Pakistan Energy News 2013-2018

[Nishan_101]

Power generation through sugar mills
Friday, May 24, 2013

ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) on Thursday approved Rs 10.50 per unit as upfront tariff for power generation through sugar mills by utilising sugarcane bagasse.

According to the NEPRA spokesman, this upfront tariff is approved to encourage sugar mills to generate around 1,500 megawatts (MW) on fast track basis.

At present hydel generation is costing Rs 2.50 per unit, generation through natural gas is costing around Rs 5.0 per unit, thermal generation from Rs 14 to Rs 18 per unit and electricity generated through diesel is costing Rs 23 to Rs 28 per unit in the country.

The approval of upfront tariff for sugar mills would encourage sugar mills to plan their investment in this new sector for steering out the country from power crisis faced by the nation during the last decade.

The government has plans to generate around 3,000 MW cheaper electricity through sugarcane bagasse on fast-track basis and investors would be facilitated and encouraged.

Necessary amendments would also be made in the existing co-generation and renewable energy policies to make it simplified and investor-friendly.

In a recent meeting on fast-track development of bagasse-based power generation projects it was informed that the government was utilising all the resources to end the energy crisis and the power generation from bagasse would be another step to produce electricity from indigenous resources.

Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) has been taking interest in the bagasse-based power projects and time and again assured the government to provide full cooperation.

Approval of the upfront tariff was lingering on since a few years. During the last two governments, hectic efforts were made to utilise bagasse for cheaper power generation. Initially 1,500 MW would be completed on fast-track basis. The meeting had also reviewed in detail the existing co-generation and renewable energy policies and discussed various proposals to simplify it in order to get benefit at the earliest.

It has been felt necessary that amendments in the existing policies would help alleviate the power crisis in the country. It was decided that the Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) would process the bagasse-based projects under renewable energy policy.

A committee was also set up to finalise the recommendations in consultation with all the stakeholders so that approval could be taken from the competent forum to start the projects.

AEDB and PSMA have already informed the government that Pakistan was the fifth largest producer of sugarcane with production of 50 million tonnes of sugarcane annually, yielding over 10 million tonnes of bagasse.

Power generation from bagasse would not only reduce the furnace oil import, but even save Rs 33 billion to Rs 49 billion of foreign exchange per annum. The country has 87 sugar mills with a capacity to generate 3,000 MW electricity from bagasse in winter season. staff report

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

Far better to Privatize these Thermal Plants all accross Pakistan by selling 51% shares to the private people who will going to increase its effciency as well as this privatization will give them money to full fill the loan payment issue.

 

[Gentelman]

Far better to Privatize these Thermal Plants all accross Pakistan by selling 51% shares to the private people who will going to increase its effciency as well as this privatization will give them money to full fill the loan payment issue.

i fully agree you but then who will give share from furnace oil to our poor MNAs and what about the children of poor officials who are just blunder of corruption??

 

[Nishan_101]

i fully agree you but then who will give share from furnace oil to our poor MNAs and what about the children of poor officials who are just blunder of corruption??

This is the thing we have to change, then these power plants will give employement only and only on Merit basis.

Also I think Railways and PIA should also be privatized and the work should be finalized this year of 2013...

 

[Cyberian]

Production of solar based AC in final stage
Tuesday, 04 June 2013

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Council of Renewable Energy technologies (PCRET) is working on production of solar based Air conditioner, which is in final stages.

It is Lithum Bromide based absorption chiller integrated with solar water heating system for AC and a similar system is under design phase at solar energy institute of Kebangsaan university, Malaysia.

Director General PCRET Khalid Islam told this while briefing the 0 Senate Standing Committee on Science and Technology which met here Tuesday under the chairmanship of Senator Professor Sajid Mir.

The committee observed that advancement in the science and technology field was imperative for the socio-economic development of a country and allout efforts should be made to ensure that the benefits of research carried out by research organizations reach the common men.

The members of the committee underlined the need for promoting the culture of research in the country besides creating awareness among the general public.

