PowerGen Pak Conference 2012

The 5th International Power Generation Conference & Exhibition 2012 was held at Marriott, Karachi on the 2nd of February with the agenda ‘Future Energy Mix in Overcoming the Power Crisis’.
The conference was attended by a plethora of scientists and dignitaries from all walks of life.
It was a star-studded event with speeches and presentations from Manzoor Soomro- Chairman Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF), Mian Abrar Hussain, President Karachi Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Tilo Klinner – Consul General Germany, Nasim Khan VC Hamdard University, Saigan Sharif – Additional Secretary of Ministry of Science & Technology, Qazi Kamal – Chairman Fuel, Gas, Power Sub-SITE Association, Tahir Saleem – Chairman IEEE, Zubair Motiwala – Chairman Board of Investment Govt. of Pakistan, Naeem Qureshi – Managing Editor Energy Update, Shazia Marri – Minister for Electric Power Sindh, Junaid Qureshi – CEO SSJD, Faisal Qureshi – CEO 24/7 Online TV, Abdullah Muhammad Yousuf – Chairman IPP’s Advisory Council, Rukhsana Zuberi – Chairperson women in energy, Shaaf Mehboob – CEO Adoptive Solar.
The conference was organized by Energy Update Magazine
Here’s a brief lowdown of what went on in the conference.
Manzoor Soomro- Chairman Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF):
- Promote and popularize science.
- Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) signed with all chambers of commerce in Pakistan.
- Reach is not limited to MOUs but to universities and beyond.
- Provide funding to research institutes.
- Enormous potential in both conserving and generating energy cost-effectively, only it needs to be channeled out properly.
Mian Abrar Hussain, President Karachi Chamber of Commerce
- The energy crisis and resulting loadshedding of electricity and gas has resulted in a staggering monetary loss of Rs.288 Billion per annum.
- This is a loss of Rs.24 Billion per month, or Rs.857 million per day.
- This much money could have been used to finance 44 Large scale manufacturing units or serve 10 million unemployed people.
- $12 Billion is the annual import bill for furnace oil.
- 30% of energy wasted in distribution.
- Energy security plan is needed on the same lines as Nuclear Security Plan to safeguard the future of Pakistan.
Naeem Qureshi – Managing Editor Energy Update
- Welcomed the participants to the fifth PowerGen Pak Conference.
- Thanked the speakers and the guest for gracing the occasion with their presence, and the sponsors for lending support to this worthy cause.
Dr. Tilo Klinner – Consul General Germany
- Renewable energy is the future of the world due to depleting natural sources of fuel.
- Wind energy percentage contribution to electricity generation in the world:
- 21% Denmark
- 15% Portugal
- 14% Spain
- 7.5% Germany
- There’s a 40 MW plant in Gujarat, India run solely on solar power.
- 17,000 MW contribution by solar power to national grid in Germany.
- There are large lignite coal fields in Eastern Germany which provide the bulk of the power. However, they’ve a large carbon footprint.
Nasim Khan VC Hamdard University
- In 1999, a German company estimated the wind corridor in Pakistan to be worth 50,000 MW.
- Research by an American University put the estimate at 110,000 MW.
- Germany has been able to capture and make use of 17,000 MW of solar energy in spite of the fact that Germany doesn’t get as much sun as Pakistan.
- Due to circular debt, electric companies are unable to afford wind power companies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6qVKkA-dRc&feature=youtu.be
Saigan Sharif – Additional Secretary of Ministry of Science & Technology:
- Karachi to Gwadar corridor has the potential of 7,000-10,000 MW generation through wind energy.
- Nexus needed between government, research institutes and industry for a workable plan.
- Much of the existing problems are due to lack of understanding between the three.
- Government has its own limits and cannot launch projects based on research by institutes. However it can support them in conjunction with the industry.
- Scientists have the tendency to quarrel amongst themselves for who gets the patent to an invention or innovation.
Qazi Kamal – Chairman Fuel, Gas, Power Sub-SITE Association
- There are 104 Nuclear power plants in US and 70 in France which contribute roughly 20% of total electricity.
- 35% of power in Western Europe is achieved through nuclear means.
- China has plans to set up 40 nuclear power plants.
- India plans to generate 63,000 MW of nuclear energy by 2032 with the help of General Electric USA.
- Pakistan only gets 712 MW of nuclear energy.
- Pakistan has substantial reserves of uranium, 500 times more than gold in various mines all over the country.
- Pakistan also has 5% uranium enrichment capability.
- 2,000MW energy through KANUP 2 and 3 will be attained.
- 8,000MW is the target for nuclear energy.
- The establishment of Pakistan Nuclear Power Fuel Complex will go a long way in attaining self-sufficiency in nuclear energy.
Tahir Saleem – Chairman IEEE:
- Problem with energy usage not energy production.
- KESC has installed capacity of 1260MW but only 600MW of power are being delivered by them.
- WAPDA had planned 40,000MW of electricity by 2010. Hardly 2,000MW have been added.
- 10-15% of energy saving is possible without any investment.
- 22% of energy saving is possible with investment.
- 70% of electrical consumption is by the industry.
- Load lightening devices are available which reduce electrical consumption.
- Government should make it mandatory for the industry to install these devices which will reduce the electrical load on the national grid.
- Co-generation provides 30% additional energy, a strategy which is being used by hotels.
Zubair Motiwala – Chairman Board of Investment, Govt. of Pakistan
- 22,000 MW is the installed capacity.
- Rs.300 Bn circular debt in July, now touching Rs.400 Bn.
- 12 hours of loadshedding in the industrial areas until 2 weeks ago.
- Pakistan has the fifth largest coal reserves in the world – 173Bn which will last 300 years.
- Thar has huge reserves of lignite coal as determined by research carried out by RW Germany.
- Special incentives offered by Pakistan Board of Investment for investing in Pakistan’s coal reserves:
- 20% Return on Equity
- 30 years tax holiday
- No custom duty on import of machinery
- Sales tax exemption
- United Energy, 3 Gorges and Engro are some of the companies interested in this investment.
- In 2015 the first powerplant using the thar coal would be operational.
- Pak-Chine energy commission has determined that there’s a 80km wide as well as long wind corridor with speeds up to 800 knots, which is more than India.
- A Turkish company is already operating wind turbines in Sindh which are producing 5MW.
- 34 more turbines are in the offing which will raise the output to 50MW.
- Plans are in place to allow duty-free import of batteries to store wind energy.
- Break-up of contribution to electricity:
- 1/3rd Hydel
- 1/3rd Thermal
- 1/3rd Diesel/captive/nuclear
- Contribution of gas to national grid:
- Sindh 69%
- Balochistan 13%
- Punjab 5%
- Share of gas:
- 27% Sindh
- 17% Balochistan
- 45% Punjab
- Total production was 3800 mmcf, now 200 mmcf have been added making to 4,000 mmcf.
- Sindh gets 1150 mmcf and Punjab 1800 mmcf.
- There are 2700 CNG stations in Punjab while 800 CNG stations in Sindh and Balochistan.
- Most of these 2700 CNG stations in Punjab are illegal connections given after 2007 and result in shortage of gas as the network has become so much convoluted.
- 40,000 of unutilized hydel capacity in Pakistan.
- 2,000 MW for 300 years possible from Thar coal reserves.
- 15,000 MW addition expected from Thar coal by 2020.
TO BE CONTINUED IN THE NEXT PART……..