The government will soon complete the bidding process for a 600-megawatt (MW) pilot solar project which will determine the cost of these projects, Federal Minister for Energy Khurram Dastgir said.
From these sources, a total of 11,000MW of electricity will be included in the national grid in the coming years, he said.
Talking at a press conference in Islamabad, the minister said investors will be summoned to evaluate the project, after which a reverse bidding process will be started.
Dastgir started shifting the complete electricity generation through indigenous sources will lower the burden on the national exchequer and help provide cheap electricity to consumers.
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Highlighting the features of the government’s energy policy, he said power plants constructed in the future will be based on indigenous sources, including, solar, wind, hydel Thar coal, and nuclear.
“The reason is that prices of oil and gas, which are mostly imported, have skyrocketed in the international market. This would also ensure energy security.”
The minister added that the cost of electricity produced using solar and wind sources is 50-60% cheaper as compared to other sources. He said that solar energy project would help in mitigating pollution as well.
“Moreover, pressure on the country’s power sector, which is under huge debt due to subsidies, would be alleviated,” Dastgir said.
The minister further said that the government is planning to install 2,000MW of renewable energy projects in rural areas through micro solar projects of 1-2MW, continuing that government buildings and tube wells will be solarised.
“The goal is to provide cheap electricity to consumers,” he remarked.
In addition, he informed the press conference that the government is working on a large number of power projects which will aid add 2,000MW of electricity to the national grid by next year. “The Shanghai Thar coal of 1,320MW would be inaugurated later this year.”
He also shared the views of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and stated that the future of Pakistan hinges on extensive utilization of renewable energy as these alternative resources of energy could facilitate generating inexpensive power.
