Private sector urged to invest in renewable energy

KARACHI: Sindh’s Energy secretary on Monday stated that the provincial government would facilitate private sector companies that stand for exploiting renewable energy resources available in the province.

The secretary Abu Bakar Ahmed Madani was speaking as the chief guest at an event ‘Solar Power Day’ organised by GoodWe Pakistan. “There should be lesser reliance on imported fossil fuels for protection of the national economy,” he said.

The Energy secretary said the provincial government would facilitate investment by the private sector in the alternative energy sector so that the country could meet its target of producing 30 percent of electricity through renewable power resources by 2030.

Madani apprised that the government was working for a cause of producing solar energy for public sector buildings. He informed that solar energy systems had already been installed at 225 primary health facilities in 13 districts of the province.

The provincial government had proposed inclusion of 22 independent power producers (IPP) based on-grid solar photovoltaic solar (PV) projects with a cumulative capacity of 1550 megawatts (MWs) in the Indicative Generation Capacity Expansion Plan-2021, he informed.

The official told the audience that they had been working with the World Bank to harness the solar energy potential. Madani held out assurance that a one-window facility would be available to all the energy sector companies that wanted to become a partner in the Sindh government’s drive to generate maximum electricity on the basis of wind and solar power.