ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's renewable energy production has been increased to 1568 MWs and identification of five more wind corridors in Balochistan could add several more thousand megawatts of clean energy to the national grid.

The production would increase to 1870 MWs by the end of current year, said Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) CEO Amjad Ali Awan while chairing the concluding session of 10th Power Generation Conference.

He said that wind power production through only one wind corridor in Sindh is 938 MWs and this power generation would increase to 1240 MWs later this year.

He said that at present hydro-based power projects produced 38 percent power in the country.

"If Denmark has set the target to stop consumption of fossil fuels by 2050 then Pakistan has all the potential of renewable energy to set a similar target," Awan said.

Earlier speaking at the conference, Acting German Ambassador in Pakistan Dr Jens Kokish said that Germany and Pakistan had massive potential to collaborate with each other in the renewable energy sector as this collaboration would go a long way in resolving energy crisis of the latter on a sustainable basis.

He said the German energy model posed an excellent example for Pakistan for adoption as Germany swiftly overcome its power crisis by maximizing power generation through renewable means while gradually lessening reliance on conventional means of power generation that harm the environment.

He said that Germany once faced similar challenge as currently being encountered by Pakistan in the energy sector. "We transformed our energy sector to increase sustainability of the power being supplied tour people. We changed our energy mix as we turned towards renewable energy and other innovative technologies," he said.

He said that during favourable weather conditions, renewable energy accounted for up to 90 per cent power produced in Germany.

He said that Germany was going to shut down all its nuclear power plants by the year 2022 under its drive to promote use of clean and renewable energy for power production.

He said that Pakistan should exploit the option of doing renewable energy projects of hybrid nature so to utilize maximum potential of wind and solar power available across the country.

PPIB Managing-Director Shahjahan Mirza said that per capita consumption of electricity in Pakistan was 1/5th of average per capita consumption of electricity in rest of the world.

"This means we have to supply more electricity to raise standard of living of our people," he said.

He said that Pakistan should go for a wiser fuel mix using all its indigenous energy resources including coal, hydroelectricity, and renewable means to produce electricity on a sustainable basis.

He said that PPIB had facilitated completion of new energy projects in private sectors capable of 8,200 MWs electricity.

He said that by the year 2021, PPIB would ensure completion of private sector power projects having potential of producing 15,000 MWs power.

Secretary Planning and Development Commission Shoaib Ahmed Saddiqui said the incumbent government had done a lot in power generation sector and now transmission capacity was being enhanced. He said many investors were coming to invest in the energy sector of Pakistan. He urged the business community to come forward and join hands to provide affordable and clean energy to the consumers.

Shoaib Ahmed also stressed the need for water-integrated plan to construct small hydro projects which could easily be exploited.

LNG Pakistan Ltd Chairman Dr Manzoor Ahmed said Pakistan had lost around $ 100 billion on account of energy crisis. He said an amount of $ 2-3 billion could be saved annually by converting furnace power plants on RLNG.