ENERGY & POWER RESOURCES OF PAKISTAN

HUSSNA SHINWARI GRADE VIII

Current scenario of the energy shortfall

The economic stability of developing countries like Pakistan depends upon the growth of the energy sector to influence social prosperity and long-term planning for utilization of domestic energy resources. Pakistan has been facing an unprecedented energy crisis since last few years.

Its current energy demand far exceeds its indigenous supplies, fostering dependency on imported oil that places substantial burden on economy of the country.

In order to ensure security of countrys energy supplies, the Government of Pakistan is pursuing policies of increasing our domestic supplies, attracting foreign investment, diversifying imports to include natural gas, coal and electricity, encouraging economic inter-fuel substitution, promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy, and supporting regional and interregional cooperation. Pakistan is an ideal location for foreign private investment in the upstream and downstream hydrocarbon sectors as it provides a deregulated transparent and level playing field to all.

During financial year 2009-10, primary commercial energy supplies witnessed an increase by 0.8% (from 62.6 million tones of oil equivalent in 2008-09 to 63.1 mote in 2009-10). Increase in the supplies came from natural gas (0.6 mote), nuclear electricity, hydel electricity and imported electricity . Supplies from oil, coal and LPG showed decrease as compared to the last year. The share of natural gas in primary energy supplies during 2009-10 was 48.8% followed by oil 31.4%, hydro electricity 10.6%, coal 7.3%, nuclear electricity 1.1%, LPG 0.6% and imported electricity 0.1%.

Natural gas consumption increased slightly by 1% during 200910 as compared to the previous year.

This increase in consumption was due to fertilizer 22%, transport 12%, industry 5%, commercial 4% and domestic 3%. Natural gas consumption decreased during 2009-10 in cement industry by 73%, Pakistan Steel Mills by 7% and power sector by 9% over the previous year.

Solar energy is all about using natural sunlight.

Widely and freely available to almost all of humankind, the light from the Sun is a natural alternative

A typical windmill is a huge fan-like standing structure. Wind is of use to us because of its kinetic energy. The wind blows and the blades of the mill spin, which in turn power a generator. These energy harvesters work easily and they can be set up anywhere. Needless to say, the source of energy is clean and renewable. Wind is all that is needed to reap the benefits. A windmill emits nothing harmful, which means no greenhouse gas contribution to the atmosphere.

Water has been generating energy for years. Hydroelectricity is generated by damming rivers and using the potential energy of the stored water. The best part about water energy is that is it quite affordable. Though dams look huge, their maintenance costs are actually very low Appearances can be deceiving.

Hydrogen Alternative Energy has shown promising results recently. And it has been particularly successful in the car industry. In these cars, the fuel cell system is used which converts hydrogen into electricity. Hydrogen as fuel is eco-friendly and much more safe than gasoline.

Bio-fuel refers to fuels made from plants or animals. Like ethanol from plants, or methane from animal excrement. Ethanol is, in combination with gasoline, being widely used in automobile industry. The process used for obtaining bio-fuel is usually combustion. Like any other alternative energy source, bio-fuel is completely renewable.

 Apart from conservation of energy, hydroelectricity, the solar, wind and geothermal and thermal power are the best alternatives to overcome the deepening energy crisis in Pakistan as geothermal is a great capacity of generating 100,000 megawatts of electricity through this technology

1. Pakistan has untouched oil and gas reserves under

the barren mountains of Balochistan and the sands of Sindh-coal, estimated at 175 billion tonnes.

2. If the natural gas found in Sui could have been

used for power generation projects, there would have been no such phenomenon of load shedding, and we would have been immensely developed.

3. The process of converting coal into product gas

underground can be a good alternate source of energy.

4. Solar energy is the best and suitable form for Pakistan

as the country has potential of generating 29,000 megawatt electricity from the sun.

5. Nuclear energy can also overcome the energy needs as

Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) has developed a large infrastructure to manufacture equipment for power but even then we are not able to make considerable progress in the nuclear field.

6. Political controversies relating to Kalabagh Dam should

be resolved. In this connection seminars and media can play a good role. If there is a need the modifications in design may also be suggested.

7. About 40 percent of Pakistan is off the national grid that

means they effectively get to no electricity. The way our grid operates, it is already suffering from heavy line losses and other technical issues, which makes it extremely hard and costly to get 40 percent of the Pakistan on to the national grid.