Power sector and industry experts have expressed concern on the statement of US Ambassador Richard Olson regarding global powers reservation on coal-fired power plants in Pakistan, ignoring the fact that the United States produces 43 percent of electricity from coal.
“According to Global Coal Council, coal accounts for 41 percent of the total electricity produced in the world,” Ghalib Atta, a power sector expert, said, adding that Pakistan hardly produces one percent of power from coal, while all major industrial countries generate most of the power from coal.
South Africa produces 94 percent of electricity from coal, while power production from coal is 79 percent in China, 78 percent in Australia, 68 percent in India, 59 percent in Israel, 51 percent in Czech Republic, 54 percent in Greece, 43 percent in the United States, 41 percent in Germany, 40 percent in England and 27 percent in Japan, he said.
All these countries consume more power than Pakistan. In fact, he said, if Pakistan fulfills all its power needs from coal, it will pollute the environment at least 25 times less than the pollution that the US causes by producing power from coal, Atta said.
The world powers should stop using double standards and endorse every environment polluting step of their own and harass others on slightest fear of environmental pollution, he said, adding that coal is the cheapest fuel for power production after hydropower and gas-run generators.
Moreover, coal-fired power plants can be established in shortest possible time, the expert said, adding that in countries such as Pakistan where power shortage is acute, coal-based power plants are the only short-term remedy.
He said if the global community has concerns about the pollution caused by coal they should start eliminating their coal-fired power plants. Until they do that they have no right to object to other countries striving to reduce their power deficit through coal-based power generation, he said.
Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) President Engineer Sohail Lashari said that according to statistics, total coal consumption in Pakistan is only 4.6 metric tons of oil equivalent (MTOE), whereas it is 277.7 MTOE in India and whooping 17,135 MTOE in China.
In the United States it is almost two times that of China, he said, adding that even if Pakistan installs 12,000MW coal-based plants, the use of coal will not exceed 100 MTOE.
The objection by the US came at a time when Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and former president Asif Ali Zardari buried their differences to support Thar coal project, he said.Pakistan is sitting on one of the largest coal reserves in the world and it has every right to use this natural resource, he said.
Lashari said that Pakistan always faces discrimination from the developed world, adding that when sanctions were imposed on Iran, the United States gave waiver to India and Iran who continue importing oil from that country.
He said when Pakistan desired to buy gas from Iran it was warned in clear terms about the consequences of the violation of sanctions, adding that had Pak-Iran gas pipeline been allowed at the right time, there would have been no need to produce power from coal.
Growth in Pakistan is hostage to acute power shortages, he said. “We will see irreversible increase in poverty, if Pakistan remained energy-starved country after four years,” he said, and urged the United States to facilitate Pakistan in overcoming power shortages through low-cost short-term solutions.
Mohsin Syed, another energy sector expert, said that the United States discriminated against Pakistan on the nuclear technology, as well.Indian stand and deeds on nuclear issue are the same as that of Pakistan, he said, adding that the United States has provided nuclear technology for peaceful purposes to India but the same has been denied to Pakistan.
Not only this, the US government puts pressure on China, as well that continues to supply nuclear power plants to Pakistan, he said, adding that such a discrimination is increasing poverty in the country.The US opposition to coal-based power plants is the height of hypocrisy, he said. “How can it oppose a technology when it produces largest amount of power from that same technology?” He questioned.
He said even globally highest electricity (41 percent) is produced from coal, five percent from oil, 21 percent from gas, 13 percent hydro and three percent other renewables.
Source:- thenews.com.pk
No comments:
Post a Comment