ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - President Asif Ali Zardari has said that the situation of energy security in Pakistan is critical and a comprehensive plan is needed to overcome this situation.
He made these remarks during a presentation on the use of ethanol as fuel.
“That comprehensive plan should be devised through innovative and out of box solutions to overcome the prevailing energy crisis,” the president said. During the presentation, the president was told at a presentation that ethanol could be used as fuel, mainly as a bio-fuel alternative to gasoline, and was being widely used in different parts of the world.
Ethanol is easy to manufacture and can be made from very common crops such as sugar cane and corn and is an increasingly common alternative to gasoline, it was further told. Ethanol is considered renewable because it is primarily the result of conversion of solar energy into useable energy.
Ethanol is most commonly used to power automobiles, though it may be used to power other vehicles, such as farm tractors and airplanes.
The president was informed that Pakistan could produce additional 160,000 tons fuel without losing additional dollars on import.
The meeting was attended by Shaukat Tarin Adviser to PM on Finance, Muhammad Salman Faruqi Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Dr Asim Hussain Chairman NRB, Kamal Majidullah Senior Adviser to Prime Minister on Water Resources, Dr Waqar Masood Khan Secretary Finance, Jaweed Akhter Acting Secretary Planning and Development Division, Abdul Wadood Khan Acting Chairman FBR, Zaka Ashraf President ZTBL, Dr Shaukat Hameed Khan Member (S&T) Planning Commission, Dr ME Tusneem, Member (Food & Agri) Planning Commission and Pervez Butt Member (Energy) Planning Commission.
© The News 2008
