UNDP Human Development Report: Focusing on environment

The United Nations Development Program has issued the Human Development Report 2007-2008 titled "Fighting climate change: Human solidarity in a divided world."

Climate change is the defining human development challenge of the 21st Century. Failure to respond to that challenge will stall and then reverse international efforts to reduce poverty. The poorest countries and most vulnerable citizens will suffer the earliest and most damaging setbacks, even though they have contributed least to the problem. Looking to the future, no country—however wealthy or powerful—will be immune to the impact of global warming.

The Human Development Report 2007/2008 shows that climate change is not just a future scenario. Increased exposure to droughts, floods and storms is already destroying opportunity and reinforcing inequality. Meanwhile, there is now overwhelming scientific evidence that the world is moving towards the point at which irreversible ecological catastrophe becomes unavoidable. Business-as-usual climate change points in a clear direction: unprecedented reversal in human development in our lifetime, and acute risks for our children and their grandchildren.

There is a window of opportunity for avoiding the most damaging climate change impacts, but that window is closing: the world has less than a decade to change course. Actions taken—or not taken—in the years ahead will have a profound bearing on the future course of human development. The world lacks neither the financial resources nor the technological capabilities to act. What is missing is a sense of urgency, human solidarity and collective interest.

As the Human Development Report 2007/2008 argues, climate change poses challenges at many levels. In a divided but ecologically interdependent world, it challenges all people to reflect upon how we manage the environment of the one thing that we share in common: planet Earth. It challenges us to reflect on social justice and human rights across countries and generations. It challenges political leaders and people in rich nations to acknowledge their historic responsibility for the problem, and to initiate deep and early cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. Above all, it challenges the entire human community to undertake prompt and strong collective action based on shared values and a shared vision.

Source: http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/global/hdr2007-2008/

Complete report can be downloaded at: http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/hdr_20072008_en_complete.pdf

PAKISTAN: Five firms allowed to set up wind power plants

RAWALPINDI, Feb 9: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has issued licences to five independent power producers (IPPs) for initiating wind power projects in the country.

Official sources told Dawn that eight IPPs had completed feasibility studies on wind power plants for generating 50KW each. Licences for the three IPPs, Zephyr Power Ltd, Beacon Energy Ltd and Zorlu Enerji Ltd, were under process.

The companies granted licences were: New Park Energy Ltd, Tenaga Generasi Ltd, Green Power Ltd, Win Power Ltd and Milergo Pakistan Ltd.

The Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) issued a Letter of Intent (LOI) to 93 national and international investors, of which 92 were meant for 50MW wind power projects each and one for a 5MW wind project.

The AEDB has so far identified 50,000 acres of government land in Sindh for the projects on the basis of a survey carried out by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD). Sources say that 23,646 acres of land (19,807 acres in Gharo and 3,839 acres in Jhimpir) have been allocated to 15 investors. About 10,330 acres of land is being provisionally allocated to seven more wind investors.

A PMD study has identified a wind corridor starting from Ketibunder to Gharo extending up to Jamshoro and covering an area of 45,000 sq km. It points out that about 9,000 sq km areas can be used for wind power farms and generate about 11,000MW.

The study indicates that contrary to the general impression, Sindh’s coastal areas have a greater wind power potential than Balochistan’s coast.

Using the measured wind data, the annual gross energy production by an 18MW wind farm consisting of thirty 600kW turbines will be 45 million kWh. Taking into account the wind turbine availability, net losses and wake effects in the wind farm, the net annual energy production is estimated at 31 million kWh per year corresponding to a capacity factor of 28 per cent, the study says.

The total investment will be Rs850 million and payback period will be seven to eight years. The capital cost of wind power projects ranges from Rs40 to Rs50 million per MW. This gives a cost of wind energy generation in the range of Rs2.50 to 3.00 per kWh, taking into consideration the fiscal benefits extended by the government.

The potential for the use of alternative energy sources has never been fully explored in the country. Wind power generation provides an excellent opportunity to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels and at the same time expand the power supply capacity to remote locations where grid expansion is impractical.

At present, oil accounts for approximately 45 per cent of the total commercial energy supply. The share of natural gas is 34 per cent, while that of hydel power remains roughly at 15 per cent.

By Amin Ahmad
http://www.dawn.com/2008/02/10/top11.htm

A list of all LoI holders in this sector can be found at http://www.energy.com.pk/LOI%20holders.htm

Tariff issue in renewable energy

PRODUCING electricity by using wind, solar, waste, micro-hydro and bio-gas technologies is becoming a major problem as investors have not utilised the Letters of Intent (LoI) issued to them by the Government of Pakistan

Private energy producers who had promised to invest $5 billion in these technologies are waiting for the tariff issue to be resolved..

