|
|
Around the world, governments and businesses are constantly being called upon to make big investments in solar, wind, and geothermal energy, as well as biofuels. But, in the US, unlike in Europe and Asia, discussion of hydrogen energy and fuel cells as systemic, game-changing technologies is largely absent. That needs to change: these clean, renewable energy sources promise not only zero-emission base load power, but also a zero-emission fuel for cars and trucks, the biggest polluters of them all.
By now, many have heard about plans by big carmakers to launch hydrogen fuel-cell cars commercially around 2015. Daimler, Ford, and Nissan plan to launch such cars around 2017. Germany plans to build at least 50 hydrogen fuelling stations by 2015 as the start of a countrywide network. Japan and Korea have announced similar plans.
But a bigger, largely unreported, message is that some European countries, especially Germany, have launched projects that combine renewables like solar and wind with hydrogen for energy storage, implying clean, zero-emission, stable power grids that require no coal, oil, or nuclear power.
Indeed, the bottom line of a new study by two American researchers, Willett Kempton and Cory Budischak, is that the combination of renewables and hydrogen storage could fully power a large electricity grid by 2030 at costs comparable to those today. They designed a computer model for wind, solar and storage to meet demand for one-fifth of the US grid. The results buck “the conventional wisdom that renewable energy is too unreliable and expensive,” says Kempton. “For example,” according to Budischak, “using hydrogen for storage, we can run an electric system that today would meet a need of 72 GW, 99.9 percent of the time, using 17 GW of solar, 68 GW of offshore wind, and 115 GW of inland wind.”
Their study lends scientific support to several such projects underway in Europe aimed at proving that hydrogen gas, converted from water via electrolysis and stored, for example, in subterranean salt caverns, can smooth out fluctuations inherent in solar and wind energy. It builds in part on two recent studies at Stanford University and the Carnegie Institution, which conclude that “there is more than enough energy available in winds to power all of civilisation.”
The latest effort, scheduled to get underway outside Brussels this year, is the delightfully named “Don Quichote” project (“Demonstration of New Qualitative Innovative Concept of Hydrogen Out of wind Turbine Electricity”), designed to highlight utility-scale energy storage and transport, and to provide power for fuel-cell forklift trucks. Meanwhile, near Berlin, five companies launched a $13 million pilot project at the main airport in Schoenefeld in December, expanding and converting an existing hydrogen fuelling station to CO2 neutrality by linking it to a nearby wind farm. Earlier last year, two German utilities announced two gas demonstration plants. And the world’s first renewable energy or hydrogen hybrid power plant, producing both electricity and hydrogen as car fuel, started production in the fall of 2011.
The previous year, German Chancellor Angela Merkel laid the plant’s cornerstone herself, sending a strong signal of her seriousness about Germany’s shift to clean, renewable energy. Indeed, the much-noted Energiewende, or energy turnaround, that she announced in 2010 is arguably one of the most audacious acts of environmental statesmanship yet.
Germany’s move toward renewable energy is likely to have a much broader positive impact. More broadly, Lutz Mez, a political scientist at Berlin’s Free University, argues that the country’s shift has “observably decoupled energy supply from economic growth,” and that the “evolving Energiewende, rather than the nuclear phase-out” implies “continuing reforms of social, economic, technological, and cultural policy in Germany.” What, one wonders, are lagging nations waiting for?
The writer has authored “Tomorrow’s Energy: Hydrogen, Fuel Cells, and the Prospects for a Cleaner Planet”, and is the editor of “The Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Letter” (www.hfcletter.com). This article has been reproduced from Project Syndicate.
Sadiqa Anjum talks of solar panels to reduce load shedding. Will solar energy or even wind energy by itself revive half the industry of the country which is shutdown and fleeing the country. We need mega quantities of power which only mega dams can give in the long run. Alternate means of energy and even Thar coal will not give us the required quantity of water for irrigation. Shortage of power has blinded us to the bigger problem of shortage of water which is causing severe food inflation. 12 of the 18 crore people are spending all their income on purchase of food. This has pushed 8 crore people below the poverty line compared to 5 crore in 2008. 11 crore people have been reduced to less than two meals a day. Agriculture is the backbone of Pakistan’s economy providing livelihood directly to 70 percent of the rural population and earning 60 percent of the export revenues. We will ignore it only at our own peril.
ENGR KHURSHID ANWER,
EARTH receives about 75,000 × 1011 KW of energy from the sun every day. Just 0.1 per cent of this energy is sufficient to meet the energy requirement of the entire world.
