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Government of Pakistan
Ministry of Science and Technology
Pakistan Council of Renewable Energy Technologies
PCRET’s Existing Hydropower Facilities
1.
China – Pakistan Joint Research Center for Small
Hydropower at PCRET
Islamabad
This research center was
established in PCRET Islamabad with the funding from People’s Republic of China
in 2015 and has been certified as one of 14 laboratories along Belt and Road
Initiative of China in 2019. It serves as the mainmulti-energy research facility
of PCRET in fields of small hydropower particularly and Solar PV and Wind energy
generally. It has simulation and data collection of up to 15kW hydropower, 2kW
Solar PV and 3kW Wind Energy.
Over the last two years, more
than 10 engineering graduates from different universities of Pakistan have
completed their internship in this center and numerous visits of different
departments have been conducted for technology awareness. Based on this research
center PCRET has able to gain two more international projects for Pakistan in
the field of small hydropower, one of them is currently in progress and
hopefully another will be started in 2021.
2.
Hydropower
Support Workshop Peshawar:
PCRET has a
mechanical workshop facility at PCRET’s regional office Peshawar in which
different machines i.e. Lathe Machines, Penstock Pipe Molding Machine, Hydraulic
Press, Surface Grinder, 5mm Metallic Sheet Cutter, Turbine Balancing Machine and
Generator Tester are available. Therefore, this workshop has provision of
manufacturing metallic penstock pipes for hydropower plants, turbine blades,
different metallic support structure etc also has provision of testing
generators and turbines at the workshop before its installation on the site.
These machines
were overhauled in 2018-19 and made functional except Turbine Balancing Machine
and Generator Tester however they need proper maintenance and daily routine
works needs to be done on them because machines are only alive if they are use
daily if not they are dead. Due to shortage of manpower in PCRET 45% of
technical strength of PCRET is vacant the machines cannot be properly operated.
PCRET’s
Ongoing International Hydropower Projects
1.
China – Pakistan Joint R&D Center on Kay Technologies of Small Hydropower and
Rural Electrification
Foreign Grant:
CYN 6.4 million+ GoP Share
Time Line:
2017 – 2021
Project Description:
The canals in Punjab has hydropower potential of 7500MW and more than 90% of its
potential is untapped due to extreme low water head. Considering this obstacle
of hydropower development in Punjab, PCRET in consultation with NRIRE-HRC China
has evolve this project to propose a practical solution to cater the hydropower
potential in Punjab. Therefore, thisproject has been focused toenhance the human
resource development in the field of small hydropower by conducting joint
research and training for the development of low head hydropower plants on the
canal system in Punjab as per International Standards and to establish a
demonstrative 100kW hydropower plant on a selected canal. To realize it, the
following objectives will be achieved in this project with their current status
is mentioned below:
Objectives and their Current Status:
i.
Establishment of a 100kW hydropower plant on a canal in Punjab.
The feasibility study for the civil works has been finalized and the drawings
for the E/M equipment has been prepared. The allocation of funds by Government
of Punjab for the civil works is in progress.
ii.
Hydropower Development Planning of a selected river/canal in Punjab.
The requisite data of a selected river/canal in Punjab has been shared with
NRIRE/HRC for hydropower development planning.
iii.
Up-gradation of China – Pakistan Joint Research Center for Small Hydropower at
PCRET Islamabad.
This research center currently have multi-energy facility of 15kW hydropower,
2kW of Solar PV and 3kW of Wind Energy will be upgraded by adding another 5kW
Solar PV and 5kW Wind Energy with 1kW of Wind Simulation Platform.
iv.
Formulation of Small Hydropower Standards System for Pakistan.
In consultation with PSQCA, NRIRE-HRC China, International Center for Small
Hydropower, and UNIDO the national standards for Small Hydropower will be
evolved for Pakistan.
v.
Addition of 10-15 Solar PV and Wind Energy on a selected hydropower plant for
hybrid power generation.
Suitable Sites will be selected for the hybrid system of 10-15kW.
vi.
Human Resource Development in Small Hydropower
A total of 10 trainings each of 6 months will be conducted in China. Among them
four persons (2x PCRET, 2x ED Punjab) completed their training. Three (2x PCRET,
1x PSQCA) partially completed and three more trainings will be conducted in
coming years.
vii.
International Seminar on Small Hydropower and Rural Electrification
It was held in Islamabad in 2020.
PCRET’s
Under Consideration Hydropower Projects in Terms of Foreign Grants
1.
Joint Research on Small
Hydropower Technology between China and Pakistan
Total Budget:
Foreign GrantUSD 600,000 + Rs. 13 million as estimated GoP Share.
Time Line:
2021
– 2024
Project Description:
As
per globally accepted definition, Small Hydropower (SHP)is define as all run-of
river hydropower plants having capacity not more than 30MW. SHP is increasingly
recognized as an important renewable energy solution to the challenge of
electrifying remote rural areas. However, while most countries in Europe,
America, and China have high degrees of installed capacity, the potential of SHP
in many developing countries including Pakistan remains untapped and is hindered
by a number of factors including the lack of implementation of globally agreed
standards for SHP development.Pakistan is termed as the third pole and have
enormous potential of small hydropower which spread from North to South region.
