KARACHI: Renewable Energy (RE) developers, operating in the country, have proposed to set up private wind and solar power generation parks to supply electricity to industry directly without routing it through the government.
A suggestion to this effect was floated by industry experts at a roundtable titled “Renewable Energy Developers’ Forum” organised by Renewables First in collaboration with Pakistan Renewable Energy Coalition.
The industry officials stressed that a targeted approach towards the renewable energy sector’s problems was need of the minute, while it also required long-term planning with a clear vision and commitment.
Reliable market signals were also crucial in protecting investor confidence, without which there was an increasing unwillingness to invest in the sector on part of both the domestic and international stakeholders.
The session was attended by industry experts, developers and renewable energy professionals. Highlighting the objective behind the initiation of the forum, Mustafa Amjad from Renewables First told the audience that a common platform for RE developers to address their concerns had been missing for a long time. “The current forum aims to fill this need and facilitate developers in establishing themselves as legitimate stakeholders in the energy sector,” he added.
He said the forum also allowed them to raise mutual concerns, forge new partnerships, and explore opportunities to expand their networks. Dr Irfan Mirza, CEO, Renewable Resources, formally introduced the forum, emphasising the need to create a dedicated space for dialogue and engagement with the government.
“We, in the energy sector, are panicking more than we are planning for the long-term,” he remarked. Various issues faced by the developers were discussed including the lack of coordination between the government ministries, absence of one window solutions due to which developers had to visit a myriad of different departments and ministries in order to get approvals and the need for local manufacturing incentives for RE industry to strengthen local supply.