Technology has made our lives comfortable but due to this we are so dependent on it that now abundant and economical energy has become the foremost need and life blood of modern civilisation. With the ever growing population, widely exploiting the natural resources, the world is facing severe energy crisis that needs to be tackled carefully and earnestly.
Many experts believe that factors such as geopolitical events, natural disasters and increase in demand have exacerbated the situation and energy crisis might even turn into a humanitarian crisis soon. Energy or power plays a pivotal role in socio-economic development of a country by running the industrial machinery, lighting the cities and at some places even powering the vehicles. Since energy can easily be labelled as the backbone of any economy and its consumption is correlated to economic growth, globally nations have realised the importance of mitigating this crisis. For this purpose, people are now focusing on concepts like energy conservation, use of bioplastics and alternative energy and fuels.
Despite having significant hydrocarbon reserves, Pakistan is also facing acute power shortage due to underdeveloped and poorly managed energy infrastructure. Pakistan embraced many thermal power plants during the late 80s and early 90s to overcome power outages, unfortunately overreliance on thermal power generation, which accounts for 62% of our electrical energy supply mix, has resulted in severe power shortfall. Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr Yousuf Raza Gillani announced a national energy policy on April 22, 2010 aiming to cut consumption by 1500 megawatts (MW). However, even if the policy is implemented painstakingly and the outcome is 100 percent, Pakistan is still bound to face a shortfall of 2,168 MW per day. This figure is certain to increase with a population growth rate of 1.57 percent. Therefore, it is crucial for us to understand that there is a dire need to develop an alternate energy plan as a long-term strategy to deal with the power crisis.
Keeping in mind the above factors, the Alternative Energy Development Board Bill was passed in 2010 to approve the establishment of an Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB). Since its inception the board has formulated various plans to generate power through wind, coal, solar, biogas, biomass/waste-to-energy, and hydel resources. Various projects of alternative energy capable of generating 700 MW will be added to the national grid by 2015.
Pakistan is mainly dependant on thermal and hydroelectric power-based energy producing sector to meet its needs. Our country is bestowed with the great prospective of making solar and wind energy as its prime energy sources. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) of the USA, in collaboration with USAID, has developed a wind map of Pakistan which indicates that it has a potential of 346,000 MW. About 3% of Pakistan's total land area has Class 4+ windy land area which means it is excellent for utility-scale applications. Almost 9% of Pakistan's land area has Class 3 or better wind resource. The coastline of Sindh is well suited for renewable energy development; especially Gharo-Keti Bandar which alone has a capability of approximately 50,000 MW.
However the biggest challenge and hurdle in adopting this technology is the availability of equipment used to construct wind power projects. It wouldn't be erroneous to say that most of the equipment like humongous towers, propellers/blades, shafts, gear-boxes, rotors, generators and turbines are imported from around the globe, as they are not manufactured locally. The process of transporting such equipment is a herculean task and needs to be done with extraordinary care. The nature of such cargo is sensitive and one wrong move could result in damages running into millions of dollars. Lack of professional expertise, mandatory to handle such equipment, hinders the transportation process. DHL Global Forwarding is the solution to this challenge.
The Industrial Projects unit of DHL Global Forwarding specialises in moving and handling huge industrial equipments. The unit has trained professionals who take care of the total logistics of facilitating the secure transfer of these equipments right from their manufacturers to the project sites anywhere in Pakistan. DHL Global Forwarding's Industrial Projects unit offers feasibility studies, route surveys, supervision at origin which includes picking and packing from manufacturer facility, entry through ports to location, custom clearance with complete documentation, export-import procedures, inland haulage of heavy and multi-axle trailers for over-dimensional equipment movement, internet tracking & tracing and delivery up to the project site. Each project undertaken by the unit has a comprehensive Health, Safety and Environmental plan which is in accordance with the ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 quality accreditations.
Recently, DHL Global Forwarding successfully managed to ship 46,000 tonnes of windmill equipment from Spain to the western state of Falcon in Venezuela. Its Industrial Projects team is committed to meeting timelines and providing customised solutions to clients. Their main objective is to provide the best services at the most competitive rates. DHL is the only freight forwarding company in Pakistan which is providing quality end-to-end services to large industrial project clients. By doing this it is not only making transportation easier for the companies but also contributing towards successful completion of Pakistan's national alternate energy plan. Ultimately oil and gas will become scarce and expensive within our lifetimes and traditional methods of energy production will fall short of meeting the needs and demands of the industry. Therefore, it is imperative to shift to alternate energy producing methods and DHL Global Forwarding is effectively and practically playing its role in this transition.