Due to the country’s large population and current industrialization, sources are not meeting the country’s current energy needs. Meanwhile, they have negative environmental consequences and are economically inefficient for electrifying remote areas. As a result, alternative energy sources must be sought. Energy is critical to the development of modern economies. All human activities, such as education, health care, agriculture, and employment, require energy to function properly. Without proper energy utilization, a country cannot succeed. It is regarded as the most important component of a country’s economy. Pakistan is a developing nation. Due to recent development, as well as to support its large population and industry, the country requires a massive amount of energy to keep everything running smoothly. However, there is an energy supply shortage, and the country is experiencing its worst energy crisis.
In answer to a Geo News question, the finance minister stated that the previous government did not make any LNG agreements, and that “we are buying LNG at expensive rates, so it is currently not possible to end load shedding because the national exchequer is empty.” According to power department references, the country’s electricity demand has risen to 28,200 megawatts amid sweltering weather conditions, while the power source is 21,200 megawatts, with a power shortfall of over 7,000 megawatts.
Former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said at a joint news conference with ministers of information, power, and petroleum that the government had taken steps to reduce the power outage to three and a half hours by Tuesday. He blamed the previous administration for all of the ills plaguing the energy sector and economy today, blaming corruption, inefficiency, and mismanagement. The current demand is approximately 25,000MW, while total power generation is approximately 21,000MW, resulting in a 4000MW shortfall or approximately four hours of load shedding.
Pakistan’s energy crisis has become critical due to the country’s sole reliance on hydropower generation. Currently, three major hydel power plants (Terbela, Mangla, and Ghazi Brotha) are producing electricity, but their capacity is much lower than the country’s growing demand for electricity. Given the current energy crisis, a greater emphasis on renewable energy sources is required. Solar energy is one of the least expensive energy sources currently in use in the modern world.
The country currently generates only 1.16 percent of its electricity from solar power and 64 percent from fossil fuels. Other sources of electricity include hydropower (27%) and nuclear (5%). Renewable energy accounts for only 4% of total electricity production. Despite its location in a region severely impacted by climate change, Pakistan continues to invest in environmentally unfriendly power generation methods.
The Chinese ambassador to Pakistan, the Pakistani minister of energy, and the Director of the CPEC authority met at the end of 2020 to discuss plans and collaborations in the energy sector for 2021. To address the energy and environmental crises, the two countries intend to make significant investments in renewable energy, particularly solar energy. The country may see increased government and Chinese investment in solar energy, indicating that now is the time to switch to solar.
Pakistan’s energy demand is expected to increase eightfold by 2030 and twentyfold by 2050. Pakistan is geographically located in the sun belt and receives abundant sunlight throughout the year. It is critical to use existing solar energy resources to address current energy issues. Meanwhile, public and private sector investment is critical to realizing its full potential.
China, the world leader in solar energy, has made remarkable progress in recent years. At the end of 2017, the country had a total installed solar PV capacity of 131.1 GW. The United States ranks second with 51 GW of solar PV installed. Similarly, Japan has 49 GW, Germany has 42.4 GW, Italy has 19.7 GW, India has 18.3 GW, the United Kingdom has 12.7 GW, France has 8 GW, Australia has 7.2 GW, and Spain has 5.6 GW.
Pakistan plans to increase the share of renewable energy technologies (RETs) in the overall energy mix to up to 9700 MW by the end of 2030, according to the Medium-Term Development Framework 2006. The country can meet these targets and address energy crises if solar energy resources are used properly and efficiently. In the midst of the energy crisis, the federal government has decided to transition public buildings to solar energy. The decision was made during a meeting of the Task Force on Solar Energy. The meeting was presided over by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb.
The country’s electricity shortfall has reached 6,709 MW, with total power generation hovering around 21,191 MW and total demand standing at 27,900 MW, necessitating lengthy power outages across the country. Pakistan’s geography and environmental conditions are ideal for maximizing solar energy utilization. Solar power in order to solve Pakistan’s energy crisis in a relatively short period of time. When operating, solar energy technologies and power plants produce no air pollution or greenhouse gases. When solar energy replaces or reduces the use of other energy sources with larger environmental impacts, it can have a positive, indirect effect on the environment. However, there are environmental concerns associated with the development and use of solar energy technologies.
On August 1, the government will announce a national solar energy policy in an effort to boost the renewable energy sector. The policy’s implementation will be subject to the approval of the Council of Common Interests (CCI). The news came during a meeting of the Energy Task Force on Thursday in Islamabad, presided over by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. During the meeting, it was decided that the Prime Minister’s House and Office would be converted to solar power on an emergency basis within one month. This is an admirable step by the government. Pakistan’s future is in solar energy.
Because of Pakistan’s climatic conditions, solar energy is a viable alternative to nonrenewable energy sources, which are frequently responsible for environmental pollution. The country is attempting to use solar power by increasing solar energy-based power plants, but the efforts are minimal. So the government of Pakistan needs to focus on solar energy. The people of Pakistan need solar energy at this time. The problem of load shedding in Pakistan is getting worse by the day. A Pakistani citizen can live a happy life in the future if he works hard and implements solar energy today.
