Pak textile mills opt for energy audit to up efficiency
01 Feb '12
2 min read
Textile mills in Pakistan are taking recourse to energy audit to ensure efficient energy utilization in the midst of persistent energy crisis.
Pakistan is reeling under severe energy crisis for the past few years and the gap between demand and supply is estimated at around 5,000 MW. The industrial sector, especially textile industry in Punjab province, has been the worst sufferer.
As a solution, the textile industy shifted to the use of power generation through gas supplied by Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd. (SNGPL). However, the effort has been vain in view of the ongoing gas shortage in the country.
Hence, the textile industry is currently bearing with the situation, which results in production capacity not being fully utilized, laying off workers and loss in exports.
To enable textile mills to better cope with the situation, All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) has initiated two energy conservation projects – Energy Audits and Energy Management System (EnMS).
An Energy Manager Training (EMT) Programme is also being conducted as a part of EnMS, in association with Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) and the Germany-based GIZ. EMT programme aims to train managers in conservation and effective utilization of energy.
Through these projects, APTMA is striving to increase energy efficiency in all of its 396 textile mills. It has also set up an Energy Management Cell (EMC) to promote implementation of energy efficiency initiatives.
The EMC provides information, technical guidance and consultancy services to APTMA members with regards to renewable energy and effective energy utilization.
Mr. Mohsin Aziz, Chairman, APTMA, told fibre2fashion, “Energy audit is just to conserve energy and see where there are loopholes and where the energy can be saved. There are some places where we use high horse power motors which can be replaced by their lower counterparts and the same purpose can still be achieved.”
Explaining the importance of energy saving for Pakistan textile mills, he says, “Energy saving assumes importance as, nowadays, there is an energy crisis in Pakistan. While the costs of energy have gone up, the availability of power and gas is no more an assured thing in Pakistan. Some textile mills, in which energy audits have been conducted by the National Productivity Organization (NPO), there has been around 5-7 percent saving in energy costs.”