The work on 3.8 MW Solar Powered Electricity Generation Plant at University of Agriculture Faisalabad has started that will be completed in the span of six months

The work on 3.8 MW Solar Powered Electricity Generation Plant at University of Agriculture Faisalabad has started that will be completed in the span of six months. In this regard, a ceremony was held at the Postgraduate Agricultural Research Station (PARS), Jhang Road, UAF, in which former Austria Defence Minster Herbert Scheibner was the chief guest. The University is setting the plant in collaboration with Apolo Ampex Pvt Ltd, a multinational company, to produce clean and pollution free installed solar energy of 5.7 MW peak load and 3.8 MW average running load. The company is also setting up the green houses on the 21 acres at UAF whereas five major off season crops would be grown. The Austrian team included Member of Parliament Gerhard Huber and Austrian Company CEO Rainer Kertes. Apolo Ampex Ltd CEO Shahzada Khurrum and UAF Dean Prof Dr Muhammad Iqbal were also present on the stage. Addressing on the occasion, Herbert Scheibner vowed to provide their all-out efforts to Pakistan in promoting alternative energy to cope with power outages issue. He stressed the need to enhancing the collaborations between Pakistan and Austria in the various fields including education, energy sector and agriculture. He said that in the current century, solar energy is the best option because sun will remain available for the thousands of years. Whereas others natural resources are reducing with the passage of time. He said that the people of his country are preferring shifting to solar energy. Many companies in the area of solar energy are operating in Austria that can help Pakistan in the said projects. In the welcome address, the Vice Chancellor said that the electricity to be produced from the solar project on-grid will cost Rs 3.17 per unit at the average for the next 12 years. He said that it is totally foreign funded project. The UAF consumes the energy of 2 MW. He said that the University will have 21 acre solar green houses invested by the said company for the construction of green houses in order to promote the technology. He said that it will be largest green houses not only in Asia but in Europe also. Dean Prof Dr Muhammad Iqbal said Pakistan is lying on the solar belt and is suitable for the solar energy (5.5 – 6 kWh/m2/day). He said that renewable energy can move the country from its presence status to become a truly global industry with the collaboration between government and business. He said that UAF has also designed and installed biogas tube well system and off grid power generation (15 Kv) for solving the problems of farmers. He said the University has also launched first degree programs of Energy System Engineering, and Environmental Engineering aiming at producing a pool of professionals who would serve the sector. Prof Dr Jalal Arif said that the University is taking all tangible steps in the energy sector in order to make our homeland self sufficient in the electricity. He hope that the solar energy project will also help in this regard. Gerhard Huber said that as many as 40,000 villages in Pakistan are out of the electricity. With the promotion of solar energy, the issue can be addressed there. In the end, agreement was inked between the UAF and Apolo ltd in this regard.