ISLAMABAD: Pakistan can combat climate change and reduce its expenditures by utilising its abundant renewable energy sources.
“Renewable energy is generated through the sources that naturally replenish themselves and never run out. The most common sources are solar, wind, hydro, geothermal and biomass. More than 80 percent of the total energy consumed by humans is derived from fossil fuels,” Dr Iftikhar Ahmed, an environmental economist at the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, told WealthPK.
He said that renewable energy (RE) offered an environmentally friendly alternative to the greenhouse gas emission and pollution of fossil fuels. “As advances in technology make RE more accessible, affordable and efficient an end to climate change would be within our reach,” he added.
Dr Iftikhar said that use of RE was on the rise globally. Those alternative energy sources hold the key to combating climate change. “The renewable energy sources can combat climate change because they create no direct greenhouse gas emission. They cause only indirect emission through manufacturing parts, installation, operation and maintenance. It is also minimal,” he added.
He said that RE could decrease pollution and reduce the threat to human health. “Wind, solar and hydroelectric system create no air pollution,” he added.
He said that RE was reliable as its sources would not run out. “The price of RE will be stable as its sources are often free,” he added.
However, the expert said that renewable sources could not generate power at a larger scale like fossil fuels but could help to reduce the import of oil and save foreign exchange reserves of the country.
According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, the execution of renewable energy projects would cost less than even the cheapest fossil fuels.
Pakistan is located in a solar hotspot, receiving five to seven kWh/m2 per day. The arid regions of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan have the potential for solar energy development. According to estimates, the sun shines for approximately 8.5 hours per day in Balochistan, resulting in 20 MJ/m2 of daily solar radiation.
Being an agricultural country, Pakistan has an enormous capacity for biomass production. It might be possible to achieve rural electrification and use biogas for cooking equipment if correctly utilised. The production of approximately 81 million tonnes per annum of biomass can generate enough bioenergy by using various techniques.
Wind power is easily accessible in Pakistan, particularly in the southern areas of Sindh and Balochistan, with an approximate wind speed of seven meters per second at a height of 50 meters. The wind potential of Pakistan’s coastal belt is 43 gigawatts whereas only 11 GW is exploitable, as a result of land-use restrictions.
Enormous hydropower capacity is Pakistan’s greatest strength in the renewable energy industry. Pakistan has nearly 100GW of hydropower potential and only 7.116 GW (28.67% of the complete power mix) has been utilised. The Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) plans to raise it to 16GW by 2025.
The expert told WealthPK that Pakistan’s capacity for geothermal energy was also one of the country’s greatest RE sector strengths. Geothermal energy mud volcanoes and hot springs are easily accessible in Pakistan.
