August 17, 2003	Sunday	Jumadi-us-Sani 18, 1424

ISLAMABAD, Aug 16: Solar and wind energy are set to contribute vitally to Pakistan’s economic advancement and the first ever wind-propelled power plant will be inaugurated shortly in Karachi, said chairman Alternative Energy Development Board here on Saturday.

“Solar and wind energy will be visible soon in Pakistan,” announced Air Marshal (Retd) Shahid Hamid, chairman AEDB, while introducing to the media the programmes and prospects of utilizing alternative energy resources.

Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali is expected to inaugurate a 1.2 mw wind power generation plant in Karachi shortly, the chairman said.

Hamid, whose board has been tasked to develop the alternative technology at a “galloping pace” in the country with an initial fund of Rs200 million, said the AEDB has targeted to meet 10 per cent of country’s total energy requirements through alternative energy by the year 2015.

He said that solar and wind energy hold out an immense promise for Pakistan, with their utilization ranging from cost-effective power generation to independent domestic consumption in cookers and geysers.

“The development of alternative energy is the crying need of the hour in the face of fast-depleting traditional energy resources - with our current rate of consumption we will have consumed our oil in 10 years from now and our gas reserves will be gone in 20 years.”

He also referred to the erosion of forests in several parts of the country and said in Balochistan the use of wood as fuel has seen the disappearance of 70 per cent of trees.

The Chairman AEDB said the Prime Minister is monitoring the progress of the plans and policies of the board for the speedy development of alternative energy technology.

About the board’s plans for 2003-04, he said these would focus on areas housing people living below poverty line as the poor must be informed of the benefits of the alternative energy.

The programme includes introduction of 1000 solar cookers in Ziarat, Gilgit, Chore/Badin, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Bahawalpur. The plans also include introduction of 6000 solar geysers in Islamabad and elsewhere, 5000 solar homes programme in each province. In a couple of years, the board would finalize 600 kw wind turbine programme with the cooperation of Denmark, Germany and China.—APP