-economic progress of the country. The country is experiencing a shortage of electricity estimated to be around nearly 7,000 megawatts (MW) (i.e. 2.5 x 107 Mega Joules) per year (1 MWh = 3600 MJ). The situation becomes especially worse during summer as the demand sharply increases mainly due to air conditioning whereas system's generation ability remains the same. In winter the water level drops to its lowest in rivers and thus system's ability to generate electricity decreases significantly.
The methodology adopted is case study which comprises of an exploratory understanding of the initiatives taken by China, Brazil and India to satisfy their increasing energy demands in a sustainable manner. For a broader perspective, the methods implied by the north-eastern and Southern part of Spain will be considered as well. It is important to mention here that Nevarra, in north-eastern part of Spain, a region with no coal, oil or gas of its own but is still able to satisfy 70% of its electricity demand with the help of over 1100 windmills. The Southern part of Spain, which is prominent for its rich sunlight and scarce rain, hosts numerous solar plants including Gemasolar which even has the ability to work during nights. Last but not the least, this study will serve as a policy guideline for Government of Pakistan to promote renewable energy resources in the country. The research questions addressed in this report are as follow:
What are the strategies adopted by Spain, Brazil, India and China in taking maximum benefits from their available renewable energy resources?
How can these strategies be implemented in Pakistan to satisfy the current electricity shortfall and to meet the future increase in demand?
1.2. Significance of the study:
The primary reason for this study is the fact that Pakistan being an oil importing country spends the major part of its budget on oil import. During last financial year (2011-12), the country spent U.S 14 billion dollars on oil import to keep its power houses and cars running [1] when the total amount kept for the budget was U.S 43 billion dollars, this means that 32.5 percent of budget was allocated for the import of oil [2]. The oil import bill during financial year 2008- 09 was U.S 9.36 billion dollars respectively [1]. Thus if we assume that oil prices remain constant which is quite unlikely in current scenario, the country is expected to spend over 140 billion dollars in the next decade on oil import to meet its demand. Although, I agree that it is very difficult to
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shift cars on non-conventional sources at this point. However, I personally believe that if we promote renewable sources of energy, which is also a more sustainable system for electricity production, then the Government will be able to spare a portion of this amount for infrastructure building, promotion of education and improving health services which will support it's socio-economic progress.
As per the Pakistan energy yearbook 2010, the total imported oil was either allocated to run power houses or to operate transport sector. During year 2004 – 05, 61.5% of the total imported oil was consumed in transport sector while 23.5% of the imported oil was utilized in power houses. However, during year 2009 – 10, almost 46.3% of the imported oil was allocated to transport sector while 46.1% was consumed to run power houses. This reflects an almost 100 % increase in the amount of oil used to run power houses. Thus on the basis of these figures, we can assume that almost half of total oil import bill goes directly in the operation of power houses [3]. As per the British Petroleum (BP) Statistical Review of World Energy report 2012, Pakistan was consuming 0.365 million barrels of oil on daily basis at the price of USD 22.81 per barrel in year 2001 which increased to 0.405 million barrels per day at the price of USD 106.18 per barrel in year 2011. This reflects that at present Pakistan is paying almost 5 times more per barrel in comparison to year 2001 [4]. Pakistan energy yearbook 2010 shows that 43.5%
of the total gas produced during year 2004 – 05 was consumed in the power sector which was reduce to 28.7%
during year 2009 – 10. The country is already experiencing 10 -15% shortfall in gas supply and due to unsustainable use and lack of proper planning, it's available gas reserves are expected to deplete within coming 2 decades [5]. Consequently, country's dependence on imported oil will be increased further, if appropriate measures will not be taken accordingly
Another reason in employing such strategies is that power shortfall has affected every sphere of life in the country. Not only has it caused unemployment but also forced a majority of its industries to relocate to Bangladesh which has lower labor cost and more consistent availability of electricity [6]. Thus, causing a permanent dent in the country's financial progress. As per a conservative estimation, Pakistan lost 1.5 to 2% of its GDP every year in the form of lost industrial output caused by power shortage [7]. The country is blessed with other resources that could potentially be utilized for electricity generation however unfortunately it still depends upon depletable resources for 66.4% of its energy requirement, which is exerting huge pressure on economy and thus hindering the progress of country. Although apparently the hydrocarbon sources of energy seems to be cheaper however, if we consider the subsidies given on these sources and their environmental impact, then the renewable sources will either seems to be cheaper or comparable to conventional source of energy.
In addition, according to a calculated estimation Pakistan has the minimum physical ability to generate 100,000 MW (i.e. 8.76 x 108 MJ) of electricity through sun and almost 45,000 MW (i.e. 3.94 x 109 MJ) of electricity through wind. Moreover, it has rich hydro resources as the rivers flow through the length and breadth of Pakistan. Other estimation reflects it is physically able to generate 41,722 MW (i.e. 3.65 x 108 MJ) of electricity through hydro means but still 40,000 villages in the country have no access to electricity [8]. In order to properly utilize all these renewable resources we need to learn lessons from Spain, China, Brazil and India which are using their renewable resources to the fullest and thus satisfying their growing energy demand in a more sustainable manner.
1.3. Previous research done on the subject:
2012, has been declared as an international year for sustainable energy for all by the United Nations through its resolution 65/151. In the light of it, this document has been written with the aim that how Pakistan can achieve maximum benefits from its available renewable resources. At this point of discussion it is pertinent to define what renewable energy basically is: “it is the energy received from virtually inexhaustible sources found in natural environment like solar energy, wind energy, etc. They will remain present whether we harness them or otherwise. It is also referred as non-conventional sources of energy” [9].