Officials of the Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) in the prime minister’s secretariat have informed higher authorities that no project was likely to be set up in the next two years.

The AEDB issued a total of 92 LoIs for generating 275MW of electricity including wind power. But tariffs and administrative issues pertaining to the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) and the National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC) of Wapda have not been sorted out.

Nepra is believed to have refused to offer a tariff of more than 16 cents for each kilowatt but wind power investors were seeking more.

While Nepra is not prepared to give what investors describe as a ‘fair tariff’ for wind power and other sources of energy, bureaucratic hurdles, allegedly created by the NTDC, were also pushing the people to avoid putting up any project, say investors. As a result, the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) is being asked to firm up its new projects to generate 8,800MW of nuclear energy by 2030.

However, the PAEC is also expressing its inability to deliver as China is taking time to provide 4-6 nuclear power plants as agreed between the two countries. China is stated to be under pressure from a 38-member nuclear supplier group acting on the directives of the United States.

According to the PAEC officials, Chashma-1 is generating 325MW of nuclear energy while Chashma-2 of the same capacity will be commissioned in 2011 as per schedule. The Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (Kanup) of 137MW is over-age and is currently generating only 90MW nuclear energy.

“But the real disappointment of the Independent Power Producers (IPPs) of wind, solar etc. is lack of co-operation from the government and its various agencies including Nepra and the NTDC”, a consultant of wind power, Mr Sultan Farooq told Dawn on telephone from Dubai.

He said there was no solution to the ongoing worsening power crisis, but to go for alternate options of hydro, wind solar etc., and that the government should facilitate the IPPs in this regard. He said a “fair tariff” was needed to be offered by Nepra. An AEDB official, who did not like to be quoted, said that his organisation was not the executing agency. It was there to facilitate the investors of renewable energy. He regretted that not a single project out of total of 92 LoIs issued, could be set up due to differences between Nepra and the NTDC and between both the organisations and the investors.

He said that feasibility studies for eight IPPs of the wind power were given to Nepra. The matter was then sent to the NTDC for determining the power purchase agreement. “And out of these eight, tariffs was awarded to four IPPs who then refused to accept that tariff as being low”, he said.

Responding to a question, he said that global demand for wind turbines is rapidly increasing and by the time tariff and power purchase agreements are finalised, these prices will further go up, forcing the IPPs not to take any decision. “It takes 18 to 24 months for the financial close of any project and this is not the way to attract investors in our part of the world”, the official regretted.

Nevertheless, he said that AEDB was engaged in providing electricity to remote villages. So far 1762 houses in 31 villages had been provided electricity in Sindh through solar and wind energy. The whole village of “Goth Omar Deen Arain”, has been provided with electricity, the official said. By March 2008, he said 100 more villages would be electrified in the province. The plan was also to electrify many villages in Balochistan for which additional funding has been sought from the federal government. The AEDB had been set up to promote environment-friendly alternative renewable energy resources, he added.

He was happy that one of the most important accomplishments of the AEDB had been the creation of awareness among decision makers on importance of the renewable energy. The official did not rule out effective international collaboration once the tariff issue was resolved.

Pakistan is blessed with abundant alternative/renewable energy resources, like solar, wind and water. In hydro-power sector, the potential of which identified is about 46,000 MW out of which only 6,595 MW has been utilised. Most of the hydro-power potential lies in the North Western Frontier Province (NWFP), Northern Areas (NA) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). However, he said, the potential in canal system and in small rivers and streams, if calculated, would be much more.

The vast irrigation system provides hundreds of sites for macro, mini and small hydro-power plants. Depending upon the head and flow of water, suitable turbines can be utilised to generate electricity.

He said the country has huge potential for small and mini-hydropower projects under 50 MW capacity , with score of sites identified. Small and micro-hydropower projects are suitable for local investments and individual projects could come on line in a short time to mitigate the serious electricity shortage problems. In addition, being a renewable energy resource, every one of these investments is a substitute for expensive imported oil.

The installed capacity of the hydropower stations in the country is about 6,595 MW and only about 15 per cent of the available hydro-power potential has been harnessed so far.

