KARACHI: National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has awarded a 25-year levelized tariff of Rs6.425/kwh to Hamid Mir sponsored Safe Solar Pvt Ltd for its 10MW solar power plant being setup in Bhawalpur with a cost of $9.25 million.
The project is expected to commence commercial operations within six months and would provide electricity to Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA).
Pakistan enjoys a geo-strategic advantage for producing abundant amounts of solar energy. Hence, solar technology can save millions of dollars for the country’s economic growth, while also offering various ecological benefits”.
In order to harness the potential of Renewable Energy (RE) resources in the country, Government of Pakistan formulated a policy titled “Policy for Development of Renewable Energy for Power Generation 2006”.
Under the said RE Policy, both the federal government and the provincial governments have been supporting the implementation of RE projects in the country.
Pakistan is located in the Sunny Belt and can take advantage of its ideal situation for utilization of solar energy.
The country potential for solar generation is beyond doubt as it has high solar irradiation and enough space for installation of generation system those are ideal for PV and other solar energy applications.
Pakistan receives about 15.5×1014 kWh of solar irradiance each year with most regions receiving approximately 8 to 10 sunlight hours/ day. The installed capacity of solar photovoltaic power is estimated to be 1600 GW/year, approximately 41 times that of current power generation in the country.
“The effect of climate change in Pakistan has been more evident in the past decade in the form of extreme weather events, higher temperatures especially along our agri-belt and increase in pollution linked health issues. It’s imperative that we adopt sustainability as a core value in everything we do to leave this planet and the country in a better shape for our future generations,” an analyst said.
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