SUJAWAL: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination (MoCC&EC), and the Government of Sindh has inaugurated Pakistan’s first biomass energy demonstration plant in Sujawal district.
The plant has been established under the Global Environment Facility-funded Promotion and Application of Sustainable Biomass Energy Technologies in Pakistan (PASBET) project, a five-year initiative worth US$3.5 million.
Located in Pinnah Reserved Forest, the plant will convert forested, non-forested and crop residues, including pruned branches, rice straw and cotton sticks, into fuel pellets for use in cookstoves and other rural energy needs. The initiative is also aimed at promoting sustainable forest management.
According to UNDP, PASBET will promote sustainable biomass energy technologies to support rural livelihoods, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ease pressure on forest resources across Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Sujawal facility is the first of four demonstration sites planned under the initiative to showcase scalable woody biomass-based energy technologies.
“Pakistan does not have to choose between meeting rural energy needs and protecting its forests. This plant shows how locally available residues can be turned into cleaner fuel, local opportunity and a more sustainable energy model. The task now is to make that model work at scale, with communities, government and markets moving together,” said Dr Samuel Rizk, Resident Representative, UNDP Pakistan.
At the inauguration, 130 fuel-efficient cookstoves designed to run on biomass pellets were distributed among local households. In addition, 20 nursery toolkits were provided to community groups.
The cookstoves offer an alternative to conventional fuelwood-based cooking, while the toolkits will support community efforts to develop sustainable biomass resources over time.
Community participation and women’s engagement have been described as integral to the project. Roshni Tanzeem, a community organisation from Muhammad Hassan Jakhro village, supported community engagement, the selection of stove recipients and nursery development.
PASBET will also strengthen local skills and explore livelihood opportunities across the biomass value chain, including biomass preparation, pellet handling, transportation, sales and plant operations.
“Pinnah Reserved Forest demonstrates how forest and agricultural residues can create livelihoods through pellet production, community nurseries and efficient cookstoves, supporting sustainable forest management and enhancing the indigenous plantations. The Government of Sindh welcomes this first UNDP-PASBET demonstration plant and will build on Sujawal’s lessons in community involvement and residue management to scale up cleaner rural energy and healthier forests across the province,” said Mr Muhammad Riaz Wagon, Chief Conservator, Forest and Wildlife Department, Government of Sindh.
