ISLAMABAD, Feb 7th (Gwadar Pro) - “Apart from improving power generation, Pakistan urgently needs to upgrade its transmission system and transform its energy mix,” analyzed by Green BRI Center.

 

Domestic severe electricity shortage was once resolved with the completions of CPEC energy projects. But the large-scale blackout in December 2020 brought new problems to light.

 

According to Green BRI Center, optimizing the energy mix and increasing the proportion of clean energy is Pakistan's top priority. Under the clean power generation target, by 2025, the share of electricity generated from renewable sources will rise from 6% to 25% and exceed to 30% by 2030. “It’s a positive trend that the nation has realized the importance of a rational energy structure. Developing clean energy not only contributes to the domestic climate and environment, but also ensures multi-resource of electricity can be stable supplied to enterprises, factories and families,” spokesman of Green BRI Center said.

 

Actually, CPEC energy projects have been transformed into green and diverse resources these years. China Dialogue and Finance for Biodiversity Initiative (F4B) organized a webinar titled “Aligning finance with nature’s needs, in China and beyond” on January 27th, 2021. On the occasion, the panelists acknowledged China’s efforts to protect the vulnerable environment through setting up ecological redlines. They reached consensus that China’s energy projects in Pakistan and other BRI countries have enriched local energy structure and improved electricity supply.

 

As the proportion of clean energy increases, a strong and reliable transmission system is needed to cope with its volatility. Ayub previously noted that as distributed renewable power generation increases, adequate investment and upgrading of transmission system are crucial.

 

Meanwhile, the backward transmission system is one of the most important factors leading to the instability of domestic power supply. Simon Nicolas, an analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, said: "Pakistan's power shortage and overcapacity are both problems due to the instability of the grid. There is a mismatch between Pakistan's investment in electricity production and its investment in grid upgrading."

 

To solve the problem, CPEC has included transmission system upgrading projects such as Matiari-Lahore 660kV HVDC Transmission Line Project. Minister for Power, Omar Ayub said on Jan 10th that the large-scale blackout is caused by an old transmission system which requires thorough and full-scale gradation. Matiari-Lahore 660kV HVDC Transmission Line Project, nearly completed and ready to be operational, will significantly alleviate the dilemma.