The members of the committee pointed out that a lot of research was being carried out by the scientific organizations but its benefits do not reach to the common man.

Federal Secretary Ministry of Science and Technology Akhlaq Ahmad Tarar emphasized that concrete steps must be taken to over come the power crisis in the country.

Chairman Committee said "in this era of energy crises, we are playing emphasis on carrying out research for energy development in the field of renewable energy sources".

The committee was informed that among all renewable energy sources the solar energy, which is in abundance, pollution free and freely available is becoming most popular source of energy.

It was further informed that PCRET was equipped with most modern and sophisticated facilities and has developed technologies in the field of Silicon crystal crowing, Wayfaring and Solar Cell modules fabrication and a number of other solar energy products.

DG PCRET told that for the first time in Pakistan, sun tracked solar trough installed at PCRET to generate hot water and steam for textiles.

Production of solar based AC in final stage

 

[Cyberian]

​

 

[Cyberian]

Asif takes over charge of Ministry of Water, Power
Sunday, June 09, 2013

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has assumed the charge of the Ministry of Water and Power on Saturday.

The secretary and other senior officials on the affairs of the Ministry gave him briefing. Asif previously served as the Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources, with additional portfolio of Sports Ministry in the Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani Cabinet.

Asif held the portfolio of Chairman Privatisation Commission with the status of a federal minister. staff report

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[Tony.Wu]

Biogas power plant is not suitable in pak, i think. In China, most of the power plant is still coal fired power plant. which is over 80% percent.
I also studied the coal quality of thar coals, which is suitable for the coal fired power plant.

 

[Argus Panoptes]

@Aeronaut @nuclearpak @Leader @Tiger Awan This is a good article for discussion regarding out energy situation as the new governments, provincial and federal, struggle to deal with the grave issues:

Pakistan


Pakistan’s electricity crisis
Long, hot summer
The first task for Pakistan’s new prime minister is to keep the lights on
Jun 8th 2013 | LAHORE |From the print edition

LIKE most Pakistanis Mohammad Hussain complains bitterly about the paltry few hours of electricity available each day during the sweltering summer. Life for the 43-year-old labourer, already pretty miserable in the Lahore slum where he lives, is more unbearable without a fan to cool him at night or a pump to guarantee water.

Like many of his countrymen, he has never paid a rupee towards the cost of the dribble of electricity used by his wife and five children, who all live in a one-bedroom flat. Their building is illegally connected to the city’s power grid by a metal hook attached to a nearby electricity line.

Every now and then officials from the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) launch a “crackdown”. Officials phone ahead, giving everyone ample opportunity to remove their hooks. They then go door-to-door collecting bribes, organised on a careful tariff basis. Households with just a fan pay $5. For slightly beefier “air coolers” the fee is $10 and for the lucky few who can afford air conditioning the cost is $15. These charges are a fraction of LESCO’s official tariff, but none of the money goes into the coffers of a collapsing electricity system anyway.

Not charging consumers for electricity has created a big problem for Pakistan. At the end of 2012 the country’s stock of energy-industry debt was $9.1 billion— about 4% of GDP—according to a report funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and carried out by the national Planning Commission.

The shortfall in revenue has a knock-on effect along the electricity supply-chain. Without being paid by consumers the distribution companies cannot pay the private electricity generators, who in turn cannot pay their fuel bills, forcing them to shut down or run at low capacity. That creates ever more “load shedding”, the local term for blackouts.

The same USAID–backed report claims power shortages retard economic growth by at least 2% a year. The situation is deteriorating as the debt mountain grows. Riots break out each summer in protest.

Power surge

Freeing consumers and industry from this misery is the priority of Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan’s new prime minister, who was inaugurated on June 5th. He owes his victory to public fury at the failure of the outgoing government of the Pakistan Peoples Party to solve the energy crisis.

If the system is to be fixed it is not just people in the slums who will have to cough up, but the rich and the powerful too, including the industrialists who enthusiastically supported Mr Sharif in last month’s election.

