While putting up with the hottest of heat waves, the country currently faces a shortfall in the range of 7,500 to 8,000MW on a daily basis.
By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The government is on the cusp of restoring a two-day weekend as the country remains in a tight energy spot, whereas officials have crunched out numbers that strongly suggest the power saved as a result will help reduce load shedding, it is learnt.
“The Power Division has recommended PM Shehbaz Sharif to restore Saturday as a weekly holiday as it could help save approximately 900MW electricity as the country grapples with rolling power blackouts during one of the hottest summers ever,” top official sources in Power confirmed to Independent Pakistan.
“The power authorities have been preparing a comprehensive plan, to be presented before PM Shehbaz Sharif, that shows how to conserve energy through efficiency and changing our power consumption habits.”
The plan suggests ensuring the markets are closed in the evening, while marriage halls by 10pm max.
The official said the country direly needed a comprehensive plan to ensure conservation and efficiency of the cash-bleeding power sector.
Pakistan has an installed power capacity of 32,000MW, but owing to financial constraints, poor maintenance plans, and other reasons, the country was producing 21,000, 22,000MW of electricity during peak season.
While putting up with the hottest of heat waves, the country currently faces a shortfall in the range of 7,500 to 8,000MW on a daily basis.
Now they have added 2,530MW through different avenues to reduce load shedding.
One way to tame the torturous load shedding is an effective conservation plan, but it could not be implemented in isolation.
Talking to Independent Pakistan, Dr Pervez Tahir, former Managing Director ENERCON, said the energy conservation policy was prepared during his tenure back in 2005-06 but it was implemented after several years. Dr Tahir believes obsolete technology is one of the major wasters of energy and an awareness campaign is a must to ensure conservation.
“Pakistan’s performance was the worst in terms of utilising energy per GDP that could be improved through the placement of a comprehensive plan,” he said.
Dr Tahir said a lot of industries were still using outdated machinery, equipment, boilers, etc that needed to be replaced or overhauled.
“Old air conditioners consume a lot of energy and now they come equipped with inverter technology that conserves power.”
He also stressed the need to shift to solar energy by making its equipment affordable for everyone.
“The scale of the economy needs to be jacked up to bring down prices of solar plates and other affiliated costs.”
Dr Tahir said Pakistani engineers would have to work hard just like the way the scientists worked to develop the country’s nuclear programme.
“Without fully utilising alternative energy resources, the country cannot overcome the persistent power crisis,” he concluded.
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