A study “Sustainable Development through renewable energy – The fundamental policy dilemmas of Pakistan” reveals that educational system in the country is non-functional thus it does not pay much attention to the promotion of sustainable development. Furthermore, the situation becomes more complicated as the country has multiple types of educational systems namely i) Federal ii) Provincial iii) Cambridge is few examples. Also, majority of institutions ignore the broader perspective of sustainable development in Pakistan.
Consequently, the country secures a ranking of 105 out of 137 countries on the chart of institutions,
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infrastructure and macroeconomics stabilities [10].
Electricity is the most widely used form of energy and is the focal point of discussion in this report. Several studies have already been carried out on the scope of renewable energy availability in Pakistan.
For example in a study “Hydropower use in Pakistan: Past, Present and Future” revealed that the country has an approximate ability to generate 41,722 MW of electricity through hydro-means however only 15% is being harnessed at present and another 8 to 10% is in the phase of development. Thus 75% of this available hydro- potential is still untapped [11]. Similarly, another study “The relationship between electricity consumption, electricity prices and GDP in Pakistan” points out that electricity demand remains exceedingly high than the maximum generation ability in country. Also, the institutional ability for appropriate policy development, planning and implementation remained low [12].
In addition, one study on “Greener energy: Issues and Challenges for Pakistan – Solar energy prospective” highlights the number of solar cookers in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region (HKH). As per the study, the number of cookers in India is around 14,500 and in China it’s around 60,000 whereas, in the similar region in Pakistan, the number of solar cookers is just above 2,000. However, the authors had also described that the main hindrance in the promotion of solar cooker in Pakistan is the public resistance to adopt this new technology [13]. Another study on “Renewable energy resource potential in Pakistan” reveals that there are approximately 57 million animals, comprising buffalo's and cattle's, in Pakistan with an annual growth rate of 8%. A medium sized animal has an average dung dropping rate of 10 kg per day. Thus if we assume that half of the total dung is collected makes the dung availability to 285 million kilograms per day. Thus if we further assume that 20 kg of wet mass form of dung can produce 1 cubic meter of gas per day then the total amount of bio-gas obtained through dung will be 14.25 million cubic meters per day which has the ability to meet the cooking requirement of 36 – 71 million people residing in rural areas of Pakistan [14].
“Renewable energy technology in Pakistan: Prospects and challenges” stressed that most of the masses living in rural areas are deprived of electricity. Thus in order to raise their standard of living, it is vital that electricity should be provided to them at their doorstep with the help of available renewable energy sources i.e. wind, micro-hydro, biogas and biomass [9]. Similarly, “Specific concerns of Pakistan in the context of energy security issues and geopolitics of the region” describes access to electricity as the basic right of every nation and therefore it shall be available to all [15].
Another study “Identifying and addressing barriers to renewable energy development in Pakistan” points out that electricity production through fossil fuel is amongst the main source of environmental destruction in country at present. Most importantly, the authors emphasize that during the phase of renewable resource planning and acquiring, its environmental impact should also be kept in mind. Not forgetting the fact that if the subsidies on fossil fuels are taken away and their environmental damage is also considered then the renewable resources will either become comparable or cheaper than the conventional sources of energy. Thus, subsidies on fossil fuel energy sources yield them an unfair vantage over non-conventional resources of energy.
There is a dire need that prospering and replicable business models should also be established so that more and more people should be attracted to renewable energy technology adoption. It is important that private sector is also considered an equal stakeholder for the promotion of renewable energy resources. Amongst the major factors that cause hindrance in private sector participation is the absence of a well-defined policy for its engagement. Similarly, red-tapery and extensive bureaucracy surrounding clearance and allotment of projects to private operators are obstacles undermining the private sector engagement in such programs [16].
2. Lessons that need to be learned from China, India and Brazil:
As mentioned earlier, the basic purpose of this research work is to examine the strategies adopted by China, India, Brazil and Spain as how these countries are taking maximum benefits form their available renewable resources and how can these strategies be implemented in Pakistan. Case study has been adopted as methodology to answer this question and it is what this chapter and the next all about.
Pakistan is going through a rigorous phase of development however, its journey to economic progress is being severely affected by the power shortage. Currently, it is facing a power shortfall of 7,000 MW (i.e. 602 toe) on daily basis which increases further during winter when the water in the rivers drops to its lowest level. As per the Pakistan Energy year book 2011, the country is generating most of its energy through non-renewable energy
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resources mostly based on oil (35.1%) and gas (27.3%) which is exerting huge pressure on country's economy as the country has spent over 14 billion dollars on oil imports which makes almost one-third of the total budget allocation and thus surpassing all other expenditures made by the Government of Pakistan. Rest of the electricity is generated through Hydel (33.6%), coal (0.1%) and nuclear & imported (3.9%) respectively [17]. A graphic representation is as follow:
(Figure 1 courtesy: Pakistan Energy Year Book 2011)
Thus in true spirit, the country is meeting almost 66.4% of its electricity needs through depletable resources and only 33.6% from renewable resources when it can produce 100,000 MW (i.e. 8.76 x 108 MJ) of electricity through sun and 1,31,000 MW (i.e. 1.15 x 109 MJ) of electricity through wind [18]. It is not out of place to mention here that as per National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Colorado, USA almost 9% of surface area of Pakistan has class 3 or better wind resource (see chapter 3). Similarly, almost all of the geographical area of Pakistan receives appropriate amount of solar radiation which can easily be utilized for electricity generation purpose (see chapter 3). The per capita energy consumption has increased almost 7 times over the last fifty years. In 1950, it was 0.043 tons of oil equivalent (toe) which exponentially rose to 0.351 toe in 2004 [15] and is likely to increase further as energy is indispensable for the economic progress of any country (1 toe = 39.65 MMbtu). There is a dire need that the Government should focus upon establishing renewable energy facilities in Pakistan. This will not only create more jobs for the population but will also reduce the cost price of renewable energy sources in Pakistan significantly. Government's commitment for the promotion of renewable energy resources is very vital. The geographical location of Pakistan is ideal to generate renewable energy as the country is blessed with rivers that run across far and wide of Pakistan. Beside rivers, solar and wind energy is widely implementable across the country Following are the ways through which renewable energy resources can be promoted in Pakistan:
