The Punjab government has announced plans for generating 3000MW of power from various sources including 1000MW from sugar mills. It is not understood as to which fuel would be used in sugar mills to generate power. The bagasse in sugar mills is used in the mill boilers in most of the cases unless the mills are using gas or fuel oil. The latter two being in short supply it is not understood as to how the power would be generated by a sugar mill. Molasses as a by-product is largely exported or used in formulation of animal feed in a limited quality.
Use of coal and alternative sources of producing power can be understood but for sugar mills to generate power is hard to come by. If bagasse is used as fuel then what other fuel the mill boilers would use. This is a dilemma that needs to be cleared or the project would be another pipe dream.
DR MUHAMMAD YAQOOB BHATTI
Lahore
