The Potential of Microgrids in Modern Energy Landscapes
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KARACHI: Pakistan’s energy sector can save up to $8 billion within ten years by adopting more efficient and cleaner power generation strategies.
Pakistan is developing at a breakneck pace, and its energy needs are increasing with time. The Fiscal Year 2022 electricity consumption is calculated to be a total of 154 TWh which means that 27 GW of peak electricity was consumed in Pakistan.
Research shows that 2031 energy consumption is expected to reach 228 TWh per year.
It is genuinely challenging for Pakistan to meet the energy demands of current electricity production methods.
The Policy Research Institute for Equitable Development (PRIED) and the Renewables First analyzed the government's Indicative Generation Capacity Expansion Plan (IGCEP) 2022-31 and proposed alternative scenarios based on renewable energy sources.
The current methods of producing electricity need to be modernized over time. And Pakistan only meets the escalating demand for electricity by connecting additional power to the national grid.
The existing power plants in Pakistan have high operational costs, due to which energy tariffs are continuously increasing.
The research found that Pakistan could meet the energy requirement by increasing the share of wind and solar power in its energy mix. By adding alternating energy production sources, the energy production ratio would uplift to 47% by 2031.
Shifting to green energy would reduce Pakistan’s dependence on costly fossil fuel imports. Moreover, renewable power promises lower greenhouse gas emissions. The circular debt has plagued the energy sector of Pakistan for many years. The inefficiencies and subsidies made electricity an unaffordable utility.
A researcher at Renewables First, Ammar Qaseem, stated that;
"Our findings and projections are different from those made in IGCEP 2022-31 because we have used more realistic assumptions and data on wind and solar technologies, which the government has not fully disclosed or considered."
Renewable energy would help Pakistan reduce its variable electricity costs by over 10% and its emission by almost 50% in 2030.
Other research institutions, including the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Agora Energiewende, and the LUMS Energy Institute, voiced their critiques and ideas on the "IGCEP" during a multi-stakeholder dialogue that PRIED convened.
Through efficient and cleaner power generation strategies, Pakistan could save $8.6 billion in the next ten years. According to the research recommendations, the country must stop or delay already “committed projects” using coal, gas or big dams. By replacing the high-cost projects with solar and wind energy, the power generation process will have lower capital and operational costs leading to unlimited affordable electricity for every citizen.
Microgrids are small energy generation and distributing systems that cover localized areas' needs. They are independent and energy efficient.
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KARACHI: Pakistan’s energy sector can save up to $8 billion within ten years by adopting more efficient and cleaner power generation strategies.