Red Tape Hampering Wind Power Projects

KARACHI: Foreign and local investors in Pakistan’s wind power sector are facing multiple challenges, ranging from curtailments by energy off-takers to an unannounced moratorium on the import of renewable energy equipment.

Xiaohui Ma of Goldwind, a global wind-turbine supplier with investments in Pakistan, told a webinar that procedural glitches are hampering the operations of wind power projects in the country. He urged the government to focus on both wind and solar power as complementary technologies and to develop ambitious plans and frameworks for both segments to maximise their benefits.

The webinar, organised by Renewables First, a think tank for energy and the environment, also featured Shah Jahan Mirza, CEO of the Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB), who highlighted Pakistan’s immense renewable energy potential.

He emphasised the country’s goal of adding 14,000 megawatts of wind and solar power to the grid over the next 10 years and called for redirecting Chinese investment in Pakistan’s energy sector from coal to clean energy sources.

Noorul Arifeen Zuberi, Deputy CEO of China Three Gorges South Asia Investment Ltd, stated that to attract more foreign investment in the renewable energy sector, Pakistan should adopt a streamlined project development process and remove barriers through close collaboration and stakeholder engagement. He also emphasised that private-sector investments in transmission and distribution could help resolve bottlenecks that limit greater renewable energy integration. Investment and transmission reforms

In his concluding remarks, Tauseef H. Farooqi, Chairman of the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA), expressed optimism about the potential of Chinese investment in Pakistan’s renewable energy sector.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2023

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