LAHORE: Provincial Minister for Mines Chaudhry Sher Ali Khan has said that the government is utilising maximum natural resources to overcome energy crisis through coal-fired and solar power projects.
He said this, while speaking at a national experts’ conference on “Coal and Alternative Energy Resources” here at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
LCCI President Ijaz A Mumtaz, Vice President Syed Mahmood Ghaznavi, Convener LCCI Standing Committee on Coal & Alternate Fuels Fazal Ahmad, Vice Chancellor of UET Prof Dr Fazal Ahmad Khalid, Director Technical & Operations DG Khan Cement Dr Muhammad Kashif and Lecturer of GCU Fatima Akram were the key speakers.
The minister said that the government is spending sufficient amount of energy and resources for the promotion of alternate energy resources. He said that a 100MW solar power project is already operational in Punjab while a number of coal-fired power projects – 300MW in Pind Dadan Khan and 1320MW project in Sahiwal – are in the pipeline, which will help overcome energy challenges.
Provincial minister said that Punjab government is restructuring the mining sector as lack of modern technology is coming in the way of fully exploitation of coal mining. He urged the private sector to come forward and invest in mining sector that would be a great service to the country. The provincial minister said that energy conservation is also need of the hour therefore business community should supplement the government efforts in this regard.
LCCI President Ijaz A. Mumtaz said that Pakistan is currently facing energy crisis. The impact of this crisis is seriously hampering our economic growth. It is high time that all the possible solutions are explored and most viable options are put into operation.
