1. 1. Download: Download high-res image (326KB)
   2. Download: Download full-size image

Introduction

Pakistan is a rapidly growing country with high economic and industrial growth and an annual rise in energy demand of 11–13%. This trend has led to energy shortages in the form of load shedding, which can last up to 6–8 h in urban areas and 10–12 h in rural areas (Wakeel et al., 2016). The shortages are mainly due to the country’s heavy reliance on conventional sources such as oil, natural gas, and coal (non-renewable), which make up 61% of the energy supply, with 29% coming from hydropower, 6% from renewable sources (mainly wind and solar), and 4% from nuclear power (Sakrani et al., 2012; Durrani et al., 2021; Kabeyi et al., 2022). Fig. 1 illustrates the proportion of different energy sources, yet Pakistan’s per capita energy consumption, which stands at 0.53 tons of oil equivalent, is twenty times lower than in the USA and five times lower than in China (World Bank, 2022). Depleting resources, increasing demand, sustainability issues, environmental damage from burning fossil fuels, the cost of non-renewable fuels, and other factors pose a challenge for policymakers and planners to find new and more environmentally-friendly energy sources to meet energy needs without the associated drawbacks.

Renewable energy is derived from resources that are replenished naturally on a human timescale and stored energy either directly (such as thermal, solar-based, and photo-based) or indirectly (such as hydropower, wind power, and biomass) from the sun (Raheem et al., 2016; Khan et al., 2022; Fotio et al., 2023). Given its natural endowment and location, Pakistan has the potential to utilize alternative renewable resources like solar, wind, geothermal, and biogas in order to address the energy crisis in the country. Solar and wind energy are already being used as alternative sources for electricity production, but they have been unable to reduce the crisis independently (Sanz et al., 2012). Initiatives must be taken to develop other energy sources such as biomass, biogas, geothermal, micro-hydro, and biodiesel to fulfill the country’s power needs. Moreover, bioenergy is a more accessible potential and a significant solution to the cleaner and longer-lasting energy crisis in Pakistan (Purohit et al., 2006; Zeng et al., 2007; Lalwani and Singh, 2010; Butt et al., 2013; Appel et al., 2016; Khan et al., 2022; Aghel et al., 2022).

Bioenergy is a renewable energy source obtained from biomass (Juaidi et al., 2022; Xu et al., 2022; Li et al., 2023). In Pakistan, biomass is readily available due to its second-largest sector, agriculture, which accounts for 21% of its “Gross Domestic Product” (GDP). Village residents generally use pet animals and various crops as their primary source of income, resulting in large quantities of agricultural residues such as animal dung cake (1480 kg per annum), firewood (2325 kg per annum), husk (1160 kg per annum), and many natural feeds that have been utilized since ancient times for energy attainment (Mirza et al., 2008; Sheikh, 2009; Shahbaz et al., 2012).

The direct use of biomass in its solid form can pose issues such as reduced thermal efficiency, environmental degradation, and health risks (Prochnow et al., 2009; Rajendran et al., 2012; Chen and Chen, 2013; Weinand et al., 2019; li et al., 2023). To combat these issues, the Government of Pakistan (GOP) has issued subsidies promoting the implementation of modern and efficient technologies at both domestic and commercial levels. This policy has led to reduced use of biomass, deforestation, and indoor air pollution, as well as mitigating the effects of climate change (Sahir et al., 2008; Yasar et al., 2017). Biogas has considerable appeal in comparison to other non-conventional energy sources due to its numerous benefits, including cleanliness, cost-effectiveness, high efficiency, income generation, improved lifestyle, reduced environmental damage, decreased climate change, and effective utilization of local resources (McKendry, 2002; Panoutsou et al., 2009; Arthur et al., 2011; Appels et al., 2011; Bauer et al., 2013; Lu and Gao, 2021; Chung Liu et al., 2022).

This paper gives a selective overview of Pakistan’s energy mix, potential resources, and barriers. Biogas energy policies and challenges are considered in particular. The rest of the paper is constructed as follows: Section 2 briefly expounds on the current energy mix; Section 3 presents the current status and potential of biogas; Section 4 explains the benefits of biogas technology; Section 5 presents barriers for the biogas industry and a future perspective, and recommendations are given in Section 6. Finally, a range of conclusions are made in Section 7.

Access through your organization

Check access to the full text by signing in through your organization.

Access through your organization

Section snippets

Current energy scenario in Pakistan

Primary energy sources in Pakistan mainly consist of fossil fuels, contributing more than 80% of the total energy mix. The share of hydroelectricity has decreased from 60% in 1960 to 29% in 2020 due to climate change and seasonal fluctuations (Sajid et al., 2020). Pakistan’s Integrated Energy Planning for Sustainable Development (IEP) report 2020–2030 reveals that Pakistan’s final energy consumption increased from 12 Mtoe in 1986 to 52.17 Mtoe in 2020, with an annual compound growth rate (ACGR) 

Biogas status in developed countries

Biogas is an energy source that can produce electricity, heat, cool, and act as a fuel in solid, liquid, and gas forms. Its roots can be traced back to 1895 when domestic waste was treated to produce electricity for streetlights in England. After the Second World War, people began to use biogas as fuel. French scholars were leading in developing biogas plants to address the fuel shortage in France and Germany, followed by other countries such as England, the USA, Canada, Russia, Japan, and

Benefits of using biogas as a fuel over conventional sources

The principal benefits of biogas include numerous advantages over conventional energy sources, such as improved environmental sustainability, greater cost-effectiveness, and increased energy security.

Barriers to the development of the biogas industry

Biomass in the form of biogas has been in use since the mid of the nineteenth century in Pakistan, but still, less or no attention is given due to the following challenges.

Conclusions

Pakistan faces two major challenges: an energy shortage and air pollution, which have rendered the country vulnerable from an economic growth perspective. To meet the energy demands of the ever-growing population and protect the environment, Pakistan should shift its focus from conventional to renewable energy sources such as bioenergy. Biogas technology appears to be a viable solution to these fundamental issues. This study explored the potential of biomass power generation and conducted a

Authors’ contributions

M.W. (Assistant Professor) collected all the data, wrote the manuscript, and corresponded. T.H. (Professor) supervised and revised the manuscript. N.S.S. (Assistant Professor) proofread, Z.H.K. (Assistant Professor) revised the manuscript further. G.M.S. (Associate Professor) helped in reviewing, and A.R. and J.I. revised the English of the manuscript.

Declaration of competing interest

Author has no conflict of interest for this paper.

Acknowledgment

This research was supported by the authors’ resources and did not receive any specific grants from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0957178723001558

https://revgreenpk.com/product/15-cubic-meter-domestic-biogas-plant/