Renewable Energy Resources Need to Make its way into Overall Energy Mix for sustaining Pak Economy.

Byline: Raziuddin (Razi)

In 2017-18, Pakistan Commercial primary energy mix was as follows:

Conventional Primary Energy (Fossil and Nuclear Thermal and Hydro)-2018

1. Oil: 31.2%

2. Gas: 34.6%

3. LNG import: 08.7%

4. LPG: 01.2%

5. Coal: 12.7%,

6. nuclear electricity: 02.7%

7. imported electricity: 00.1%

8. hydro-electricity: 07.7%

9. Sub-Total: 98.9%

   * Non-Conventional Primary Energy (Solar, Wind)-2018

1. Renewable Electricity: 01.1%

   * Indicative Generation Capacity Expansion Plan by NTDCL-2040 (official Plan to be owned by the Government)

1. Renewable Electricity: 16.0%

   * World Energy Outlook-2040

1. Renewable Electricity: 40.0%

   It means that Pakistan will be 2.5 times behind the world; competing in the international market will be difficult and a very uphill task. The Government needs to revise 2025, 2030 and 2040 targets.

   The energy of the primary commercial energy is heavily lopsided towards the Conventional resources, which constitute mostly of fossil fuel. Pakistan has a very high deficit in Non-Conventional Energy compared to most of the developing countries, which are non-Oil Gas producing.

   Main reasons for having meagre Non-Conventional energy in the overall energy mix (solar/wind) is the failure of Renewable Energy Policy-2006, lack of interest by the Federal Government, CCOE, ECC and its organizations, such as NEPRA, NTDCL, CPPA-G and Discos despite aggressive interest by the private sector. Although there were no technological barriers but NTDCL and CPPA-G focused on LNG and Coal and refused to entertain solar, wind and hydro thus causing retardation of Non-Conventional resources. Once the investor goes away, to make him return is a daunting task.

   NEPRA also withheld tariff and license approval of 14 Wind projects for almost two years, however recently it allowed 6 projects to go ahead. The Federal Government withdrew a number of provisions of tariff from non-conventional resources which dampened development. Renewable Policy-2006 has become obsolete and redundant, while new draft Alternate Renewable Energy...