ISLAMABAD: Not a single project was approved for research and development (R&D) under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) in the last five years, Pakistan Council for Research on Renewable Energy Technologies (PCRET) Director General Dr Baqer Raza told a parliamentary committee on Tuesday.

The Senate Standing Committee on Science and Technology met for a briefing on the performance of PCRET which is the prime institution in the country for coordinating research and development and promotional activities in different renewable energy technologies.

Briefing the committee, Dr Raza said funding for R&D in renewable energies was insufficient. “Last year it was increased from Rs5 million to Rs16 million,” the official said.

PCRET is just one among a dozen institutions under the Ministry of Science and Technology that have been engaged in research in different fields.

Appropriate funds for research on renewable energy sources could revolutionise Pakistan’s power consumption, official says

The heads of all 16 the research and development organisations working under the ministry are short of funds.

The meeting observed that no major breakthrough had been made in several years in some organisations or since their inception mostly in the 1970s due to a shortage of funds.

Dr Raza said allocating appropriate funds for research on renewable energy sources could revolutionise Pakistan’s power consumption.

With the limited resources, he claimed his office had launched several initiatives.

Pakistan has the potential to produce 300,000 megawatt electricity using solar power out of which the country is only tapping 800 to 900 MW. Similarly, Pakistan can tap wind energy along its 600 km coastal belt to resolve the energy crisis.

“Most of my qualified staff has given their lifetime to the organisation but have not been promoted since 12 years and others since 18 years. They are demotivated,” he said.

While the recruitment rules are still awaiting approval, no department promotion committee (DPC) has been held since 2007 which has also caused a brain drain due to the non-compatible salary structure, and there have been no capacity building through international and national trainings, he said.

Members took serious note of the failure of successive governments to promote R&D.

Chairman of the committee Senator Mushtaq Ahmed saw solar energy as the potential to meet clean energy needs as well as provide answers to problems concerned with climate change.

“Technology is the answer to many problems Pakistan is facing. There is a need for better coordination between the government, industry and its departments which has been missing. All government buildings should be fitted with solar units similar to the parliament building in Islamabad.”

He expressed displeasure over the government’s failure to fill sanctioned posts, including a BPS-20 position which has been vacant for 15 years.

He directed the PCRET head to prepare a 10-year strategy to pull the council out of its problems and share it with the committee at its next meeting.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2019