The small hydro potential of Pakistan is estimated to be more than 10,000MW and
more than 90% potential is still untapped. The installed capacity of small
hydropower in Pakistan is estimated to be around 800MW but most of them are not
functioning to their actual potential. It is because of the lack of proper
feasibility, poor designing, improper and low grade installation of
electro-mechanical equipment, low grade construction, lack of proper management
and sustainable schemes and most importantly lack of national
level small hydropower standards system.
Considering this obstacle in the small hydropower development and its
sustainability in Pakistan, PCRET in consultation with NRIRE-HRC China has
drafted this project with main focus on formulation, adoptability and
establishment of national level small hydropower standard system for Pakistan as
UNIDO’s Technical Guidelines for Small Hydropower with most of funding from
Chinese side as grant.
The objectives of the project is as follows:
·
Research on the standard framework system of small hydropower technology in
South Asia.
·
Research on the mechanism of Small Hydropower talents cultivation in South Asia.
·
Joint Research on the centralized control technology for optimal operation of
multiple Small Hydropower stations in Pakistan.
·
Joint research on the technology of Small Hydropower oriented off-grid
multi-energy complementary power generation.
·
Trial production and demonstration of Small Hydropower and other renewable
energy equipment.
·
Construction of Joint Laboratory for Small Hydropower Technology
PCRET’s Potential Hydropower
Projects for Foreign Funding
1.
National Hydropower Plant’s
Quality Control and Electro-mechanical equipment testing center in Islamabad
Estimated Budget:
Rs. 1600 million (USD 10 million)
Time Line:
2021
– 2025
Project Description:
Pakistan’s has blessed with enormous potential of small hydropower though its
tapping ratio is low but as per the envisioned renewable energy policy of
Pakistan 2030, a large share of small hydropower has to be tapped to achieve the
desired targets. Therefore, it is expected that both private and government
organization will spend millions of rupees for the development of small
hydropower in Pakistan. Making national standards for small hydropower alone
cannot serve the purpose of well design, well equipped and long lasting small
hydropower for the community development and desired economic outcome in
Pakistan. The implementation of the small hydropower standards system in latter
and spirit in Pakistan is need of the hour and without its proper
implementation, losses of millions of rupees can potentially occur to the
national exchequer in the coming years. For that reason, there is a dire need to
establish a “Quality Control and Electro-mechanical equipment testing center for
small hydropower plant”.
Considering this huge gap between development and sustainable development of
small hydropower plants in Pakistan, PCRET plans to establish a “Quality Control
and Electro-mechanical equipment testing center for small hydropower plant” in
Islamabad. It will serve as the national level watchdog to check and record the
quality of pre and post installation of small hydropower plant in the country
and its electro-mechanical equipment as per international standards. The core
objectives the project are:
·
Construction of a
laboratory in Islamabad
·
Mechanical Testing
equipment for turbines and generators including Hardness, Tensile and Ductility
Test of Cast Iron, Copper, Aluminum alloys and Steel etc.
·
Performance testing
equipment of Cross Flow, Pelton, Kaplan, Francis, Turbulent and Whirlpool
turbines of up to 30MW.
·
Performance testing
equipment for Generators, Excitation System and Switch Gear with dummy loads.
·
Evaluation of
designing of hydropower plants including site selection, hydrology, electric
system, hydro mechanical works, construction planning and social and
environmental impacts etc as per international guidelines.
·
Evaluation of
hydraulic turbines, generators, governing and excitation system, protection and
control system etc.
·
Evaluation of civil
works and placement of electro-mechanical structures and its installation.
·
Evaluation of project
construction management, operation and maintenance, technical renovation and
project acceptability criteria.
2.
Hydropower Power Plant’s
Electro-mechanical equipment and Allied Accessories Manufacturing Facility in
Islamabad
Estimated
Budget:
Rs. 2400 million (USD 15 million)
Time Line:
2021
– 2025
Project Description:
Pakistan has blessed with perennial water falls in the north to channel water
flow in the south. It has enormous potential of hydropower estimated around
100,000MW. Although the current ratio of hydropower in Pakistan total energy mix
is stands at only 27% vis-a-vis 64% of fossil fuels but as per the envisioned
Policy of National Electric Power Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, a large
share of hydropower needs to be added in energy mix of Pakistan to achieve the
desired goals i.e. 26000MW by 2025 and 34000MW by 2030. In the year 2018-19,
Pakistan has spent $4.6 billion on import of electrical machineries including
electro-mechanical equipment and allied accessories necessary for hydropower
plant.
Currently there is lack of state of the art factories to manufacture, fabricate
and assemble hydro turbines and generators in country. Considering the gap of
non-availability of standard locally made electro – mechanical equipment for
hydropower and high demand in the market and government’s plan to enhance
hydropower capacity in Pakistan, it is expected that there will be more focus on
the development of hydropower in Pakistan in the coming years. It will attract
billions rupees investment from both private and government organizations for
the development of hydropower in Pakistan. Therefore, PCRET has plans to
establish a state of the art electro-mechanical equipment manufacturing facility
in Islamabad in consultation with Chinese government. The aim of the project is
to produce high efficient turbines and generators as per international standards
at a low cost in Pakistan and to attract foreign direct investment in this
sector. The core objectives of the project are:
·
Establishment of
designing facility for turbines and generators
·
Establishment of a
turbine blades manufacturing facility
·
Establishment of
stator manufacturing facility
·
Establishment of a
wicket gate manufacturing facility
·
Assembling plants for
turbine and generators