If the solar energy striking an area of 12,550 square km at noon is converted to electricity, it will be equal to the peak power generation capacity of all power plants in the world. Similarly, if only a part of the roof of an average house in Pakistan is converted with solar panels, it can provide sufficient energy to meet the entire energy requirement of the house.
Solar energy could be converted to mechanical, chemical or electrical energy also. However, silicon solar cells can covert solar radiation directly into electricity and can be used for domestic lighting, for running TV sets, radio instruments and for community lighting.
These systems are costly to install. However, once installed, there is little expenditure involved and the device works for years and years together. With the advent of summer, our country faces more and more energy shortfall. We must avail ourselves of this environment-friendly energy in order to keep sustainable pace with developing nations around the world.
SYEDA SAIMA
Hyderabad
Pakistan has continuously been missing the alternative energy boat despite having driving forces like resources, finances and brains, which our people refuse to put to good use,” said retired Brig Prof Dr Nasim A. Khan during his lecture on alternate energy at the Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (Szabist) on Wednesday.
“The missing links in Pakistan preventing us from going in the alternative direction are: no data, lack of human resources, leadership and the will to do something. ‘Who’ will do something, is the question. ‘Not me!’ is the usual answer,” he said.
“We are the status quo people; we do not want to change things. We cannot even think original thoughts,” he added
Narrating the depressing story of alternative energy right from the start, the professor said that solar energy was made the responsibility of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission in 1960s, but on realising that it was not really atomic energy, a solar energy research centre was set up. And some 18 solar villages were set up around the country.
“But these villages were in such faraway places that no one got to know about them. There were also no proper roads in those areas so people could not even easily reach there by car. As a result finding no acknowledgment of his fine work the person responsible for installing the solar cells there died of a heart attack,” the professor said.
“Anyway, to make a long story short, the project did not take off due to lack of understanding. But now there are thankfully plenty of people getting into it. The private sector, too, has been involved since 2004. There are also many consultants and students working on alternative energy. Understanding the need of the hour, some NGOs are also promoting it now,” he added.
“But the thinking of many still has not changed, unfortunately. We do not have faith in our own work. We think what comes from abroad is the right thing and are constantly looking for approval as well as expertise from there,” he said.
“Wind energy and solar energy are the solution to loadshedding. But all wind and solar energy components are coming from abroad,” he added.
“There are so many places in the world that do not even get the sun that use solar energy, but we get the sun throughout the year in Sindh, even in winters. Our geysers run on gas whereas there is such a thing called solar geyser, which we would not switch to because we do not want change. The existing power distribution is not satisfactory to meet the energy needs of the masses, especially those living in remote locations. But power is not generated where it is needed. Instead it has to be brought there from somewhere else, which of course costs more,” he said.
“People come from abroad to discover gas in Sindh, while we were oblivious of our gas resources. There are new sources of energy available in Sindh such as solar, wind, bio-energy [waste to energy, biogas, bio diesel], geothermal, hydropower and marine energy. But then who will bring from abroad a ‘gora’ to turn your waste into energy? And you, of course, won’t do it,” he regretted.
“Sindh has 140, 914 square kilometres of land area and a more than 400km coastal belt. It is receiving 140,000,000 megawatts of solar radiation every moment. If only 10 per cent of the area is utilised with solar cells it will produce 1,400,000 megawatts,” he pointed out.
Finally, he presented a photograph of an electric qingqi rickshaw designed by him. “We missed the boat of making mobile phones and computers, but we can still make electric cars,” he said.
The lecture was attended by Szabist president Dr Saqib Rizvi, head of their Computer Science and Centre for Renewable Energy Research Dr Imran Amin along with other faculty members, staff and students.
Amidst Pakistan’s energy crisis, US Agency for International Development (USAID) has launched an innovative approach to create awareness about energy efficiency and conservation through a week-long media campaign, Bijli, Pani Week.
The campaign includes testimonials of actual beneficiaries of USAID Tube Well Efficiency Improvement Program, TV commercials advertising the 50 per cent subsidy available on energy efficient pumps and for the first time in Pakistan, a docudrama to educate the viewers about the benefit of adopting energy-efficient practices.
USAID through its Tube Well Efficiency Improvement Program is not only encouraging people to save electricity but also showing them how they can actually do it.
USAID wants to make ‘Bilji, Pani Week’ a quarterly activity to advocate the adoption of energy-efficient practices.
By replacing their old, energy-inefficient pumps with new, energy-efficient ones, farmers can have substantial savings on their electricity bills while easing the load on Pakistan`s already over-stretched grid.
For the first time in Pakistan, through program, eight Pakistani pump suppliers have been tested and certified by USAID.
Pakistan’s agricultural sector is the third largest consumer of electricity. It is also home to the vast majority of the labour force.
