Ans: Important energy resources in Pakistan:
(i) Electricity:
On the basis of its generation source, electricity has following kinds: hydel,
thermal, nuclear, wind, and solar. Wind and solar sources are also called
renewable resources of energy.
. In 1947 our total electricity production was 68.8 MW (one megawatt is equal
to one million watts), we imported electricity from India to meet our demand.
Rasool power station was commissioned in 1952. We had achieved a
production target of 1862 MW till 1972.
. Now we are faced with the problem of load-shedding and efforts are being
made to solve this problem. Main cause of load-shedding is not the shortage
of generation capacity. In July 2021 all the electricity generating units
working in the country were producing 37261 MW.
Our load shedding problem has two causes:
. Capacity of our system of electricity distribution (grid) does not meet our total
requirement.
. Electricity produced by burning fossil fuels costs so high that it becomes
unaffordable for common consumer. Electricity is distributed through national
grid, it has to cover long distances, considerable amounts are lost during its
transit from generation to end user. This problem can be solved by
expanding the grid and upgrading the distribution system.
. Cheap sources of electricity like hydel, wind and nuclear need to be further
developed. All our big cities have been electrified but 50 percent of our
villages are still without electricity. In Pakistan we use three electricity
generátion sources.
(a) Hydel Electricity:
26 percent of our electricity demand is fulfilled by hydel electricity. Hydel
power generation requires fast flow of water and abundance of water in the
higher parts of reivers. Fast flow of water and waterfalls are used for rotating
the turbines, fast movement of turbines generates electricity. In 1947 we had
only two hydel power stations one at Renala and another at Malakand. New
power stations were built after independence. According to a Wapda
estimate, Pakistan has a potential of generating-30000 MW of hydel
electricity. There are three big hydel electric power projects working in
Pakistan.
. Tarbela on the River Indus.
. Mangla on the River Jhelum.
. Warsak on the River Kabul.
Chashma Low Head Hydro project (district Mianwali) was commissioned in
2001, it was designed to generate 184 MWs. Ghazi Brotha Dam in district
Attock has been designed to generate 1450 MW electricity.
(b) Thermal Electricity:
Thermal electricity is generated by burning fossil fuels, like petroleum, gas or
coal. In 2021 our potential to produce thermal energy by using different fossil
fuels was as under. Furnace oil 15 percent, natural gas 12 percent, LNG
(liquid natural gas) 25 percent, coal 9 percent.
. Karachi is the largest centre of thermal power generation other big centres of
Sindh province are in Kotri, Tharparkar, Hyderabad, Sukkur and Guddu. The
Punjab thermal power stations are operative in Faisalabad, Multan, Raiwind,
. Sahiwal, Mianwali, Dera Ghazi Khan, Lahore and Rawalpindi.
Balochistan has two thermal power stations one in Quetta and another in
Hub. 8 Five Year Plan targeted to set up 5000 MW coal power projects but
in December 2020 it was decided that no coal power electricity plant will be
installed in future. The decision was taken in view of the pollution that coal
power plants spread.
(c) Nuclear Electricity:
Nuclear power is the cheapest source of electricity generation, but the initial
cost of establishing a nuclear power project is extremely high.
. Most countries of the world do not afford nuclear power plants, but we are
fortunate to have two. Karachi Nuclear Power Plant was installed in 1971
with Canadian assistance. Second nuclear power plant was set up with the
co-operation of the Peoples Republic China at Chashma near Mianwali.
. Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) is responsible for the
generation of nuclear energy in the country. KANUPP has a generation
capacity of 137 MW, construction of Chashma Nuclear Power Plant
(CHASNUPP) started on August 1, 1993. This plant has been designed to
produce 300 MW electricity. Nuclear electricity generation plants are fulfilling
8 percent of our total electricity requirements.
(ii) Natural Gas:
Natural gas is found underground in the rocks of petroleum fields and on the
percent of the total). Natural gas was first discovered in 1992 at Sus
Balochistan. After Sui 25 large and small gas deposits were found a
surface of petroleum. This is the second largest souros of energy (ab
different times. Second largest deposit was discovered in 1980 at Qadr P,
8 kilometers from Ghotki (Sindh). Balochistan has 6, Sindh 10 and the
Punjab has 9 gas outlets.
