The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry President, Mian Shafqat Ali, has said that solar energy is an excellent alternative to fuel and energy, particularly for developing countries, like Pakistan, that receive high levels of solar radiation.
He was speaking at a one-day seminar on 'Solar Energy', arranged by the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry to discuss the energy needs of Pakistan and solar energy as an alternative to satisfy these requirements.
It was also addressed by Mian Tajammul Hussain, honorary consul general of Turkey; Professor Dr Aftab Sohail Qureshi of Electrical Department UET Lahore and Dr Irshad Ahmad, senior project developer, Alternative Energy Development Board.
A German solar energy expert, Jurgen Grosser, made a presentation on solar energy. Former president of LCCI Mian Misbahur Rehman and Convener LCCI Standing Committee on Energy Farooq Iftikhar were also present on the occasion.
Mian Shafqat stated that energy was one of the most important burning issues of the country today. While the rapidly growing economy of Pakistan was placing additional demands on the power sector of the country, the prices of energy were increasing at an alarming rate as the major part of our energy come from thermal source using furnace oil mostly imported from abroad at higher rates.
He said that the demand for power was projected to increase from the present supply of 15,500 mw to 21,500 mw in 2010 growing at the rate of 7.9 percent per annum. "The major constraint in bridging the gap between supply and demand has been the reason that we have long waited for development of a consensus on the construction of big dams, which have been debated more on political considerations and less on technical consideration."
The LCCI chief was appreciative of the government effort exploring the option of increasing hydel power by building big dams at proper locations and to develop alternative sources of energy other than the thermal and hydel sources.
Speaking on the occasion, Farooq Iftikhar said that the business community was deeply concerned with ever-increasing cost of energy in Pakistan and its consequent adverse effects on the price structure of goods, which is rendering Pakistani goods uncompetitive in international market. He also expressed his concern over the utilisation of costly resources of generating power in the presence of cheaper alternative.