The huge deficiency of electricity due to heavy reliance on imported fuels

has become a significant impediment to socio-economic development in

Pakistan. This scenario creates an increase in local fuel prices and limits
potentials in the establishment of new industrial zones. The current gap
between the demand and production of electricity in Pakistan is
approximately 5000-8000 MW with a constant increase of 6-8% per annum.
Hence, more sustainable and renewable energy sources are required to
overcome the existing problem. Pakistan is endowed with potential renewable
energy resources such as wind, solar, hydro and biomass. These resources
have the capacity to be major contributors to future energy production
matrix, climate change reduction efforts, and the sustainable energy
development of the country. This article reviews the availability of
alternative energy resources in Pakistan and associated potentials for
full-scale development of sustainable energy systems. It also discusses
exploitation strategies to increase the distribution of indigenous energy
resources.
Renewable energy potential in Pakistan

Pakistan has four main renewable energy sources. These are wind, solar, hydro, and biomass. These
resources have a significant potential to provide solutions to the long-lasting energy crisis in Pakistan [8].
Hence, a steady development of these resources is a crucial step to overcome the existing energy
challenges in an environmental friendly manner. Among the different renewable energy sources, solar
energy has received the most research attention [9–16]. Sheikh [13], for instance, evaluated the
potential of solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation capacity with 14 % efficient PV panels over area of
100 km2 , which is 0.01 % of total land area of the country. From the results, it was concluded that
covering 100 km2 area of land with PV panels can produce energy equivalent to 30 million tons of oil
equivalent (MTOE) in Pakistan. Gondal and Sahir [15], considered 0.45 % of urban regions for PV
installations to estimate the total energy generation capacity based on solar PV system. A survey
conducted by Hasnain and Gibbs [16] showed that the interior part of the county consists of mainly
agricultural land, which is appropriate for the development of biomass feedstock, whereas northern and
southern corridors have a significant potential for hydro, wind, and solar. This finding is useful as it
might possibly improve the diverse energy supply market and decrease the dependency on imported
fuels and environmental pollution. Figure 3 shows the entire spectrum and end-uses of alternative
sources which are the best options to meet basic requirements of energy needs, with various
employment openings, local manufacturing. It has been projected that Pakistan will contribute up to
10,000 MW to its energy mix through renewable energy resources by 2030 [17]. Therefore, timely and
appropriate progress to exploit the potential of different natural energy resources will have a
tremendously influence in meeting future projections.

Wind energy

The development and use of alternative energy resources have been a major endeavor since 2003. The
Pakistani government has set up a recognized body [17], to coordinate efforts in this area. This
organization plays an important role in narrowing the gap between demand and supply of electricity by
promoting the utilization of renewable energy. Pakistan’s Meteorological Department (PMD) has
collaborated with the National Renewable Energy Laboratories (NREL), USA, to conduct a wind speed
survey of 46 different locations in Sindh and Baluchistan provinces with height ranging from 10–30 m.
The data from the feasibility studies were analyzed by Alternative Energy Development Board Pakistan
(AEDB) [12, 13], and it was found that a vast area of 9750 km2 with a high wind speed was discovered
and zoned as “Gharo-Corridor” as shown in Fig. 4. The area has a significant potential to produce around
50,000 MW of electricity. However, due to the occurrence of other economic activities, only 25 % of the
area can be utilized with a production potential of 11,000 MW [12, 18]. Moreover, significant wind
speeds were identified in the costal part of Baluchistan, particularly in Swat and some of the Northern
areas. Out of 42 examined sites, seven have a capacity factor ranging from 10 to 18 % and are
appropriate for Bonus wind turbines (Model 600/44 MK IV) [19]. However, the potential of these sites is
still being explored although the capacity is not enough to contribute to the national grid. NREL,
together with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has identified a total
gross wind resource of 346,000 MW in Pakistan, where approximately 120,000 MW can be technically
exploited to power the national gird [20]. Recently, a wind project with 500 MW capacities has been
completed in 2013 [17]. In addition, more than 18 wind turbine companies are approaching AEDB to
install 3000 MW wind project [21]. At the moment, the first phase of the Zorlu wind project generating 6
MW is in operation whilst a 56 MW plant is yet to be installed. Different wind power projects with a
cumulative capacity of approximately 964 MW are at different phases of construction and would be
completed in the near future. The Pakistan Council of Renewable Energy Technologies (PCRET) has
installed nearly 150 small wind turbines ranging between 0.49 and 9 kW with a cumulative power
output of 160 kW at the different areas of Sindh and Baluchistan, powering 1569 homes including 9
security check posts [22]. Also, thousands of small wind turbines with a capacity of 300–1000 W have
been installed by different Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), electrifying rural areas of Sindh
province. Most recently, three villages of Baluchistan have been powered using a wind/ PV hybrid
system [1]. With further investment and development, wind energy could become a major component
of sustainable energy future in Pakistan.

