ISLAMABAD: Experts urged policymakers on Thursday to encourage coal-fired power generation as “it is the cheapest and reliable fuel” at our disposal.

Speaking at the Coal Conference, organised by the Dawn Media Group, they acknowledged that coal was still the most widely used source for electricity production.

“Even developed countries are still going for coal-based power plants,” said former secretary petroleum Dr Gulfraz Ahmed.

He added that the future is for high efficiency and low-emission power plants, and coal was taking its place even in the high-tech plants to reduce pollutants being emitted in the air.

“But at the same time Pakistan needs to improve its human resources and empower the regulatory body,” Ahmed said, referring to National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra). The authority “need not be dependent on the ministries for its budget and should be powerful enough to make independent decisions without political interference”.

The conference was addressed by Minister of State for Water And Power Abid Sher Ali, senior bureaucrats and representatives of the private sector, who highlighted government’s efforts to broaden the energy mix by increasing the share of coal. The conference was also attended by a delegation from the Karachi Port Trust

Some of the speakers highlighted that importing coal was lot less hazardous and cheaper compared to importing oil and gas.

Meanwhile, Shahid Mahmood of Siddiqsons Energy Ltd cleared the impression that coal-based power plants were being decommissioned in many countries including the United Stated and the UK.

“That is not because of environment concerns or high cost, but because the UK wants to put to use its new finds of North oil and North gas, whereas the US has to utilise the new shale gas discoveries,” he said, adding that even Dubai has started work on a coal-based power plant. “This is because the new coal-based plants have emission levels equal to those of gas and oil.”

It was highlighted that Pakistan has the third-largest share of natural gas in the energy mix after Iran and Russia, and the carbon emissions was not a serious issue for the country as Pakistan was below international standards in this regard.

Imtiaz Gul, CEO of CRSS think tank, however cautioned that there are several serious issues to be taken care of before the country enters into the coal business.

“The coal mining needs to be regulated as their working condition is nothing short of inhumane,” Mr Gul said. “Almost all the relevant laws are being flouted in the coal mining business.”

Regarding electricity production from the coal, he added that the laws needed to be implemented strictly. “There is a general problem in the country that certificates can be bought and we need to be careful that coal-based power plants do not end up like other entities polluting the environment.”

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2015