USAID spotted an opportunity to conserve electricity by targeting this sector.
Inefficient tube well pumps are responsible for the largest share of electricity consumption. If all such pumps are replaced, the country can significantly cut down on its energy shortage, USAID believes.
The introduction of energy-efficient pumps is one of the several US initiatives announced by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in support of Pakistan’s efforts to curtail its energy crisis.
By providing 50 per cent subsidy on the new pumps and, through agreements with various banks, flexible financing options to meet the remaining 50 per cent of the cost, USAID is ensuring that the initial investment should be easier for the farmers.
The savings of at least 20 per cent on each month`s electricity bill makes for an attractive return on investment.
A COUNTRY where, besides power shortage, electricity generation, fuel and the customer mix have gone wrong, cannot hope to surmount its energy problems in a short period of 2-3 years.
Presently, the most important challenge is to correct the highly skewed fuel mix. And if it is not done, prices would surely skyrocket, getting out of reach of the people.
Consequently, all efforts to add capacity (1900 MW has been added to the tally during the last 30 months) will come to a naught, if the fuel mix, at least, is not corrected through diversion of gas to the power sector and possible conversion of the GENCOs (except for the gas turbines) to coal fired systems.
The possible diversion of gas can be easy and probably depends upon the public policy alone. However, conversion to coal eventually needs at least 2-3 years.
But it is also imperative to take up energy conservation and efficiency in a very sustained manner.
The savings can be huge as the Pepco`s efforts of the last three years plus have already laid down the foundation of national conservation. The sale of CFLs or energy savers has ballooned from a meagre two million pieces in 2005-06 to a whopping 30 million in 2009-10. This alone has reduced the customer demand by a 1000 to 1500 MW – otherwise; the national demand would have been 22,500 MW against the maximum of 21,000 MW as seen in the summers of 2010.
Although, energy savers are accepted as gadgets to save on electricity bills, the general customer remains oblivious of many a facet and the country continues to be a dumping ground for inefficient domestic appliances like fridges, deep freezers, air-conditioners and the like.
PSQCA, at the prodding of the Pepco and ENERCON, has started firming up standards, but the job remains far from completed as yet. The National Energy Conservation Strategy, the National Energy Conservation Council and its executive committee all are dormant.
The recommendations that the standards of comparative economies be adopted have also not been given any weight. Experts opine that if all the domestic appliances had been efficient and compliant to international standards, the demand would have dropped by a colossal 2000 MW or 10 per cent of the highest demand in 2010.
Coming over to the industry, Pepco survey 2007, revealed that the average age of equipment/machinery was 17.3 years – meaning, that the equipment in use was of the 1990 model and beyond. In other words, the machinery was of the era when conservation and energy efficiency were not really in fashion (except for the textile machines) and these had been built to produce in the least possible time period.
According to available data, the difference in demand or load of the same machinery of current models and that of the earlier vintage is a cool 38 per cent on the average. This translates into an additional demand of 2000 to 2400 MW. Again, calculate the extra bills being paid by the industry and the difference it would make if balancing, modernisation and replacement (BMR) activity replaces all the trite machines.
Also imagine the usage of 2000 to 2400 MW in some other productive manner and the positive effect it could have on the economy. Such a reduction in demand would allow the utilities to differentiate between the base load and peaking plants – thus reducing the cost of supply in quantum terms. At present, all of the capacity, cheap or expensive, is being utilised to serve the customer demands.
Coming over to agriculture, one sees that the 250,000 tube wells connected to the national grid/electric supply use up to 2000 MW of power during the sowing season
Actually, the demand remain within the band width of 700-2000 MW depending upon the season but is growing in quantum terms.
According to statistics, about 30,000 applications for new tube well connections are pending for want of sanction, which will add another 300 MW to the demand. On checking, it was found that both the motors and the pumps are inefficient and do not conform to the international standards.
In fact, the equipment is of old vintage and over-engineered. Consequently, it is calculated that replacement of the existing equipment can reduce that demand of tube well usage to half of the present. This study was accepted by the USAID, which is in the process of implementing a pilot project of replacement of 11,000 tube well motors and pumps through a partnership programme, where the beneficiary farmer has to pay 50 per cent of the replacement cost.
Let`s hope that the replacement programme catches up and very soon all inefficient equipment would stand replaced. The best of the outcomes would, however, be the setting of standards and installation of only standard equipment in future. If the 7,50,000 tube wells working through diesel engines are also tackled along with the electricity powered ones, the country would save Rs50 billion in fuel and electricity charges each year.
It all could thus have a great impact on the economics of agriculture and may even contribute to possible reduction in the wastage of the underground water resources.
