The Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST), Government of Pakistan, has shown strong support towards initiatives related to renewable energy technologies (RETs). Academia, Industry and R&D organizations have been urged to make extraordinary efforts to enhance the share of RETs in the countries total energy mix.
“Pakistan is endowed with a lot of solar energy throughout the year, which is a great investment opportunity for foreign and local business enterprises”, said the Minister of Science and Technology, H.E. Mr. Rana Tanveer Hussain, speaking at the inaugural ceremony of International Conference and Exhibition on Renewable Energy Technologies, held in Islamabad Hotel, Islamabad. The event is being organized by Pakistan Council of Renewable Energy Technologies (PCRET) and the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS), in collaboration with Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), from October 18-20, 2016.
Speaking to a gathering of over 120 participants, inter alia, from, academia, industry, R&D organizations, local and international speakers and participants, and media personnel, the Minister considered it important to fully exploit the RETs for successful implementation of the Government’s energy policies, especially amidst the huge concerns related to energy scarcity. Noting the abundance of solar energy available with the developing countries, he considered RETs a solution to their energy security issues. He considered the presence of eminent Pakistani and foreign scientists, academicians and experts an encouraging sign and hoped for the best outcomes of the event.
Also speaking on the occasion, the Federal Secretary MoST, Mr. Fazal Abbas Maken, highlighted the importance of RETs, especially in view of the rising environmental concerns due to rapid Climate Change. He called for more efforts to include the share of renewable energy in the total energy mix of Pakistan. He lauded PCRET’s efforts to install microhydel plants in the mountainous regions of Pakistan, including Gilgit and Baltistan and Kashmir, and those in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa. Both the Minister and the Federal Secretary considered the Conference a welcome event, and hoped that the deliberations of the event would result in bringing together, academia, industry and R&D organizations to best utilize RETs for addressing major energy issues.
Earlier, the representatives of the collaborating organizations shared their views and expectations for the event. Dr. Basharat Mehmood, Director PCRET, noted that the vast renewable energy resources available in Pakistan are among the highest in the world. He stated that PCRET is making all-out efforts to strengthen the area of RETs that has a lot of significance for present energy scenario of the country, and hoped that the deliberations of the event would enrich the Council’s efforts with new knowledge, wisdom and best practices in the field. Mr. M. Nadeem Zakir, Head of Photovoltaic Division of PCRET, welcomed the representatives from important government, private sector and industry.
On behalf of COMSATS, Mr. Irfan Hayee, Deputy Director (Programmes), considered the theme of the event important, especially in the light of the Sustainable Development Goal-7, ‘Affordable and clean Energy’. He noted the sizable number of registrations received for the event that also includes those from 10 universities. He informed that the speakers of the event also included those from foreign countries, i.e., Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Germany, and USA.
ISESCO was represented by its Assistant Secretary-General, Mr. M. Yaqoob, who opined that focused R&D efforts in RETs could help make environment cleaner, and energy supplies cost-effective, with healthy outcomes for public health. Noting the advancements in the field made by developed countries, he appreciated PCRET and COMSATS for coming together to organize the Conference in this field for the benefit of developing countries.
The 3-day conference will conclude on 20th October after nine technical sessions and a poster exhibition session on important topics related to the theme of the event.
PREVIOUS NEXT
