Sino-Pak cooperation on biomass will help to address both energy shortages and climate change, says a report published by Gwadar Pro. As winter approaches, a global energy shortage poses another major challenge under the pandemic context.
SM Naveed, PCJCCI Chairman, suggested earlier this year that China-Pakistan cooperation on biomass energy could be a new answer to both energy shortages and climate change. That’s a very good offer.
As Chinese researcher on biomass energy, we are also willing to provide Pakistan with assistance in terms of technicians, equipment and technology,” Zhang Dayong, Secretary General of Biomass Energy Industry Promotion Association (BEIPA), told Gwadar Pro in an exclusive interview.
“In recent years, climate change and waste pollution has posed environmental issues to mankind. Therefore, sustainable development is crucial, and many responsible countries, including China and Pakistan, are developing clean energy to cope with the dilemma. In addition to wind power, hydropower and photovoltaic power, biomass energy will become another correct answer to climate change,” Zhang said. He introduced: “In fact, biomass energy is a form of solar energy that plants store in organic matter as chemical energy through photosynthesis including forestry waste, household garbage, organic industrial waste residues and other forms. Its essence is recycling carbon, instead of putting it into the atmosphere. Therefore, it is the only truly zero-carbon fuel of all renewable energy sources, and the only renewable carbon source.”
Pakistan is the sixth most populous country in the world with an estimated population of 220 million, with 60.12% of the population lives in rural areas. Therefore, biomass energy is regarded as one of the most promising renewable energy sources with great power generation potential in Pakistan. Zhang believed that in Pakistan, agriculture not only contributes 19.8% of GDP and provides employment to 42.3% of the workforce, but also holds a great potential to avert Pakistan’s energy crisis.
According to the data from the International Energy Agency (IEA), the use of biofuels for power generation in Pakistan has reached about 1200Gwh since 2015, but the proportion is still very low, less than 1% of the total power generation. The most important materials are agricultural waste such as cotton stalk, wheat stalk and maize stalk.
Pakistan has the necessary conditions to develop biomass energy and has a huge demand for the industry, Zhang added:
“Developing biomass energy could solve many of the intractable problems Pakistan is currently facing. First of all, biomass power generation can relieve the energy shortage and reduce carbon emissions, to help Pakistan achieve the carbon reduction target. Secondly, it is very effective in dealing with urban and rural waste, which can maximize the harmlessness and reuse of waste. Finally, it will be a blue ocean for business that will greatly improve the economy and people’s livelihood. Biomass energy, unlike other energy sources, belongs to every household. Everyone produces waste all the time, whether they live in urban or rural areas.” “Chinese biomass energy practitioners are willing to help Pakistan develop this industry. It has been 15 years since China’s first biomass power plant was put into operation in 2006.
