Energy Crisis In Pakistan Environmental Sciences Essay

goose egg Crisis In Pakistan Environmental Sciences EssayPakistan has been facing an cogency crisis since the last few years, which has seriously affected its people. The gap between expect and supply has been constantly widening. People atomic number 18 spending sleepless nights in summer. Shortage of business leader supply has assumed the role of a fundamental necessity, fiddle a serious policy dilemma. It needs sustained efforts and long-term policies to overcome this crisis. Sincere effort is required to ensure sustained and consistent supply of vigor. Pakistan is generating 48 percent of its electrical elan vital from gas, 33 percent from hydel, 17 percent from oil, two percent from atomic and one percent from coal. If we examine the figures, it is clear that Pakistan is underutilizing its natural re informants to relent electrical energy. The power crisis is proving to be unbearable day by day. The sad state of affairs is that despite having immense renewable re s howtimes of energy, Pakistan has to import a huge totality of hydrocarbons from abroad to understand its energy needs. Pakistan, a country blessed with many natural resources for the past few years has been facing the problem of load-shedding ascribable to the electricity demand being more than so the production capacity of the national power grid. The first thing to do about it is to look at the fresh power history of the country to get a better idea of how it was created and its many causes.In 1996 Pakistan had the ability to fire about 1 five hundred0 Megawatts of electricity which was more then enough for our own needs and we had a surplus of power present in the country and talks were taking place with neighbouring countries in which we would export electricity to them. So considering that how is that after just 14 years later we befool reached such a condition that we dont even decl are enough power to meet our needs? The first and foremost issue is that the rulers si nce 1996 did non b new(prenominal) to plant any new power projects and to add additional power to the natural grid. In 14 years our production capacity has increased by just 1000-2000 Megawatts which reflects poorly on us as a country and our leadership for not having the foresight to see this issue looming.The other is that the country is rich in natural resources and we have not all in all invested in the alternative sources available to make our power generation . We have sun for the most part of the year in major(ip)ity parts of the country and one alternative is to belt into the potential difference of solar power to produce energy since in it the cost of producing energy is very less as the biggest source (SUN) is free and using its heat fashion cost anything.The other alternative available to us is the wind source in which we arse make wind mills or wind turbines and have power collapsed from them which depart again be quite cheap as we are just using the energy of t he wind costing nothing to use.Since we break about 40% of our total power by hydro electricity we sewer look at this source to produce power as well. It has a set about up cost and after that producing electricity from it is very cheap aswell since we are just using the water to produce electricity. This might not be the lift out choice for us since in winter when the water supply gets low then we wont be able to produce electricity by it and which can lead to a power shortage.Nuclear Reactors are another option available for us to produce electricity by using them but its not very advisable for us since they have a very high building cost and generating that much capital to make a lot of nuclear power plants entrust be almost impossible for a developing country like us which already has a shortage of funds and capital. provided having a little of our total production by nuclear power can be seen as a good thing.Most of our electricity is produced by caloric power plants whi ch burn oil or gas and then produce electricity. Since the country is deficient in oil resources we import oil for this shoot for and pay a heavy import bill for the oil. The intelligent thing is to move away from the power production from oil and gas since the raw framework necessary for the functioning of the power plant is so costly to get. And seeing the gas crisis in the country currently with a gas shortage predicted to wane in the coming years we should start moving away from the gas power plants as well and use our gas for more important purposes.We have one of the largest coal deposits in the world in Tharparkar Desert, Sindh so why we have not started utilizing that remains a mystery. The power generation in the thermal power plants can be switched to coal (which is present in a very large quantity locally) and extracted from Tharparkar to meet the demand of the country in the power sector. By doing all this we can save a lot of money for the country and use it in other sectors. End our dependence on expensive foreign oil and become self-reliant on the coal and then consequently the power sector. Now the real question