The Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) has aimed to commence from April 2022 the process of competitive bidding for launching new solar and wind power projects to increase the share of clean electricity in the national energy mix to 61 per cent as per the Indicative Generation Capacity Expansion Plan (IGCEP) 2021-2030.
This was stated by Chief Executive Officer of AEDB, Shah Jahan Mirza, while speaking as the chief guest at the 2nd International Solar Clean Energy Conference-2022 organized by the Energy Update.
Mirza said the AEDB had been well on track to achieve the targets given in the IGCEP i.e. 3,000 Megawatts of wind energy projects and 7,000 MWs of solar power on-grid plants till 2030.
He said the current share of renewable power generation in the national energy mix stood at five to six per cent as around 2,100 MWs of clean electricity was being added to the national grid with the majority share i.e. 1,400 MWs was of the wind energy projects.
He said the IGCEP’s target of 61 per cent power generation on the basis of renewable electricity included hydropower as per the international energy sector practices as hydroelectricity all over the world was considered as a form of clean energy.
He conceded that the launching of the competitive bidding regime got delayed but the AEDB had completed all the homework and studies to launch the new auction system for upcoming wind and solar energy projects.
Mirza told the audience of the conference that net-metering was another system being used by the AEDB to promote the usage of renewable energy projects by individual consumers.
He said the AEDB had already introduced certifications and regulations for vendors involved in installing grid-connected solar systems under the net-metering regime.
He said the AEDB had the willingness to launch the system of third-party inspection for ensuring that quality solar equipment was only available to the prospective consumers willing to adopt the net-metering system.
The AEDB chief said that they had also planned to conduct training and certification of 500 solar technicians in the major cities.
He emphasised that the AEBD had the resolve to do its work in collaboration with international partners including the USAID, World Bank, and the German Government to promote the usage of clean electricity in Pakistan.
Also speaking on the occasion, Sindh Energy Secretary, Abu Bakar Madni, said the provincial government would approach the relevant federal authorities for minimising the taxes and duties on the renewable energy equipment to promote the installation of new wind and solar plants.
He said the Sindh government in collaboration with the World Bank had been implementing the US $ 100 million Sindh Solar Energy Project to build a solar park of 400 MWs generation capacity and provision of 200,000 solar home systems to off-grid houses in ten districts.
USAID Energy Director, Jeena Diallo, said that 70 million people in Pakistan were not connected to the national grid as renewable energy was the most effective method of energizing their homes.
She emphasized that the system of the National Transmission and Dispatch Company should be expanded for accommodating more renewable energy projects. He said the hybrid clean energy systems involving both the options of wind and solar power was the way forward to tackle issues like climate change.
Zaigam Mahmood Rizvi, Chairman of PM’s Housing Task Force, said that India had already met its target of generating over 100 GWs of clean electricity through the solar energy systems whereas Pakistan’s solar energy production was less than one GW despite having ideal conditions.
Noted industrialist, Zubair Motiwala, said that increase in solar-based energy production would reduce by 40 per cent the cost of electricity production as there would be a massive reduction in the oil import bill of Pakistan.
Naeem Qureshi, Chairman of the organising committee of the conference, said the Energy Update would continue to organize such conferences every year for a thorough discussion on issues hampering the growth of the renewable energy sector in Pakistan.
Syed
Syed Salman Mohiuddin Country Manager Goodwe, Howard Fu Country Director Sungrow Power, Irfan Allah wala CEO Mesol, M. Faaz Diwan Director Diwan International, Shaaf Mehboob CEO Adaptive Technologies, Zulfikar Lehri from JS Bank, Mr. Waseem Qureshi CEO Kilowatt Labs, Irfan Ahmed Director HESCO, Nick Bradford From IFS partner Kestral Digital, Dr. Hina Aslam from SDPI, Dr. Abid Qayyum Sulheri from SDPI, Hartmut Behrend, Talha Amjad, Ali Majid and others also address on the occasion.