Solar energy

Solar is believed to be one of the most endowed renewable energy sources. It is reliable and capable of
producing substantial amount of energy without posing adverse impacts on the environment. Generally,
PV cell and solar thermal conversion systems are used to capture sun energy for various applications in
rural and urban areas. PV technology is capable of converting direct sun radiation into electricity (Fig. 5).
Solar thermal technology uses thermal solar collectors to capture energy from the sun to heat up water
to steam for electricity generation [23, 24]. Pakistan with a land area of 796,096 km2 is located between
longitudes 62° and 75° east and latitudes 24° and 37° north [25]. This unique geographical position and
climate conditions is advantageous for the exploitation of solar energy. Almost every part of the country
receives 8–10 h day−1 high solar radiations with more than 300 sunshine days in a year [14, 26]. Figure 6
illustrates the range of solar radiation levels per month in the major cities of Pakistan. The prospects of
solar energy in Pakistan have also been widely investigated by many researchers [27–33]. Adnan et al.
[30] analyzed the magnitude of solar radiation data for 58 different PMD stations, and the data showed
that over 95 % of the total area of Pakistan receives solar radiations of 5–7 kWh m−2 day−1 . Ahmed et
al. [31] and Ahmed et al. [32] used different methods to estimate and characterize direct or diffused
solar radiations in many parts of the country. Khalil and Zaidi [33] conducted the survey of wind speed
and intensity of solar radiations at different locations of country. Furthermore, the data was then
compared among wind turbine (1 kVA), solar PV (1 kVA), and gasoline generator (1 kVA) (Table 1). The
comparison showed that the wind and solar energy are most appropriate alternative resources. The
study also found that the 1 kW of solar PV can produce 0.23 kW of electricity, which can significantly
contribute to reduce load shedding in Pakistan. Hasanain and Gibbs [16] detailed out the significance of
solar energy in rural areas of the country. AEDB has estimated that Pakistan has about 2,900,000 MW
(2900 GW) of solar power potential [18]. The main obstacles to full-scale exploitation include (1) high
cost, (2) lack of technology, (3) socio-political behaviors, and (4) governmental policy conflicts. In 2003,
the chief minister of Punjab launched the “UJAALA” program, where 30 W PV panels were distributed
among university students throughout the country. This program aimed at encouraging people to utilize
alternative energy and cut-down their dependency on the national gird. Another project introduced by
the government was the “Quaid-e-Azam solar park.” This solar park is built to produce 2000 MW of
electricity by 2015 [23]. It is projected that the largest solar photovoltaic electricity production will be
established after 2020 [1]. PCRET has set up approximately 300 solar PV units of 100 kW capacities to
power 500 homes, colleges and mosques, including street lighting [34]. AEDB has powered 3000 families
by installing 200 kW PV system together with 80 W solar charged lighting systems [28]. Many NGOs are
effectively working to install PV units in several parts of the country. The solar street lamps and solar
charging lights for households are particularly of major interest. Pakistan has a target of electrifying
approximately 40,000 villages via solar PV by 2015 [28].