2.1. Enhancing consumer awareness in Pakistan:
There is a desperate need that Government of Pakistan initiate programs for enhancing public awareness about energy conservation in the country. As it is obvious that more energy is conserved at consumers end the less will be required to be produced from the power houses and hence will have less impact on the environment. This can be done through advertisement in print and electronic media. Recently, Government of the Punjab organized a national conference on Energy for Growth and Sustainable Development in February
33.60%
35.10%
3.90%
27.30%
0.10%
Electricity Generation by Source 2010 - 11
Hydel Oil
Nuclear & Imported Gas
Coal
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2012. In that conference, the main emphasis was on the conservation of energy at consumer level. I personally believe that this can also play an important role in addition to increasing generation capacity as almost half of the electricity produced in Pakistan is consumed by the domestic households. As per the Pakistan energy year book 2011 statistics, the highest consumption of electricity takes place at domestic level (46.5%), followed by industrial sector (27.5%), agriculture(11.6%), commercial (7.5%), bulk supplies (6.1%) and street lights (0.8%) [17]. A graphic representation of these figures is as follow:
(Figure 2 courtesy: Pakistan Energy Year Book, 2011)
2.2 Enhancing the hydro capacity: a strategy adopted by China
As mentioned earlier, Pakistan is generating only 33.6% of its electricity through hydro means when in fact rivers flows through almost all major areas of Pakistan (see figure at the end of page) but still unfortunately 40,000 villages in Pakistan have no access to electricity. Actions should be taken to invest in establishing a network of small hydro dams across rivers in Pakistan. I agree that building up a network of small hydro dams can be very expensive for Pakistan however, it is necessary for the survival of its people. It will prove to be a counter strategy in combating floods during monsoon season and will reduce the infrastructural loss as a result of it. As far as arranging finance is concerned, Federal and Provincial governments can reduce their expenditures particularly when it comes to lavish government houses, protocols
& security and can adopt to more simple way of living. By doing so, Government will also encourage masses of Pakistan to contribute to this noble cause as well.
River Indus serves a key role as it flows through the whole country and the rest of the rivers are its tributaries. It is generally accepted that small hydro dams have less environmental impact in comparison to big dams. Also, a network of small hydro dams will have many positive affects as it will increase the water storage capacity of Pakistan and thereby reducing the risk of floods during the monsoon season. This effective water management strategy will help the country in combating water scarcity during winter as well and will also eventually increase the underground water level across Pakistan. It would not be out of place to mention that a wide network of small hydro dams will make remote areas of the country self-sufficient in a manner that each small dam will satisfy solely the energy demand of the area where it will be located. Thus a more decentralized energy distribution system will help in continuous provision of electricity in far flung remote areas of Pakistan.
Most importantly, Government can hire construction labor from local areas where the dam is supposed to be constructed. This will not only reinstall the population's confidence on the democratically elected government but will also yield construction boom in the country. Government of Pakistan can seek advice from its Chinese counterparts for same. China is currently fulfilling the electricity needs of 300 million
46.50%
27.50%
11.60%
7.50%
6.10%
0.80%
Electricity Consumption by Sector 2010 - 11
Domestic Industrial Agriculture Commercial Bulk Supplies
St light, Traction & Ot
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people in rural areas with the help of small hydro-dams. In year 2008, China was producing 51,000 MW of electricity through small hydroelectric dams and the total installed capacity is likely to reach 75,000 MW by the end of 2020 [19]. By adopting the same strategy, Pakistan can also provide electricity to its population residing in remote areas of the country. According to a calculated estimation, the country can generate 41,722 MW of electricity through hydro means however, at present only 15% of this available potential is harnessed while another 8 – 10 % is currently in phase of development. Thus, 75% of the available potential is still untapped [11]. Baluchistan, the least developed province of the country, can take maximum benefits from this.
The least developed areas of Baluchistan include Dasht, Gudri, Bhari, Hingol Arra, Nal have sufficient water resources however, due to the lack of storage facility all of the water in rivers ends up in Arabian Sea.
(Figure 3 courtesy: Maps of the world website, 2006)
2.3. Installation of solar panels on canals: a strategy adopted by India
Similarly, the rural area of the Punjab has a well-developed canal and barrage system installed to meet the agricultural requirement of the country. The overall length of canals in Pakistan is 62,648 kilometers (Km) [20] and due to a minimum 6 to 8 hours of daily exposure to sunlight, water loss is particularly high in these areas. However, this can be overcome by installing solar panels on the top of canals as this will not only reduce the water loss through evaporation but will also generate electricity as well. Besides this, installation of solar panels on top of canals will also help in saving agricultural land in these areas as Punjab province serves as a breadbasket for the country. It is pertinent to mention here that this will serve as an additional source of electricity production to the proposed network of small hydro-dams. Indian state of Gujarat is currently implementing a similar pilot project of 1 MW on Narmada Canal and has taken the services of U.S based Sun Edison to construct it [21]. In the following picture, Gujarat state's Chief Minister Narendra Modi is inspecting the project site:
(Figure 4 courtesy: The Hindu Newspaper, 2012)
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(Figure 5 courtesy: The Hindu Newspaper, 2012)
It is pertinent to highlight here that a more detailed case study on solar technologies adoption will follow in chapter 3.
