Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 82 (2018) 609–617

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Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/rser

Current status and future success of renewable energy in Pakistan MARK

Muhammad Kamran
Centre for Energy Research and Development, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: Mismatch between energy demand and supply from last two decades has been increasing because of the dom-
Renewable energy ination of expensive imported oil in energy mix of Pakistan. To import crude oil Government paid US $ 9 billion
Pakistan in 2008–2009 to meet the energy demands of the country that put a heavy load on national economy. Sustained
Solar economic condition of a country is owing to the sustainability of its energy sector. In this paper current position
Wind
and future success of Renewable Energy (RE) under the light of operational and under construction RE projects
Micro hydro
Biogas
such as solar, wind, biomass, biogas and hydro power are discussed along with that role of organizations and
institutions in RE field is studied. RE projects with a cumulative capacity of 100 MW solar, 308 MW wind,
145 MW bagasse and 98 MW micro hydro are operational while 856 MW solar, 1140 MW wind, 297 MW bagasse
and 2638 MW micro hydro projects are under different project development stages. The results indicate a change
in present energy mix by giving share to the RE sources and domination of RE sources in future energy mix in
view of ongoing major RE projects encouraging the eradication of demand and supply gap. The overall results
envisage a success of RE in future of Pakistan and will intrigue not only local as well as foreign investors to invest
in energy sector of Pakistan.

1. Introduction
Recently renewable and alternative energy sources have attracted
the attention of policy makers, researchers as well as the consumers,
mainly because of the exponential increase in energy demand and
concern to reduce the environmental pollutants generated from con-
ventional fossil fuels. For this reason, Renewable Energy (RE) projects
such as solar, wind, hydro and biomass started to replace oil, coal and
gas based power projects.
In Pakistan scenario as on 30th June 2015, the gap between elec-
tricity demand and supply was 5201 MW [1] resulting a complete in-
evitable blackout of 14–18 h daily [2–4] which has been consistent for
last 5 years as shown in Fig. 1. In 1980 share of hydro power in energy
mix of the country was 70% but by reason of the political instability
every elected government launched short term electricity projects that
reduced the hydropower share to 31% and the extravagant imported oil
replaced the reduced share of hydropower. In 2008–2009 Government
paid US $ 9 billion [5] to meet the energy demands that put a heavy
burden on national economy. In spite of having installed capacity of
24,823 MW dominated by thermal power plants operated on oil, gas
and coal with 67.74% share in energy mix, demand of 21,701 MW
could not be met with a deficit of 5201 MW [1] as shown in Fig. 1 and is
expected to be sustained till 2018 as projected by National Transmis-
sion and Dispatch Company (NTDC) shown in Fig. 2. To meet the ever
increasing energy demands RE resources could be an alternative to the
traditional fossil fuels. Current energy mix either public or private In-
dependent Power Producers (IPPs) is shown in Table 1. Owing to its
strategic location, Pakistan is abundant in RE resources.
A number of researchers estimated theoretical RE potential [4,6–11]
available in the country and their utilization to harness the useful form
of energy using various technologies. Most of them focused on solar
energy [8,12]. Available technical potential for electricity generation
from wind, biomass, solar and small hydro is assessed in [13]. Uddin
[14] stated that 35.625 million kWh could be generated from the
available biomass on daily base. Procedure for bioenergy potential es-
timation from biomass resource has been studied in [15]. Rehman [5]
has studied bioenergy potential available in industrial hemp. Biomass
potential for biogas generation and biogas to electricity generation
technologies have been studied in detail in [16]. Bioenergy potential for
Pakistan, Nepal, Malaysia and Iran has been studied in [15,17–19].
Chaudhry [20] and Bhutto [21] investigated the prospects and chal-
lenges to the RE technologies in Pakistan. In this paper operational RE
projects and ongoing efforts to exploit the RE resources like solar, wind,
micro hydro, biomass and biogas are the cynosure of discussion. Con-
clusion endeavors to answer how much electricity is being generated
from the RE resources? How much electricity would be available in
future energy mix from ongoing RE power projects? Along with that the
role of RE organizations & institutions in promoting, developing, dis-
seminating and implementing RE resources and technologies has also
been focused in this paper.