Solar water heating

The solar water heating technology has been extensively applied in Pakistan with an annual growth rate
of 245 % during the last four years [35, 36]. AEDB has started a Consumer Confidence Building Program
(CCBP) to promote solar water heating system in Pakistan. The main objective of this program is to
create awareness and build-up consumer confidence thorough various incentives. At present, there are
55 companies importing solar geysers, including 25 local manufactures [37]. The main factors
contributing to growth pattern are heftiness, affordability, technological reliability and increasing
scarcity of natural gas. It is estimated that approximately 9500 of solar water heating units will be
operated in the country by 2015, and projected to be 24,000 units by 2020 without any governmental
subsidies [38]. According to Han et al. [39], utilizing solar water heating technology instead of natural
gas or conventional sources has significant advantages on economic, environmental, and social
sustainability.

Solar water desalination

Solar desalination is a new and cost-effective technology to remove salt and other minerals from water
for daily life applications. The technology desalinates brackish water or seawater either using solar
distillation or an indirect method whilst converting the solar energy into heat or electricity [39–41]. It is
an environmentally advantageous and cost-effective technology; hence, it is much patronized by
communities in rural regions [41]. Arjunan et al. [42] described the design layout and functioning
principles of an installed solar water desalination unit in Awania, India. They reported that the
distillation of brackish water using solar energy is an effective way to provide potable water for rural
communities in arid and semi-arid zones. This makes it a potential technology to be employed in
different areas of Pakistan where fresh water availability is limited such as Thar deserts and Cholistan
regions. Most of the regions in the country have brackish subsoil water which is not appropriate for
human and other living inhabitants [33]; hence, desalination by means of solar energy will be beneficial
and sustainable in providing portable water for the rural areas of Sindh, Baluchistan, and Punjab [41]

The government of Balochistan has installed two solar plants in Gawadar, comprising 240 stills and each
plant has the capacity to treat up to 6000 g day−1 of sea water. Projects to develop the same solar plant
system have been initiated in different areas of Balochistan and other province of Pakistan [41]. The
Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS) has fabricated a single basin solar still
with an optimized efficiency of 30.62 %, being comparable to stills used globally.

Industrial solar water heating

Apart from domestic use, solar water heating system is also used in various commercial and industrial
applications including laundries, hotels, food preparation and storage, and general processing and
manufacturing. In the textile industry for example, water heating for dyeing, finishing, drying, and curing
consumes approximately 65 % of the total energy [14]. Processing and manufacturing industries also
require water heating for various operations such as sterilization, distillation, evaporation, and
polymerization. Solar thermal technology is one of the most effective solutions to achieve the desired
temperature and productivity for the aforementioned applications [42]. Pakistan is the fourth largest
producer of cotton in the world; hence, this technology will contribute significantly to meet the water
heating requirements of the cotton industry sustainably. As a major contributor to the economy of
Pakistan, the textile industry is facing serious challenges in maintaining the global environmental
standards. The industry is energy intensive; thus, high energy costs and persistent shortages in demand
and supply impact negatively on the production and competitiveness of the industry. Fullscale operation
of industrial solar water heating systems would contribute significantly to resolved energy problems
faced by the industry. Energy is a crucial commodity on the international market, and its production and
competitiveness are the functioning indicators [43, 44]. Water heating is an energy-intensive process
and conventionally relies on the use of fossil fuels energy. Solar water heating technology can benefit
textile industries in Pakistan by providing an economical choice and a potential alternative to
conventional fossil-based routes. Mass implementation of solar water heating systems will also reduce
the environmental impacts associated with fossil fuels significantly. Muneer et al. [45] reported a
payback period of 6 years for solar water heating systems incorporated into Pakistan textiles industries.
Muneer et al. [46] also examined the prospect of solar water heating system on Turkish textile industry
and estimated a payback period of ~5 years. In view of the existing enormous potential, solar energy
offers a promising and useful option for Pakistan in various commercial applications. The government
needs to consider this technology as an important source of energy and promote massive and rapid
investments to meet the supply of power in rural regions such as Balochistan, Thar Desert, and
Cholistan, where grid connectivity is not accessible.
Biomass

