Environmental protection: Speakers stress on better fuel mix for energy needs

From The Express Tribune

Speakers at a seminar underlined the need to revisit existing laws on environmental protection and gearing up relevant bodies to tackle environmental hazards after expected changes in the current energy mix.

Addressing a seminar on energy, environment and sustainable development, organised by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra), chairman of the organisation, Tariq Saddozai, said Pakistan has an obligation to help the world in reducing carbon dioxide emissions, and other harmful substances that damage the environment.

He said efforts were being made to replace countrywide power transformers filled with hazardous oil and urged relevant authorities at the provincial level to identify those units to address this concern.

According to Saddozai, since the government was struggling to enter the era of coal-based power generation, there was a need to use modern emission controls in power generation plants, adding research studies in this regard should be utilised to fully capitalise on forthcoming projects.

Moreover, tougher environmental standards should be targeted so that Pakistan is at the same level as the rest of the world.

Quoting the International Energy Agency (IEA), he said carbon dioxide emissions from different energy sources in the world is 41.3% from coal, 21.7% from natural gas, 10.6% from nuclear, 5.7% on others and 4.4% from oil.

“Carbon dioxide emissions released through fuel combustion in Pakistan from various energy sources is 46% from coal, 33.6% from oil, 19.8% from natural gas and 0.6% from others,” he added.

He said Pakistan’s global share in the emission of carbon dioxide was minuscule and it was also among those countries that have one of the lowest energy consumption per capita in the world.

Power generation plants and the fuel being used had a significant impact on the environment and climate, said Saddozai. “Coal is one of the most abundant fossil fuels in the world.”

Looking ahead, he said Pakistan’s power system needs a relatively cheap base-load and coal, specifically Thar coal, could be a major candidate to satisfy these conditions.

He hoped the seminar would be the first of many such efforts to bring together the most relevant expertise in the field and hoped that this will provide specific recommendations to move forward for a cleaner world.