Wind Energy In Pakistan

Powering Pakistan with Green Energy

As the reliance on fossil fuels is increasing with the increasing power demand, considerable efforts for the mitigation of greenhouse gases (GHGs) are required. To avoid the adverse effects of GHGs emissions such as global warming and air pollution, Pakistan has undertaken a number of projects to address environmental concerns including a large number of projects related to climate change. These efforts have also been undertaken to support economic policies aimed at reducing poverty. Rural electrification and infrastructure development are key interventions under these policies. This project will strengthen and enhance government efforts for the promotion and development of Renewably Energy Technologies (RET’s) specifically Wind Energy in Pakistan, by creating an enabling environment for commercial scale projects in this sector. This will not only help in filling gap between demand and supply in power sector, but also enhance share of clean energy resources in energy mix of Pakistan.

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Wind Power in Pakistan

The ever growing population of this planet coupled with faster economic and industrial growth is successively putting enormous strain on the eco-system of our planet. The potential consequences of not paying heed to the consistently deteriorating state of our environment are catastrophic to the level of putting the mere existence of life on this planet to question. Pakistan; with its relatively high population growth rate, and multitude of socio-economic dependencies on its environment, is among those countries which are most vulnerable to facing these catastrophic consequences. Recognizing this threat would enable us to mitigate these threats effectively and counter them proactively.

Pakistan has the indigenous wind energy potential of more than 50,000 MW, which in itself is colossal. If harnessed adequately wind energy alone would eradicate energy shortages in the country. Pakistan is currently looking to build wind farms in the Gharo - Keti Bandar Wind Corridor in Sindh, some of which are regions where electricity supply through the national grid has been a challenge.

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Southern Coastal Regions of Sindh and Balochistan

Pakistan is to work with the Chinese government to install and maintain 14 small wind power plants to generate electricity in the southern coastal region of Sindh and Balochistan. These two regions currently have no access to electricity and would be best suited to wind power.

"It is the supply issue that is a problem, particularly in the remote area. To supply electricity from the grid it is not even sometimes technically feasible, not to talk about economically feasible, to get back the revenues and for those areas definitely the renewable industry can play a part," Dr Ishtiaq Qazi, director general of the Pakistan Council for Renewable Energy Technologies in Islamabad told the BBC's World Business Report.

The project consists of eight 300 watt turbines and six 500 watt turbines.

"A 300 watt turbine would just barely be sufficient to run about two or three lines of black and white television and probably a radio, so this would be just for one household," he added.

"Up until now, what we have found that it is only the coastal belt...that is most feasible for such projects," he said.

"We are also working on other renewable industry projects," he said, citing hydro plants in mountainous areas and biogas plants.

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Gharo Wind Power Plant

Gharo Wind Power Plant is planned to be built in the persistently wind-swept corridor of Gharo, Sindh, Pakistan. This will be one of the first wind power project in Pakistan.

The turbine manufacturer Fuhrländer of Germany and Access Energy Inc of United States have signed an agreement with Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) of Pakistan, to manufacture wind turbines in Pakistan to help establish wind power projects. US-based Access Energy would finance the project to set up a 50 MW wind power plant along the general wind corridor in Gharo, while the German Company, Fuhrländer, would transfer the technology to Pakistan for manufacturing of wind turbines along with its accessories to set up a minimum of 1000 MW power plants. Halcrow Pakistan has compiled the Enivoronmental Impact Assessment for this project.

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New Park Energy Phase I

GE Energy's Wind Turbine Technology Selected
(December 1, 2004) — Commercial wind power is coming to Pakistan.

New Park Energy Phase I, a 45-megawatt installation that will be the first step of a 400-megawatt wind project, has been approved by the government of Pakistan, through its Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB). NPE has committed to work with GE Energy to reach a goal of 1,000 megawatts. GE Energy, one of the world's leading wind turbine suppliers, has been selected to provide 30 of its 1.5-megawatt wind turbines for phase I.

New Park Energy Phase I will be the first commercial wind energy project in Pakistan, where the government has set a goal to have 10% of the country's energy produced from renewable sources by the year 2015. As a significant part of that effort, AEDB has forecast the installation of 1800-2700 megawatts of wind power capacity by 2015, with an annual installation rate of 170-270 megawatts.

The New Park Energy project will be located near Port Qasim and will provide wind-generated electricity to the Karachi Electric Supply Company, to help support residential and industrial expansion in the Karachi area. Plans call for the project to be developed in 45-megawatt increments. Groundbreaking for Phase I is scheduled for the third quarter of 2005, with the wind turbine installation to be completed by the end of that year. The total 400-megawatt installation is expected by 2007.

"We applaud Pakistan's aggressive program to increase its supply of wind power and are very pleased that our technology has been selected for the first commercial project in the country," said Steve Zwolinski, CEO of GE Energy's wind operations. "This strong activity in Pakistan is further evidence of how countries worldwide are embracing the benefits of wind energy."

The project owner will be New Park Energy Ltd, a group that includes Dorsch Consult of Germany and Albario Engineering Limited of Lahore Pakistan.

The New Park Energy wind project will help to meet Pakistan's energy shortage. It also is expected to open the doors to further wind energy development and encourage other foreign investors. "Special thanks goes to the government of Pakistan who encouraged this development", said Saeed Akhtar, Chief Executive Officer of New Park Energy.

The GE 1.5-megawatt wind turbines selected for this project are among the world's most widely tested and sold wind turbines. Earlier this year, GE announced that its 1.5-megawatt machine was the first megawatt-class wind turbine to reach 2,500 installations worldwide.

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German firm to manufacture wind turbines in Pakistan: AEDB

Daily Times - Sunday, May 14, 2006

ISLAMABAD: A known German Company with the financial assistance of an American investor will soon start manufacturing wind turbines in Pakistan.

According to a spokesman of the Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) here on Saturday, two companies - Fuhrlander-Germany and Access Energy Inc. USA have singed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for manufacturing megawatt class wind turbines.

Besides funding manufacture of wind turbines, the US company would also set up a 50 megawatt power plant along the general wind corridor in Gharo, Sindh using Fuhrlander wind turbines.

As part of the MoU, the German company would transfer technology to Pakistan for manufacturing wind turbines alongwith its accessories for a minimum of 1000 megawatts.

Speaking at the occasion, Chairman, AEDB, Air Marshal (Retd) Shahid Hamid said the signing of MoU was a big step in achieving Board's goal of indigenous manufacturing of wind turbine of megawatt class.

He reiterated that AEDB's commitment to promote alternative renewable energy in the country and ensured full facilitation to all those interested in undertaking such projects in Pakistan. APP