The Engineering Development Board (EDB) is all set to submit its policy document on solar panels and allied equipments manufacturing to the government by the end of this month.
The policy document would revealed as how to promote the use of alternate energy resources to overcome power shortages in the country.
It also said that the country is facing serious energy shortages with record prices that had directly and indirectly affected all sectors of the economy. The country’s electricity demand has reached almost 29,000 MW total whereas generation is about 22,000 MW creating a considerable gap between generation and demand, resulting in load shedding.
With the present government’s focus on setting solar set ups it becomes imperative to promote localization and indigenization of solar panels and its allied equipment in the country to save huge out flow of foreign exchange.
The country’s power sector has a structural issue as its energy generation mix is 40% based on indigenous resources while 60% comprises imported oil fuel, it said adding that the government has planned to increase local share to 90% by 2030, out of which the targets set for renewable energy is 20% to 30% which is currently around only 1.4% of the total installed capacity.
The EDB has invited the panel manufacturers, provincial energy departments, local EPC contractors, solution providers, foreign consultants working in this field, research organizations, academia, users, and other relevant organizations and departments in the federation. The highlights of the draft policy document shall be shared in the workshop to get inputs from the stakeholders for firming up the requisite recommendations.
