Punjab earmarks Rs100 bn for electricity relief to 9 m households

on 30/01/2023

Punjab government announced this week that free electricity would be provided to all the electricity consumers of the province using 100 units. Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz said his had earmarked Rs100 billion.
The Punjab government will pay the bills of more than nine million families using 100 units of electricity, he said. “About half of the population of the province will be provided free electricity from this month and the Punjab government will pay the bills in August.”
Addressing a press conference he said, “I was told not to take big decisions without the approval of cabinet to wriggle the backward class out of difficult economic conditions. It could become a NAB case but I said that I am ready to face any difficulty to give relief to the people.”
The chief minister announced that the Punjab government would pay the full bill of consumers using up to 100 units of electricity per month under the “Punjab Chief Minister Roshan Gharana Programme.” In view of the financial difficulties being faced by the destitute due to inflation, this programme is being launched and around 55.4 million families will be provided free electricity from July 1st. Under the programme, the government will pay the bills and all taxes and duties of the consumers using up to 100 units of electricity, he further said. In this regard, the consumers using 100 units of electricity in the last six months will be able to avail the facility, he added.
Within a year, he said the Punjab government would also start solar energy projects as an alternative source of energy to produce and provide solar energy to the needy people across the province. — ERMD

Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization to emerge as mini WAPDA!

on 30/01/2023

Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization (PEDO), a subsidiary of the Department of Energy and Power KP, is working hard to generate affordable hydropower in the province. It is the largest revenue-generating agency with annual revenue of over Rs5 billion, which is currently generating 161MW of cheap electricity that will be increased to 224MW next year, it says in a press release.
In this regard, the annual revenue is expected to increase from about Rs5 billion to Rs10 billion.
New employment opportunities are being created in the province for the development of the industrial sector by generating cheap electricity through the wheeling model and selling it at cheap rates.
Syed Imtiaz Hussain Shah addressed the review meeting on ongoing energy projects of PEDO. It was mentioned that after the successful transfer of the CM House and Secretariat, as well as the civil secretariat, to the solar system, additional power generation through net metering is saving millions of rupees in terms of electricity bills.
In the province 4440 mosques, 8000 schools, and 187 basic health units (BHUs) are also being shifted to the solar system while 13 solar mini-grids are being constructed to promote commercial activities in newly merged districts.
In addition to this, 302 mini micro-hydel stations have been completed in the backward areas of the province that are deprived of the blessings of electricity. About 29MW of cheap electricity is being provided to the poor people at the village level.
Koto hydropower project 40.8MW Dir Lower, Karora power project Shangla 11.8MW and 10.2MW Jabori power project Mansehra are in the final stages of completion.
On the other hand, the construction work is going on in full swing on other ongoing projects of PEDO including 84MW Matiltan power project Swat, 69MW Lawi power project Chitral, 6.9MW Brando power project Torgarh, and 10.5MW Chapri Charkhel power project Karam.
The World Bank’s financially assisted projects at district Swat, construction work on Gabral Kalam HPP of 88MW and Madyen HPP of 157MW is also being started soon.
During the meeting, Secretary Energy Syed Imtiaz Hussain Shah expressed satisfaction over the progress made on the ongoing projects of PEDO and hoped that the completion of ongoing projects would prove to be a game-changer for overcoming the power crisis and stabilizing the economy.
PEDO would emerge soon as a mini WAPDA in KP owing to its fast-track progress in the power generation sector. – PR/ERMD

Load shedding and
ruling engineers!

on 30/01/2023

Despite Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s directive for energizing the power plants shut down in the country, the situation does not seem to be improving for two major reasons. One, Pakistan does not have enough money to bear the brunt of exorbitant prices of fuel, and two, the maintaining and repairing process is traditionally a big headache.
In sum, the people of Pakistan will continue suffering no matter what climate change has brought for them in the shape of high temperatures and also as Engineer Khurram Dastagir put it, sacrifice for the industry that is running with zero load shedding. Pakistan’s most moots chaired by premiers have not been producing enough for the common people and if Federal Energy Minister Khurram Dastagir’s press conferences are any guide, the outcome is the only presentation of position papers and allegations against the predecessors.
The most recent meeting of the prime minister was attended by Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, Minister of State for Petroleum Mussadiq Malik, Minister for Energy Engineer Khurram Dastgir, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, MNA, and PM’s Special Assistant on Public Policy/ Strategic Communications Fahad Hussain.
Two of them— Khurram Dastgir and Ahsan Iqbal—are engineers and their performance is as same as it has been of Engineer Syed Murad Ali Shah, the Chief Minister of Sindh whose most development programs are marred by bad governance and engineering inefficiency.
Engineer Khurram Dastagir claims it is an absolute lie that Pakistan has surplus power. Interestingly enough, the Pakistan Economic Survey 2021–22, says the installed electricity generation capacity reached 41,557 MW in 2022. The maximum total demand coming from residential and industrial estates stands at nearly 30,000 MW, whereas the transmission and distribution capacity is stalled at approximately 22,000 MW. Either he is right or the figures given in the economic survey are valid.
Simultaneously, Engineer Ahsan Iqbal’s Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) 2022-23 speaks volumes about the engineering mind and effort of its designers.
Khurram Dastagir said this week that Pakistan’s electricity demand increased by 30 percent during the year taking it to the historical peak of 30,009 MW on June 30, while generation remained at 21,842 MW. However, the economic survey already talked about a demand of 30,000 MW and the difference is just 9 MW.
Unlike an engineer who moves on floating and thus executing solutions, he seemed to whine that the current situation is a result of the inefficiency of Imran Khan’s government and talking about forming a commission for fixing the responsibility for failure to complete power projects in time and buying fuel. Have such commissions ever been producing any yields in this country?
In absence of any engineering solution, hopes are pinned on four additions such as the resumption of K 2 in Karachi, 720 MW Karot Hydro Power Plant, 1214 MW local Thar Coal-based Shanghai Electric project which will start in December this year, and 1200 MW RLNG Trimmu Power Plant which will start running in next 2-3 months.
On the hydel generation side, water inflows in dams are increasing and Tarbella is generating 600 MW. Khurram says we will generate all 3400 MW by July 8.n