By Ihtasham ul Haque

http://dawn.com/2008/02/11/ebr15.htm

Enviro-political jokes :)

1. George W. Bush says that he is committed to fighting global warming. Yeah, well, he nipped that in the bud, didn't he? ... President Bush says he's really going to buckle down now and fight global warming. As a matter of fact, he announced today he's sending 20,000 troops to the sun" --David Letterman

2. "According to a new U.N. report, the global warming outlook is much worse than originally predicted. Which is pretty bad when they originally predicted it would destroy the planet." --Jay Leno

3. "President Bush has a plan. He says that if we need to, we can lower the temperature dramatically just by switching from Fahrenheit to Celsius" --Jimmy Kimmel, on fighting global warming

4. "Al Gore is coming out with a movie about global warming called 'An Inconvenient Truth.' It's described as a detailed scientific view of global warming. President Bush said he just saw a film about global warming, 'Ice Age 2; The Meltdown.' He said, 'It's so much better than that boring Al Gore movie.'" --Jay Leno

Telenor Pakistan launches solar-powered repeater site

Telenor Pakistan has launched another environmentally-friendly initiative by using solar energy to power one of its repeater sites.

Telenor Pakistan is the country's first mobile communications services provider to have started using solar energy to power a commercial site.

"We are first in the industry to have started using solar energy to power a commercial site. We aim to help reduce the load on the national power grid through innovative solutions and in longer term we mean to upscale this pilot project to other parts of the country after assessing its success", said Chief Technical Officer Telenor Pakistan Peter Anthony Dindial.

A repeater, as the name suggests, is a tool that picks up, amplifies and transmits the cell phone signals to and fro the nearest base station. Repeaters are used by mobile operators to increase network coverage in a confined area, either indoor or outdoor.

Solar-electricity hybrid system

The pilot site, which is in Buner, is a solar-electricity hybrid system that runs entirely on solar energy during the day and switches to electricity or battery power at night. Such Telenor Pakistan's use of alternate energy sources in its operations is of particular significance considering that the company has the fastest growing network in the country.

Innovative solution to connect the remote, unconnected population

"Such solutions are more eco-friendly and less of a burden logistically in difficult terrains, where mobile coverage might be needed the most, and constant generator refueling might be an issue. The industry must boldly experiment with alternate energy solutions in order to connect the remote, unconnected populations of Pakistan in a sustainable manner", said Dindial.

Reduced expenditures in the long-term

Although the solar panels used in the unit are imported, the batteries, cables and installation expertise are all local. The solution involves a one-time cost but requires low maintenance, thus also reducing capital and operational expenditure in the long-term.

Expand the use of solar energy

Telenor Pakistan plans to expand the use of solar energy to power other base stations in the country. Another area of focus for the company is to create and install other hybrid power combinations such as solar-genset, solar-electricity, and solar-wind to power its base stations across Pakistan.

Courtesy: http://press.telenor.com/PR/200801/1185782_5.html?cid=0128_news_pakistan_solar-based_basestation

UNDP Pakistan: Design, Supply and commissioning of Wind Masts

Islamabad: United Nation Development Program UNDP have embarked on project “Sustainable Development of Commercial Scale Wind Power Generation Project” referred to as Wind Energy Project (WEP). The project is being funded by Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented through Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB), Government of Pakistan. WEP is creating enabling environment for the development of commercial scale wind power projects in Pakistan.

Bids have been invited in this regard for Desgin, Supply and Commissioning of Wind Masts. Last date of response is February 29, 2008.

Details can be seen at:
http://www.undp.org.pk/images/documents/DesignSupplyWindmasts.pdf

Wind energy project: AEDB contacts Denmark lab for data validation

ISLAMABAD: The Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) has contacted Rise National Laboratory of Denmark for data validation to identify wind energy generation potential in coastal areas of Pakistan, sources told Daily Times on Sunday.

Pakistan Meteorological Department has conducted a detailed wind power potential survey of the coastal areas of Pakistan to identify potential areas where economically feasible wind farms could be established. The National Laboratory of Denmark will validate the data confirming the opportunities of power generation through wind.

Dr Irfan Younis, Institute of Information Technology director at Arid University, told Daily Times that the country had potential of generating 50,000 MW power through wind on 1046 km long highway in Balochistan and wind was the best alternative source of generating energy when the country was facing a power deficit.

Dr Younis, who is also a research fellow in energy sector, said Pakistan would be facing acute shortage of gas by 2011. “At present the wind energy is being used for the electrification of remote villages in the southern coastal areas of Pakistan. So far more than 18 villages have been electrified using micro wind turbines. The gross wind power potential in Sindh is 43000 MW. However, the exploitable electric power generation potential of this area is estimated to be about 11000 MW,” he added.

The AEDB has issued Letter of Intents to 93 companies to generate 4650-megawatt wind power. Large wind turbines for power generation have not been installed in Pakistan so far, however, about 30 windmills for pumping water have been installed on experimental purposes in different parts of Sindh and Balochistan.

Source: Daily Times, Pakistan
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C01%5C07%5Cstory_7-1-2008_pg7_18