Solution to energy crisis in Pakistan lies in smart grid (Intelligent Energy Management) and use of solar energy along with the electricity of Wapda.
This was stated by Prof Dr Yaqoob Raziq of University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, US, at the concluding ceremony of a four-day workshop on “load management through smart grid” held at Federal Urdu University on Thursday.
He said that in Pakistan line losses are much more as compared to other countries. Through smart grid not only loss of energy can be controlled but load can also be managed.
“By using smart grid, we can restrict any house, company or factory from using unlimited load. We can even restrict the residents from using air conditioners,” he said.
“We can also fix the limit of use of electricity for every house through smart grid for a certain time period due to which we can make sure that at least electricity for bulbs and other small appliances will be provided round the clock,” he said.
“We have to introduce solar panels in every house along with electricity coming from Wapda. It will not only reduce the electricity bills but will also solve the issue of electricity shortage,” he said.
While talking about the qualities of smart grid he said that it is possible that person using solar energy would become a power producer.
While person would be out of home, electricity produced by the solar panel will start adding in the national grid and his metre will start moving in reverse direction.
However, he said that only solution of electricity stealing (theft) is that Wapda should disconnect the electricity of the house on a permanent bases.
Chief guest of the workshop, Mian Muhammad Javed, founder member of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority said that transmission and distribution of energy can be made intelligent by integrating the existing power system with telecommunication system, including engaging Sensors Networks and Information Technology.
“The greatest wish of any utility company is that either power be stored or consumer behaviour could be changed so that peak efficiencies could be achieved. Smart distribution system can curtail peak demand by shifting consumption away from periods of peak demand,” he said.
Head of department of electrical engineering, Junaid Nawaz while talking to Dawn said that solar energy is more environment friendly as compared to energy produced by coal and other petroleum products.
“We have to move towards some advance technology regarding energy because only that is how we can solve the crises of energy in our country,” he said.
More than 50 participants including foreign faculty members, teachers, researchers, professionals and engineering students attended the workshop.
IN the current energy crisis, the country cannot depend upon one source of energy supply and has to look for renewable sources. One of the best ways to generate utility scale electricity is through concentrated solar thermal power.
Most of the areas of Pakistan have solar irradiation of 5kWh/m2/day which by all standards is very attractive for utility scale thermal power generation. With today’s technologies, it is possible to construct concentrated solar thermal power units of say about 25 MW capacities in modular form, up to any aggregate capacity.
The country has been ranked among the most promising locations for solar thermal power generation and it has been estimated that in the (near) future, generation cost through CST may drop to 7-8 US cents /unit and that an area of about one sq. km may generate solar thermal electricity equivalent to about 50 MW of conventional thermal plant.
In other words, a total area of about 100 sq. km (say 10 km x 10 km) is sufficient to compensate for the present shortfall of about 5,000 MW electricity.
According to an estimate, power generation through furnace fuel oil (the main fuel option in Pakistan) costs around 19 cents per unit International funding for setting up “Green” energy projects is relatively easy to get on very attractive terms. Utility scale CST plants have been made economically feasible through bulk production of some of their components.
Major components of the CST plants include; heliostat mounted solar reflectors, tower mounted boiler, heat energy storage unit and rest of the steam power plant. Heliostats keep the reflectors facing towards the sun; whereas all the reflectors concentrate the solar radiation to the tower mounted boiler. Boiler generated steam feeds steam turbine which ,in turn, drives the electric generator (see the figure). Waste heat from the turbine may be used in some industrial process or for air-conditioning.
Some very successful technologies have been developed for storing heat energy during the non-sunny hours in the form of steam or molten salts. Bulk storage of heat energy is much cheaper than its storage as electrical energy through batteries.
Existing steam power stations may also be converted to solar thermal completely or CST modules for additional steam generation may be added. These are not complicated technologies; most of the major components have been readily available for years. Computer controlled heliostats are manufactured by various companies or can be developed locally through available resources.
During the recent years, the idea of solar thermal power generation has been catching up. More than one Giga Watt (1000 MW) of solar thermal plants are under construction in the world and more that about 14 Giga Watts plants are planned to be installed in near future.. The largest power plant based, on steam turbine technology through solar heat, is at Mojave Desert California and has the capacity of 354 MW.
Today there are a good number of international companies who have developed complete plants for large scale power production and may be willing to install their CST technology plants in Pakistan.
The country has proved through its nuclear and missile development programmes that our engineers and scientists are fully capable of performing any engineering feat. If these ultra hi-tech technologies can be developed, CST development is lesser daunting task. Self-reliance in this area may ensure our energy security.
