Pakistan's first low-carbon ESaaS project launched

Pakistan witnessed the launch of its first low-carbon Energy Storage as a Service (ESaaS) project on Sunday. The project is expected to cut the telecom sector’s carbon footprint by 58.3 kT — equivalent to planting nearly 2 million trees — demonstrating how business innovation can align with environmental stewardship. 

Organised by the Brillanz Group in partnership with Telenor Pakistan, Bank of Punjab, and Saudi-Pak Investment Company, and supported by Ministry of Climate Change, the event underscored the country's commitment to environmental sustainability and technological advancement in the Telecom sector.

Fahd Haroon, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Digital Media, commended the ESaaS project as a significant leap forward in both environmental sustainability and financial innovation. He underscored the critical role of digital platforms in amplifying this success to attract foreign investment and position Pakistan as a leader in resilient business practices.

Romina Khurshid Alam, coordinator to prime minister and minister-in-charge on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, hailed the project as an exemplary model of how technology and innovation can drive meaningful climate action, emphasising its alignment with Pakistan's broader climate goals and its potential to enhance the country’s environmental capabilities

Bilal Qureshi, Co-founder and CEO of Brillanz Group, emphasised the transformative nature of the project, stating, "This initiative sets a new benchmark for sustainable innovation in the Telecom sector. It’s more than an investment; it’s a commitment to reducing over 21 million litres of diesel consumption in Phase I, translating into significant cost savings of over Rs5 billion and environmental benefits."

Telenor Pakistan CEO Khurram Ashfaque underscored the project's role in leading the shift towards sustainable network transformation. Awais Vohra, CTO of Telenor Pakistan, detailed the technical advancements, noting the reduction of reliance on diesel generators and the improvement of network uptime.

Saad Liaquat and Sohaib Tariq from Thunder Energy introduced the GenAi features of the Thunder Intelligence Platform, which is set to revolutionise energy management through AI and analytics, enhancing efficiency and reducing environmental impact.

Sultan Abdulrauf, Chairman of Saudi-Pak Investment Company, and Farid Khan, Group Chief Corporate and Investment Banking at Bank of Punjab, shared their insights on the financial structuring of the project by Brillanz Group and underlined the critical importance of the finance sector in driving sustainable projects.

In conclusion, Ayla Majid, co-founder of Infralectric, urged continued collaboration and expressed optimism for Pakistan’s sustainable energy future.