Gilani to inaugurate Energy Conference; conserve precious energy
ISLAMABAD, Apr 8 (APP): Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani will inaugurate the three-day energy conference here Sunday, convened to find out solution to country’s lingering power issues and formulate a policy to address future needs.With temperatures gradually on the rise and decline in hydel power generation due to low water reservoir levels, the conference is also likely to mull over several options of power conservation including a five-day working week, that alone could save up to 500 MW of electricity.
The conference would take into account Pakistan’s energy requirement that is increasing rapidly and has risen by almost 80% in the past 15 years from 34 million tons oil equivalent (TOE) in 1994-95 to 61 million TOE in 2009-10.
According to the data available with PEPCO the shortfall has increased to 3,120 MW forcing increased hours of loadshedding in the country. The electricity generation was recorded at 10,554 MW against the total demand of 13,674 MW; with hydel generation providing 3,607 MW, WAPDA thermal 1,920 MW, IPPs 4,975 MW and Rental Power 62 MW.
The Energy Conference, to be attended by Chief Ministers and stakeholders in energy and power sectors, consider last year’s successful energy conservation measures that included two-weekly holidays. This measure alone not only helped conserve 500 MW energy, but also helped save millions of liters of fuel, besides preserving the environment from deadly fumes, besides having a positive social impact.
The conference would take into account the general aversion to the oft-failed concept of Day Light Saving by advancing the clocks by an hour, and is instead likely to call for changing office timings so as to counter the confusion amongst the large illiterate population of having a “sarkari” [official] time and “asli” [original] time.
The country’s energy supply currently comes primarily from indigenous natural gas which is 45% of the energy mix and oil imports at 35% of the energy mix, with the balance from hydel at 12%, coal at 6% and nuclear at 2% of the mix respectively.
Meanwhile National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Water and Power on Monday was briefed on water and power position in the country.  The meeting discussed several measures for energy conservation.
The Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) has already supported the proposal of a two-day weekly off and also suggested staggering of holidays in the industrial sector for optimal use of the available energy during the coming months.
The PEPCO has also suggested public awareness campaign through the media for closure of markets and shops by 8 pm, as is being done all over the world.
The proposals also call for 50 % energy conservation at the President and Prime Minister House, Secretariat, offices and residences of federal ministers, governors, chief ministers, provincial ministers and all government offices.
A ban would also be placed on commercial decorative lights, besides enforcing strict energy building code and a mandatory energy audit of industrial, commercial and public concerns.
Other measures include replacement of high energy guzzling equipment in the agriculture and industrial sectors. Replacement of around 216,000 outdated tube-wells across the country alone can save over 2,000 MW of electricity.
In a pilot project, the federal government with the assistance of USAID replaced 1,000 tube-wells and managed to save 65 MW against the target of 45 MW.