Renewable energy in Pakistan is a relatively underdeveloped sector; however, in recent years, there has been more and more interest to explore

renewable energy Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such as sunlight, wind, the movement of water, and geothermal heat. Although most renewable energy ...

resources for the

energy production Energy development is the field of activities focused on obtaining sources of energy from natural resources. These activities include production of renewable, nuclear, and fossil fuel derived sources of energy, and for the recovery and reuse ...

. Around 10.57% of Pakistan’s total installed power generation capacity (in 2020) comes renewables (wind, solar and

biogas Biogas is a mixture of gases, primarily consisting of methane, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide, produced from raw materials such as agricultural waste, manure, municipal waste, plant material, sewage, green waste and food waste. It is a ...

). Most of Pakistan's renewable energy comes from

hydroelectricity Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other Renewabl ...

. As per the vision of the Prime Minister, there is the aim to “induct 20% of RE by the year 2025 and 30% of RE by the year 2030.”

Solar power

There have been some efforts to install and expand the use of solar energy in Pakistan. The average amount of daily sunlight in Pakistan is eight and a half hours; there are a few cloudy days even in the wettest regions. Eight power generation plants have been installed and eleven are in various stages of completion. Further feasibility studies are undergoing. In December 1981, the first solar

photovoltaic system A photovoltaic system, also PV system or solar power system, is an electric power system designed to supply usable solar power by means of photovoltaics. It consists of an arrangement of several components, including solar panels to absorb and co ...

was commissioned, located in Mumniala (a village 60 km from

Islamabad Islamabad (; ur, , ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's ninth-most populous city, with a population of over 1.2 million people, and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital T ...

). Four solar systems has been commissioned in Khukhera (Lasbela district), Ghakar (Attock district), Malmari (Thatta district) (now that system is unserviceable) and Dittal Khan Laghari, Digri (Mirpurkhas district).The Punjab government announced the establishment of Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park over an area of 5,000 acres in the Cholistan Development Authority in Bahawalpur. A practical example of the use of solar energy can be seen in some rural villages of Pakistan where houses have been provided wit
solar panels
that run electric fans and energy-saving bulbs. One notable and successfully implemented case was the village of Narian Khorian (about 50 kilometers from Islamabad), which employs the use of 100 solar panels installed by a local firm, free of cost; these panels have provide energy through lights and fan facilities to some 100 households. The

alternative energy Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a Orders of magnitude (time), human timescale. It includes sources such as Solar power, sunlight, wind power, wind, the movement of Hydropo ...

development board installed 200 solar home systems at District Khuzdar Balochistan in a remote off-grid village Karak. Government of Balochistan launched a programme to electrify off-grid villages of various districts through solar technology.

Wind power

Pakistan is developing wind power plants in

Jhimpir Jhimpir ( ur, ) is a village in Thatta District, Sindh, Pakistan. It is situated 114 km away from Karachi. It is the site of Pakistan's first wind power project. However, Jhimpir has a railway station and train service is available for Karac ...

Gharo Gharo ( sd, گھارو ') is a Town located in Thatta District, Sindh, Pakistan. Its population is about 2.000 families in 2017. It has large bazar for shopping of local communities, sits on the delta of the Indus River, its economy is based on ...

Keti Bandar The Keti Bandar Port ( ur, ) is a port on the Arabian Sea, in the Thatta District, Sindh, Pakistan. The port was built on the remains of the older seaport of Debal where Muhammad bin Qasim and his army arrived from Iraq. Keti Bandar is approxima ...

and Bin Qasim in

Sindh Sindh (; ; ur, , ; historically romanized as Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest province ...

. The government of Pakistan decided to develop wind power energy sources due to problems supplying energy to the southern coastal regions of

and

Balochistan Balochistan ( ; bal, بلۏچستان; also romanised as Baluchistan and Baluchestan) is a historical region in Western and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. ...

, the project was undertaken with assistance from the government of China. Another area with potential is Swat which shows good wind conditions in windpower investment. The

Chagai District Chaghi District ( bal, ; urd, ), also known as Chaghi District, is the largest Districts of Pakistan, district of Pakistan by area, located in the north west corner of Balochistan (Pakistan), Balochistan, Pakistan. Demographics At the time of ...

in Balochistan has good potential for wind power in the Nukundi area near the Afghan/Iran Border, with wind speeds often 12.5% higher than average required for energy generation. Some examples are: *

Jhimpir Wind Power Plant The Zorlu Energy Power Project ( ur, , sd, جھمپیر ہوا بجلی گھر) is a wind farm located at Jhimpir in Thatta District of Sindh province in Pakistan, 120 kilometres north-east of Karachi. The project has been developed by Zor ...

(operational) * Gharo Wind Power Plant (operational) * Bin Qasim Wind Power Project (under construction) * Artistic Energy (Pvt.) Ltd. (Operational) * Artistic Wind Power (Pvt.) Ltd. (Operational)

Micro Hydropower

Micro Hydro Micro hydro is a type of hydroelectric power that typically produces from 5 kW to 100 kW of electricity using the natural flow of water. Installations below 5 kW are called pico hydro. These installations can provide power to an i ...

more than 3000 MW micro hydropower potential exists in Pakistan only 150 MW has been utilized yet. T15 is the international standard turbine being used locally.

Tidal power

Tidal power Tidal power or tidal energy is harnessed by converting energy from tides into useful forms of power, mainly electricity using various methods. Although not yet widely used, tidal energy has the potential for future electricity generation. Ti ...

has not yet been operational in Pakistan compared to other renewable energy technologies. In

, two sites, creek system of

Indus delta The Indus River Delta ( ur, سندھ ڈیلٹا, sd, سنڌو ٽِڪور), forms where the Indus River flows into the Arabian Sea, mostly in the southern Sindh province of Pakistan with a small portion in the Kutch District, Kutch Region of Indi ...

of 170 km and two to five metres tidal heights at the

Korangi Creek Korangi Creek Cantonment or Korangi Cantonment ( ur, کورنگی کریک چھاؤنی ) is a cantonment town of the city of Karachi, in Sindh, Pakistan. It serves as a military base and residential establishment. It was established by the B ...

, are available to exploit the tidal energy.

Sonmiani Beach Somiani ( ur, ) is a coastal town in the southeast of Balochistan (Pakistan), Balochistan province in Pakistan, approximately 145 kilometres northwest of Karachi. The coast of Sonmiani is the northernmost point of the Arabian Sea. The Sonmiani Beac ...

and Kalamat are also good prospects of tidal energy in

. Government has issued licence to private companies to take measures to build tidal power stations in February 2013. Since then, the engineering work is under process, and initially a 10 MW plant is proposed at Sonmiani Bay. Construction was expected to start by the end of 2013.

References

External links

solar system in karachi
{{Renewable energy by country https://www.ferozepower.com/solar-system-in-karachi/