Chief Executive Officer K-Electric, Moonis Alvi stated that renewable energy has to be integrated into the power sector in a way that adds versatility to the system, calling a resilient power network the “backbone of a resilient city.”
These comments were made while addressing a global virtual audience at the Future of Energy webinar titled “Strengthening Climate Action: Role of the Power Sector,” which also featured prominent thought leaders and industry experts including Malik Amin Aslam, Minister for Climate Change and Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Climate.
The panel discussion was curated to gather insights on the opportunities and bottlenecks of Pakistan’s ambitious plans to increase the share of renewable energy in its generation mix.
Ranked as the 8th most vulnerable country to the impact of climate change, Pakistan’s industries and power sector have an important role to play in exacting a transformation.
Addressing the audience, SAPM Malik Amin Aslam shared that clean energy is one of the main pillars of climate action and a key message from the Glasgow Pact, along with nature-based solutions. He stated that while Pakistan is not a big emitter, the national vision is clear – Pakistan wants to be part of the solution to climate change.
In this regard, the country has extended protected areas in Pakistan by 50% over the last year, and is forging the path forward with clear quantifiable targets for the climate vision by 2030. The presence of a clear 10-year plan put Pakistan ahead of other countries on the mission to achieve a net-zero future.
Chairman NEPRA Tauseef Farooqi also shared the role the regulator was playing with its vision of providing “Power with Prosperity.” He shared that out of over 300 licensees on NEPRA’s CSR Portal, 145 had invested over PKR 4.4 billion in their efforts to take ownership of the communities they operate in.
Cumulatively, this investment had created almost 18,900 jobs. He commended the Federal Government’s efforts and the visionary IGCEP which had recently been approved, calling it the “first time that a scientific way has been developed to expanding capacity,” and stated his assurance that this will have a significant impact in lowering the cost of electricity to end consumers as well.
CEO K-Electric Moonis Alvi spoke about the role the power sector can play in supporting the national sustainability agenda. He shared K-Electric’s own diversification strategy which aims to add almost 1100 MW of power through renewable sources by FY2030.
He also mentioned exciting partnerships with the World Bank and Sindh Energy Department under which KE would become the purchaser of up to 350 MW of solar power from projects being established by World Bank and Sindh Energy Department.
Additionally, KE has also supported the addition of 40 MW of electricity through net-metering. Commenting on the responsibility of the power sector, Moonis stated “in terms of climate change, we look at ourselves as a role model to build this city with enough resilience to withstand adverse weather conditions.”