2.4. Sugarcane as a source of bioelectricity: a strategy adopted by Brazil
Brazil can act as a role model for Pakistan in terms of bioelectricity generation. In 1970's, it used to generate almost 80% of its electricity with the help of imported oil however, at present it is generating around 50% of its electricity through renewable resources. A descriptive chart of Brazil's current electricity production sources is as follow:
(Figure 6 Courtesy: The Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association website, January 2012)
From the above chart we can see that Brazil is currently satisfying 18% of its electricity demand with the help of sugarcane even surpassing the hydro sources of electricity generation. Bioelectricity can be defined as follow [22]:
“Bioelectricity is produced from bagasse, the dry and sugarous residue left after the sugarcane is crushed”.
According the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) statistics 2010, Brazil is the largest producer of sugarcane with a production of over 719 million tons (MT) annually [23]. Due to proper planning
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and effective management of available resources, Brazil is not only the largest exporter of sugar in the world but is also using the remaining residue in form of bagasse to meet its growing energy demand. It is important to mention here that I strongly oppose the burning of food to produce electricity as I believe that access to food is the basic human right and that it should be available to all. It will not be out of place to mention here that sugarcane mills in Brazil are satisfying their energy demand by burning the bagasse in boilers to produce bioelectricity. Thus these mills are not only self-sufficient in terms of electricity production but in some cases provide surplus electricity which is then sold to the distribution companies. In first quarter of 2010, the sugarcane mills produced over 2.7 GW of electricity thus supplying 3 percent of the Brazil's total energy requirement.
However, this method is likely produce some serious impact on soil fertility as bagasse is amongst the key components in maintaining the soil fertility and in the absence of it, the farmers will be required to import/purchase fertilizers which will be an additional expense for them.
There is an alternate method as well, which has the ability to produce electricity and fertilizer all at the same time. Instead of burning bagasse directly into sugar-mills furnaces, we can utilize it in biogas plants.
The later has more benefits than the former. The biggest edge with biogas plants is that it is based on anaerobic digestion which takes place in the absence of oxygen. Also, it takes bagasse, animal manure and human biodegradable waste into account and uses all three to produce electricity, heat and fertilizer at the same time.
The fertilizer can then be sprayed on the soil which will not only keep its fertility intact but will also reduce the farmers additional expense on the import of fertilizer as well. As already discussed in background chapter that there are approximately 57 million buffaloes and cattle in Pakistan and if half of their dung is collected, almost 285,000 metric tons of dung would be available on daily basis. Besides this, as per an article published in The Pakistan Today, one of the leading newspapers of Pakistan, approximately 40 percent of the food prepared at different banquets is usually wasted in the country. Similarly, during the month of Ramadan (month for fasting) a lot of food usually gets waste all across Pakistan [24]. In fact, I personally believe that Federal and Provincial governments should constitute committees at their levels who would collect all the food to be wasted from domestic kitchens and from all the restaurant's & hotel's and to bring it to the proposed biogas plants so that it could be used in a more appropriate manner. Also, it will be nice if a certain percentage of that food is to distributed among the deprived population but on the same day as they were produced and only after seeking permission for the concerned food specialities.
Pakistan is the sixth largest producer of sugarcane as per FAO 2010 statistics with an annual production of over 49 million tons [23]. However, surprisingly not a single KW of electricity is produced through bagasse. It is pertinent to mention here that a single ton of sugarcane crop yield 270 kilograms of bagasse [22] thus on a rough estimation Pakistan produces over 13 million metric tonnes of bagasse (i.e. 49 million x 270 kg) out of which a small amount is used as livestock feed while rest is burned. The reason behind this adopted behaviour is the fact that bagasse is basically treated as a waste of sugarcane industry and is returned to field to be used as fertilizer. However, by utilizing it along with animal manure and human edible waste in biogas plants we can take maximum available benefit from it. The Federal Government in collaboration with Provincial Governments can bring a huge industrial reform by introducing biogas plants in the country at both micro and macro levels. In this way, the sugarcane industry will be able to meet its own energy requirement and will become self-sufficient respectively.
Most importantly, the sugarcane harvestation takes place in Pakistan during the months of November and December when the water drops to the lowest level in rivers thus as a result, Pakistan electricity generation capacity decreases significantly during that period. If sugarcane mills satisfy their own energy requirements and provide surplus energy to other industries then the saved electricity which was previously allocated to these sectors could be more easily spared for the domestic consumption. As far as the introduction of biogas plants are concerned, this can be done through public - private partnership. At present the people of Pakistan are paying almost 18 cents per electricity unit, a cost which is too high for an average citizen of Pakistan. The biogas plants based electricity will give a boost to the industrial sector of Pakistan and will likely create more jobs for the people as when industries will perform operations at full scale this will increase production capacity and hence will attract further business. Last but not the least, Pakistan has an agriculture based economy with almost half of its population associated to agricultural activities thus if both federal and Punjab Provincial government pays particular attention to increase the per hectare sugarcane production, this will enhance both the GDP and export as well. It is significant to mention here that Pakistan produces 52.4 tons of sugarcane per hectare which is amongst the lowest in the region whereas neighbouring countries like India and China produces 66.1 tons and 65.7 tons per hectare respectively [25] however, I personally believe that when nutrient rich biofertilizer will be used on the soil, the per hectare crop productivity of Pakistan will likely
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increase as well.
