Karachi is the economic hub
of Pakistan, but the city is facing a massive energy crisis, which
needs to be dealt on an urgent basis. To remain viable in the coming years as
the highest contributor to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP),
a strategic energy road-map needs to be devised for the city under a
comprehensive framework.
In this spectrum, creating the
right benchmarks is crucial. To improve technological expertise within the
sector, four components are needed to be simultaneously inter-connected:
- Human resources
- Research
- Development
- Investment
Moreover, providing incentives for
the private sector must be the top priority, followed by research-based target
setting, bench-marking, and finally enacting the appropriate legislation.
Despite its geographic scale, the strategic advantage that Karachi has over other cities is that it can leverage a viable energy programme through a transition to renewable energy since it possesses almost all possible renewable energy resources, namely: wind power (inland and offshore), biomass energy production, wave and tidal energy, solar (photovoltaic) power, and waste to energy. And one of the leading solar energy company, Reon Energy, is fully capitalizing the true potential of solar energy and working with different companies, which are seeking for solar energy solutions.
In recent years, Karachi has faced a directional crisis. Instead of focusing on the above mentioned potential avenue. Despite the world moving away from coal production as a source of power, policies for imported coal for energy generation have been developed.
Despite its geographic scale, the strategic advantage that Karachi has over other cities is that it can leverage a viable energy programme through a transition to renewable energy since it possesses almost all possible renewable energy resources, namely: wind power (inland and offshore), biomass energy production, wave and tidal energy, solar (photovoltaic) power, and waste to energy. And one of the leading solar energy company, Reon Energy, is fully capitalizing the true potential of solar energy and working with different companies, which are seeking for solar energy solutions.
In recent years, Karachi has faced a directional crisis. Instead of focusing on the above mentioned potential avenue. Despite the world moving away from coal production as a source of power, policies for imported coal for energy generation have been developed.
Coal
is counter-productive as a power source since it loses the majority of its
energy due to high emissions in the coal extraction phase, making it a
very expensive source of energy to rely on. As a result, we are unable
to comprehend the economic and human loss to our city incurred due to coal
extraction.
The ambitious claims of the government to re-shape Karachi’s energy sector are commendable. But that doesn’t reflect the ongoing state of the city. One major concern for our city is the complete absence of research. Instead of building internal capacities, we have resorted to importing equipment from China and other countries, thereby reducing our academic and scientific capability when it comes to solving the energy crisis.
The ambitious claims of the government to re-shape Karachi’s energy sector are commendable. But that doesn’t reflect the ongoing state of the city. One major concern for our city is the complete absence of research. Instead of building internal capacities, we have resorted to importing equipment from China and other countries, thereby reducing our academic and scientific capability when it comes to solving the energy crisis.
The
future energy road-map for Karachi requires a balanced mix of legislation,
fiscal instruments, regulations and ordinances, creating a regulatory
framework, and introducing the required financial incentives.
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