KARACHI:
Recently, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced plans for shifting to solar power to rid the country of expensive electricity produced from oil and gas. Although solar power is both efficient and environmentally friendly, the installation will be extremely costly and unreliable. This is why many developed countries have also avoided using solar power.
The 1,000 megawatts Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park project was never completed because it only produced 100 MW, which was just 10% power. Each unit costs more than the fossil fuel projects, which exemplifies why a solar power transition would be a misadventure. Installing solar panels in government buildings or schools and hospitals will not resolve the load-shedding problems. Instead, the government can achieve the same at a much lower cost by installing UPS batteries at government offices, schools and hospitals.
Considering that the country is already grappling with many problems at once, the prime minister should avoid initiating costly programmes. Using locally manufactured UPS batteries is a viable option as it can support local industry and avoid high import bills. Importantly, the government should prioritise and regulate the practices of the existent energy sector to tackle power outages. New projects will only add to the government’s expenses with little chance of alleviating the actual issues.
Shahryar Khan Baseer
Peshawar
Published in The Express Tribune, July 8th, 2022.
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