Government departments are also some of the biggest defaulters, owing as much as $2 billion, and the armed forces see little reason to fear being cut off if they do not pay. The finance ministry is often behind on paying its own subsidies into the system. Such cash injections are meant to make electricity more affordable, but they are not targeted at the poor and have soared to levels unaffordable for the government as world energy prices have risen.

The price supposedly charged to consumers for electricity is now nowhere near its cost of production. Mr Sharif hopes to improve the situation immediately by paying off a big chunk of the debt. With more money flowing through the system consumers should feel an instant relief.

“It’s a reset of the system so we can start off on a clean slate,” says Fariel Salahuddin, a power-sector specialist. “It doesn’t mean the debt goes away, it just comes off the books of private-sector entities.” Where such sums will come from is another matter. There has been talk of raising money through the sale of government bonds. Pakistan will also have to begin bail-out negotiations with the IMF soon if it is to avert a balance-of-payments crisis.

Hopes are pinned on multi-billion dollar aid from Saudi Arabia, probably in the form of deferred oil payments. The Saudis have long had cordial relations with Mr Sharif, whom they hosted during part of his time in exile from Pakistan. They provided similar help to the last government Mr Sharif headed in 1998.

“It is like you have a patient who is haemorrhaging: you have to give him a blood infusion to stabilise him,” says Omar Malik from PITCO, an energy consultancy. “But that won’t be sufficient if you don’t stop the bleeding.”

That means finding ways to generate electricity far more cheaply. Currently Pakistan has some of the most expensive energy in the region, not least because half of its power comes from burning gas and oil, most of which are imported. That is eating into the country’s already seriously depleted foreign-exchange reserves, pushing Pakistan even further towards a balance-of-payments crisis.

Coal-burning power stations could be built relatively quickly or existing ones converted, says Mr Malik. But Pakistan has been slow to exploit its own coal resources and most would have to be imported.

The country has huge potential for hydroelectricity, the cheapest form of energy, but dams can take the best part of a decade to build. Perhaps the best Mr Sharif can hope for in the coming years is that the rest of Pakistan might become a little more like Karachi, the southern city where electricity-industry managers have succeeded in keeping the fans and the lights on by cutting off completely any customers who don’t pay. That means regular electricity for the rich. And even less power for slum dwellers like Mr Hussain.

From the print edition: Asia

 

[Jango]

The most frustrating thing is that people who don't pay up for the electricity in the first place are the ones crying for it!

 

[Argus Panoptes]

The most frustrating thing is that people who don't pay up for the electricity in the first place are the ones crying for it!

Another interesting thing is that all sorts of people and entities do not pay for the power they use - poor people in jhugis, government ministries, industrialists, defense establishments, the list of thieves goes on.

The circular debt is $9 billion dollars and counting. It means that even if there is a one time injection of such a huge amount of capital, we will eat through that as well because theft and nonpayment are rife.

Our system is simply not sustainable given its ways of working.

 

[Cyberian]

Bank Alfalah, Buksh Energy ink accord
Tuesday, June 11, 2013

KARACHI: As part of Bank Alfalah’s efforts to promote financial solutions that are innovative, eco-friendly and cost-effective, the Bank has signed a MoU with Buksh Energy.

Through this collaboration the Bank would lead the financial services industry in converting to renewable energy sources, namely solar power with the aim of ‘Going Green’. The initiation of this alliance began with the successful installation of 2 kilowatts (kw) solar plants and the conversion of two of the Bank’s ATMs to solar power by Buksh Energy.

The plants are capable of running the ATM, security system, branch servers and routers, as well as an independent light load, operating 24/7. The solar plant produces 12 kwh of energy per day (4.38 megawatts per annum) per ATM converted on solar. The ATMs are connected to the online portal, where energy production is recorded and logged, and can be monitored constantly.

