Islamabad-The Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) has shown strong support towards initiatives related to renewable energy technologies (RETs).
“Pakistan is endowed with a lot of solar energy throughout the year, which is a great investment opportunity for foreign and local business enterprises,” said Minister of Science and Technology, Rana Tanveer Hussain while addressing the inaugural ceremony of International Conference and Exhibition on Renewable Energy Technologies here on Tuesday.
The event is being organized by Pakistan Council of Renewable Energy Technologies (PCRET) and the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS), in collaboration with Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), from October 18-20, 2016.
Speaking to a gathering of over 120 participants, inter alia, from academia, industry, R&D organizations, local and international speakers and participants, and media personnel, the minister considered it important to fully exploit the RETs for successful implementation of the government’s energy policies, especially amidst the huge concerns related to energy scarcity.
Noting the abundance of solar energy available with the developing countries, he considered RETs a solution to their energy security issues. He considered the presence of eminent Pakistani and foreign scientists, academicians and experts an encouraging sign and hoped for the best outcomes of the event.
Also speaking on the occasion, Federal Secretary MoST Fazal Abbas Maken highlighted the importance of RETs, especially in view of the rising environmental concerns due to rapid climate change. He called for more efforts to include the share of renewable energy in the total energy mix of Pakistan. He lauded PCRET’s efforts to install microhydel plants in the mountainous regions of Pakistan, including Gilgit and Baltistan and Kashmir, and those in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Both the minister and the federal secretary considered the conference a welcome event, and hoped that the deliberations of the event would result in bringing together, academia, industry and R&D organizations to best utilize RETs for addressing major energy issues.
Earlier, the representatives of the collaborating organizations shared their views and expectations for the event. Dr Basharat Mehmood, Director PCRET, noted that the vast renewable energy resources available in Pakistan are among the highest in the world. The 3-day event will conclude on 20th October after nine technical sessions and a poster exhibition session on important topics related to the theme of the event.