PCJCCI urges Pakistan to initiate low-cost energy generation projects in collaboration with China

Lahore: Pakistan China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCJCCI) chief Wang Zihai has said that Pakistan should initiate low-cost energy generation projects in collaboration with China to reduce cost of doing business in the country.

Zihai, the President of PCJCCI, in an online think tank session held here at PCJCCI premises, referred to his recent meeting with representatives of Tianying Company Shanghai and mentioned that low-priced energy was produced in China through incineration of waste materials.

The company representatives had given a detailed presentation on how the Chinese waste-to-energy incineration model could prove to be a solution for energy crisis and environment pollution in Pakistan.

Zihai remarked that Chinese company ‘Tianying’ was willing to invest in Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) incineration for power generation. The company was looking for suitable project agents to start the investment in Pakistan.

On this occasion, Ehsan Chaudhry, Senior Vice President PCJCCI said: “We should adopt waste-to-energy incineration model in Pakistan in partnership with Chinese expert companies.” He said energy crisis was one of the main problems of Pakistan and there was a dire need to take measures to cope with this misery.”

He added: “In renewable energy resources, biogas can be used to fulfill the deficit, the shortfall of fuel and electricity in Pakistan is an indication for us to decrease our dependence on conventional fuel resources and find the new sustainable resources such as renewable energy means.”

Pakistan, he contended, had a huge potential for renewable energy resources such as wind, solar and biomass, which would also save foreign reserves to be consumed on the high-cost energy.

Chaudhry observed that through these resources, “we will be able not only to meet energy demand in low cost, but also minimize environmental contamination.”

In his speech, Salahuddin Hanif, Secretary General PCJCCI noted that in China waste-to-energy incineration was playing a vital role in waste management and energy production.

He informed that in Pakistan about, 3000 MW electricity can be generated using agricultural residue and municipal solid waste.

He underlined that Pakistan generated about 15 million tons of crops residue annually, which could be used as feedstock to generate 120- MW electricity.

“Another important waste that could be converted into energy was municipal non-hazardous solid waste that was about some 60,000 tons on a daily basis in urban areas only and was increasing at the rate of 2.5 percent annually,” he pointed out.