PAKISTAN
Experts at EESD 2025 call for community-driven, decentralized renewable energy solutions to bridge Sindh’s energy gap, expand energy access, alleviate energy poverty, and promote energy equity to achieve SDG 7 targets by 2030.
With grid access in Sindh (excluding Karachi) dropping to 67.7%, experts at the 7th International Conference on Energy, Environment, and Sustainable Development (EESD 2025) underscored solar minigrids as a cost-effective, scalable solution to accelerate universal energy access in Pakistan’s off-grid areas.
The panel discussion, “Solar Minigrids for Just Energy Transition – Accelerating Renewable Energy Access in Off-Grid Areas of Sindh,” hosted by the Civil Society Support Program (CSSP), convened policy experts, energy researchers, climate advocates, and government officials to deliberate on financial, policy, and technical frameworks for scaling minigrid deployment at the 7th International Conference on Energy and Environment (EESD-2025), organized by MUET Jamshoro.
Pakistan’s solar sector is witnessing unprecedented growth, with 22 GW of solar panels imported in just 18 months. While this signals a transition towards decentralized energy, it has also added challenges for the central power grid.
Majid Bilal Khan, Program Manager at Indus Consortium, warned that affluent consumers shifting to private solar systems are indirectly burdening grid-dependent users, predominantly low-income households, with increased capacity payment obligations. He highlighted climate financing as a persistent hurdle, noting that 12 million Pakistanis remain off-grid despite declining solar panel prices. To bridge this gap, he advocated for financial backing from banks and international institutions, calling for tax breaks, low-interest loans, and investment guarantees to spur renewable energy investments. He stressed the need to leverage global climate funds, such as the Green Climate Fund (GCF), and align national policies with international climate action frameworks to accelerate Pakistan’s solar minigrid expansion for rural electrification.
Shafqat Hussain Memon, an academic researcher at MUET, cited the latest surveys, including the Pakistan Energy Survey (2021-2022) and the World Bank’s Least-Cost Electrification Study, to highlight energy access challenges. Despite 97.6% electricity coverage, nearly 80% remain at Tier 2 or lower, struggling with cost, capacity, and reliability, while 7.3% of rural households still lack access to any form of electricity. Building on these findings, he highlighted “Pakistan’s urgent need for 40 million new connections to achieve universal access—53% via grid densification, 25% through expansion, 20% via minigrids, and 2.5% through off-grid standalone systems,” as suggested by the World Bank’s study.
However, he identified several key hurdles to solar minigrid expansion, including weak governance, high upfront technological costs, weak socio-economic ecosystems, poor maintenance, regulatory bottlenecks, and socio-political barriers that deter investment. Additionally, financial constraints and rising incidents of equipment theft further hinder adoption. To address these challenges, he called for policy reforms, innovative financing schemes, and community-driven models, emphasizing the need for a people-centric energy transition. He further pointed to DC microgrids as a scalable and cost-effective technological solution for rural electrification, highlighting their viability amid advanced technological advancements and declining solar-storage costs. Moreover, referring to an IEA report, he cautioned that 75 million newly electrified people remain at risk of losing access due to rising fuel costs, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable, affordable, and reliable clean energy solutions.
Dr. Hassan Khan, Associate Professor at LUMS, introduced IoT-based microgrids as a tool to optimize rural electrification, sharing insights from LUMS-led pilot initiatives. He emphasized the importance of collaborations with civil society organizations (CSOs) for mass awareness, stating: “By establishing field labs, working with local communities, and integrating renewable energy studies into engineering curriculums, we can drive a more effective transition.”
Dr. Faheemullah Shaikh, Associate Professor at MUET, pointed out the role of techno-economic feasibility studies and socio-economic assessments in ensuring the mass adoption of solar minigrids. He recommended piloting diverse models tailored to different population structures before full-scale deployment, stressing the urgency of improving material quality and strengthening climate financing mechanisms for local manufacturing of energy goods to mitigate upfront costs.
Yasir Hussain, Director of the Climate Action Centre (CAC Karachi), highlighted public perceptions of the clean energy transition in Karachi’s peripheral and low-income areas. He introduced CAC’s Green Energy Campaign, which promotes solar minigrids as a sustainable energy security solution.
Ashok Suthar, a development professional at CSSP, introduced the Just Energy Transition (JET) Initiative in Sindh, which envisions community-led solar minigrids as a pathway to sustainable energy solutions for off-grid communities.
Engr. Mehfooz Ahmed Qazi, from the Sindh Energy Department, outlined key green energy initiatives, particularly the ongoing Solar Home System (SHS) project. He stated that the government is fostering an enabling environment for renewable energy expansion through public-private partnerships. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to launching new models tailored to different socio-economic segments, with a substantial allocation for pilot projects and plans for expanded solar minigrid deployment in 2025.
Prof. Emeritus Mohammad Aslam Uqaili (Former Vice Chancellor, MUET) endorsed the panel’s recommendations, calling for immediate pilot projects to refine scalable solar minigrid models. He emphasized: “The government must show strong resolve and commitment to last-mile electrification for an equitable energy future.”
The session concluded that with robust policy and regulatory support, innovative financing schemes, and community-driven models, Sindh can lead Pakistan’s transition to a sustainable, equitable green energy future.
JAMSHORO: ERMD