Biomass is typically derived from plants, animals, and agricultural wastes. It has been in used for various
applications such as cooking, heat, fuel, and electricity in rural areas. Broadly, biomass is classified into
four major groups: (i) agricultural waste, (ii) municipal solid waste, (iii) animal residue, and (iv) forest
residue [47]. However, plants and animals are the main sources of biomass production. Almost 220
billion tons of biomass is produced globally each year from these sources, which is capable of producing
substantial amount of energy without releasing high concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other
greenhouse gasses compared to fossil fuels [48, 49]. Technically, they can be converted into different
products either using thermochemical or biochemical methods. However, each of the conversion
methods has its own pros and cons and process conditions such as characteristics of biomass feedstock
and the desired end product [50]. Biomass could be appropriate and effective for commercial
exploitation to generate electricity throughout world, due to its characteristics for high value fuel
products [50]. Pakistan is an agricultural country where most of its population (around 70 %) lives in
remote areas [2, 51]. Hence, the availability of biomass is very extensive particularly from agriculture
and livestock sources, including crop residues and waste from animals. These wastes amount to 50,000
tons day−1 of solid waste, 225,000 tons day−1 of agricultural residue, and approximately 1 million tons
day−1 of manure [26, 52, 53]. Due to limited access to grid electricity and advanced technologies in
these remote areas, most people are powered using traditional practices to fulfill their energy needs [1,
2]. The sugar cane production industries produces bagasse as residue and this can be used to produce
electricity to power sugar mills. Pakistan is the fifth largest country worldwide with sugarcane producing
capacity of over 87,240,100 million tons. AEDB and NREL, USA, have estimated 1800 MW of power
generation from sugarcane bagasse [17, 54, 55]. In the view of present energy scenario, the government
has authorized sugar mill owners to sell their surplus power to the national grid station under the limits
of 700 MW [50]. Moreover, urban areas produce large quantities of municipal waste which could
possibly be digested to produce biogas, a renewable fuel further used to produce green electricity, heat,
or as vehicle fuel and the digested substrate, commonly named digestate, and used as fertilizer.

Bioethanol

and biodiesel Pakistan has a considerable potential to produce biofuels such as bioethanol and
biodiesel. The establishment of these biofuels will help reduce the oil demands of the country of which
82 % is sourced by importation. Various initiatives have been commenced by the government to
increase biofuel production. Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) is the agency responsible to
develop bioethanol production in the country. Sugar millers offer incentives and materials such as
fertilizers and pesticides to sugarcane growers to enhance crop production and maximize bioethanol
production [14]. In 2007, only 6 out of 80 sugar mills in the country had the facilities to convert raw
molasses [14]. With the existing production rate of sugarcane, Pakistan has the potential to produce
more than 400,000 tons year−1 of ethanol. However, only about a third (120,000 tons) is produced
currently [55]. Though several small projects have been carried out to evaluate the commercial
applications of bioethanol, significant efforts to develop and promote bioethanol are still lacking due to
ineffective government policies and lack of infrastructure for large-scale manufacturing. Also, a major
portion of the limited bioethanol produced is traded in different forms such as alcohol and molasses. A
significant potential to produce biodiesel also exists in Pakistan through the use of castor bean, a self-
grown crop found in different parts of the country. It is estimated to produce more than 1180 kg oil
ha−1 , which is significantly higher than other biomass such as corn (140 kg oil ha−1 ), soybean (375 kg
oil ha−1 ) and sunflower (800 kg oil ha−1 ) [14]. Due to its high oil content, castor bean can be a
promising alternative feedstock for biodiesel production. Castor oil has the advantage of being soluble in
alcohol under ambient temperature conditions, and this is beneficial to biodiesel production. It is an
untapped resource in the country; thus, utilization for biodiesel production will not only contribute to
meeting the energy demands of the country but also emerge as a value-adding process that can
promote economic, social, and environmental sustainability of the country.