E-mail address: kamran_ramzan@outlook.com.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2017.09.049
Received 29 September 2016; Received in revised form 27 November 2016; Accepted 14 September 2017
Available online 06 October 2017
1364-0321/ © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
M. Kamran Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 82 (2018) 609–617

geospatial toolkit for Pakistan developed by National Renewable

Fig. 1. Electricity demand and supply for 2011–2015.
Energy Laboratory (NREL) under USAID program is relied upon. To
collect real time highly accurate solar data in Pakistan, different loca-
tions have already been identified and among them at nine locations
weather stations have been installed by Alternative Energy
Development Board (AEDB) funded by World Bank under Energy Sector
Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) as shown in Table 2. Once
the two year data is collected highly accurate solar maps and atlases
will be published by World Bank and would be available for govern-
ment and commercial developers [22,23].
World Bank has issued a preliminary solar map DHI of Pakistan
from 2000 to 2012 in kWh/m2 as shown in Fig. 3(a). This map indicates
a high solar potential in Sindh, Baluchistan and deserted areas of
Punjab. If solar energy is properly handled and harnessed could be oil
like source of energy for the sustainability of the national economy.
Fig. 3(b) is a preliminary wind map based on analysis data and existing
ground data.

3. Solar energy

3.1. Solar Photovoltaic Energy

To get solar energy introduced in the country, first on grid solar power
plant of 178.08 kW was commissioned in 2010 at Pakistan Engineering
Council (PEC) building and Planning Commission building. The project
was successfully inaugurated in 2012 and the plant had net metering fa-
cility selling surplus energy to the power distribution company Islamabad
Fig. 2. Projected Electricity demand and supply for 2016–2020. Electric Supply Company (IESCO). The site of the project is shown in
Fig. 4(a). Another example in this race is the 2 MW solar system installed
Table 1 on National Assembly (NA) of Pakistan which not only full fills its own
Energy mix of Pakistan as on June 2015. needs of electricity but also dispatches the surplus energy to the national
grid [24]. The site is depicted in Fig. 4(d). NA has become the world’s first
Source MW Percentage share
parliament to be on solar completely. National Electric Power Regulatory
Gas (Public+IPPs) 7494 30.18 Authority (NEPRA), electricity price setting company, has announced a
Oil (Public+IPPs) 9295 37.4 Feed in Tariff (FiT) to both of the projects. The success of the above stated
Coal (Public+IPPs) 25 0.001 projects have been established as an example to the energy investors and
Hydro (Public+IPPs) 7116 28.67
Wind (IPPs) 106 0.43
after that 28 solar power companies with 956.52 MW cumulative capacity
Nuclear (Public) 787 3.17 obtained Letter of Intent (LoI) from AEDB and are at different project
Total 24,823 100 development stages. In fiscal year 2015-16 Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park
(QASP) was operational with a capacity of 100 MW generated 25 GWh
while 3 solar projects of 100 MW each with cumulative capacity of
Table 2 300 MW are under construction in QASP after achieving financial closing
Weather stations in Pakistan.
[25,26]. Site view of the park is shown in Fig. 4(b). AEDB has given Letter
Sr. no. Weather station location of Support (LoS) to 7 IPPs of 72.52 MW cumulative capacity and now are
in financial closing process. LoI has been obtained by 17 solar projects
with cumulative capacity of 484 MW. The expected cumulative capacity of
1 Quaid -e-Azam Solar Park (QASP), Bahawalpur
PV available to the grid in next two years is shown in Table 4 [22]
2 NUST Islamabad
3 KSK Campus UET Lahore, KSK (Table 3).
4 MNS Campus UET Lahore, Multan
5 UET Peshawar 3.2. Solar thermal energy
6 NED University, Karachi
7 Mehran University, Jamshoro
8 BUITEMS, Quetta
To promote solar energy in the country, AEDB announced exemp-
9 BUET, Khuzdar tion from tax duty on import of various solar products after which
import has been increased every year and in 2013 there were 14,981
solar water heaters imported and deployed all over the country while
In organization, Section 2 discusses the operational projects in the 1429 solar water pumping systems were imported and installed for
country to measure the real time meteorological wind and solar data. drinking purposes and agriculture irrigation [27]. After 2013 many
Operational and ongoing RE projects in solar, wind, biomass, biogas local companies started manufacturing solar water heaters and solar
and hydro have been presented in Sections 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 respectively. pumping systems. Solar water heaters are gaining popularity in
Section 8 is devoted to the organizations and institutions involved in northern high mountainous areas where the gas availability is limited
R & D in RE fields. Section 9 concludes the study. and weather is mostly cold. Currently more than 5000 solar cookers are
being used in the country which is much less than India (14,500) and
2. Measurement of meteorological data China (60,000). But with the successful operation of solar cookers dif-
ferent energy related NGOs in the country also showed interest and
Until now highly authentic data regarding solar irradiance is not distributed solar cookers in rural areas. Such cookers well operate in
available in the country. To initiate a solar project, solar maps and sunny days from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. throughout the year. Pakistan

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Fig. 3. (a) Multiyear mean (2000–2012) of annual

Diffuse Horizontal Irradiance DHI (kWh/m2) (b)
Multiyear mean Wind speed map at 100 m from ground.
The color scale indicates wind speed in m/s. [23].

