Government plans policy for local manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries

Move aims to ease burden on national power grid by supporting solar energy

ISLAMABAD:

The government is planning to launch a policy for local manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries for industrial use in a bid to shift the burden from the national power grid to solar.

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif had directed to introduction of a policy for Lithium-Ion Batteries to be used in solar power so that the burden on the national power grid would be reduced.

A high-level meeting on the formulation of a Lithium-Ion Battery Policy was held under the chairmanship of the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Industries and Production, Mr Haroon Akhtar Khan.

The meeting was co-chaired by the Minister of State for Finance and Railways, Mr Bilal Azhar Kiyani. Secretary Industries, Mr Saif Anjum, Chief Executive Officer of the Engineering Development Board (EDB), Mr Hamad Mansoor, along with representatives from the public and private sectors, were also present.

The participants held detailed discussions on promoting local production and manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries in Pakistan. SAPM Haroon Akhtar Khan stated that, in line with the directives of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, the government is formulating a comprehensive policy to encourage domestic manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries. He highlighted that currently, lithium-ion cells and components are imported and only assembled locally.