Hydropower in Pakistan Water is one of the most vital constituents that support all form of life on earth
and offers various other services such as power generation [72]. Hydropower relates to the generation
of power from dropping water [73]. The kinetic energy present in water dropping from elevated levels
can be transferred into mechanical power via hydropower turbine and then to electricity using an
electric generator (Fig. 8). The output of electricity is directly proportional to the elevation of moving
water (pressure) and flow rate [74].

5 Suggestion/ Recommendations and Solutions

i. Maximum outputs should be taken from installed units. Efficiency of these units should be increased.
Proper fuel supply to these plants should be insured.

ii. Power theft should be controlled. Implementation of law in this regard should be made. Thieves
should be punished severely so that it will become the benchmark for others.

iii. A research center should be made by the government to explore new energy producing resources
available in Pakistan and to find out the ways through which maximum output can be taken from
installed power plants.

iv. Production from non-renewable power resources like solar, tidal and biomass should be promoted at
public level as well as individual level. Government should provide finance, research and technical
facilities as well as expertise to common man through workshops and funds.
v. Transmission and distribution system should be renovated and their great maintenance should be
carried out.

vi. A critical improvement in billing procedures and retrievals from DISCOs to progress the cash flows is
required. This will directly help in increasing power production and reducing load shedding. This step
can only be taken by the administration. Moreover, improved management’s performance and better
accountability procedure should be adopted.

vii. To ensure consistent gas supply to gas power stations is required, for greater generation at low cost.
viii. Applications of Independent Power Plants (IPP’s) should be approved without delay.

ix. The quality of services provided by WAPDA and other power companies should be enhanced.

x. Making policies that convince public to investment in power sectors. This will make GENCOs and
DISCOs efficient organizations.

xi. Finding alternative sources of energy to fulfill the gap between demand and supply. To eradicate
reliance on thermal power alternate power/fuels should be searched and utilized like fuel cells,
hydrogen fuel, bio methanol, and biodiesel and Karrick process. Moreover, more green energy power
plants like solar, tidal and wind energy should be deployed. In Pakistan, only hydroelectricity, solar
power plants and nuclear power plants have been considered the effective alternatives to thermal
energy but they have great ecological problems.

xii. Start buying energy efficient products .i.e. replacing old bulbs with energy savers and LED’s. These
devices consume less wattage of electricity and lasts for longer times. Similarly, old energy consuming
big Cathode ray oscilloscope Televisions should be replaced by smart energy saving devices.

xiii. We should move our maximum load on renewable resources. To improve overall conservation
efforts the best step is to switch to renewable resources. Most of the industrial age was formulated
using fossil fuels, but these new emerging technologies that utilize renewable energies like solar, wind,
and steam etc. can take their place easily. The major concern is not only the problem of scarcity but also
the pollution. As the use of coal is continually polluting the environment and is destroying other natural
resources that deteriorate in the process of mining of coal. This would need a great reform because our
entire industrial and commercial load is powered by coal, gas and steam power plants. xiv. The easier
grid access should be made. A common person, that can generate power from several different options,
should be given special approval to plug into the grid and generating revenue/credit for power that they
feed into the system. The annoyances of getting credit of supplying spare power back into the grid
should be removed.
xv. Energy simulation software should be used by big companies and firms to reform building unit and
should lessen running business energy costs. Engineers, designers and architects could use this design to
come with most energy efficient building and reduce carbon footprint.

xvi. Energy audit should be done. It is a process that helps us to identify the specific area or sector where
our system i.e. home or office is losing energy. It helps us to improve our energy efficacy. If it would be
done by professionals, then it can not only help us in saving energy and reducing billing amounts but
also can lessen our carbon footprint; thus, eradicating the energy crisis.

