Fozia Azam

The government’s project to shift 11kV feeder lines to solar power across the country aims to provide cheap and uninterrupted power supply to consumers, said Director of Policy at the Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) Syed Aqeel Hussain Jaffri while talking to WealthPK.

He said the proposed initiative was being taken under the government’s comprehensive plan named “Fast Track Solarization”. Under this project, 2000MW electricity is expected to be generated through 1300 to 1500 feeder lines across the country. These feeders will be converted to solar power gradually.

“The mainstreaming of renewable energy and utilization of indigenous resources is cost-efficient, as it helps reduce the country’s dependence on imported fossil fuels besides mitigating supply disruptions and price fluctuation risks,” he added.

Jaffri said import of fuel and other raw materials for energy production cost more than $12 billion, putting a strain on the national budget. He said the situation had worsened as the rupee had depreciated, raising power tariff for consumers. “Under this initiative, the power generated through the solar powered feeders will cost less and is estimated to cost around Rs8 to 9 per unit. The power supply companies (discos) have been tasked with identifying the areas where the feeder lines can be put on solar power,” he said.

The director of policy at AEDB opined that changing the source of power from conventional fuel to solar power at the feeder level will ensure rapid and cost-effective supply of electricity. The districts with high loss feeders will be prioritized, he added.

Transmission and distribution losses is one of the core issues and solarization of the feeders will also help overcome this problem, as the supply losses not only cause wastage of resources but also make the national grid extremely vulnerable.

There is an urgent need for capacity additions in the power sector but at the same time it also raises concerns of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Adaptation of renewable energy not only provides cheap electricity but also leads the power sector towards decarbonatization.

It is to be mentioned that Pakistan has an overall potential of producing 2.9 million Megawatts of solar power and this potential should be used on a priority basis to ease the power sector’s burden. Currently, Pakistan generates 1.16 percent of its electricity from solar power.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk