Are we really ready to generate 14,000 MW of solar energy

One does not know how Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reacted when officers around him put their plans to generate 9,000 megawatts from solar projects on a priority basis, the people in the business, however, did have their eyebrows raised for sure. And there are very pertinent reasons for it.
This is just a part of the Shahbaz government’s plan of generating 14,000 megawatts from solar energy projects this year. Seemingly, it’s a robust step to raise the share of green energy in Pakistan’s overall pool of energy.
The impetus is caused by the devastating national economy which, as the government believes cannot afford to generate energy by using expensive oil—the commodity that Pakistan solely imports.
To promote solar, the federal government wants to introduce reduced prices for solar systems and offer tax incentives. Besides, a comprehensive policy is required to provide the foundation for the shift from expensive fuels to alternative energy sources.
The prime minister said that the alternate energy policy introduced by the Imran Khan government in 2020 failed not only to produce the required results but also to attract investment.
If the former government’s line of action and its policy are lacking then the present government needs to take such potential initiatives missing in the said policy that distinguishes it from its predecessors. For instance, if the policy of Imran Khan’s government did not bear fruit then the policy should be formulated in a manner that speaks the discourse required for the country.
In addition, many other decisions are a must to get the required results. They include the policy support to localization of solar systems so that the value addition be ensured and thus imports can be reduced in this sector.
None of the components of the solar system is made in Pakistan and thus the consumers have no option but to go with the systems that are not as efficient as the modern systems being used in the developed world.
Experts say the efficiency of solar cells being used in Pakistan is not more than 20 percent as they are from older versions and produced by older assemblies being imported in Pakistan.
Since there is no local industry and the absence of research and development culture in Pakistan, the target of the government to go solar in a hefty manner seems unrealistic. ‘we shall require US$7 billion to have the capacity of 14,000 megawatts,’ says a senior engineer.
The government, he says, needs at least 2 years to formulate the policy and implement it.
Besides, Pakistan needs a culture of research and development and the engineering universities have to be pushed for research in genuine terms. We need our universities to work on increasing the efficiency of solar cells and, of course, on other components too.
Moreover, batteries are one more issue to be looked after. They are expensive and also they require a complete chain to ensure their availability.
In the presence of all these issues, the prime minister has directed prioritizing Balochistan in the provision of solar systems. As an intent, it is good but such systems require ownership that unfortunately has been missing in our societies. Therefore, the government has to make an arrangement to ensure it in a province where development outlays have gone into the vein for a long time.
The prime minister directed the authorities concerned to carry out comprehensive planning for the early execution of the solar projects. He called for giving priority to Balochistan in the provision of solar systems across the country.n