Bank Alfalah’s CEO Atif Bajwa said, “To this end our collaboration with Buksh Energy is part of our broader aim to move in the direction of environment-friendly alternate energy sources, which should also enhance our efficiency by both reducing costs as well as ensuring zero downtime”. staff report

www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\06\11\story_11-6-2013_pg5_2

 

[Cyberian]

Rs 40bn power theft recorded per annum
Wednesday, June 12, 2013

By Ijaz Kakakhel

ISLAMABAD: There is a power theft worth Rs 40 billion per year while provincial governments could not cooperate to control these losses, Senate Standing Committee on Water and Power was informed on Tuesday.

Senator Zahid Khan chaired the meeting. The Committee expressed serious reservation over non-implementation of previous Committee recommendations regarding removal of exemption of various departments from loadshedding.

Rs 40 billion power theft carried out every year in the country while recoverable amount is Rs 170 billion per annum. The government spent Rs 80 billion over court cases per year and the federal government could not cooperate with NEPRA with tariff determination.

The Committee directed there should be uniformity in loadshedding and both poor and rich have to share equal load of power crises.

In last meeting the Committee recommended only government hospitals, important defence installation all other departments like government, private, diplomatic enclaves, judges colonies, army houses, president house, PM house and other should equally share the power crises.

The chairman of the Committee said burden of the exempted department/ organisations were put on poor people of the society and they are confronting severe problems due to prolong loadshedding.

He said the power supply to rich people was carried out through four feeders while poor are confronting 20 to 22 hours loadshedding per day.

Briefing the Committee, the chairman NEPRA said if power distribution companies were given complete independence, then the power crises may improve up to some extent. He said the government has provided Rs 400 billion as subsidy for power sector but still the circular debt issue remained intact and it observed rising trend. The government is also paying Rs 145 billion as interest to power distribution companies, he maintained.

Secretary Water and Power informed the Committee power demand in the country was about 18,000 to 20,000 megawatts (MW) while the supply was about 12,000 MW.

For 1,000 MW, the required loadshedding is four hours, he said and adding that if all power plants were utilised to full capacity then the country would also face 12 hours loadshedding daily, the secretary maintained.

Only solution of the matter is to speed up work over all hydel projects and complete the work as early as possible.

He said Ponjee Dam would be completed with $6 billion, which could generate 8,000 MW.

Our procedure is so complicated for single approval it usually took years and delay in execution of power projects. The actual cost of all power projects have increased more than 10 times as compared to it PC-I costs.

For Kurram Tangi Dam, Wapda has fixed Rs 50,000 per acre for land acquisition but the provincial government has increased the value to Rs one million. He briefed the committee over other hydel projects.

Chairman WAPDA informed the Committee one unit of Jaban Dam has started functioning and on June 26 it would be tested, while two other units would starts functioning by September this year.

He said agreement has been made over two projects relating to power generation through water in Kohistan, which would cost $3.5 million and it would complete in three years.

The Committee stressed on generation of power through alternate energy resources like coal, bio-gas, wind and solar and the Committee decided they would take the matter with respective provincial governments if there were any problems relating to them.

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[Cyberian]

Solar energy strategy for Punjab
Friday, June 14, 2013

By Hassan Siddiq

With its abundance of land, labour capital and entrepreneurs, Punjab in Pakistan is rich in all four factors of production required for economic growth. With a population approaching 100 million people, majority of which is young, and a GDP (Purchasing Power Parity basis) of nearly $300 billion, it has endless potential to grow exponentially over the next many years. However, the growth is being hampered by one single constraint: lack of energy. With a current demand-supply gap of about 4,000 megawatts (MW) in the province, the problem is expected to continue to exacerbate at the rate of 6.0 percent per annum in the business as usual scenario.

Since 2010, new hope has emerged in the form of 18th Amendment in the constitution of Pakistan. Punjab, like other provinces, is free to set up its own energy policies. To capitalise on the opportunity, Punjab has painstakingly produced an Annual Energy Plan. It sets out to produce 3,200 MW over the course of three years. Although a commendable and realistic plan, it is way too passive on solar energy. From various independent research reports, Punjab has one of the highest solar radiation amounts in the world and has the potential of producing in excess of a million Mega Watt of energy per annum from solar. Setting a 50 MW target over three years for solar is, then, too limited in scope.