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Fig. 4. (a) Solar system of Pakistan Engineering

Council. (b) Quaid-e-Azam solar park. (c) Solar
cooker prepared by PCRET. (d) Solar system of
Parliament house.

Table 3
Ongoing solar PV projects with expected COD [22].

Sr. No. Company Project Capacity (MW) Location Expected COD

1 Access Solar Pvt. Ltd. 11.52 Pind Dadan Khan, Punjab Mar-2018
2 Bukhsh Solar (Pvt.) Ltd. 10 Pind Dadan Khan, Punjab Dec-2017
3 Integrated Power Solution 50 Nooriabad, Sindh Jun-2018
4 Jafri & Associates 50 Nooriabad, Sindh Jun-2018
5 Solar Blue Pvt. Ltd. 50 Nooriabad, Sindh Jun-2018
6 Safe Solar Power Pvt. Ltd 10 Bahawalnager, Punjab Dec-2017
7 Access Electric Pvt. Ltd. 10 Pind Dadan Khan, Punjab Mar-2018
8 R.E. Solar I Pvt. Ltd. 20 Dadu, Sindh Mar-2018
9 R.E. Solar II Pvt. Ltd. 20 Dadu, Sindh Mar-2018
10 Jan Solar (Pvt.) Ltd. 10 Sultanabad, RYK, Punjab Mar-2018
11 Janpur Energy Limited 10 Mehmood Kot, Muzafargarh, Punjab Mar-2018
12 Blue Star Hydel Pvt. Ltd. 1 Pind Dadan Khan, District Jehlum, Punjab Dec-2017
13 Blue Star Electric Pvt. Ltd. 1 Pind Dadan Khan, District Jehlum, Punjab Dec-2017
14 Siddiqsons Energy Karachi 50 Chakwal, Punjab Mar-2018
15 Harappa Solar (Pvt.) Ltd. 18 Harappa, District Sahiwal, Punjab Dec-2017
16 AJ Power (Pvt.) Ltd. 12 Adhi Kot, District Khushab, Punjab Dec-2017
17 Adamjee Power Generation Pvt. Ltd. 10 Norsar, Bahawalnager, Punjab Dec-2018
18 Forshine (Pakistan) 50 Gharo, Thatta, Sindh Jun-2019
19 ET Solar (Pvt.) Ltd. 50 Fateh Jhang Road, District Attock, Punjab Dec-2018
20 ET Solar (Pvt.) Ltd. 25 Gharo, Thatta, Sindh Dec-2018
21 Act Solar (Pvt.) Ltd. 50 Sindh Province Dec-2018
22 Crystal Energy (Pvt.) Ltd. 2 Sambrayal, District Sialkot, Punjab May-2019
23 Asia Petroleum Ltd. 30 Punjab Province Dec-2018
24 First Solar (Pvt.) Ltd. 2 Makhayal, Kalarkahar, District Chakwal, Punjab Dec-2018

Table 4 wind speed 4–9 m/s at a 10 m anemometer height and 12.5 m/s at 50 m
Yearly projected cumulative capacity in Pakistan. height [4,8]. Farooqui [29] and Baloch [30] stated a wind energy po-
tential of 346 GW with 120 GW viable in Pakistan. Pakistan Meteor-
Year Yearly cumulative capacity (MW)
ological Department (PMD) reported 43.871 GW potential available in
2015 100 Sindh coastal areas out of which 11 GW is viable [4]. As stated above
2016 400 World Bank with collaboration of AEDB established measurement sta-
2017 730 tions at 9 locations throughout the country. The preliminary wind map
2018 1556
of phase1 issued by World Bank is shown in Fig. 3(b).
First wind project of 50 MW was installed by Fauji Fertilizer
Council of Renewable Energy Technologies (PCRET) also conduct Company Energy Limited (FFC) in 2013 [4] and now 6 wind power
training sessions routinely on the maintenance and use of RE devices projects with a cumulative capacity of 308.2 MW are operational in
[22]. A solar cooker prepared by PCRET is shown in Fig. 4(c). wind corridors of Jhimpir and Gharo-Keti Bandar, Sindh Province
[22,25]. These projects with their Commercial Operation Date (COD),
capacity and location are detailed in Table 5.
4. Wind energy 9 wind power projects installed under different wind power com-
panies in Jhimpir and Gharo with a cumulative capacity of 477 MW
Wind energy another clean and RE source have a huge potential in have achieved financial close and are under construction with an
Pakistan especially in Baluchistan and Sindh coastal line [28] with a

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Table 5
Operational wind power plants.

