Chinese energy projects power Pakistan through global crisis: Experts

ISLAMABAD: As global energy markets reel from disruptions linked to escalating tensions in the Middle East and the closure of key supply routes such as the Strait of Hormuz, Pakistan is finding resilience through its long-term collaboration with China in the energy sector.

Projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) are increasingly positioning the country to withstand external shocks by reducing reliance on imported fuels and expanding indigenous and renewable energy sources.

Shah Jahan Mirza, Managing Director of the Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB), who has led the organization for the past decade and overseen the execution of almost all CPEC power projects, discussed Pakistan’s evolving energy landscape, the growing role of renewable resources, and the expanding footprint of Chinese investment in ensuring energy security.

Fast-Tracked Energy Development Under CPEC: “Basically, under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) maximum investment has come to the power projects. That time when CPEC was started in 2013-14, Pakistan was facing about 12 hours of loadshedding like the city of Islamabad was facing 12 hours loadshedding, so one hour electricity was available and one hour was off, so this was the situation when CPEC was started, Gwadar Pro reported. Chinese government, Chinese enterprises they worked very hard with Pakistani counterparts and the result was the projects were set off on very fast-track basis.

Some of the initial projects were setup on imported fuel to save the time but the ultimate aim of CPEC was to develop the local indigenous resources of Pakistan. In this context the local Thar Coal, that is very critical, and other more critical is the renewable energy which include mainly wind and solar projects and hydro of course.

Wind, solar and hydro are the renewable resources. Under CPEC we have done six projects about 3300 MW on Thar Coal that is pure indigenous resource that will be actually sustainable in such a time when the imported fuels are not available when there is a shortage in the country.”

Solar Boom Driven by Consumers: “Solar energy in Pakistan, everyone knows that has increased very rapidly, so the influx of solar has been very past in Pakistan. Now, we see that the net metering scheme which is the rooftop solar where the consumers connect to the grid; the surplus at day time go to the grid and in the evening, they come back to the grid and get the electricity from the grid. Staff Report