xvii. A serious stand on climatic changes should be taken. Though, we are under developing country but
we should take stand against climatic changes as equal as developing countries are taking. We should
focus to decrease greenhouse gas emissions.

xviii. Enhancing civilian nuclear capacity

xix. More Dames should be set up.

xx. Awareness should be given on usage of electricity saving devices.

xxi. Awareness campaign for energy saving should get started.

xxii. We should tap home-grown resources like Thar coal.

xxiii. The industrial power usage should be controlled and decreased with the installation of effective
equipment, energy saving and energy efficient machinery.

xxiv. We should decrease our reliance on rental power plants, because they are producing less energy at
greater cost.

xxv. We should decrease line losses by using efficient and highly conductive power transmission cables.

xxvi. New energy resources should be developed.

xxvii. Natural gas should be import of by IPI (Iran Pakistan India) and TAPI (Turkmenistan, Afghanistan,
Pakistan and India) gas pipelines. Electricity should be imported from China, Tajikistan or any other
country

xxviii. Alternative energy resources like wind, biomass, tidal and solar should be incorporated. xxix.
Offices, academic institutions, markets, marriage halls should be closed till 8 pm to keep balance in peak
hours.

xxx. Before installation of new systems forecasting should be done.

xxxi. Restrictions on energy demands should be applied. Actions should be made to consume reduced
amount of Energy. Evidently, reduction of energy consumption not only decreases the energy crisis, but
also restricts environmental hazards. Thus, there is covenant between environmental and energy
interests on the need for conservation. Actions required in this aspect include:  Progress of an energy
conservation program  Mass transportation  Resource regaining programs  Fuel economy labeling
programs  Land usage program  Creation and adaptation of more competent auto propulsion units.
xxxii.“Save energy” campaigns should be started for awareness of the masses.

xxxiii. Natural Gas prices should be deregulated. Presently, the shortage of natural gas is due to the fact
that it is underpriced as compared to other energy sources. Underpricing produces motivations for
extreme consumption. The resulting natural gas shortages direct the users towards coal, petroleum and
oil that considerably cause more damage to the environment

xxxiv. Regulation of Coal Mining should be done.

xxxv. A systematic process should be followed for locating power plants sites. A review of total capital
costs, production capacity and revenues should be done prior to the construction.

xxxvi. Pakistan should adopt more robust maintenance regimes to ensure that power plants,
transmission lines, and other key infrastructure do not fall into serious disrepair.

xxxvii. Pakistan should enhance collection rates by having budget adjusters that will help to recover
arrears throughout the provinces. Improved bill collections can be made by issuing serious threats to
disconnecting supplies to those customers who refuse to pay.

xxxviii. In power sectors financial planning should be done on monthly basis.

xxxix. To fill the gap between supply and demand, government should make and implement energy
conservation law. To eradicate load shedding and to decrease shortfall institute stricter building codes
should be made.

xl. Unexploited resources with tremendous capacity of producing energy should be tapped. In Thar, 175
billion of coal reservoirs are available. We should extract it to get maximum benefits.

3.1 SHORT TENURE SOLUTION

3.1.1 Improving Power generating capability WAPDA and IPPs Thermal power plants are running 50 % of
plant factor, unfortunately of their total plant capacity. It means that only 50 % of the total power is in
workable condition. The plant factors of thermal power plants are about 75 to 80 % worldwide. So it
means that if the government works on this side we add up to 20 to 30 % of power in our system. This is
a lot of thing for a country like Pakistan to save up to that percentage because it will minimize the
present shortage to substantial extent. In place of setting up new power plant if the government
improve the existing power plants it will be far better. [5]

3.1.2 Line losses mechanism The second important thing is to minimize the line losses and it can be done
such that the government should establish a team including the police force. The task of this team will
be to shutting down the markets and wedding halls which will open till late night because a lot of energy
is misused in the high resistance lights which they use in late hours. The second task of this force is to
catch those peoples which are including in the theft of electricity. If government reduce these things so
we can save up to 10 % which is almost 300 MW of energy. Also the government took action on the
WAPDA employee’s which have the benefits of using free electricity, they misuse electricity and in spite
of this benefit the government give them credit in their salary. [4]

