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Energy and higher growth.

Article Excerpt
God has gifted Pakistan with huge reserves of coal which according to an estimate, are exceeding 90 billion tonnes sufficient to generate 60,000 mw of energy over 100 years, but these reserves have not been harnessed as yet. The hydro potential is estimated at about 30,000 mw (34 million ton oil equivalent, MTOE) out of which 4800 mw has been developed over the past 50 years and the remaining has yet to be exploited.

Pakistan is presently meeting 10 percent of its total energy requirements from firewood. There is a great potential to increase our forests reserves if the afforestation programme is organised on scientific and commercial basis.

The total reserves of gas presently available are 38.0 trillion cubic feet (7.38 MTOE), which are likely to be depleted within next 25 years assuming the present rate of consumption and growth rate. The proven oil reserves are very limited and hardly sufficient to meet our two years' requirements if exploited in toto. Wind energy resources are available along coastal line in Balochistan which also need to be exploited.

Nuclear energy can also play a vital role in balancing energy deficits, but development is limited due to technological problems and international restrictions.

These are the total conventional energy resources in Pakistan which even have not been exploited to their full potential for one or the other reason. With the depleting fossil fuel reserves renewable energy technologies such as solar, hydrogen, geothermal, etc. are expected to make growing contribution to substitute them. Having reviewed the...

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