Lahore - The 35th Annual Convention of the Institution of Electrical & Electronics Engineers Pakistan (IEEEP) was held at a local hotel on Thursday.
The function was largely attended by all the fellows, corporate members, eminent engineers representing public sector and corporate sector entities. Engr. Shafiq A. Siddiqi Ex. President IEEEP inaugurated this national convention.
In his inaugural address, the chief guest stated that the government has undertaken steps to mitigate the ongoing energy crisis with policy making as the first priority. The Power Policy of 2013 promulgated by the present government is the first ever effort and lays down the foundation for a healthy power sector by 2017-18. This Power Policy, he said, being an integrated document, caters for improvement in generation capacity, improved fuel mix, reduced transmission losses and efficient distribution infrastructure. He also stressed upon the need to conserve energy at least up to 1000MW through power conservation measures and energy efficiency devices.
He added that engineers must equip themselves with the latest technical knowledge to join the ranks of first world. He said that professionals have to be given its place in governance and management of the country to gear-up the pace of economic development.
Earlier the President IEEEP in his welcome address stated that the country was currently facing a minimum shortage of 10,000 megawatts. To be fair to be 45pc Pakistanis who are not connected to gird then we must plan to generate cost effective 50,000 megawatts by 2030. Solar energy, he said, is an option in which every Pakistani can participate by installing 1-5 Kilowatts in their homes. This can remove 3000 megawatts of load from distribution network and free it for the industry, which will create employment during daytime.
Similarly, agriculture tube wells from 15-20 Kilowatts can be converted to solar energy and 200,000 tube wells can spare another 3000 megawatts from the distribution system benefitting the former by reducing the input cost of water. He hoped that the present government would create the critical mass of technologists in the technical ministries, who would ensure logical and strategic planning at the right forums.
The IEEEP Hony. Secretary General presented his annual report in which he highlighted the activities of the IEEEP such as holding of symposium, seminars, workshops, lectures, and publication of research journal “New Horizons”. He said that the ongoing energy crisis is calling us to go for solar energy for bridging the demand supply gap. Therefore, institution needs to disseminate latest technical knowledge about renewable technologies like solar, wind and biomass etc. Our journal “New Horizons” and the up-coming seminars should focus on latest trends in the cited above renewable technologies.
IEEEP Award of Excellence were also given to 12 eminent engineers including Dr. Karam Elahi Durrani, Prof Dr BS Chaudhry, Salah-ud-Din Rafai, Muhammad Daud, Rahim Khan, Iftikhar Ahmad, Prof. Dr. M Aslam Uqaili, Farida Javed, Prof Dr Hameedullah Kazi, M. Waseem Yunis, Salman Aized, Asad Ullah Khan. In the AGM, the matters relating to the budget and other administrative issues were discussed in detail.