which comes to mind is that were the people in the government sleeping for the past 14 years? Did they not realize that the power needs of the country would increase? (which has increased by about 500 megawatts annually) and so for that they needed to make sure that almost power projects were launched ensure the country didnt character this power problem?Theres no use in call over spilt milk so talk about should have happened wont change anything. But straightway we should look towards the future and talk about rather of what we HAVE TO DO to end the power crisis.Now Looking into the administrative causes of the energy crisis, lack of proper planning is the most important. Lack of proper saving methods is another cause of the energy crisis. Energy sector of Pakistan is considered to be under-developed It is because of our poor management and planning System, with untapped potential for ontogenesis developing of the Pakistan. Now we will highlight how energy consumption is in the Pakistan and were our energy is consuming.Here we are dividing it in the 5 sectors those are consuming our energy of the Pakistan and how much their consuming percentage. Our some government sectors and some big Industrial sectors are wasting our energy because they consume it but they do not pay its dues So there for our orbit Pakistan is facing the Energy crises which we will discuss here below that why our country Pakistan is going to face the energy crisis still. So here we are talking about the 5 sectors whose using energy. Those 5 sectors names are Domestic Sectors, Commercial Sectors, Industrial Sectors, Agriculture Sectors and Other Sectors. these Sectors are using energy with the various roles of dues that their unit rates are different and their taxes are in any case different which they should pay.In the 2003 Paki stan total energy consumption was 52.7 GWH and in the 2009 Pakistan Energy consumption was 70.4 GWH and immediately In the Pakistan Energy consumption is more than 80 GWH So you can judge that why Pakistan is facing the Energy Crisis now a days..Now we will discuss how Pakistan is generating electricity from sources of energy .We are generating electricity from 4 sources in Pakistan. One is Gas, second is hydel third is nuclear and fourth is oil. These four sources are used in Pakistan to for the production of electricity. Now we will discuss the companies who are generating electricity actually basically there are 9 companies who are working for the production of energy (electricity).These 9 companies are WAPDA, UCh, KAPSO, KESC, other IPPS and LIBERTY,PAEC,ROUSCH and HUBCO. They are working for energy producing tasks.As deep as 2001, the country had 4,000 megawatts of excess power capacity. Today unfortunately the note has gained threatening prospects.According to a research mo st of the high enthalpy geothermal resources of the world lie within the seismic belts passing through Pakistan.The major resources of energy are oil, gas, petroleumproducts, coal, nuclear, solar, biomass and wind energy. Let us chalk out the reasons for shortage of energy. Bad priorities, poor management and lack of accountability can be denoted as the reasons for dearth of energy in Pakistan. The number of consumers of electricity are now increased owing to the rapid urbanization process. The facility of electricity is now provided to the remote villages. We waste a lot of energy, about 15 to 20 percent through poordistributionsystem. Industrial, transport and domestic sectors are the three important consumers of energy.Few years back Pakistan used to get half of its electricity from hydel power and remaining from thermal generation. However there is a limit to the extent of exploitation of hydel resources and thermal power plants due to environmental and other concerns.To meet th e challenge there is a dire need to go to the alternate sources of energy. Some people suggest that process of converting coal into product gas underground can be a good alternate source of energy. Technically this process is called as underground coal classification. Through this the underground deposit of coal is treated with controlled fire. Gradually the coal turns into gas. The largest coal reserves of Pakistan make it in Thar. There this source can be encashed. Besides coal, the renewable energy as biomass has solutions to our problems. Biomass, material derived from plants or animals, includes wastes, unsophisticated residues and garbage. It is suggested that subsidies and tax concessions must be provided for importing machinery for establishing biogas power plants in Pakistan. It can prove to be a great source of energy for us as Pakistan is an verdant country. Come tosolar energy panels, though initial cost ofinstalling solar panelsis comparatively high but through them the highest levels of efficiency can be reached. I visited Baluchistan recently and was really surprised to see the great solar potential there. It is not only the valley of minerals but it has a lot of wind andsolar energy, having a scattered habitat and ample sunshine. But to my utter dismay thenumber of solar panelsinstalledthere were very few. Some important advantages which favor the use ofsolar energyuse in Pakistan include low operational and maintenance cost, environment friendly dimension etc. similarly the wind energy is also in excess and we can harness this energy in a much more effective way. Wind can be employd to produce electricity at the coastal areas. If power plants are set up driven by the wind energy along the coastline and this venture is handed over to foreign investors, the pull up stakess can be quite satis cistrony. Manufacture of wind generators can be made indigenously. Still other sources apart from hydel and thermal which can meet the growing demand n uclear energy can also overcome the energy needs. Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission has developed a large root word to manufacture equipment for power but even then we are not able to make considerable set ahead in the nuclear field.More and more nuclear reactors for power generation must be built. Similarly, hot climaticconditionsof some areas of upper Sindh and Southern Punjab may prove to be a source ofsolar energy. We have to devise bold and concrete ways on a war footing to overcome the electricity deficit coupled with an jiffy change in attitude at the earliest. The Quaid-i-Azam said Let us mobilize all our resources in a systematic and organized way and adopt the grave issues that confront us with grim determination anddisciplineworthy of a great nation. A collective national effort is needed to face the challenge .Prompt measures need to be taken by the government. One other suggestion is that the existing thermal power plants orderning on expensive tradefurnace oilcan be converted into natural gas and afterwards to coal. The government can go for establishing a government body for fixing targets for development of power sectors. Ways must also be devised to stop power theft besides transmission anddistributionlosses. The long transmission lines connecting grid with hydel move are faced with transmission losses. These hydel stations are located mostly in the north of the country while thermal units are mainlyinstalledin the centre and southern areas of Pakistan.Political controversies relating to Kalabagh dam must be resolved. In this connection seminars and media can play a good role. The energy crisis has led to a negative impact on direct foreign investment. Investors require a sustained, secure and cheap power supply in any country. In Pakistan, no such facility is available because of which many investors are not willing to come forth. The long-term solution of the energy crisis is to build mega dams to store water and generate electricity. Government power bodies like WAPDA and KESC should initiate plans to supply energy.In a nutshell, energy is the lifeline of a nation and plays a vital role in national progress and economic development of any country. It needs sincere and dedicated efforts of our policy makers to find solutions to meet the energy requirements of the nationCauses of Energy Crisis Pakistans energy crisis traces its roots to following distinctcausesi. Growing Energy DemandOver the years there is greater need of energy because of increase in population, enhancement in lifestyle industrial and agricultural growth greater transportation needsii. Lack of proactive and integrated planning for production of energyPakistan has had wider potentials to tap energy, however, due to lack of anyintegrated/proactive planning, very less number of power producing plant were installed tomeet futuristic demands. Resultantly, over the years, the gap between energy demand andsupply drastically grew and now against deman d of 20000 MW, we are having or so 11500MW. iii. Imbalanced energy energy miscellanyEnergy mix in Pakistan is quite imbalance in comparison to other countries, with greaterreliance on non-renewable resources of gas (43.7 %) and oil (29 % majority of which isimported). Prices of petroleum products/crude oil undulate and in current Afro-Arab politicalcrisis, the oil prices are likely to increase manifold affecting oil prices in Pakistan.A rational energy mix planning ought to be developed giving greater dependency torenewable (hydel power), indigenous (coal) and alternative energy resources (wind andsolar energy). Nuclear energy caniv. Non-utilization of enormous indigenous energy resources.Consequences of Energy Crisisi. Economic Factors Energy is pivotal for running all other resources and crisis ofenergy directly influences all other sectors of the economy. The economic progress isHampered by decline in agricultural productivity as well as by halting in operations ofIndustries. One important factor of lower GDP and inflation of goodness prices inrecent years is attributed to shortfalls in energy supply.ii. Agriculture Sector Agricultural productivity of Pakistan is decreasing due to provisionof energy for running underground wells, agricultural machinery and production of fertilizersand pesticides. hence higher energy means higher agricultural productivity.iii. Industrial Sector close all Industrial units are run with the energy and breakage inenergy supply is having dire