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You are here: Home >> Science >> By Amna Nasir Jamal, Lahore
21.06.2010 By Amna Nasir Jamal, Lahore
Asea: Power from Garbage
Emissions from the evaporation and combustion of traditional fossil fuels contribute to a range of environmental and health problems.
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LAHORE (gm). In Pakistan, due to growing energy crisis extended blackouts have plagued the entire nation by affecting many of the facilities of contemporary life, over and above has extracted social and economic tolls by choking the flow of productive resources.
The country has a total installed power generating capacity of 19,450 megawatts (MW) from three sources i.e. hydroelectric (33%), thermal (65%) and nuclear (2%).
According to Arif Alauddin, CEO of Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB), Pakistan, all over the world, renewable energy projects have been implemented to avoid dependency over the conventional resources which have been a cause of effluent emissions and endangering the environment.
“The international organizations and institutes including financing organization have been encouraging such projects which utilize renewable energy technologies for the generation of power,” he pointed out while sharing research reports.
In Pakistan, Green Circle Organisation (GCO) [a NGO] has been developing and implementing multi-dimensional locally managed programmes [which can be developed and executed at the district level] in the sector of agriculture and production of energy to provide the most appropriate environment friendly alternate option to generate low cost energy in the private sector ---- “waste-to-energy”.
The enormous increase in the quantum and diversity of waste materials generated by human activity and their potentially destructive effects on the general environment and public health have shown the way to a growing awareness about a vital need to endorse scientific techniques for secure dumping of wastes.
It is estimated that the top 10 cities of Pakistan produce 50,000 tonnes waste, which can be used to generate 6,000 MW energy. In the city Faisalabad alone, 714,000 households produce 714 tonnes garbage (1 kg/household at minimum), which can be consumed for the production of 86 MW [estimation does not include factories and textile industries waste, which is more than 50 percent of the total waste and has high heating worth].
Moinuddin Sarkar of Natural State Research, Inc, USA in his report writes that “emissions from the evaporation and combustion of traditional fossil fuels contribute to a range of environmental and health problems, causing poor air quality, and emitting greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.”
The alternative fuel created from domestic sources such as wind, solar, solar thermal, biomass (waste-to-energy), bio fuels, micro hydel, geo thermal and geo magmatic are a solution to these problems.
Realizing that Pakistan being one of the Earliest Signatories to the Kyoto Protocol, under which it is necessary to decrease the quantum of Green House Gases generated in the country [to the levels laid down by Kyoto Protocol], and while talking to the delegation from Turkey [in early May] for benefiting from Turkish expertise in solid waste management (SWM) Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif has said “people are confronting health hazards and other problems due to substandard condition of hygiene in the cities that’s why removal of garbage from the cities is the top priority of the government.”
He emphasized to review the expertise of Turkey in SWM to turn an environmental nightmare into a viable waste to energy enterprise.
Negotiations are being held with various foreign companies regarding the SWM for providing better environment to people which also included power generation from solid waste.
Rachna Industrial Park (RIP) is going to establish its own 25 mega watts waste fuel-run power station to minimize the generation of wastes, to reuse and recycle them for power generation said Mohsin Syed, Regional Director, National Industrial Parks, Pakistan.
He added that it is a clean energy through the combustion of municipal solid waste (MSW) as fuel in waste to energy (WTE) plants specially designed to dispose of MSW to generate electricity as a byproduct of the incinerator operation with the most modern pollution control equipment to clean emissions.
“The technologies for recovery of HYPERLINK "http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/technology/garbage-energy/" energy from wastes can play a vital role in mitigating the problems like short of power supply,” he said. “Unfortunately in Pakistan this source of energy has not been utilized for power generation in the past.”
“Power Generation Plant would ensure uninterrupted power supply to all industrial units at RIP and that would lead to an increase in production and profitability across the entire value addition chain,” he said. “It would generate energy hardly at 7 cents per unit.”
RIP is spread over approximately 174 acres off Lahore-Sheikhupura road and will provide facilities of manufacturing, assembling, warehousing and packaging besides other auxiliary industries. It would provide a prospect of investment for auto and engineering industries, leather, food processing and packaging.
“The cost-effective industrial park’s projects are specifically meant and designed for the industrialists ready to invest and expand their business,” he said. “RIP would attract over $ 120.7 millions investment.”
“The power generation project will be launched in August,” he added.
In Pakistan, AEDB has facilitated installation of 35 MW projects through biomass / waste to energy.
According to AEDB, ‘Almoiz industries have set up a 27 MW biomass facility and have signed a PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) with Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO) for sale of 15 MW to the grid. Similarly Shakarganj sugar mills are providing 8 MW of electricity to Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (FESCO) using spent spirit technology. Both these PPAs were signed in 2008.’
In addition, AEDB has also facilitated the Landhi cattle colony biogas project, which upon its completion, will be one of the largest WTE projects in the world, generating up to 50 MW of electricity. ‘The pilot phase of 250 KW has been successfully initiated, being implemented by Empower consultants of New Zealand and will consume waste of 400,000 cattle in the area to generate electricity.’
“Waste incinerators, however, have access to more fuel in highly populated areas,” said Alauddin.
“WTE project does not produce any effluents, contaminant and residue that’s why has lead over conventional energy resources projects,” he said. “These are the most environmental friendly technologies which are supportive in developing healthy environment by reducing emissions.”
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