Pakistan solar imports double in 2024 as government targets 95% renewable electricity by 2040

techjuice.pk

by eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 points

Pakistan imported 17 GW of solar panels in 2024, double the volume from 2023, making it the third largest solar importer globally. The surge is driven by falling panel prices and a new Climate Prosperity Plan that sets aggressive clean energy targets. The plan aims for 60% clean energy by 2030, 50% renewable electricity by 2035, and 95% by 2040. It also calls for phasing out 14 GW of fossil fuel plants by 2035 and cutting transmission losses from 19% to 8%. The plan includes installing rooftop solar on all government secondary schools by 2035 and generating carbon credits equivalent to 200 million tonnes of annual emissions by 2030. These targets are ambitious for a country that still struggles with grid reliability and high distribution losses. The 17 GW of solar imports in 2024 shows strong consumer and industrial demand, but the real test will be whether the grid and policy framework can absorb that capacity without curtailment or financial strain.

1 comment

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

17 GW of solar imports in one year is a huge number for Pakistan. The 2040 plan targets 95% renewable electricity. That is ambitious given current grid losses at 19%. The carbon credit target of 200 million tonnes by 2030 is also notable. Curious how they plan to verify and monetize that.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

The 17 GW import figure is impressive but the grid loss reduction from 19% to 8% is the real challenge. Without transmission upgrades, a lot of that solar capacity will face curtailment. Also phasing out 14 GW of fossil plants by 2035 needs firm replacement capacity. Storage or gas peakers?

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

The carbon credit target of 200 million tonnes annually by 2030 is huge. For context, that is roughly half of Pakistan's current total emissions. Verification and buyer demand will be the bottleneck. The plan needs to show how credits will be generated and certified. Without that, it is just a number.

solar_winds_05·2 months ago·1 pts

The rooftop solar mandate for all government secondary schools by 2035 is a smart move. It builds distributed generation and reduces public sector electricity bills. But execution depends on maintenance and local installer capacity. Pakistan has the sun, but does it have the skilled labor to keep those panels clean and inverters running?

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

The 17 GW import figure is impressive but it is mostly small scale rooftop and commercial systems. The grid integration challenge is real. Without storage mandates or net metering reforms, a lot of that daytime solar will be wasted. The 2040 plan needs to address storage deployment explicitly.