3.2 MEDIUM TENURE SOLUTIONS

Pakistan is situated on such a blessed region where there are four seasons and a lot of potential of
renewable energy. The government should take steps to use alternating source of energy (renewable
energy) as the whole world take benefit from these resources but we are still thinking on these sources.
We have a lot of availability of wind in the coastal areas of Baluchistan and river side of Sindh. We have
abundant of solar energy all over the country and especially in the hot climate areas such as Thal, Thar,
Cholistan etc. If these renewable energy are used correctly we can reduce the supply gap.

3.2.1 Wind Energy The total generation of electricity from wind is 30,000 MW all over the world. The
contribution of the countries in wind energy is shown as follows:  Germany 12,000 MW  Spain 4,800
MW  United States 4,700 MW  Denmark 2,900 MW  India 1,700 MW The other countries also make
remarkable work in this source of renewable energy. These countries include France, United Kingdom,
China, Italy and Brazil. [6] So it means that wind power is the fastest growing energy all over the world,
so if Pakistan’s Government pay in this sector we can get rid of the energy crisis and the consumers get
energy in a very low cost.

3.2.2 Solar Energy Pakistan is situated within 61-75.60 degrees east on Longitudinal and 23-37 degrees
north on latitude. Pakistan is a dry climate with less amount of rainfall country. 60 % of the total land is
mountainous while 40 % is flat and graduated surface. Such geography of the land makes it very suitable
for solar energy utilization. [7] In Pakistan very large population in rural areas do not have the electricity
facility and they are not connected in an easy way with the national grid because they are either too
remote or sometimes have a very low population so if we install solar PV in those areas it will be less
expensive and also decrease a lot of load on the National grid. We should use the solar energy in public
Parks, road lights and also on local street lights because it can add that extra energy which is used in
Public Parks, road lights and street lights to the National grid and decrease the gap between the supply
and demand.

3.3 LONG TENURE SOLUTION

3.3.1 Replacing thermal power fuel The 81 % of the total electricity is produce from oil and gas which
costs about 9.4 billion dollars. It is such a biggest cost such that it is 53 % of our total import. Now given
that our electricity are depending on these power plant with such a large percentage so, we cannot
dismantle it and move to hydro or some other source of energy, however we can change the fuel
because it is the only way to get rid of such an expensive energy. We can change the fuel to Coal but not
Thar coal. Because the price of coal is stable and not increasing in such a manner in which the oil and gas
prices is increasing. We cannot the use the Thar coal because this problem became a myth propagated
by a few people and political parties for their personal gain. It is because that Thar coal is highly
unstable. This makes hurdles in its transportation from one place to another. Its gasification is also a big
problem and risk. So, by wasting time, effort and money on this type of renewable energy the
government should focus on the import of coal from international market. [8]
3.3.2 Stand-alone power projects As we discussed above that about 40 % Pakistani’s have no access to
electricity. And that is because of two reasons that either it is too remote that if we connect it to
National grid it create a lot of loss in transmission. And second reason is that they cannot pay bills as we
see that some of the areas in the FATA belt, Tribles and Northern areas have access to electricity but
they cannot pay bill. So, the solution is that to construct small runoff river hydro projects where there is
availability of Water, Install Solar Pv where there is Sunny weather and also install Wind Power panel in
areas where wind is in abundant. It will full fill the need of electricity of those peoples and also produce
no load on national grid but the thing is that the NEPRA (National Electric Power Regulatory Authority) is
not giving them permission. This is totally illegal because of the 18th Amendment.

