Pakistan To Add 1 GW RE By 2018

• Pakistan's Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) says the country will add 1,000 MW of renewable energy to the grid by the end of 2018
• It would take Pakistan's cumulative renewable energy capacity close to 2.4 GW
• AEDB has already issued a letter of support to seven solar power projects with a total of 72.52 MW, which are likely to come online between December 2017 to March 2018
• Letters of intent have been issued for 17 solar power projects that will bring in 484 MW of new capacity; it will be completed by 2018-19 

Pakistan is looking at adding 1,000 MW of clean power from renewable energy sources to its grid in the next 1.5 years.

In an interview with Radio Pakistan of Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation, Alternative Energy Development Board's (AEDB) CEO Amjad Ali Awan stated that the government wants to increase the installed RE capacity of Pakistan to 2,300 MW to 2,400 MW by the end of 2018.

Pakistan has currently installed around 1,350 MW of renewable energy capacity of which 790 MW is wind. The report did not mention the installed solar power capacity. However, a May 2017 report of the Associated Press of Pakistan Corporation (APP) stated that the country is close to adding 72.52 MW of new solar power capacity to the system by December 2017 and March 2018. This capacity would come from seven projects for which the AEDB has already issued letters of support (LOS). Add to this 484 MW of solar power capacity for which AEDB has issued 17 letters of intent (LOI), the country can expect to have a total solar power capacity addition of around 556.5 MW.

The 484 MW of solar projects is at different stages of development and is scheduled to be completed in fiscal year 2018-19. The APP article stated that four solar projects of 400 MW have already come into operation.

By the end of 2017, Pakistan is aiming to have a cumulative installed solar power capacity of 730 MW; it targets 1,556 MW by 2018.

Recently, Pakistan's Punjab province approved privatization of the Quaid-e-Azam Solar Power Private Limited company (see Privatization Of 100 MW Solar Operator In Pakistan).