2.5 Wind Power Strategy adopted in Navarra, Spain:
Navarra is a region that lies in the northern part of Spain and is famous for its initiatives to generate electricity with the help of green resources. This small region has over 1100 windmills installed in whole Navarra. The most interesting fact about Navarra is that it has no coal, oil or gas of its own and is satisfying 70% of its electricity through windmills and solar panels respectively [26]. The coastline of Pakistan extends almost 1050 kilometers through Baluchistan and Sindh provinces of Pakistan. The Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB), Government of Pakistan has estimated that this coastal belt of the country has the potential to generate almost 45,000 MW (i.e. 3.9 x 109 MJ) of electricity through windmills. As a result, AEDB has installed Pakistan's first windmill station in collaboration with a Turkish company named Zurlu Energy in the Jhimpir areas of Sindh, Pakistan. It has been designed to produce 50 MW (4.38 x 105 MJ) of electricity with the help of 5 wind turbines. This will open a new horizon for renewable energy sector in Pakistan. The need of hour is that more projects of similar nature must be initiated in the coastal areas of Pakistan. It is essential to mention here that masses living in these areas are the most deprived ones. They don't have access to electricity, clean drinking water and usually spend their lives in a hand to mouth situation. Also, these areas of the country are mostly deserted or have bare minimum population therefore, this additional edge will make the project runs more smoothly. There are ample chances that the local residents might not like the wind mills installation in their area and show resistance, this phenomena is commonly known as Not In My Backyard (NIMBY) however, it can be overcome with the help of community workers. They can help people realize the importance of renewable energy resources and the positive changes which these projects will bring in the lives of local residents. Also, Government of Pakistan can provide free electricity to residents of these areas and grass-root level jobs to local people on priority basis. Besides AEDB, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in collaboration with United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has carried the wind resources assessment and mapping of Pakistan and has indicated that 9% of the country's land area possesses class 3 or better wind resource [27].
(Figure 7 courtesy: U.S. NREL, 2007)
All of this available wind resource lies in the province of Sindh, Baluchistan and Northern areas of Pakistan. The best way to utilize this available wind resource is to establish a windmill manufacturing unit in Pakistan. Alternatively, Government of Pakistan can request international windmill manufacturing companies particularly from India and China to open their subsidiaries in Pakistan. It is worth mentioning here that the country has 1.2 billion tons of iron ore reserves in the province of Punjab which can be used to make steel and afterwards can be utilize to make tower, brake, controller, and gear box accordingly. As mentioned earlier, the rear earth elements required in the manufacturing of windmills can be imported from China or may be the said
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windmill manufacturing plant can be initiated through China-Pakistan mutual collaboration. This project will not only reduce the production price of windmills for Pakistan due to home advantage but will also give boost to economy and will provide jobs to people as well. However, there is a dire need that all the electricity generated through 5 proposed gemasolar plants, solar panels across motorways & highways and through wind mills should be immediately directed to provincial/national grids depending upon the feasibility and from there on it will be equally distributed among provinces in Pakistan.
3. Case study: replicating Spanish solar power plants in Pakistan:
This section of the report examines the strategy adopted by Spain and how it can be replicated in Pakistan. The methodology adopted for this purpose is case study which highlights the salient features and functioning of Gemasolar power plant near Seville in southern Spain. It is pertinent to point out here that the replication of gemasolar solar power plant in Pakistan will serve as a raw model and there are chances that new challenges will arise during the implementation phase. However, these challenges can possibly be addressed with the passage of time. Most importantly, Government of Pakistan can take Spanish experts help in the installation of Gemasolar power plant in Pakistan. Thus it will not only serve as a possible solution for electricity shortfall but will also help in further improving the bilateral relations between Spain and Pakistan.
3.1 Gemasolar Power Plant in Spain
The province of Andalucia lies in southern part of Spain and is famous for two reasons, first for acquiring a prominent place in the book “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho and second for a 19.9 MW
“Gemasolar power plant” a renewable power plant with an ability to generate electricity during night as well. It is spread over an area of 185 hectares with 2,650 plain large mirrors known as heliostats and a 450 feet tall tower in the centre. The basic purpose of these heliostats is to divert the sunlight to a receiver at the top of the tower. In addition, this plant is comprised of two tanks of Molten Salt Energy Storage (MSES) which has the ability to store heat energy produced throughout the day. The salt is comprised of 60% sodium nitrate and 40% potassium nitrate and can retain 99% of the store heat for up to 24 hours. This stored heat can be released for up to 15 hours overnight or during periods without sunlight. Torresol, company which manufactured the plant expects that it will attain a capacity factor of 75% by producing electricity up to 6,400 hours a year. A pictorial representation of the same is as follow [28]:
(Figure 8 courtesy: Torresol Energy, 2010)
The process starts with the divergence of sunlight to the top of the tower with the help of heliostats. Then from the cold molten salt tank (i.e. tank A), molten salts is pumped up to the receiver at 290 degree Celsius where it is further heated up to 565 degree Celsius. It is then transfer to a hot molten salt tank (i.e. tank B) where the energy is stored in form of molten salt at very high temperature. It is then sent to steam generator where it transfer its heat to water, thus reducing its temperature. As a result of this heat transfer the water changes into high pressure steam which is then used to run turbine. The turbine runs the electric generator which produces electricity which is sent to distribution grid respectively. An aerial view is as follow [28]:
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(Figure 9 courtesy: Torresol Energy, 2010)
During night, the heliostats are set into horizontal position while the rest of power plants still keep on working. This project is a joint-venture of Spain and Abu Dhabi and has been set up with a total investment of USD 325 million. It is expected to produce 110 GWh per year. Also, it will help Spain in reducing 30,000 tons of carbon dioxide gas on annual basis and will fulfil the electricity needs of 27,500 households. It is worth mentioning here that during the summer time this concentrated solar panel (CSP) plant can work twenty four hours to satisfy the increase in demand. Thus keeping in view the expected 110 GWh of electricity production per year by a single installation, a total of 5 such plants would be required to satisfy the household electricity demand in Pakistan. Also, it will reduce 150,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide on the account of the country as well. If we break down the collective output (i.e. 550 GWh) of these proposed gemasolar plants to per month level, it will produce 45,000 MW of electricity purely through sun which will be sufficient enough to replace the entire household electricity consumption in the Pakistan. Not to mention the fact that almost fifty percent of generated electricity is consumed at domestic level and over USD 14 billion were spent on the import of oil during year 2011-12.
