Conference on sustainable energy: Lack of technical expertise hampers hydropower generation

PESHAWAR: Experts at a two-day conference here on Wednesday said the main barrier in developing the micro and small hydro projects was the lack of technical expertise to manufacture hydro turbines in Pakistan.

They were speaking at the two-day international conference on “Sustainable Energy Technologies” at the US Pak Centre for Advanced Studies in Energy USPCAS-E UET Peshawar. UET Peshawar Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Iftikhar Hussain, who was the chief guest, said the government must develop energy policies to tap the hydro and solar potential of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “We look forward for an inclusive policy and technology development in close collaboration with USPCAS-E and are working jointly for sustainable development in the renewable energy sector of Pakistan,” he added.

Prof Dr Sahar Noor, Dean, Faculty of Mechanical, Chemical, Industrial Engineering and USPCAS-E said Pakistan was blessed with renewable energy resources with enormous solar potential in its plains and deserts as well as excellent hydro potential in northern hilly terrains.

He said that there was a dire need for raising awareness among stakeholders including policymakers and the public on energy issues and their solutions. As many as fifty research papers were presented in six technical sessions including Renewable Energy Technologies, Electrical Energy Systems, Thermal Energy Systems, Energy Materials, Energy, Environment and Policy and Power System Technologies.

Guests were from Arizona State University USA, National University of Technology (NUTECH), Pakistan; US Pakistan Centre for Advanced Studies, NUST and King Saud University, Saudi Arabia, Center for Industrial and Building Energy Audits, Pakistan, Sunway University, Malaysia, Mirpur University of Science and Technology, Pakistan, Abdul Wali Khan University, Pakistan, University Teknologi Malaysia, UNHCR, Pakistan, TESCO, Pakistan attended the moot.