An independent team of engineers and scientists can be assembled from the government and private organisations which can be given the task of doing CST engineering, designing and development.
Some major components can be sourced internationally like steam turbines and heat exchanger; while heliostats and other things can be designed to mass produce locally. A whole new industrial sector comprising of manufacturing, assembling, installation, as well as, operation and maintenance of the solar thermal plants may produce thousands of new jobs.
The article has focused on the CST, however much of the “low quality heat energy (lower temperature)” requirements of the industry and households may be met through some other very promising solar heat technologies; thus reducing the burden on our depleting gas reserves.
GEOTHERMAL energy is power extracted from heat stored in the earth. It can be used for generating electricity. Worldwide, 24 countries are making use of this form of energy.
To produce this type of energy, wells are drilled into underground reservoirs which are approximately one to several miles deep below the earth`s surface. This way, steam and very hot water are brought to the surface for use in a variety of applications.
The people of the Philippines have exploited such resources to reduce dependence on imported oil. San Francisco produces over 750 MW of electricity from geothermal energy. A large geothermal plant can power an entire city.
In Pakistan, virtually no worthwhile effort has been made to exploit this vast reserve of free energy which is cost-effective, reliable, sustainable and environment-friendly.
Also, no incentives have been announced to attract investment in this form of energy so as to provide attraction to private parties to explore and exploit this sector.
Geothermal power requires no fuel and is, therefore, virtually emissions-free and insusceptible to fluctuations in fuel cost.
In Iceland, during winter, geothermal energy meets the heating and hot water requirements of approximately 87 per cent of all buildings.
Plans are under way to turn Iceland into a 100 per cent fossil-fuel-free nation in the near future. Even pavements are heated up with geothermal energy.
We, in Pakistan, need to look into the possibilities of exploiting this free resource and strive to make up for the shortage of electricity.
Just like the Thar coal project, we have to allocate this job to one of the renowned companies of the world which has got immense experience in the exploitation of this resource.
AIR CDRE (Rtd) AZFAR
A. KHAN
Rawalpindi
The speakers at a consultative workshop on Wednesday urged promotion of sustainable energy production and usage and explore avenues for biomass in the country.
Local and international experts speaking at a project document presented at the workshop focused on impending measures to meet domestic and commercial energy needs across the country.
The UNIDO has contracted Winrock International to develop a UNIDO/GEF project document on “Promoting sustainable energy production and use from biomass in Pakistan”.
The overall aim of the project is to promote market-based adoption of modern biomass energy conversion technologies for process heat generation by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in clusters and power generation in rural areas of the country and develop a UNIDO/GEF project document for endorsement.
“After increase in ratio of thermal power into national grid, we bear extra burden for oil import and electricity tariff is also increasing,” said Chief Executive Officer, Alternate Energy Development Board Arif Alauddin, in his inaugural address.
He informed the participants that 60 million people in Pakistan are living without electricity. “To cope with this situation, we shall have to explore alternate energy resources as we have 50,000 MW potential in hydro power, 300,000 MW in wind power and unlimited mega watts in solar energy.”
He said the authorities cannot reach out to 48,000 villages for electrification even during next 20 years. However, these villages have vast potential for alternate energy generation.
“This also requires investment by private sector,” he said and expected US$ 500 million investment in wind and solar energy sectors by the end of current financial year.
He supported the consultation process and said,” it should culminate at concrete proposals to help country meet energy requirements”.
The present full scale project counts on a total budget of US$ two million in GEF grant funding and about US$ seven million in co- financing to be mobilized from stakeholders.
GEF resources being requested for this project will be targeted at establishing a market environment that will promote investments in modern biomass energy conversion technologies to provide process heat in SMEs in clusters and power generation in rural areas.
More specifically, GEF funding will be used to partly finance the activities like developing three pilot projects to demonstrate the technical feasibility and economic viability of modern biomass energy conversion technologies in SMEs in clusters or in rural areas; strengthening policy and regulatory frameworks and institutional mechanism; and capacity building and awareness rising.
The work defines 5 tasks including Collection and Analysis of Supplementary Data; Consultations with the Stakeholders; Design Pilot/Demonstration Project; Project Strategy and implementation Detailing; and Organization of Project Meetings and Workshops.
Project team Leader Irfan Afzal Mirza said that the objective of this workshop was to gather feedback from relevant stakeholders and expert groups for potential components and activities for the upcoming project.
“Outcome of these tasks will form an input to the full scale Project mentioned above,” he said, adding, all the data gathered will be presented in the form of full scale project document report and will be submitted to UNIDO/GEF for CEO endorsement.
Page 1 of 15912345...102030...»Last »
|
|