Given the depth of energy crisis and its impact on the industrial sector, Punjab needs to immediately replicate the successful projects from other emerging countries. In this regard, it would be worthwhile to pay particular attention to the successful execution of solar projects in the Indian state of Gujarat that has raised its electricity production from 4,000 MW to 18,000 MW within a decade. As a result, 24-hour electricity supply in all the cities and villages is no longer a dream.

Although shocking success in Gujarat resulted from successful implementation of many different policies, solar policy played a significant role and currently contributes in excess of 600 MW to the grid. Given the geographic advantages two provinces share, Punjab can benefit from policies that are similar to that of Gujarat as follow:

Gujarat has established solar parks at various locations in the state and can boast Asia’s largest solar park. Known for government efficiency, Gujarat was able to attract international firms and investors for the project by fixing tariffs in transparent purchasing power agreements. In Punjab, Cholistan and two other sites have been earmarked for solar projects of 10, 30 and 50 MW in size. Given the lack of investor confidence in the country, it might be worthwhile for the government to identify multiple locations for small 5 MW plants so that international investors can enter the market here at a level of risk they are comfortable with. Once international firms start making 15 percent returns on their investment as being guaranteed by the provincial government, it would be far easier to attract large-scale developers for mega-projects.

Gujarat has also pioneered relatively small-scale pilot projects. Despite miniscule contribution to overall power production, small projects play a vital role in raising awareness in the public of the potential of solar energy. Consequently, a multiplier effect occurs as people adopt solar products at home and reduce the burden on the grid. Punjab can get inspiration from Gujarat in implementing a rooftop policy that would turn Lahore into a solar city by installing panels on existing public roofs. Another project to install panels on Punjab’s extensive irrigation canals can be highly attractive as it does not require allocation of land and also reduces loss of water from evaporation.

Returning government in Punjab will have to take concrete steps to explore the viability of solar energy in the province. However, giving away of solar panels to industrial units and students would not result in sustainable addition to power generation capacity in the province. Attracting international firms for scalable projects—subsidised or otherwise— would.

An Environmental Engineer from Yale University and a former investment banker, the writer is the founder of Hillhouse Tech.

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[Cyberian]

Cranfield experts help Pakistan develop solar cooker
Thursday June 13, 2013

STAFF REPORT IBD: The COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, has successfully developed a solar cooker with the expertise from Cranfield University, that is able to harness the sun’s energy to cook food and purify water. The cooker will significantly improve the quality of life for rural communities in the developing world including Pakistan which has facing energy and fuel crisis.

It has been funded by the government of Pakistan, who recognises the need to improve the lives of those living in the remote regions of Pakistan.

Under the project, funded by the government of Pakistan, a solar cooker able to harness the sun’s energy to cook food and purify water has been developed with experts’ help from Cranfield University. The cooker will significantly improve the quality of life for rural communities in Pakistan.

According to details, the cooker works by using a system of mirrored strips tilted at different angles to concentrate sunlight onto an ‘absorber’ which then helps to convert the solar energy into useable heat. The process is known as ‘concentrating solar power’ (CSP) and is an area in which Cranfield is regarded as the number one expert in the UK.

“This is a very exciting project as there are many areas of the world where solar cookers and water purifiers could impact significantly on people’s quality of life,” commented Cranfield’s Dr Chris Sansom, the UK’s leading expert on CSP.

Cranfield experts help Pakistan develop solar cooker | TechnologyTimes Science and Technology Weekly Newspaper

 

[SEAL]

16 KW Solar PV Installed for Solar Water Pump / Tube-well for Irrigation with Canadian Solar Panels.— in Arifwala, Punjab. credits: Nizam Energy
PML-N government have taken good initiative we can save lots of electricity and fuel by installing solar panels for tube wells and pumps.