The NEPRA should give the permission so they produce their own electricity without any government
involvement. [8] 3.3.3 Dismantle the National grid Under the 18th amendment the profit of power
generation goes directly to the province which produces electricity for example if Warsak dam produce
electricity the royalties of that are being paid to KP government not the federal government. So for the
sake to get every province their own profit we need to dismantle the National grid. Because if they are
connected to the National grid they cannot give their own right and which is against the 18th
amendment. If the government takes this step every province generate a lot of energy and can be able
to sell it on other province. The governments also get rid a little bit because the people of each province
demands from their local government and not blaming the federal government. This is called
“Provincialization” not “Privatization” and the federal government should encourage the province which
produces more electricity for their peoples. Due to this the provincial government will improve their
grids and reduce line loses and electricity theft to a great extent and give a cheaper electricity for their
peoples.

CONCLUSIONS

Pakistan is very blessed country because it has a great potential of renewable energy (non-convential
energy) such as Solar, Wind, Biogas, and Geothermal energy etc. But a deficit amount of leadership. If
the government utilizes these types of resources in a good way Pakistan will be a country which not only
fulfill their need of electricity but also sell on the other neighboring countries. Renewable energy is such
a cheap and quick solution of the crisis of energy. Policy makers of Pakistan pay attention on that type of
resources which is not possible in the upcoming short time such as nuclear energy etc. so this paper is
basically creating the idea to convert the energy sources to renewable and finish the crisis of energy in
Pakistan.

2.1 Pakistan Council of Renewable Energy Technologies (PCRET)

Pakistan Council of Renewable Energy Technologies (PCRET) was established in 2001 to develop and
support projects related to renewable energy in the country (Awan and Khan, 2014). The organisation
came into being by merging Pakistan council for appropriate technologies (PCAT) and national institute
of silicon technology (NIST), later on, named as PCRET. The PCAT had commenced working in 1996 by
handling projects and technologies related to RERs which were later on transferred to PCRET for further
continuation (Raheem et al., 2016). The principal activities of PCRET are summarised as under (Bhutto et
al., 2012): i. To conduct research, facilitate projects, provide expertise for the development of
appropriate renewable energy technologies; ii. To come up with innovative and state of the art materials
and appliances based on the principles of renewable energy generation that can be adapted locally; iii.
To set up and advice policies and programmes pertaining to renewable energy within the country; iv. To
advance the existing renewable energy technologies and lead research further in this direction. Pakistan
is having a history of developing mega hydropower projects sponsored and managed by water and
power development authority (WAPDA).

The PCRET has also started working on micro hydel projects recently along with solar and wind projects
which are financed by the private sector too. Such projects are supported by different donors and
owners of both national and international companies. These project matters pertaining investment is
managed by private power and infrastructure board (PPIB), while tariff is determined by the national
electric power regulatory authority (NEPRA).

2.2 Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) Alternative energy development board (AEDB) was
established in 2003 as a primary research and development based body for promoting RERs in the
country (Awan and Khan, 2014). The AEDB had been tasked a target of producing 5% of electricity from
alternative/renewable energy resources up to the year 2030 by the government of Pakistan (Shahbaz et
al., 2012). The establishment of AEDB took place with the spirit to fulfil roles and responsibilities such as
(Bhutto et al., 2012): i. Developing national level strategies, policies and plans for promoting the
applications of alternative and renewable energy resources; ii. Setting up activities to accomplish the
targets established by the federal government; iii. Monitoring and evaluation of the current and future
projects based on alternative or renewable energy; iv. Assisting power production from alternative or
renewable energy resources such as wind, solar, small-hydel, fuel cells, tidal, ocean, biogas, and biomass
by providing one window facility to the parties involved; v. Promoting public awareness and public-
private partnership for running pilot projects based on alternative and renewable energy concepts along
with the provision of expertise for cost-effective and sustainable energy technologies. However, the
AEDB despite over ten years of its establishment could not ensure a required share of renewable energy
in the overall energy mix of the country for which it was tasked with. This is mainly attributed to the lack
of investment in renewable energy sector in Pakistan, institution overlapping functions as well other
factors.