In Pakistan, the present power generation and industry are fired by furnace oil, diesel, petrol and gas. Hydro-generation also adds to the national power pool by anything between 400 MW to 6,500 MW depending upon the season and the prevalent hydrology.This, in turn, makes up to 22 per cent of the power needs, while the rest 78 per cent is met through expensive and mostly imported oil. That Pakistan needs 3,50,000 barrels of oil imports a day against 50-60,000 barrels per day of local production highlights the problem in its entirety.
The power sector alone needs 30,000 tones of furnace oil a day, which at today’s price needs an expenditure Rs1 billion per day. Local gas, which could have saved the day, is in perennial short supply.The present shortage of 0.192 bcfd of gas will balloon to more than double with the scarcity reaching the figure of 0.507 bcfd during 2010. Although the government has set a drilling target of 100 wells for the current year to increase local production of oil and gas, chances of any reduction in shortages soon are bleak.
However, as quick addition of solar and wind power is a highly difficult preposition, we need to look at coal, sugar molasses (for ethanol production), naphtha and biomass to add on to the national oil and gas stocks. Consequently, the present oil fired power stations will have to be converted to coal under a national programme. It has to be on a sustainable basis unlike the earlier conversion of generating plants to gas between 2000 and 2002, only to be told in 2007 about the non-availability of the fuel.
Hubco is planning to switch over to coal fired generation soon. The huge expenditures to be made for the conversion would be recoverable within the first 1-3 years of coal fired operations, making the change-over an economical undertaking. The government can help by giving incentives to improve upon the viability of the conversion projects.
As the Thar coal deposits of 175 billion tons are of the lignite quality, a resource younger in age by 15,000 years in comparison to the bituminous coal deposits in Balochistan, NWFP and the Punjab, these can be tackled separately through the Thar Coal Energy Board. More so, because it would require new and specialised power generation located at the mine mouths.
Experts consider that with the help from authorities, the explored mineral can sustain the conversion of power projects to coal. Similarly, just 2-3 years in all are required for the completion of the job. As the conversion possesses extremely high return on investments, arranging finance for conversion would not be difficult.
The power sector alone needs 30,000 tones of furnace oil a day, which at today’s price needs an expenditure Rs1 billion per day. Local gas, which could have saved the day, is in perennial short supply.The present shortage of 0.192 bcfd of gas will balloon to more than double with the scarcity reaching the figure of 0.507 bcfd during 2010. Although the government has set a drilling target of 100 wells for the current year to increase local production of oil and gas, chances of any reduction in shortages soon are bleak.
However, as quick addition of solar and wind power is a highly difficult preposition, we need to look at coal, sugar molasses (for ethanol production), naphtha and biomass to add on to the national oil and gas stocks. Consequently, the present oil fired power stations will have to be converted to coal under a national programme. It has to be on a sustainable basis unlike the earlier conversion of generating plants to gas between 2000 and 2002, only to be told in 2007 about the non-availability of the fuel.
Hubco is planning to switch over to coal fired generation soon. The huge expenditures to be made for the conversion would be recoverable within the first 1-3 years of coal fired operations, making the change-over an economical undertaking. The government can help by giving incentives to improve upon the viability of the conversion projects.
As the Thar coal deposits of 175 billion tons are of the lignite quality, a resource younger in age by 15,000 years in comparison to the bituminous coal deposits in Balochistan, NWFP and the Punjab, these can be tackled separately through the Thar Coal Energy Board. More so, because it would require new and specialised power generation located at the mine mouths.
Experts consider that with the help from authorities, the explored mineral can sustain the conversion of power projects to coal. Similarly, just 2-3 years in all are required for the completion of the job. As the conversion possesses extremely high return on investments, arranging finance for conversion would not be difficult.
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