Solar Cooling viaphotovoltaic process Engr. Dr. Muhammad Nawaz IqbalSolar Cooling viaphotovoltaic process

on 30/01/2023

Since Photovoltaic cooling’s expense viability relies to a great extent upon the cooling hardware and given the helpless efficiencies in electrical cooling techniques until recently it has not been practical without endowments. Utilizing more effective electrical cooling techniques and permitting longer restitution plans is changing that situation. Photovoltaics can give the ability to an electrically fueled cooling be it customary blower-based or adsorption/assimilation-based, however, the most widely recognized execution is with blowers. For little private and little business cooling under 5 MWh/a Photo voltaic-fueled cooling has been the most habitually executed solar-based cooling innovation. Working quietly and with no moving parts or ecological emanations, PV frameworks have been created from being specialty market applications into an experienced innovation utilized for the standard power age. A housetop framework recovers the contributed energy for its assembling and establishment within 0.7 to 2 years and produces around 95% of net clean environmentally friendly power north of a 30-year administration lifetime. Solar-based insolation is comprised of immediate, diffuse, and reflected radiation. The assimilation component of a Photovoltaic cell is characterized as the small amount of occurrence solar-oriented irradiance that is consumed by the cell. At high early afternoon on a cloudless day at the equator, the force of the sun is around 1 kW/m2, on the Earth’s surface, to a plane that is opposite to the sun’s beams. Accordingly, Photovoltaic clusters can follow the sun during each time to significantly improve energy assortment. Nonetheless, GPS beacons add cost and require upkeep, so it is more normal for Photovoltaic clusters to have fixed mounts that slant the exhibit and face sun-oriented early afternoon (roughly due south in the Northern Hemisphere or due north in the Southern Hemisphere). The slanted point, from flat, can be differed for the season, yet whenever fixed, ought to be set to give ideal exhibit yield during the pinnacle electrical interest part of a normal year for an independent framework. Drifting solar-powered clusters are Photovoltaic frameworks that float on the outer layer of drinking water supplies, quarry lakes, water system waterways or remediation, and following lakes. The frameworks are said to have advantage upper hands over photovoltaics ashore. The expense of land is more costly, and there are fewer guidelines and guidelines for structures based on waterways not utilized for diversion. Dissimilar to most land-based sun-powered plants, drifting exhibits can be subtle because they are stowed away from general visibility. Solar-based Photovoltaic power is undeniably appropriate for telecom applications, for example, nearby phone trades, radio and TV broadcasting, microwave and different types of electronic correspondence joins. In most media transmission applications, stockpiling batteries are now being used and the electrical framework is essentially DC.
It is genuinely easy to decrease the warming and cooling necessity for new development by one-half. This should frequently be possible at no extra net expense since there are cost reserve funds for more modest cooling frameworks and different advantages. A more affordable incomplete power photovoltaic framework can lessen (however not kill) the month-to-month measure of power bought from the power network for cooling (and different employments). This is at present financially savvy in certain spaces where power organization power is currently $0.15 or more. Abundance photovoltaic power produced when cooling isn’t needed can be offered to the power lattice in numerous areas, which can lessen or wipe out yearly net power buy necessity. Earth protecting or earth cooling cylinders can exploit the encompassing temperature of the earth to lessen or kill traditional cooling necessities. In many environments where most people live, they can significantly lessen the development of unfortunate summer heat, and furthermore, assist eliminate warming from the inside of the structure. They increment development cost, yet lessen or wipe out the expense of regular cooling

Dr Tariq Banuri restored as HEC chairman

on 30/01/2023

The Islamabad High Court (HEC) restored Dr Tariq Javed Banuri as chairman Higher Education Commission (HEC).
In a short order, authored by Justice Aamer Farooq, the IHC stated that the notifications, dated 26/03/2021 and 05/04/2021, were issued without lawful authority and contrary to the amended provisions of the HEC Ordinance, 2002.
“Respondent No. 6 Dr Tariq Javed Banuri, therefore, stands restored as the Chairman of the Higher Education Commission,” the order said.
In March 2021, Dr Banuri was removed from office unceremoniously by the PTI government when his tenure was shortened from four to three years through an amendment to the HEC ordinance. Later, he approached the IHC against his premature removal.
The IHC had barred the government from appointing a new chairman till the case is decided.
Dr Banuri was appointed in May 2018 by former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi for a four-year term and his tenure was due to end in May 2022.
There were reportedly widespread complaints against him, accusing him of running the HEC on an ad hoc basis. Meanwhile, the National Accountability Bureau had launched an investigation against him for corruption, irregularities, mismanagement and appointment of consultants.
The federal government’s decision to sack Dr Banuri was criticised by experts and educationists who termed the move as damaging. n