RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES IN PAKISTAN: PAVING A WAY FORWARD

Abstract

Pakistan has 2.83 percent of the world's population, making it the fifth-most populated country. At 0.37 percent of the world's total, it ranks 35th in energy usage. Per capita, energy availability is 43W, 1/7th of the world average. Pakistan's installed capacity is 34233 MW, however, it can only generate 22000 MW against a peak load of 25000 MW, generating a 3000MW power shortfall. Not using the existing capacity, which is 8000MW larger than the peak load, is a sore issue for technical, economical, and administrative reasons. Circular debt in the electricity sector stems from significant reliance on imported petroleum and inefficient financial flow across tiers. The electricity shortage causes outages and hinders economic progress. The energy problem calls for concrete actions to alleviate the shortfall. A way ahead is to transition the country's power industry from imported oilbased thermal power plants to more feasible indigenous resources, such as renewable energy resources, of which Pakistan is rich and has great exploitation potential. This article surveys the availability of renewable energy sources, including hydro, solar, wind, and biomass, and their present and prospective penetration in the total power generating mix, with recommendations. Pakistan can extract 30 GW from hydropower and 11 GW from wind by 2030. According to estimates, a vast untapped potential of solar power must be brought into service with biogas as a supplement to meet future power needs. The comparative analysis has been done by doing a case study on different renewable energy strategies and techniques adopted by other countries.