The prime questions which arises here is the fact that for 5 such plants, the Government of Pakistan would require almost USD 1.65 billion as an investment, identify potential spots in the country which can support the project and finally to get the require expertise. As far as managing finance is concerned, I personally believe that the country can generate the required amount on its own. At present almost 10% of the total population of Pakistan resides abroad and which sends over 10 billion U.S.D as foreign remittance on annual basis [29]. However, in order to ask the Pakistanis residing abroad to send remittance for these projects, the Federal Government will seriously need to work on to improve its credibility among its countrymen. Besides this, Transparency International Pakistan Chapter claims that the country lost almost USD 94 billion in corruption during the period (i.e. 2008-12) in which Yousaf Raza Gillani served as Prime Minister of Pakistan [30]. All these evidences show that the country has sufficient financial resources and it only lacks the will power and commitment to initiate such projects. Also, closer economic studies are required to initiate this project and such studies can be conducted in collaboration with China as it will prove to be mutually beneficial for both. In addition at times ignorance becomes a bless, same can happen with Pakistan as well as it has a population of almost 180 million and if each person donates Rs. 1/- (i.e. 1.5 cents) per day then almost in 2.5 years, the federal government would be able to collect USD 1.7 billion respectively which would be sufficient enough to meet the financial requirements of these green power plants. As far as allocating the place is concerned, the country is luckily blessed with four deserts which can accordingly be used to set up these concentrated solar panel plants.
These deserts are Cholistan desert, Kharan desert, Thal desert and Thar Desert [31]. It is important to mention here that Thal Desert is amongst the largest deserts in the world and it serves as a natural border between India and Pakistan. It is the seventh largest desert in the world and the third largest in Asia.
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3.2. Concentrated solar power plant I (CSPP I):
Cholistan desert lies at the boarder of Punjab and Sindh provinces in Pakistan and is spread over an area of 26,300 square kilometers. The best point to establish a CSP in Cholistan desert is at the border close to national park. The basic reason is the strategic location of this point as it is closest to the river sutlej and hence water can easily be drawn from sutlej to be employed in the proposed CSP plant I. Also two large cities of Punjab province namely Bahawalnagar and Bahawalpur lies closest to this point but in opposite directions. A pictorial presentation can be seen in Figure 10.
However, with this project comes the great responsibility of managing water wisely. Both the federal and provincial government need to take some serious steps in order to harvest the rainwater in the desert.
Fortunately, the desert has an annual rainwater harvestation potential of 300 million meter cube which is more than sufficient in meeting the needs of people and livestock. As per the Indus Water Treaty which took place between India and Pakistan, India was granted right to use river Ravi, Sutlej and Beas respectively and Pakistan was allocated the western tributaries of river Indus. In order to increase the effectiveness of this project in Cholistan, the federal government needs to clean up the sand and mud from the river bottom to increase its water carrying capacity. Similarly, both sides of all these three rivers should be made solid in order to avoid water wastage.
Most importantly, it is very vital that both federal and provincial government should focus on making large lakes in these rivers to store water as during summer and monsoon seasons, these three rivers have enough water while for the rest of year they remain partially dry.
3.3. Concentrated solar power plant II (CSPP II):
Another most appropriate spot for setting up CSP plant II is the Gwadar city of Pakistan.
Though at present this city is going through development phase but it is anticipated that within coming decade this port city can be the Dubai of Pakistan. Due to its location, it has the ability to bring economic reform in the country and if properly managed it can give Pakistan an upper hand in the region as well. The three direct beneficiaries from this port will be China, Afghanistan and Central Asian countries. Xinjiang province of China is located at a distance of 4,500 kilometers from China's eastern port whereas; it is only 2,500 kilometers from Gwadar sea port. It will also enable land locked countries like Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to have an access to warm waters of Persian Gulf. As a result of it, goods, oil and gas will be sent in the international markets and Pakistan will get fair and square share of royalty against it. This will definitely have a positive impact on the economy of Pakistan. Also, it will ease the congestion of work load on Karachi sea port and thus the work could easily be distributed among two sea ports on equality basis. Here it is important to mention that the local people should have a primary right to the income earned in form of royalty from the port and also to the jobs that will be created as a result of it. It will be wise if the profit earned through this port will be reinvested in developing Gwadar area in particular and Baluchistan province in general. It is also necessary that a wide network of roads to be established in Baluchistan province in general, because it will facilitate the transportation of goods, oil and gas from Central Asian Countries to Pakistan and vice-versa. As it is the least developed province of Pakistan, therefore the central Government should focus on providing drinking water, electricity and education to the people in Baluchistan. It is pertinent to mention here that it is the largest province of Pakistan with the least population and receives the highest amount of sunlight on daily basis. Also, Gwadar's weather is quite similar to that of middle east and thus establishing a concentrated solar power plant here will provide the locals with electricity and jobs as well.
Besides all the above mentioned bright aspects, the biggest challenge faced by the Gwadar in particular and Baluchistan province in general is the acute shortage of water supply. However, this problem can
(Figure 10 courtesy: Waterwiki website, 2009)
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be overcome with the installation of water desalination plants in Gwadar. General Electric can help Government of Pakistan for the same as it has over 20 years of experience in operation and maintenance of water desalination plants. It is currently operating Hamma seawater desalination plant which has an output capacity of 200,000 cubic meter per day and it's providing fresh drinking water to 25% population of Algeria's capital city [32]. Also, it is the largest desalination plant in operation in the continent of Africa. In addition, a network of small hydro- dams for rain water harvestation in Baluchistan will be an additional source of water supply and a conscious use of water resource at the consumer end will be an effective counter strategy as well. All these techniques will help in meeting the water demand of local population and will provide sufficient water to be used in CSP plant for electricity generation purposes as well.