consequences on industrial growth. As a result ofdecline in energy supply, industrial units are not only being opened, but also theexisting industrial units are gradually closing.iv. Unemployment By closure of industrial units and less agricultural productivity, newemployment opportunities ceased to exist and already employed manpower isshredded by the employers to increase their profit ratios. Thus energy crisiscontributes towards unemployment.v. Social Issues This factor is genera lly related to the domestic usage of energy(cooking, heating and water provision). Load shedding cause unrest and frustrationamongst the people and results in agitation against the government.vi. scantness Declination in economic growth, lower agricultural productivity,unemployment and shackling industrial growth result in increasing poverty.Currently, around forty percent of our population is accompaniment beyond poverty line andthis ratio is increasing day by day. Ample control of energy crisis will surely yield in hold in the menace of poverty.Energy Crisis has, moreorless, plagued all sectors of Pakistans machinery ranging fromeconomy to industry, agriculture to social life, inflation to poverty and it is hamperingnational progress in a drastic manner. Nonetheless, menace of energy crisis can beoverwhelmed by government through making effective policies and its proactiveimplementation. Simultaneously, it is the responsibility of us, the people of Pakistan, to utilize the avail able energy astutely and wisely to play our due role for progress of thecountry.Causes of Energy Crisis Pakistans energy crisis traces its roots to following distinctcausesi. Growing Energy DemandOver the years there is greater need of energy because of increase in population, enhancement in lifestyle industrial and agricultural growth greater transportation needsii. Lack of proactive and integrated planning for production of energyPakistan has had wider potentials to tap energy, however, due to lack of anyintegrated/proactive planning, very less number of power producing plant were installed tomeet futuristic demands. Resultantly, over the years, the gap between energy demand andsupply drastically grew and now against demand of 20000 MW, we are having around 11500MW. iii. Imbalanced energy energy mixEnergy mix in Pakistan is quite imbalance in comparison to other countries, with greaterreliance on non-renewable resources of gas (43.7 %) and oil (29 % majority of which isimported). Prices of petroleum products/crude oil fluctuate and in current Afro-Arab politicalcrisis, the oil prices are likely to increase manifold affecting oil prices in Pakistan.A rational energy mix planning ought to be developed giving greater dependency torenewable (hydel power), indigenous (coal) and alternative energy resources (wind andsolar energy). Nuclear energy caniv. Non-utilization of enormous indigenous energy resourcesConsequences of Energy CrisisEconomic Factors From all other sectors of the economy Energy is pivotal for running all other resources and crisis of energy directly influences. The economic progress ishampered by decline in agricultural productivity as well as by halting in operations ofindustries. One important factor of lower GDP and inflation of commodity prices inrecent years is attributed to shortfalls in energy supply.Agriculture Sector Agricultural productivity of Pakistan is decreasing due to provisionof energy for running tube wells, agricultural machin ery and production of fertilizersand pesticides. Thus higher energy means higher agricultural productivity.iii. Industrial Sector Nearly all Industrial units are run with the energy and breakage inenergy supply is having dire consequences on industrial growth. As a result ofdecline in energy supply, industrial units are not only being opened, but also theexisting industrial units are gradually closing.iv. Unemployment By closure of industrial units and less agricultural productivity, newemployment opportunities ceased to exist and already employed manpower isshredded by the employers to increase their profit ratios. Thus energy crisiscontributes towards unemployment.v. Social Issues This factor is primarily related to the domestic usage of energy(cooking, heating and water provision). Load shedding cause unrest and frustrationamongst the people and results in agitation against the government.vi. Poverty Declination in economic growth, lower agricultural productivity,unemployment and shackling industrial growth result in increasing poverty.Currently, around forty percent of our population is living beyond poverty line andthis ratio is increasing day by day. Ample control of energy crisis will surely yield incurbing the menace of poverty.Energy Crisis has, moreorless, plagued all sectors of Pakistans machinery ranging fromeconomy to industry, agriculture to social life, inflation to poverty and it is hamperingnational progress in a drastic manner. Nonetheless, menace of energy crisis can beoverwhelmed by government through making effective policies and its proactiveimplementation. Simultaneously, it is the responsibility of us, the people of Pakistan, to