Umar K. Mirza

Potential of On-shore Wind Power in the Coastal Areas of Balochistan, Pakistan

Balochistan province has about 800 km long coastline whose continental shelf extends to a distance of 15–40 km. Pakistan Meteorological Department has recorded wind speed for two years at 22 on-shore locations at 10 m and 30 m heights and estimated at 50 m height using power law. The wind duration availability in terms of numbers of hours the wind remained in a particular bin was also calculated by constructing the wind rose diagrams. The mean value of two years has been estimated and used in this study for the construction of wind duration curves for 20 selected locations. Using wind duration curves and Nordex N43/600 wind turbine as reference turbine, theoretical wind power potential at these locations has been estimated. The geographical potential has been estimated considering population density and excluding low wind areas. Finally, the technical potential has been estimated. The theoretical potential at most of the sites is in the range of 1000–1400 full load hours per year. The suitable area for wind turbine installation has been estimated as 7,700 km2. The annual technical potential of centralized grid connected wind power in the coastal area of Balochistan has been estimated as 42.5 TWh, which is about half of the current gross electricity generation in Pakistan.

Status and Need of Energy Education: The Case of Pakistan

Energy is the basis of a modern standard of living. Conventional energy education has generally failed to provide basic understanding about issues relevant to energy supply, its use, and energy–environment interaction. Renewable energy offers the opportunity to displace fossil fuels and it is likely to have a major role in our future energy supply. The sudden surge of growth which has occurred in renewable energy industry in recent years has caught the educators unprepared. A serious shortage of skilled professionals is already apparent. There are signs that energy studies is rapidly emerging as a new discipline. Many universities around the globe have started offering courses in renewable/sustainable energy. Pakistan suffers from a lack of appropriately qualified energy professionals as visible from its very low productive use of energy per capita and rapidly degrading environment. In 2005, Quaid-e-Awam University of Engineering, Science and Technology became the first institution in the country to offer a full-fledged bachelors degree course in energy studies. Other universities are following suit now. The article gives an overview of the current status of energy education around the globe and in Pakistan. Further, it gives recommendations on how to promote energy education in Pakistan.