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UET Holds a Seminar on Pakistan's Energy Needs
On October 11, 2008, the UET Alumni Association organized a technical seminar and panel discussion titled "Pakistan's Energy Needs" in Potomac, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, DC. The seminar was attended by about fifty participants many of whom are professionals actively associated with the energy field. A large percentage of attendees were alumni of the University and Engineering and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan.
The focus of the seminar was to build on collective experiences of the panelists, each a recognized authority in their areas, to put forward constructive ideas that can help Pakistan meet its energy needs in a timely manner utilizing established and alternate sources. A total of five panelists participated in the seminar. The panelists and the titles of their presentations are as follows:
- Mr. Ziad Alahdad, The World Bank. Presentation title "Institutional Structure for Integrated Energy Planning: The Case for Pakistan".
- Mr. Iftikhar Khalil, The World Bank, and UET alumnus. Presentation title "Power Shortages - Recent Global Developments & Lessons Learned for Pakistan".
- Mr. Furqan Siddiqi, Synergics Energy Services. Presentation title "Alternate or Renewable Energy Options for Pakistan".
- Mr. Bashir Syed, Alternate Energy Technologies. Presentation title "Energy Crisis in Pakistan and Viable Solutions"
- Professor Sameul Lakeou, University of the District of Columbia presented information about emerging technologies for alternative energy production in developing countries
Organizers of the seminar included UETAA officers Mr. Saeed Rana, President; Mr. Irfan Malik, Vice President; Mr. Abdul Hai Shaikh, Secretary; and Mr. Amir Khwaja, Treasurer. The panel discussion was moderated by Mr. Salman Sheikh, also a UET alumnus.
Mr. Alahdad discussed the critical role of Integrated Energy Planning (IEP) in a country's economy and traced the early history of IEP in Pakistan in the 1980's. He explained the causes of lack of continuity of IEP in Pakistan and the adverse impact on overall availability of energy in the country. Mr. Alahdad stressed the need for re-invigorating IEP in Pakistan as an imperative to paving the way to economic recovery.
In his presentation Mr. Iftikhar Khalil provided an overview of the causes of electricity shortages globally and their impact on economic growth and living standards. He then summarized the causes and effects of power shortages in Pakistan and concluded with lessons that could be applied there to alleviate the situation in the short and long terms. He emphasized the importance of diversifying the mix of generation options to strike a balance between fossil, hydro, nuclear and renewable sources of energy.
Mr. Furqan Siddiqi provided a synopsis of various renewable and alternative energy technologies that may be applicable to Pakistan. He discussed the potential for hydro, solar, and wind based energy projects in various parts of the country. He also described a medium sized wind project he was responsible for developing in the state of Maryland.
Mr. Bashir Syed discussed his experiences as an entrepreneur in the area of electronics and alternate energy sources. He described his efforts to set up a renewable ernegy project in Pakistan. He compared the pros and cons of the different types of renewable energy projects, and concluded that solar energy solution is the real alternate solution for all electric power needs in Pakistan. The cost of the solar energy panels has gone down by more than 50 percent due to abundant supply of silicon and emerging technologies.
Professor Lakeou as the Chairman of the Center of Excellence for Renewable Energy at the University of the District of Columbia described the efforts of his group to develop financially feasible options for developing countries. He provided details of a combined solar/wind energy based project his group has set up in Ethiopia, which has been operating successfully since early 2008. The project is monitored from Washington DC through a web link. Different manufacturers donated all materials and equipment for the project. In addition, students from a local university in Ethiopia were participated in the installation of the different components and have been trained to maintain and operate the equipment.
In addition to the panelists, two other presentations were also made. The first was submitted by Mr. Salim Mastan (UET alumnus) of EES, a Paksitan based company promoting wind turbines and providing integrated services for design, installation and operation of wind energy systems.
The last presentation was provided by Mr. Imran Mufti, a UET alumnus in the Washington DC area who is developing a pilot scale solar energy project. The presentation included the design basis and sizing calculations for a solar energy system to power a tube well in the rural areas of Pakistan.
A lively question and answer session followed the presentations. Several people from the audience expressed interest and requested the panelists to clarify immediate steps needed to improve the power shortages in Pakistan, including how to communicate these priorities to the Government and the importance of developing and implementing alternate energy projects in Pakistan.
Suggestions for follow-up of the seminar were solicited from the audience and many responded with the idea of setting up a pilot alternative energy project in conjunction with the UET in Pakistan.
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