A seminar hosted by the Islamabad-based organization, Renewables First, aimed at discussing the renewable energy landscape in Karachi, quickly became a forum for intense scrutiny due to notable deficiencies in the study’s approach and conclusions. The report, intended to explore the potential impacts on the city’s energy sector, was met with immediate criticism from attendees for its foundational shortcomings.The study’s introduction, accompanied by a disclaimer stating, “This technical report relies entirely on publicly accessible data and resources.
Despite our efforts to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information herein, Renewables First cannot assure its completeness or timeliness. Consequently, readers should consider the conclusions and analyses derived from this data as informational only and not as financial, investment, or professional advice,” immediately sparked debate among the seminar’s participants. This candid acknowledgment brought the report’s analytical depth and reliability into question from the outset.Held under the banner “Significance of Renewables for Karachi & Export Industry” the closed-door seminar saw a gathering of industry experts, policymakers, and stakeholders from the export and manufacturing sectors.
They voiced their apprehensions over the study’s reliance on potentially outdated or incomplete data and the absence of a comprehensive stakeholder engagement process in its preparation.During the event, which featured a wide range of speakers including, Shariq Raza – Chief Technical Officer at the Energy Department, Government of Sindh, Zulfiqar Ali Umrani – Head of Sustainability at Ziauddin University, and Tauseef Farooqi – Former Chairman NEPRA, participants also raised queries on the former NEPRA’s 4 year tenure for failing to advance the integration of renewable energy into the national grid.
It was argued in the report that Pakistan has a huge potential to generate electricity from wind with estimates reaching around 50,000 MW while Karachi could not leverage this opportunity. Moreover, report claimed that the global Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) for utility-scale wind and solar projects has drastically decreased in the past decade, and Pakistan has also witnessed substantial cost reductions in Renewables. Challenging the feasibility of the report’s assertions, participants questioned the organizers on the practicality of relying entirely on renewable energy, given the inherent variability of weather conditions and the absence of power generation when renewable resources are not available, such as nighttime when Karachi hits another peak electricity demand.
Another participant raised the steps taken by KE, also admitted in NEPRA report, on inclusion of a large scale rooftop generation via net metering. The power sector experts present also highlighted the need for a balanced energy mix that includes both renewable and conventional sources to ensure grid stability and continuous power supply. It was further emphasized that while the potential for wind and solar energy in Pakistan is significant, the transition to a fully renewable-based system requires careful planning, massive investment in energy storage solutions, and the development of a more resilient grid infrastructure to manage intermittency issues effectively.
On the other hand, the spokesperson of K-Electric took to social media and while refuting the misleading conclusions made in the report, said that their company “remains committed to achieving 30% renewables by 2030 in line with our (KE’s) submitted, publicly available plans developed based on ground dynamics, resources, and demand growth.” He further added that the actual white paper was not shared until the unveiling event, because of which the company couldn’t share any perspective on the report.
