KARACHI:Energy experts and policy makers on Friday emphasized on more serious efforts, under public-private partnership, for sustainable development of energy sector with special focus on renewables.
Speaking at “ Pakistan Energy Symposium—Ushering the Future of Energy “ at a local hotel, Chief Executive Officer of Engro Energy Limited, Ahsan Zaffar Syed acknowledged that the resolve of the Federal and Provincial governments to put the power sector back on its feet.
The event was hosted by Engro Energy Limited in collaboration with Corporate Pakistan Group, National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA), Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industries, and Sindh Government.
Engro Energy Limited Chief said there was a critical need to look at and re-evaluate the policies that impact the energy sector. Over the years, we had been listening about many energy issues and their solutions but all these were supply centric. Today, we want to break this and take a detour, he asserted.
“ Instead of a supply centric approach, we want to focus on consumer needs. This won’t just resolve the consumer issues but also the supply problem,” he added.
The symposium would adopt futuristic approach, where stakeholders would deliberate on planning initiatives, policy interventions, role of technology, private sector interventions and a customer centric industry.
NEPRA Chairman Tauseef H. Farooqi spoke of the initiatives he had taken at the regulatory authority.
Talking Competitive Trading Bilateral Contract Market (CTBCM), Farooqi said that he had spent a lot of time on this.
“ CTBCM is like creating a motorway. We have a successful model of the telecom industry and we are trying to replicate that. We are giving a choice to consumers,” he said.
He said there was dire need for a swift shift from the multi-seller, single buyer model to multi-seller, multi buyer model. That was important because the investors and businessmen were facing challenges. NEPRA wanted to liberate and deregulate the electricity power where one would sell own electricity.
Minister of Minister and Chairman of Board of Investment, Muhammad Azfar Ahsan said Pakistan’s strategic position was very important to connect the economies of the region as well as Central Asian States.
“ Energy systems around the world are going through a change i.e. like how we fuel our cars and power our industries. And, the use of energy had increased and human activities had become dependent on it.”
Pakistan had successfully overcome the energy crisis which had directly or indirectly impacted everything. Pakistan aimed at increasing the renewable energy share in line with the Sustainable Development Goals by utilizing the indigenous and clean energy sources available in the country, he added.
Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on CPEC Affairs, Khalid Mansoo highlighted the importance of coal in the power sector and China’s commitment to China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
He shared that it was important to focus on the power sector because several industries depended on it.
“If we have power, we will have industry. It is like chicken and egg situation – what comes before – this is Pakistan’s issue,” he remarked.
He said the country had different scale of domestic consumption in summer and winter. Similarly, industries had different usage and needs.” He described the symposium as very important for Pakistan because the country had suffered from a major energy crisis.
He said the people had been experiencing load-shedding for many hours, but now the things had changed. There were a lot of renewable energy projects in progress.
He gave update of CPEC projects especially of energy. There were eleven sector-wise joint working groups of China and Pakistan. However, special focus was three sectors i.e. industrialization, agriculture and information technology.
He said CPEC was the crown of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, and Gwadar was the jewel in the crown.
Ghias Khan, President of Overseas Investors’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry , while talking about the change in the global energy perspective, said Pakistan was going through challenging times. Back in 2019, we were looking at two major things — transition to sustainable energy and a just energy system.
Over the next two years, he mentioned, the country had two more economic shocks which were COVID-19 and Russia-Ukraine war.
Pakistan’s economy was import driven. Hence, the country needs necessary reforms in various sectors.
There was also need to deregulate or re regulate energy market. It was important for customers as they deserved and needed a competitive market so suppliers were forced to serve them better,” he explained.
Ghias Khan was important for the country’s power sector to become consumer centric.
“ We should not forget that 55 odd million people are without electricity. We must do whatever we can to provide them with off grid solutions,” he added.
He also spoke about a greener future and the economic impact of this on the future of Pakistan.