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ISLAMABAD: A new report says Pakistan should pursue clean energy instead of relying on coal and nuclear.
The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis said on Wednesday that coal-fired power, one of the central pillars of the country’s energy deals with China, was a costlier and dirtier alternative to wind or solar, which China was also supplying but to a lesser degree.
Simon Nichols, an energy finance analyst with the institute, claims that China is dumping its dirtier coal-fired systems on developing nations while leading the world in renewable resource systems that will find a market in developed countries as they move away from fossil fuels.
China is financing major development projects in Pakistan, which is seeking a bailout package from the International Monetary Fund.
Published in Dawn, December 6th, 2018
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Clean energy is a viable option for Pakistan but the country is lacking expertise in solar and wind energy sources. Pakistan has the technical know-how about nuclear power generation. Civil nuclear power represents a clean and effective option to close Pakistan’s energy deficit and meet the international community’s ambitious goal of lowering global temperatures by two degrees in the next 30 years.
K-2 and K-3 projects are an inescapable necessity for Pakistan. As in recent times, it is estimated that Pakistan’s energy shortfall lags behind by approx. 4,000 megawatts. This shows that the demand of electricity has by far outnumbered the production which impedes the growth and development. Practically, for boosting the nuclear energy generating capacity, it is believed that cheapest way of dealing with the country’s power woes is by building the K-2 and K-3 nuclear power plants.
In the starting line of the news it is quoted that "Pakistan should pursue clean energy instead of relying on coal and nuclear". Point which needs correction is that nuclear energy lies in the category of clean energy. Whereas, Pakistan has massive hydropower potential of 60000 MW. Building potential dams does not only generate cheap electricity but it also mitigate flood and store water for irrigation. Hydro energy is cheap, clean and environment-friendly, therefore should be preferred to other sources for electricity generation. Thus, keeping in view its high potential for electricity generation renewable energy sources should be used.