. Most well-known among the Balochistan deposits are Sul, Uch, Zin
Peerkoh, this area is identified as Sibbi Trough.
. In lower Sindh gas fields, Kandh kot, Khairpor, Murree, Sari Hundi, Gorachi,
. Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is another natural gas variant, natural gas
is compressed in imperially designed metal cylenders under extremely high
. Khaskheli and Laghari are well known.
pressure and it is used to run transport vehicles.
Liquified Natural Gas (LNG):
Liquified fossil gas is formed, when fossil gas is super cooled into its liquid
state at about minus 250 degrees Fahrenheit. It is then loaded into hugs
tankers for transportation. In order to meet energy deficit, Pakistan LNG has
been mandated by the government to carry out import of LNG from
international market and distribute it in the country. Natural gas is the second
largest source of energy in Pakistan, 47 percent households in Pakistan use
natural gas as domestic fuel. Due to growing demand, gas production had to
be doubled during the last decade of the last century. 95 percent of our gas
production comes from gas fields and 5 percent from oil (petroleum) fields
Natural gas is used for four major purposes, () domestic, (i) as industrial
raw material particularly for making fertilizer, (iii) as industrial fuel, (v) as
transport fuel (CNG).
(iii) Petroleum:
Petroleum is extremely essential for industry and transport. Oil and Gas
Development Corporation (OGDC), was instituted in 1961, with a mandate to
explore, develop, produce, refine and market oil and gas. Following are our
two major oil and gas producing areas:
(a) The Potwar Plateau
(b) Lower Sindh
Following are the main outlets of gas and oil:
(a)The Potwar Oil Fields:
Important outlets of oil and gas in potwar plateau are located in district
Attock and in district Jhelum in close vicinity, these are 9 in number. First of
these oil field is Khor, which was discovered in 1915.
(b) Lower Sindh Oil Fields:
35 percent of Pakistan’s oil production comes from lower Sindh. Side by side
with extensive coal deposits large petroleum reserves have been discovered
in Thar (Sindh). According to initial estimates Pakistan has 50 billion tons of
petroleum reserves.
(iv) Coal:
Four time increase in the production of electricity by 2025 was predicted.
This target was to be achieved by establishing coal power generation plants,
MW electricity will be generated by this project. As estimated amount of 336
mostly based on Thar coal. It has been estimated that more than one lac
million tons of coal per year will be consumed for the generation of electricity
these coal reserves will approximately last for 300 years. This electricity will
by furnace oil which costs Rs. 18 per unit. Coal power plants have been set
cost Rs. 9 per unit, which is 50 percent cheaper than the electricity produced
Dad Qureshi (District Muzaffar Garh). Further installation of coal power
up in Qadir Abad (District Sahiwal), Bhukki (District Sheikupura), Balloki
(District Kasur) Tranda Swavay Wala (District Rahimyar Khan) and Karam
plants was, however, banned in December 2020, this decision was taken in
view of its environmental hazard.
Non-traditional Resources of Electricity:
Pakistan has enormous solar energy potential. We have abundance of sun,
our smallest days have at least 9 hours duration. It is possible for us to Set
up a strong network of solar energy but our efforts in this direction are still in
experimental Stage. We have some twenty small scale solar energy
generating units. Our first solar photostatic system was commissioned in
December 1981, this is located at Mamniala, 16 kilometers from Islamabad.
It has a meager capacity to generate 8KW. (One KW is equal to one
thousand watt; one MW is equal to one million watts. One Gigawatt GW is
equal to one billion watts). Another power station established in village
Pakistan’s first wind energy 50 MW power station set up at Jhampir was
connected with national grid on December 25, 2012. Inaugurating this plant
the then president of Pakistan observed, “Fortunately we are not deficient in
alternative resources of energy. Wind energy is a known source of
alternative energy. According to an estimate Pakistan has a potential to
produce 350 Gigawatts (GW) of electricity.”
Kankoi in Swat started working in 1983.
Following was our production capacity / ratio in respect of different kinds of
electricity in 2021:
(a) Hydel Electricity = 26 percent
(b) Thermal electricity = 61 percent
(c) Nuclear electricity = 08 percent
(d) Un-Conventional or renewable sources of energy = 05 percent