LAHORE: President of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ijaz A. Mumtaz urged the private sector to utilize alternate resources of power generation to cut dependence on costly thermal means.
According to a statement issued here, the LCCI President said that economic growth and cost of doing business has a direct relation.
“It is a good omen that government is working on various projects of alternate energy resources but there is a dire need to complete these projects on war footing as industrial sector needs cheap and sufficient electricity”, Ijaz A. Mumtaz said.
He said that Pakistan is producing a huge amount of energy through thermal means. Today we are happy for experiencing continuous decrease in crude oil prices in the international market and talking about cut in electricity prices but what we will do if prices of crude go to $ 150 after a few years?
He said that cheap and sufficient energy is a must the growth of manufacturing sector and increase in industrial production otherwise country would become just a trading place instead of industrial hub.
Ijaz A. Mumtaz said that as like as the developed countries, government should promote alternate energy resources on war footing.
He said that experts are saying that Pakistan can produce over 100000 MW electricity through solar, wind and coal means but these resources are being wasted cruelly.
LCCI President said that bio energy is a adaptable source that can be used to overcome electricity challenge besides making a considerable contribution to climate change phenomenon.
He said that biomass energy has the potential convert a wide variety of wastes into clean energy besides being substitution for diminishing global oil supplies.
Ijaz A. Mumtaz said that bio energy can play a very vital role in production of carbon-neutral fuels of high quality. It can address many environmental issues, especially global warming and greenhouse gases emissions, and foster sustainable development among poor communities. Biomass fuel sources are readily available in rural and urban areas of all countries.
He said that we all are aware of the present challenges to our economy and especially the menace widely caused due to severe energy crisis. He said that it is indeed a matter of concern for us that our gas reserves are depleting with the passage of time. Be it domestic or industrial users all have to face shortage of gas in winter season. Even the generation of electricity through gas has to put on halt in this period that further aggravates the situation.
LCCI president said that we desperately need some good alternatives and viable solutions in this connection. A wide range of biomass resources, particularly woody biomass and organic waste is available in Pakistan in abundance, so some serious efforts are required to be made to establish necessary modalities to commercialize it at a mega scale.
LCCI acting president said that LCCI will hold special training sessions for the guidance of technical people with the latest trends in new alternative technologies and to increase their efficiency. LCCI will bring together leading academic scientists, researchers and research scholars at one place to come up with a joint strategy to make best use of this technology.
He said that the desired results of our efforts can be doubled or even more if the government’s support remains available to us in implementing the research findings and replicating the successful models related to Bio-Energy from modern world.
Ijaz A. Mumtaz also demanded of the government release funds for Thar coal project at the earliest as huge coal reserves in Thar can help country get rid of the energy crisis.
