KARACHI, Nov 6: Experts disclosed at a consultative workshop on “Commercialization of Wind Power Potential in Pakistan” here on Wednesday that two billion people in the world have no access to electricity and Pakistan is among the developing countries where least electricity is consumed.

One of the speakers said wind energy was the cheapest among other sources as hydro power cost Rs1.85 a unit, furnace Rs1.95-Rs3 a unit, gas Rs1.65-Rs2.5 a unit, nuclear power Rs1.70 a unit, solar power 75 paisa-Re1 a unit, but electricity produced from wind would cost less than 65 paisa.

They demanded of the government to formulate a policy aimed at encouraging development of renewable energy technology that included solar, wind and tidal energy, and to increase allocations for this sector and remove hurdles that impede its development.

At the technical and concluding session of the workshop it was suggested that wind power projects be launched, and it be introduced in the farflung areas of the country, as its cost of production was cheaper than even hydro electricity.

The consultative workshop was jointly organized by the Sindh irrigation department and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in a local hotel. Provincial secretary irrigation & power Mohammed Hashim Leghari presided over the concluding session.

Dr Asif Qayyum Qureshi, the National Project Coordinator of UNOPS, Dr Suleman Shaikh, the secretary Board of Trustees of SZABIST, Prof Nayyar Alam Zaigham of Karachi University, and Dr Sohail Zaki Farooqui, project advisor of NUST, presented papers on renewable energy initiatives and prospects of wind energy generation in Pakistan.

Mr Leghari said switching over to renewable energy was the need of the hour as energy shortage could only be overcome through it.—PPI