2014 Renewable Energy Technologies in Pakistan

In connection to international conference entitled “Renewable energy technologies in Pakistan” held on October 1-3, 2013, now we are going to organize an “International Workshop on Renewable Energy Technologies in Pakistan” held in University of Agriculture, Faisalabad on December 16-18, 2014. In this workshop different issues and problems faced by farming community will be discussed and best possible solutions to these problems will be disseminated. As we know that, energy needs are indelibly linked to Pakistan’s economic and sustainable growth capabilities. Pakistan has been in increasing demand across various areas of energy sources. Given the need for energy, the Government of Pakistan is doing its utmost to explore and promote renewable energies and energy efficiency. Among renewable energy resources, solar energy is of special significance as it is abundantly available. The average solar energy available in Pakistan is 5.5 kWh m-2 day-1 with annual mean sunshine duration between 8 and 10 hours per day all over the country, except for the northern parts. In advanced countries like Germany, solar energy is successfully utilized for power generation in the form of grid-tied PV systems. The most important industrial processes using solar energy at mean temperature level are: sterilizing, extraction, pasteurizing, drying, solar cooling and air conditioning, hydrolyzing, distillation and evaporation, washing and cleaning, and polymerization. The temperature range of these processes lies between 60-280°C. Most of the agro-based industries can be operated in this medium temperature range. Moving from traditional food processing facilities to modern renewable energy technologies and demand-based post-harvest facilities requires comprehensive information of the resources (solar thermal and solar PV), their potentials and requirements. Detailed information on supply and demand enables optimal use of these resources to improve livelihoods through maximizing profit. Innovative German solar thermal technologies like Scheffler fixed focus concentrator, solar tunnel dryer (STD) can easily be developed in Pakistan and used for the processing of fruits and vegetables as well as for value addition of different agricultural products for rural community. Another source of renewable energy available from materials derived from biological sources like wood, bio waste, straw, manure, sugarcane, and many other byproducts. By 2010, there was 35 GW of globally installed bio-energy capacity for electricity generation. In its most narrow sense it is a synonym to bio-fuel, which is fuel derived from biological sources. Potential for almost all types of renewable energies exist in Pakistan. These types include solar (PV and thermal), wind, biogas, micro-hydel/canal fall, biodiesel production, biomass/waste to energy production, geothermal, tidal/ocean energies etc. On average solar global insolation 5–7 kWh m²/day exists in the country over more than 95% of its area. Wind speed 5–7 m s -1 persists in coastal regions of Sindh and Baluchistan provinces and in a number of North West frontier valleys. According to a survey, Pakistan possesses more than 20,000 MW of economically viable wind power potential. More than 1200 MW micro/mini hydropower potential is estimated to be available in the country while including power generation at northern mountainous region and southern plane region including energy generation through canal fall also. Total biogas generation potential of 14.25 million m³ day is available in the country.