3.4. Concentrated solar power plant III (CSPP III):
Karachi is the port city of Pakistan and is the business and financial capital of the country as well. It generates 25% of total gross domestic product and any event happening in the city will likely have an impact on rest of the country. It lies in the Sindh province of Pakistan and like other parts of country it is also facing serious problems in supplying adequate water to satisfy the demand of its residents. However, this can be addressed by harnessing rainwater appropriately. Just last year in 2011, the province was met by 6 spells of monsoon rainfall which literally caused flooding in the whole province. Had there been an appropriate mechanism to harvest the rain water in the city of Karachi and Sindh province as a whole, the water poured in form of rain would have been more than enough to meet the needs of people for the rest of the year. However for this effective management of space will be a prerequisite. Residents of Karachi city and Sindh province can install water storage tanks on top of their houses to harvest rain water. Similarly, the City District Government can allocate areas to be used as ponds in the city. The need of hour is to use our creative thinking to get the maximum benefit from the available space in cities.
What Government of Sindh can do in this regard is to make it compulsory for the residents in the province and in Karachi city in particular to harvest rain water to meet their daily water needs. An example has already been set in this regard in our neighboring country, India. In Chennai, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer named Ms. Santha Sheela Nair with the support of the then government made rain water harvestation compulsory for households and thus avoided the water shortage problem from getting out of control. A pictorial representation of year 2010 and 2011 monsoon rainfall in Sindh province is as follow:
(Figure 11 courtesy: Dawn Newspaper, Pakistan, 2011)
The act of making rainwater harvestation compulsory for the people of Sindh will reduce the stress on underground water table in the province and provide the people with year round supply of water. It will
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have positive effect on cotton crop production as well, keeping in mind the fact that cotton is one of the major export products of Pakistan. Also, by doing so we would be able to spare water that can be used in proposed CSPP III to be built in Umerkot, the largest town in Thar desert. From the above chart we can see that Thar desert had more than enough monsoon rainfall during year 2011 and if that rainwater had been harvested and managed wisely, it could had been used to serve people for the rest of the year.
The proposed concentrated solar power plant in Umerkot at Thar Desert can be supplied with water through a canal drawn from River Indus as it lies close to the river. Also, the Government of Sindh should make it compulsory that each city administration in Sindh province should install a water recycling plant and manage it accordingly. Thus, rain water harvestation and water recycling plants will make Sindh self-sufficient in meeting its water needs. As a result, the additional water saved through this way can then be diverted to Umerkot so that it can be used in the proposed concentrated solar power plant. This will have a direct positive impact on whole province as the electricity produced through CSPP III installed at Umerkot will be distributed equally in the whole province.
3.5. Concentrated solar power plant IV (CSPP IV):
Thal desert lies in the southern part of the Punjab province between river Indus and Jhelum. The most important thing regarding this desert is that the desert residents have been provided water through a project named as Thal Canal Project (TCP). However, the need of hour is that the said project must be upgraded to Greater Thal Canal Project (GTCP) which would be able to store more water during monsoon season and thus will provide water to the rural areas in Punjab and Baluchistan province. Also, the upgraded version of the Thal Canal Project will further increase the water availability in the Thal desert which can then be used in the proposed CSPP IV project respectively. It is pertinent to mention here that adequate infrastructure in form of Thal Canal Project is there; we only need to upgrade it to increase its water storage ability. It will have two direct impacts on the lives of people of Pakistan. First it will reduce the intensity of floods occurring almost every year and causing billions of dollars of loss to country in form of infrastructure destruction and secondly it will provide drinking water to the most poor and deprived people in Baluchistan province.
Pakistan has a water based economy as almost half of its population is associated with agriculture. However, it is sad to mention here that despite this reality, the country lost water worth of USD 230 billion during 1990 to 2010 due to the absence of a second reservoir on river Indus [33]. Mr. Suleman N. Khan, convener of Water Resource Development Council (WRDC), claims that only Kalabagh Dam (KBD) provides an inexpensive and quick solution as a reservoir to annual water loss. As per my understanding, the basic problem with Pakistan is the fact that it receives its total annual water requirement within 3 months (i.e.
monsoon season) however, due to lack of storage capacity, during monsoon it suffers from extreme floods and eventually all of this water finally ends up in Arabian sea and thus leaving country with inadequate water supply for the rest of the year.
3.6. Concentrated solar power plant V (CSPP V):
Quetta is the capital city of Baluchistan province and is among the places which receive the highest amount of solar radiation on annual basis. As already mentioned that the province is the least developed in Pakistan and thus provides very few economic opportunities to its residents. There is a dire need that a concentrated solar power plant project should be initiated in the province to satisfy its present and future energy demand. It will not only provide masses with electricity but will also open new economic opportunities for them.
The city of Quetta is densely populated; therefore it would be better to secure 185 hectares of land in the suburbs of Quetta city. The water can be made available by building micro dams for rain water harvestation and also through canals from Greater Thal Canal Project (GTCP). This project will likely improve the quality of life of people living in Baluchistan and thus help Pakistan in achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as well. It will not be out of place to mention here that building a network of small hydro-dams will increase the water storage ability of Pakistan which will make drinking water available for its people and will also help country in bringing green revolution as well. It will also enable the gradual restoration of underground water tables too.However, it is the responsibility of both provincial and federal government to make sure that the generated electricity should be first provided to the local residents and then to the other parts of the country.
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3.7. Reasons for selecting above mentioned sites for proposed Concentrated Solar Power plants:
There are three basic reasons why I have selected above mentioned sites for the construction of proposed concentrated solar power plants which are as follow:
1. Majority of these areas are amongst the highest recipient of solar radiation across the country.
2. All these locations are found mostly in the least inhabitant areas of Pakistan. As a result, 185 hectors of land for each concentrated solar power plant can easily be acquired.
