By Ali Imran
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Senator Shibli Faraz Monday said the present government intends to harness power from renewable resources with the full participation of the private sector.
He was speaking at the inauguration of a two-day international seminar on ‘Sustainable Technologies in Modern Energy: A Roadmap Towards Green Economy’ at the Pakistan Academy of Sciences.
Shibli Faraz was of the view that small conservations from energy efficient appliances translate into savings on large energy projects. He called on adopting the approach of the Japanese with regard to conservation of energy and modernizing domestic appliances.
The two-day seminar is being organized by the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS) with funding of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and COMSATS’ Centre of Excellence in Islamabad, the COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI).
In his welcome address, Rector CUI, Prof. Dr. Muhammad T. Afzal, offered his institution’s support in setting up Pakistan’s first Fuel Cell Research Institute to spearhead development of fuel cell technology under the government’s knowledge economy initiative.
He pointed out that more research and development was needed in smart grid technology to cut line losses and potentially drawing investors and modern distribution companies to invest in Pakistan.
A smart grid, he said, can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 211 million metric tons and is much more reliable than a traditional grid.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Syed Junaid Akhlaq, Secretary General PNCU, communicated UNESCO’s gratitude to the partner organizations and informed that UNESCO is glad to support this important event being held under ‘COMSATS-UNESCO South-South Regional Technical Cooperation Programme.
Mr. Irfan Hayee, Deputy Director Programs, COMSATS Secretariat urged participants to deliberate on policy recommendations resulting from focused discussion at the seminar.
During his virtual address, Prof. Dr. Ashraf Shalaan, Chairperson COMSATS Coordinating Council, lauded COMSATS and UNESCO for partnering on a highly relevant area of sustainable technologies in energy in the developing world. He considered nations’ abilities to keep up with technological progress and innovation critical for socio-economic growth.
The event is catering to major themes of emerging green technologies for sustainable energy; Green ICTs for sustainable development; energy policy implications for sustainable energy growth and development and balance in energy mix.
The topics discussed at the seminar pertained to Digital Engineering in Pakistan; Lithium-ion Batteries as Energy Storage Device; Indigenous Development of Hydropower; Renewable Energy-based Distributed Generation; Multifunctional Electrode Materials for Lithium-ion Battery and Super-Capacitors; Sustainable Technologies in Modern Energy; Solar Thermal Air Conditioning Technologies; Materials for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Production.
The seminar is expected to generate recommendations regarding consumption and distribution of sustainable energy technologies for the government in an expert panel discussion arranged on its second day.
