Lying 150 kilometres south of Pakistan's financial capital Karachi, Kharochhan is an island of thatched homes where fishermen scrape by on 75 dollars a month and never dreamed of having electricity.
The island was able to install five wind turbines with the help of a local charity which resulted in lighting two bulbs a house, lighting at present a fifth of homes with more to enlighten.
No matter how small the initiative has been, it has kindled hope in the country which faces huge energy crisis able only to produce 80 percent of the total, making life difficult for consumers.
This small step also shows Pakistan's commitment to tap into its abundant renewable resources. Pakistan has a considerable potential of wind energy in the coastal belt of Sindh, Balochistan and as well as in the desert areas of Punjab and Sindh.
A layman would ask as to how is wind power changed into electricity. Simply put, wind turbine is a machine that is used for the generation of electricity from wind. It's installed on a tower at a windy location to capture wind so as to generate electricity. The faster the wind would blow; the more electricity would be produced.
According to Pakistan Metrological Department, the coastal belt of Pakistan is blessed with a 60 km wide and 180 km long wind corridor at Gharo-Keti Bandar, the coastline of the Arabian Sea, extending upto Hyderabad in Sindh. This corridor has the exploitable potential to generate 50,000 MW of electricity through wind energy, mostly in southern Sindh province. The report maintains that the high winds that batter Pakistan's 1,050-kilometre coastline are perfect for powering turbines and cutting power shortages.
Several countries across the globe have successfully harnessed wind power to generate electricity. Amongst these is Denmark which produces 19 percent of electricity through wind power, Spain and Portugal with nine percent, and Germany and Ireland utilizing wind power to produce six percent of the total electricity. India, the fourth in line of countries in the world for the generation of electricity, is producing more than 8000 MW of electricity by utilizing wind turbines while Pakistan lags behind in this area as contribution of renewable resources to its energy sector is just 0.21%.
Earlier this year the Government of Pakistan announced its first-ever wind energy scheme - the 50-megawatt 'Energy Wind Power Project' as a step to implement alternative energy technologies in the country.
The launch of the wind farm is expected to be a major milestone towards exploiting the wind potential of renowned Gharo-Keti Bandar Wind Corridor thereby heralding the beginning of a new era in Pakistan.
It also shows the commitment on the government's part to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuel, control environmental pollution and achieve sustainable energy security.
The future, therefore of tapping the wind power is bright. National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) issued licences to five independent power producers for initiating wind power projects in the country. The Alternative Energy Development Board has so far identified 50,000 acres of government land in Sindh alone where 23,646 acres of land have already been allocated to 15 investors.
Pakistan has a huge potential to tap into its wind power in order to meet its energy crisis. The country has a huge work force to manufacture the turbines therefore not only saving the already import-driven economy but also increasing chances of earning revenue by exporting them.
Wind power generation in the long run will provide an excellent opportunity to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels. At present, imported oil accounts for approximately 45 per cent of the total commercial energy supply. It will also at the same time expand the power supply capacity to remote locations in the country where grid expansion is impractical.
Pakistan is bestowed with potential renewable resources like wind, water and solar energy. If planned and executed properly, these alternates can play a very positive role in generating cheap electricity-an urgent need of the day.
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