Solar Project to Electrify 10,000 Homes Launched in Pakistan

Pakistan has launched a solar energy project which aims to electrify 10,000 homes across the country in the next three years.

Pakistan has launched a solar energy project which aims to electrify 10,000 households across the country in the next three years, the media reported. homes

Addressing the launch of Hilton Pharma’s CSR initiative titled ‘Roshni Se Zindagi’ here on Saturday, President Alvi said Pakistan, which had emerged as the fifth largest market for solar energy, needed to make optimum use of the safest source available in abundance in the form of sunlight, reports Dawn news.

“Pakistan is (the) sixth-most populous country of the world, but unfortunately 25 percent of our population is still deprived of basic facility of electricity,” he said while speaking at the launch ceremony.

“Since we have increasingly consumerist society, the solar panel manufacturing should start in Pakistan to provide electricity to the remotest areas. Solar energy will also reduce the imminent threat of global warming.”

The solar power project will also provide electricity in two rural areas of Sindh – Baba Bhit Island and Gharo.

Appreciating the contribution of the country’s corporate sector for taking the initiative of electrification of homes in remote and least privileged areas, President Alvi said that solar energy was the cleanest source and such conscious efforts were required to address carbon footprint.

Recently, we had reported that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has decided to shortly approve a loan worth USD 350 million for reforms and financial sustainability programmes that aims to address fiscal, governance, technical and policy deficits in the Pakistan energy sector.

According to the project documents released by the ADB, the bank will start loan negotiations with the government in October, and it is expected that the loan signing and effectiveness of the loan will take place in November this year.

In March, we had reported that Italian oil and gas major Eni had commenced work on the construction of two new solar photovoltaic projects in Pakistan and Tunisia. The Pakistan plant will be built in close proximity to the Bhit gas field at which Eni is the operator with a 40 percent stake, through its subsidiary Eni New Energy Pakistan.