Wapda to focus hydel power projects

Lahore: Member Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) Syed Raghib Abbas Shah has said that Wapda is focusing on hydel power which is environmentally clean and our country has the potential to generate power of more than 50,000 MW and we have utilised only 6,484 MW up till now.

He said this while addressing a seminar on World Environment Day with the theme of 'Kick the habit, towards a low carbon economy.' organised by Pakistan Engineering Congress. He also said Wapda is building Allahi Khawar, Khan Khawar, Duber Khawar, Jinnah and Satpara Hydel Power Projects, which would produce 434 MW of carbon free hydel power.

He further said that studies are going on for producing 20,000 MW of hydel power project and next year starting the 4,500 MW Diamir Bhasa hydel power project and after this a series of run off hydro power projects would be built.

He also said carbon dioxide contributes about 55 percent to global warming produced from human activities and we have to produce energy from alternative sources such as solar energy. Pakistan has blessed with abundant sunshine so we have to develop solar energy and some villages in Balochistan and Swat have been electrified as power projects.

He said that the engineers have to design the machinery and devise mechanism which produces minimum carbon. Preservation of environment, sustainable growth poverty eradication is our responsibility.

Earlier, President Engineering Congress Engineer Hussain Ahmed in his well come address said that Pakistan needs to develop its own national goals and plans to reduce green house gas emissions. It was encouraging that the government had already taken initial steps in this regard and we hoped that new government will show more commitment to this cause. The seminar was also addressed by Manager Technical Enercon and ECF Asif Masood and Chief Engineer (WRPO) Wapda Dr Allah Buksh Sufi.