Pakistan is facing energy scarcity and renewable energy is the only source that can reduce this issue. The energy demand is increasing because of overpopulation, technological advancement and an increase in economic activities.
According to the World Bank, the country’s energy consumption is predicted to rise by about 70 percent by 2030, but production is only forecast to expand by 45 percent. This mismatch may result in additional power outages and shortages in supplies, which would be averse to social welfare and economic development. The country uses costly energy by importing fossil fuels but still faces energy shortages. Currently, the country is facing a shortfall of 8500MW. In urban cities, load-shedding is about 10 hours each day; in rural areas, it’s about 10-12 hours.
This is not only affecting the production of industries but also almost all sectors of the country that are completely dependent on energy, e.g., education, health, transportation, finance, commercial and services, agriculture and tourism sectors. To sustain the development of the country there is a need to address the energy crisis in Pakistan by using renewable energy sources which are less costly compared to non-renewable energy sources. These sources are biomass, hydro, wind, solar and nuclear. Currently, biogas is providing 10 percent of renewable energy to the world countries which is the second largest after hydropower of 16 percent. The focus of this piece is on the use of biogas to overcome these energy shortages in Pakistan.
As the population increases the demand for energy and resources also increases. The annual population growth rate of Pakistan is 1.96 percent which is likely to increase to two percent. According to the statistics, if the population growth of any country is percent, it will double every 35 years. This is an alarming situation since the country is facing difficulty in fulfilling the needs of the current population.
Another reason for the energy demand is technological advancement. Everything is digitalized in this modern age. Every device and gadget requires power. This is dependent on electricity. Increases in economic activities, urbanization, old equipment and transmission lines, lack of diversification of energy mix, lack of investment in sustainable energy sources, and decrease in natural resources such as water (a source of hydropower) add insult to injury, worsening the energy crisis.
The implication of the energy crisis affects the manufacturing process in industries, which directly increases the costs of production and impacts the GDP, and the job sector. It impacts the health sector as for the operational equipment electricity is needed. The education sector can be affected because after COVID-19 many schools and universities conducted online classes. Also modern labs and libraries are non-functional without proper electricity. The agriculture sector also gets affected because electricity is needed for proper irrigation through machinery. Energy is a major factor in attracting Foreign Direct Investments in Pakistan. Because of energy shortages foreign investors hesitate to invest in countries that face energy shortfalls. Technological advancement can slow down because of such shortfalls. Energy shortfall leads to social unrest because people often go on strikes owing to load-shedding.
Analyzing the above factors, there is a severe need for renewable energy sources such as biogas energy. For sustainable energy bioenergy is the cheapest source in Pakistan. Biogas is produced when anaerobic organisms convert the wastes of humans, plants, and cattle into methane gas in the absence of oxygen, which can be used for electricity generation, cooking, and heating, and if compressed can also be used in vehicles instead of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). The cattle in Pakistan produce 92.53 million tons of dung per year which is a burden on the environment. By using it Pakistan can produce almost 4.63 billion m3 of gas from which 70 percent can be stored. The country has the potential to generate almost 20 percent of its energy from biogas which is not only clean but also reliable. But it is only producing 0.9 percent energy from biogas. The lack of infrastructure and technical assistance, and the costs of biogas plants in low-income countries are higher which became a limitation to a country like Pakistan to install huge biogas plants for electricity generation.
Utilizing waste for energy can generate electricity, provide fuel for heating, create jobs, reduce global warming, and contribute to effective waste management. Most of the rural areas are deprived of gas and electricity. It will also fulfil rural areas’ energy needs, decreasing the energy dependence on fossil fuels since they can produce their own fuel and electricity.
By utilizing cattle and human-created solid wastes we cannot only fulfil our energy needs but also keep the environment clean. It will also fulfil UN Sustainable Development Goal number 7, which focuses on clean and cheap energy sources. Moreover, it can ensure the energy security of Pakistan, unlike other dependent renewable energy sources such as wind, hydro, and solar, except nuclear, which is not dependent but reliable. These sources are reliant on weather conditions which often change. But biogas is dependent on waste, which is always available. Initially, the cost will be higher, but it will decrease the energy shortfall of the country and bring sustainability and reliability to the energy sector of Pakistan.
Many countries such as the USA, China, and European Countries are producing almost 90 percent of global biogas. The organic waste of the USA is almost 70 million tons annually and it uses this waste as a natural gas source that is biogas. Almost 2200 biogas plants are operational in the USA, and it can install 13000 more plants. Which will create 335,000 construction-based temporary jobs and nearly 23000 permanent jobs.
Among these operational plants, 40 percent of their biogas is used to generate electricity. On the other hand, China’s biogas energy capacity has reached almost 5.6 terawatt per hour. European countries produce much of their electricity from solid biomass and municipal wastes.
Utilizing waste for energy can generate electricity, provide fuel for heating, create jobs, reduce global warming, and contribute to effective waste management. Most of the rural areas are deprived of gas and electricity. It will also fulfil rural areas’ energy needs, decreasing the energy dependence on fossil fuels since they can produce their own fuel and electricity. The remaining waste from the biogas procedure can be used for fertilizers as they are full of nutrients which are beneficial for plants. Biogas has diverse benefits, providing an adjustable and sustainable power option, specifically for countries like Pakistan which produces more waste than the USA.
