Import of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and building of LNG-based power plants are among the most-effective solutions to meet the challenges of climate change.
LNG to Pakistan will provide a sustainable solution to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels that have been the conventional but unsafe sources of energy, Haroon Rashid, chief executive officer and managing director of Shell Pakistan said.
Pakistan has now become the ninth largest importer of LNG in the world due to a healthy sign that with its pledge to adopt fuels.
Shell chief, addressing a convention, said Pakistan’s energy-mix is based 34 percent on oil, 11 percent on hybrid, 46 percent on natural gas, seven percent on coal and only two percent on nuclear power.
Around 33 percent of energy in the country is consumed by transport, 38 percent by industries, 25 percent by residential or commercial consumers and two percent by the agricultural sector. Two percent of energy is used for other purposes.
Many developing countries are replacing coal with gas to generate electricity and to run the other industrial operations. These efforts promise significant reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases, while reducing the cost of operations to ensure higher quality of air and public-health, along with other ecological benefits.
Shell MD said persistent consumption of coal and its carbon footprint led to serious public-health issues. The air in Pakistan is sternly polluted due to smaller and more inefficient coal enthusiastic plants, product specifications and lack of emissions control.
Pakistan needs to now focus on mitigating the effects of climate change by reforestation, reducing pollution and looking towards more renewable for energy.
Indigenous coal-based plants are important to address the ever widening current account deficit as oil imports constitute nearly 24 percent of total import bill.
However, the government needs to ensure that these plants are set up away from population centers. Shell Pakistan is also extending support to the government by taking substantial measures to foster substitute sources of energy that are less harmful than fossil-fuels like coal.