Whereas the government appears to have failed in finding an immediate remedy to the plight of loadshedding-hit masses, the private sector has stepped up to offer a 'breakthrough' technology as a simple, cost-effective and sustainable solution to the longstanding power shortage in the sunshine-rich country.
"The simple and cost-effective solar energy based solutions would reduce the household's dependence on conventional energy by 40 percent," Saadullah Khan, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mulk Holdings International (MHI) told Business Recorder on the sidelines of "Energy Saving Building Façade and Solar Renewable Energy System Seminar 2010" here at a local hotel late on Monday.
The MHI chief executive said the household could become self-sufficient after minor alterations and little one-time investment in the installation of solar energy generating kits now being launched in the country by Mulk Renewable Energy.
He said with its cost ranging from $100 to $6,000 depending on the size and capacity, the solar energy kits would be able to generate solar energy ranging from 150 kilowatts to over 100 megawatts. Khan said the easily maintainable kits would rid household of the country of its power woes for next 20 years. Urging the need to have a solution-based approach, the MHI chief said the government of Pakistan should devise an effective solar energy policy to lure the private investors and other concerned quarters to bring solar energy technology in Pakistan.
Citing the example of neighbouring India and some African countries like Gambia and Ivory Cost, Khan said New Delhi, as part of its five-year plan to generate 20,000MW solar energy, had recently clinched a multimillion dollars deal with his company for the installation of three 1,200MW power blacks in the largest country of South Asian region.
"Pakistan is among those countries which have higher solar radiation," the MHI chief said. Later, Moin Khan, Managing Director Alubond F&D Pakistan, told the audience, comprising mainly the architects and consultants, that the composite panels-based kits would be low cost, light weight, unbreakable containing parabolically-curved solar collecting mirrors to generate power.
Other speakers included Director Sales Alubond F&D Pakistan Colonel Asadullah Khan and Regional Manager Zulfiqar Ali who shed light on "Mulk-City Interior Products" and technical aspects of "Aluminium Composite Panel" (ACP) respectively.
The speakers underlined various aspects of MHI's 'new breakthrough technologies' that, they said, were meant to revolutionise the construction industry in terms of cost, sophistication and sustainability. Delivering a brief keynote speech in place of Chairman PNSC Brigadier Rashid Siddiqui (Retd), Aftab Siddqui, Executive Director (Commercial) Pakistan National Shipping Corporation, said his management was satisfied with its contract with Alubond USA APCs.According to CEO MHI Saadullah Khan, PNSC was the biggest client of his firm which was supplying and fixing over 14,000 metres 'fabricated composite panels' at PNSC.
Khan told Business Recorder that the APCs, being fixed at the two times burnt building of national flag-carrier, would resist the temperature by 211 degrees centigrade. He said over $1.6 million project was fast nearing completion. Earlier, the CEO MHI welcomed the guests while vote of thanks was given by Wajiuddin Ali, Director Alubond F&D Pakistan, which marked end of the seminar.