LAHORE: The biomass energy has a potential to convert a wide variety of wastes into clean energy, besides being a substitute for diminishing global oil supplies that can be used to overcome electricity shortage and help check climate change phenomenon.

This was a crux of the speeches delivered at the international conference on ‘Bio-energy as alternative fuel’ jointly organised on Tuesday by the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR), Umeed Foundation Trust and the Punjab government.

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Speakers included Wapda former chairman Tariq Hameed, Pakistan Science Foundation chairman Prof Dr Khalil Ahmed and co-chairman Prof Dr Salahuddin Khan, Revegreen CEO Mian Arif Ali, PCSIR Director-General Dr Shahzad Alam, University of Engineering and Technology Faculty of Agriculture Dean Prof Dr Allah Bakhsh, Dr Anjum Munawar, Dr Khalid Islam, Sargodha University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Akram, NUST Pro-Rector Prof Dr Bilal Khan, Rutgerss Eco Complex Director Dr Serpil Guran, Prof Dr Ehsan Ali, Prof Dr Salahuddin Khan, Dr Shabiul Hasan, Engineer Shoaib Hashmi, Dr Faizul Hassan and Shahzad Mughal of Umeed Foundation.

They said bio energy could play a very vital role in production of carbon-neutral fuels of high quality, address many environmental issues, especially global warming and greenhouse gases emissions and foster sustainable development among poor communities.

Biomass fuel sources had been readily available in rural and urban areas of all countries.

Punjab Minster for Mines and Minerals Sher Ali Khan said the government was actively pursuing all alternate energy resources.

He said besides solar energy projects a number of wind energy projects were also in the pipeline.

Coal has been only indigenous and inexpensive alternate energy source, having the potential to not only ensure self-sufficiency in energy sector but also turn Pakistan into a power exporting country.

Globally, the coal component contributed 41pc in electricity generation.

LCCI acting president Mian Tariq Misbah said it was a matter of concern that gas reserves were depleting and the country desperately needed some good alternatives and viable solutions. Bio-energy in the form of biomethane and its conversion into compressed natural gas (CNG) could promise a major breakthrough.

A wide range of biomass resources, particularly woody biomass and organic waste, has been available in Pakistan in abundance, so some serious efforts were required to be made to establish necessary modalities to commercialise it on a mega scale.

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2014