KARACHI: Pakistan’s renewable energy production for the first time have been increased to record level of 1568 MWs excluding hydroelectricity as identification of five more wind corridors in Balochistan could add several more thousand megawatts of clean energy to the national grid.

The Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) chief said that renewable energy production in Pakistan would increase to 1870 MWs by the end of current year.

He said that wind power production through only one wind corridor in Sindh was 938 MWs as this wind-based energy generation would increase to 1240 MWs later this year. He said that at present hydro-based power projects accounted for 38 percent produced in the country as the same should be increased to 45 percent in coming years.

“If Denmark has set the target to stop consumption of fossil fuels by 2050 then Pakistan has all the potential of renewable energy to set a similar target,” said the AEDB chief.

Earlier speaking at the conference, Acting German Ambassador in Pakistan Dr Jens Kokish said that Germany and Pakistan had massive potential to collaborate with each other in the renewable energy sector as this collaboration would go a long way in resolving energy crisis of the latter on a sustainable basis.

He said the German energy model posed an excellent example for Pakistan for adoption as Germany swiftly overcome its power crisis by maximizing power generation through renewable means while gradually lessening reliance on conventionalmeans of power generation that harm the environment.

He said that Germany once faced similar challenge as currently being encountered by Pakistan in the energy sector. “We transformed our energy sector to increase sustainability of the power being supplied toour people. We changed our energy mix as we turned towards renewable energy and other innovative technologies,” he said.

He said that during favourable weather conditions, renewable energy accounted for up to 90 per cent power produced in Germany.

He said that Germany was going to shut down all its nuclear power plants by the year 2022 under its drive to promote use of clean and renewable energy for power production.

He said that Pakistan should exploit the option of doing renewable energy projects of hybrid nature so to utilize maximum potential of wind and solar power available across the country.

Managing-Director of PPIB Shahjahan Mirza said that per capita consumption of electricity in Pakistan was 1/5th of average per capita consumption of electricity in rest of the world. “This means we have to supply more electricity to raise standard of living of our people,” he said.

He said that Pakistan should go for a wiser fuel mix using all its indigenous energy resources including coal, hydroelectricity, and renewable means to produce electricity on a sustainable basis.

Secretary Planning and Development Commission Shoaib Ahmed Saddiqui said the energy demand always increased with increasing population of the country. The incumbent government had done a lot in power generation sector and now transmission capacity was being enhanced.

Published in Daily Times, May 12th 2018.