3. All proposed sites are located close to water bodies therefore, utilising water for steam generation in proposed plants will not be a problem.
3.8. Establishing solar panel industry in Pakistan:
In order to promote the use of solar panels in Pakistan, it is really important that the Government focuses on manufacturing solar panels at home. The core reason why solar panels are unpopular is because they are extremely expensive. Mostly in countries like Pakistan all of the renewable energy products i.e. solar panels or wind mills are usually imported from other countries. But once, it starts manufacturing at home, the cheap labor and low production cost will likely decrease the price and people will opt to renewable source of energy. It is worth mentioning here that Pakistan has most of the resources required to establish solar industry at home, only thing desired is the high tech machinery and the training of manpower. Appropriate help can be taken from China in this regard. It is worth mentioning here that China established a solar panel manufacturing factory
“SUNTECH” in year 2001 which is now serving as the world's largest solar panel manufacturer with its offices in 13 different countries and its installations in 80 countries across the globe. Thus, Government of Pakistan can seek benefit from the rich experience of it's Chinese counterparts. There are ample chances that if Government of Pakistan show its interest on this issue at bilateral level, China would like to help Pakistan for the same. Both countries have diplomatic ties since 1951 and Pakistan was amongst the first ones to recognize People's Republic of China after its establishment. According to a report compile by The Forbes group, China is currently providing more than 95% of all the rare earth elements required to manufacture solar panels, wind turbines and other electronic equipment [34]. Thus all these facts provide solid evidences that China would like to guide and assist Pakistan in establishing a solar panel industry at home either on partnership or on sole basis. This can be achieved by bringing reforms in the higher education sector. It is really important to establish institutes or universities in Pakistan which are particularly dedicated to carry out research on renewable resources potential in Pakistan. As far as high tech machinery is concerned, during the first phase, all the required machinery can be imported and then in second phase, Pakistan can start making this machinery at home. Alternatively, Government of Pakistan can offer incentives to all companies manufacturing renewable technology to open their subsidiaries in Pakistan. This will not only promote renewable technology in the country but will also create more jobs and will help in capital formation as well.
The biggest gift to Pakistan is that the country has most of the important components in abundance that are required to manufacture solar panels. There are basically two components named quartz and silica required to manufacture solar panels and both can be found easily in Pakistan. Other rare earth elements including silver that are usually required in small amounts to manufacture solar panels and windmills can be easily acquired through China. Not to mention the fact that both countries have timely tested friendship over six decades. Also, Pakistan has the ability to serve as an energy and trade corridor for China. Already a number of Chinese companies are involved in several small and big projects in Pakistan. A significant example in this regard will be of Gwadar Sea Port of Pakistan, which has been constructed in financial and technical assistance of China. The Gwadar Sea Port is located at Persian Gulf and is the route to 40 percent of global oil supplies.
This not only highlights the strategic importance of Pakistan itself, but also points out the necessity for China to invest in Pakistan as it can provide the shortest way to China to have access to the energy reserves of Middle East and Africa. River Indus which serves as the backbone of water system in Pakistan has rich silica reserves.
Similarly, quartz is found in such abundance in Khyber PakhtoonKhwa Province (previously known as North Western Frontier Province) that people construct the walls of their houses with quartz. Most fortunately, Pakistan has sound sunlight for at least 8 to 10 hours per day round the year, thus enabling the country to satisfy its
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electricity shortfall. It will not be out of place to mention here that most of the electricity consumption takes place during evening time (i.e. peak hours) however through proper planning, adequate electricity can be supplied during those hours. A map reflecting annual solar radiation of the country is as follow [35]:
(Figure 12 courtesy: U.S. NREL, 2006)
As it is clear from the above map that Baluchistan and Sindh receives the highest amount of sunlight annually followed by Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK). Similarly, Kashmir and Northern areas of Pakistan receives the least amount of solar radiation on annual basis [13].
Thus if the use of renewable energy resources is promoted at grass root level then it can have profound impact on the economy of Pakistan as at present the highest portion of generated electricity goes to the household consumption. This can be achieved by installing solar panels on roof tops on the houses and then to integrate the generated electricity into the already existing electricity supply infrastructure in each area through transmission lines. According to a calculated estimation the population of Pakistan is 180 million, out of which almost sixty percent lives in the province of Punjab, the agricultural breadbasket of the country. Both federal and provincial governments can play a vital role in this regard as currently the Ministry of Water and Power comes under Federal Government of Pakistan. A significant step in this regard can be to decentralize the Ministry and to give powers to the provinces to take decisions and develop their own energy policy. A similar decision has already been proposed and accepted in form of 18th amendment in the constitution of Pakistan. However, its implementation in true letter and spirit is still required. We need to understand that this will not only reduce the federal government expenses but will also promote a positive competition among provincial governments in Pakistan.
3.9 Solar panel installation on motorways & national highways in Pakistan:
M2 is the name of motorway that has been constructed to connect capital city of Punjab province Lahore to Islamabad, capital city of Pakistan. Its total length is 367 kilometers and goes through the rural areas of the Punjab province. It is significant to mention here that as it passes through the rural area therefore steel fence has been installed on both sides of the motorway to keep pedestrians and animals away from it. There exist a considerable gap between the steel fence and motorway on both sides which can be used for the installation of solar panels. Thus if the total length of both sides is considered then altogether 734 kilometers will be available that can be used for the generation of electricity. Similarly with the slight modification in the dividers installed between the M2, this space can also be used for electricity generation through solar panels. Thus, with the effective management of M2, altogether 1101 kilometers will be available which can be utilized to produce electricity in an eco-friendly manner.
