Profile:
Mr Khalid Tawab is an economics, finance and international trade expert. He is a prominent businessman and former Minister of Commerce & Industry Government of Sindh and former Senior Vice President of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI). He has also served as Vice President and Chairman of various Advisory Committees. He is former Senior Vice President of Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry. The Government of Pakistan conferred the award of "SITARA-I-IMTIAZ" on him in 2008 for his services. He has visited various countries in order to accomplish Pakistan government’s objectives to enhance economic and trade relations especially with the African countries, China, Malaysia, Iran, United States, Mozambique, Egypt, Oman, Poland etc. He is an active member of Iron and Steel Association of Pakistan. He has been the member of number of official working groups on Economic Finance, Trade, industrial cooperation and economic corridor and presently is the member Board of Governors of various national Public/Private organizations. He is the Chairman of Tawab Group which is in paper manufacturing, Steel, Real State and Securities. He is honorary Consul General of Mozambique since 1989. He is a philanthropist and trustee of Aiwan-e-Tijarat-o-Sanat hospital.
Interview with Mr Khalid Tawab – Chairman, Tawab Group
PAKISTAN & GULF ECONOMIST had an exclusive conversation with Mr Khalid Tawab regarding alternate energy. Following are the excerpts of the conversation:
The most popular renewable energy source is solar energy. Sunlight is one of our planet’s most abundant and freely available energy resources. The amount of solar energy that reaches the earth’s surface in one hour is more than the planet’s total energy requirements for a whole year. Although it sounds like a perfect renewable energy source, the amount of solar energy we can use varies according to the time of day and the season of the year as well as geographical location. Solar energy is an increasingly popular way in all countries to supplement their energy usage. Government of Pakistan should take necessary steps to make solar energy more economical in all terms so that the common masses could afford its installation.
Wind is a plentiful source of clean energy. Wind farms are an increasingly familiar sight not only in Pakistan but in most of the countries where with wind power making an ever-increasing contribution to their National Grid. To harness electricity from wind energy, turbines are used to drive generators which then feed electricity into the National Grid. Although domestic or ‘off-grid’ generation systems are available, not every property is suitable for a domestic wind turbine.
By harnessing the natural heat below the earth’s surface, geothermal energy can be used to heat homes directly or to generate electricity. Although it harnesses a power directly below our feet, geothermal energy is of negligible importance in Pakistan as compared to other countries, where geothermal heat is much more freely available.
As world population rises, so does the demand for energy in order to power our homes, businesses and communities. Innovation and expansion of renewable sources of energy is key to maintaining a sustainable level of energy and protect our planet from climate change. Renewable energy sources make up 26% of the world’s electricity today, but according to the International Energy Agency (IEA) its share is expected to reach 30% by 2024. “This is a pivotal time for renewable energy provided our government make sure affordability for the common masses. In the future, it’s expected that the number of renewable energy sources will continue to increase as we see an increase in demand for power. This will drive down the price of renewables – great for the planet, and great for our wallets.