Pakistan has the potential of producing more than 40,000 megawatts of electricity through its hydel resources, but despite this huge potential, the actual electricity production via hydel power is only about 7,000 megawatts, or 17 per cent of the total potential.

We also possess coal reserves of more than 185 billion tonnes, of which around 175,000 million tonnes lie in the Thar Desert alone. If just half of these reserves were to be used for electricity production, the country can generate 100,000 MW electricity for about 30 years. Again, we are not even exploiting 1 percent of this huge potential. The country is also blessed to have a 1000 kilometre coastline with ample winds to produce 100,000 megawatts electricity (in theory). It has enough sunlight to produce a million megawatts of electricity; but again, there is a big difference between the theoretical potential and actual realisation. Combining wind and solar energies, we produce a mere 200 megawatts of electricity.

As of today, the total demand of electricity in Pakistan is about 15,000 megawatts, which, needless to say, is not met. The shortfall results in load shedding and power outages throughout the year. The problems related to the electricity crisis are highlighted in the media by energy experts of our country very often, but when it comes to solutions, our specialists come up with ideas that are either very expensive or will take decades to be implemented. The politicians then apply unique formulas such as rental power plants, which have their own stories of failure. People come out on the streets to protest, officials announce future deadlines for ending load-shedding, but all are in vain.

A possible solution

Animal waste is being used to produce energy across many countries. In Nepal, around 20,000 small-scale biogas plants are installed every year, while in Bangladesh the figure is close to 6,000. The Vietnamese install around 18,000 plants per year.

Pakistan’s livestock population, according to assessments of 2011-2012, is above 167 million and counting. Their divisions are as follows:

Species Population (in Millions)

Cattle 36.9
Buffalo 32.7
Sheep 28.4
Goat 63.1
Camels 1
Horses 0.4
Donkeys 4.8
Mules 0.2

It is estimated that one medium sized animal produces about 15 kilograms of manure in a day. Multiplying the figure, 167 million animals would produce approximately 2.5 million tons of waste. Usually, 50 kilograms of animal waste is required for producing 100 cubic feet of biogas, which is sufficient to meet the daily needs of a family of four members. If used for production of electricity, 100 cubic feet gas can produce around 3 KWh of electricity. With the above numbers, one can easily calculate the amount of electricity that can be generated in the country if we only convert half of the animal dung produced on a daily basis.

In order to capitalise on this massive potential, the government of Pakistan has been working for more than three decades now, but except for a few hundred biogas plants in some villages, the authorities have not been able to make any substantial progress in this area. The reasons are many, but one can assume that lack of interest, infrastructure and funding top the list. There have been some efforts in the private sector as well, but nothing groundbreaking has happened as yet.

One of the most feasible locations in Pakistan for a ‘waste to energy’ project is Karachi’s Landhi Cattle Colony. Spread over an area of 3 square kilometres, it is one of the largest cattle colonies in the world, with a population of more than 200,000 animals. These animals generate around 3,000 tonnes of manure per day. Disposing this waste and cleaning the area on a daily basis is a huge hassle for the cattle owners. As no formal system of waste management exists in the colony, thousands of litres of water are wasted and a large portion of this waste is drained into channels leading to the open sea. This has given rise to significant environmental concerns in and around the area. The coastal belt near the area has been polluted entirely. Moreover, the dumping of this waste in the sea is also affecting the fish and fauna and is also hazardous to the inhabitants of the area. It has also caused problems for the fishermen who once had ample catch near the coastline but now have to go to deeper waters for fishing.

KOEL to rescue

For anyone who wants to start a biogas project, this area is a goldmine. Keeping in view the potential, many foreign companies tried to initiate such a project, but failed due to one reason or the other. Despite this history, Karachi’s Aman Foundation has ambitiously announced a waste to energy project in this area and has launched the Karachi Organic Energy Private Limited (KOEL). The project is being co-developed with the help of K-Electric Limited and International Finance Corporation. The mandate is to collect biodegradable waste from dairy farms in Landhi Cattle Colony, as well as organic industrial and kitchen waste from large food outlets throughout the city to treat the waste, capture waste gas emissions and finally generate electricity from the resulting biogas.

According to the research conducted, the waste produced in this area can be utilised to produce around 12 to 14 megawatts of electricity. KOEL has set a target to produce 5.5 megawatts in the first phase and then take it to 11 megawatts in the second phase. The electricity produced will be added to the national grid and will contribute in meeting the growing energy needs of our country. The project has the potential to expand in a modular way. If the amount of waste increases, the scope of the project can be expanded to produce more power.

KOEL is motivated to initiate a culture of change in the waste collection system of the country. In developed countries, different types of waste materials are collected separately and then processed or recycled accordingly. Unfortunately in Pakistan, due to lack of knowledge and proper waste management systems, waste materials are usually dumped in a single trash collector. If the culture of proper waste disposal is successfully introduced in Pakistan, trash will certainly earn a new meaning. This cultural shift requires working in two directions: on one side, public awareness campaigns have to be launched on a massive scale to make people realise that biodegradable waste must not be mixed with other trash; at the same time, the government will also have to improve their waste collection mechanisms.

KOEL hopes that the project will bring all stakeholders together, including the public, the government and private sector organisations on a common platform, where they can learn the proper disposal of waste material. Progress seems slow at the moment, but according to Mr. Muhammad Ali Saya, CEO of KOEL, initial work is bound to be slow as it is a one of a kind project. Once the learning curve establishes, things would move ahead at a faster pace. He also states that 11 megawatts appears to be a very small number when we compare it with other power plants and the energy needs of the country, but once established, this would be the largest electricity generation project of its kind in the world. For KOEL, the biggest challenge is not the technical aspect of the plant, but the logistics of waste collection in this area.

I found the cattle owners of the area to be optimistic about the project. They are of the view that any project which will utilise the huge waste produced in this area will be a source of great relief for them. They will get rid of the burden of disposing the waste, plus will also be benefitted by the environmental effects.

The planned construction of KOEL’s plant will be completed in 2016. Keeping in view the history of successful projects completed by Aman Foundation, a successful implementation of this project would pave the way for establishing similar projects in the future.

BOX feature - What is Biogas?

Biogas is a gas that typically comprises around 60 per cent methane and 40 per cent carbon dioxide. It is produced when any organic substance such as animal excrements or waste naturally decompose in a non-oxygen environment.

Biogas production systems have a few main components: a manure collection system, an anaerobic digester, usually a tank which stabilizes the manure and optimises methane production; a biogas handling system that pipes the resulting gas to the device it will fuel; and a storage tank for the remaining discharge.

Organic material such as animal manure, leftovers of food processing, silage from plants, and slaughterhouse wastes are collected in large airtight tanks known as digesters. In the digesters, these substrates are heated to an optimal temperature and reacted with anaerobic bacteria in the absence of oxygen so as to produce biogas. This gas can then be used for cooking or electricity generation. The waste produced during this process is also a great fertilizer.