RCCI demands permanent solution to address loadshedding

RAWALPINDI, July 05 (SABAH): President Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) Nadeem Rauf has said that a permanent solution to the power crisis should be found and a long term policy should be adopted for the power sector. We welcomed the government announcement to shift government buildings to solar.

In order to increase the domestic production of Solar panels, a concessional package has to be given so that the import bill is reduced, he added.

Speaking in a TV program, RCCI President Nadeem Rauf said that the main cause of the energy crisis in Pakistan is mixed fuel transformation. Sixty percent of Pakistan’s total electricity generation is thermal, which requires importing diesel and furnace oil. Thirty percent is hydel, which requires a long-term policy, but we have seen that under public pressure the governments take shortcuts. Pakistan is rich in natural resources; in the north we have rivers with excellent flow. Our power generation capacity is more than 30,000 megawatts, which can be increased to more than 50,000 MW, he added.

Nadeem Rauf said that renewable energy resources also need to be harnessed. He said that solar, nuclear and wind energy account for 10% of the country’s electricity generation which needs to be gradually increased. We have a long summer and luckily we have long Wind Corridors which can be helpful in generating Solar and Wind based electricity, he added.

Similarly, there is a need to change our lifestyle. It has been observed that less focus is being given to save electricity in our daily routines including shopping, meals and social gatherings.