An Energy Awareness Conference, aimed at creating more awareness about the need to shift from traditional energy resources to renewable energy, was held at the NED University Karachi on March 2. The Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) was the lead sponsor of the conference.
Addressing the students on Alternative Energy and its applications in Pakistan, Omer Ghaznavi, KESC General Manager Strategy, said that while there were a number of potential alternate energy sources available, such as wind and solar energy, they were not providing viable solutions in the short term. As such, KESC had ventured to create partnerships with local and international companies to ensure the successful roll out of the first large-scale bio gas project in the country located in Landhi, Karachi.
The KESC's bio gas project will utilise gas recovered from cow manure in Landhi and organic waste from the Korangi and Landhi industrial areas. The project will generate an estimated 25MW of renewable energy and is expected to be functional in the next 18 to 20 months.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between KESC and Highmark technology to jointly develop bio gas projects in Pakistan. Highmark is a Canadian company that utilises residues from cow waste and food processing waste and turns it into valuable renewable energy and other renewable products. It is currently operating the largest feedlot manure energy plant in the world.
KESC and GE Energy have also singed MoU to develop the Landhi bio gas project. GE Energy is one of the leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery technologies in all areas of the energy industry. Omer Ghaznavi further said that in future KESC intended to work with GE Energy to develop more renewable energy projects in Pakistan. As a part of its ongoing CSR activities in the Landhi area, KESC also plans to work towards facilitating education, health care, infrastructure development, animal health and food and waste.-PR