Name Location Capacity(MW) COD

Fauji Fertilizer Company Energy Limited Jhimpir, Sindh 49.50 May 16, 2013
Zorlu Enerji Pakistan (Pvt.) Limited Jhimpir, Sindh 56.40 July 26, 2013
Three Gorges Pakistan First Wind Farm (Pvt.) Limited Jhimpir, Sindh 49.5 November 25, 2014
Foundation Wind Energy II (Pvt.) Limited Gharo, Sindh 50 December 10, 2014
Foundation Wind Energy –I Limited Gharo, Sindh 50 April 11, 2015
Sapphire Wind Power Company Limited Jhimpir, Sindh 52.80 November 21, 2015
Total capacity 308.2

Fig. 5. (a)Wind farm of 56.4 MW in Jhimpir. (b)

Wind farm in Gharo.

Table 6 from the sugar cane crushing with a cumulative production capacity of
Operational bagasse projects. 145.1 MW [22,25] as shown in Table 6. Other 9 projects with a cu-
mulative capacity of 297 MW [22,25] are at different stages of project
Sr. no. Company Capacity (MW)
development as detailed in Table 7.
1 JDW Sugar Mills (Unit-II), RYK 26.35
2 JDW Sugar Mills (Unit-III), Ghotiki 26.35
3 RYK Mills Limited, Rahim Yar Khan 30 6. Biogas
4 Chiniot Power Ltd., Chiniot 62.4
Total 145.1 Biogas production is an anaerobic digestion of biodegradable or-
ganic wastes which include animal dung, crop residues in field and
industrial processing, kitchen wastes, poultry dropping and municipal
Table 7
solid waste [33]. Biogas yield from different substrates have been stu-
Bagasse power projects at different stages of development.
died in detail by [34]. According to [35] growth rate of livestock sector
Sr. no. Company Capacity (MW) Status in Pakistan is 4% annually and 72 million buffalos and cows, producing
1140 million ton dung, are there in Pakistan [14]. 1 m3 biogas is gen-
1 Hamza Sugar Mill Ltd. 15 LoS issued.
erated from 20 kg of manure [9] and 2.5 kWh electricity is generated
2 Alliance Sugar Mills Ltd. 19 LoI Issued.
3 Layyah Sugar Mills Ltd. 41 LoI Issued.
from 1 m3 biogas [14]. Animal dung and crop residue collectively can
4 Safina Sugar Mills 20 LoI Issued. generate 27.2 million m3 biogas enough to generate 1900 MW elec-
5 Almoiz Industries Ltd. 45 LoI Issued. tricity daily [4,27]. Another study stated a monthly saving of 7672 PKR
6 Etihad Power Generation Ltd. 67 LoI Issued. and annual 92,062 PKR from 10 m3 biogas digester [36].
7 Shahtaj Sugar Mills Ltd. 32 LoI Issued.
Pakistan Council of Renewable Energy Technologies (PCRET),
8 Chanar Energy Ltd. 22 LoI Issued.
9 RYK Energy 36 LoI Issued. Pakistan Council of Appropriate Technology (PCAT), Alternative
Total 297 Energy Development Board (AEDB) and Pakistan Renewable Energy
Society (PRES) are working to develop new biogas technologies and
installing biogas plants to harness the available potential throughout
expected COD in September 2016 [22,25]. Along with that 14 wind the country. To assess the functionality of the Chinese design of the
projects with a cumulative capacity of 663 MW in Jhimpir and Gharho biogas plant PCAT installed 21 fixed dome plants in 1976 but could not
are at different stages of project development and expected to obtain be succeeded because of lack of experience and skills to overcome the
COD in 2018–2019 [22,25]. Some of the operational wind projects at gas leakages from the domes [22]. Later on Indian biogas system
Jhimpr and Gharo are depicted in Fig. 5. (movable) was adopted with some modifications according to the re-
quirements. The developed biogas plant by PCRET is shown in Fig. 6.
5. Bagasse/ bioenergy/ biomass Till 2002, 4500 biogas plants had been installed under different
projects in different areas of Pakistan. In 2002 a project PC-1 was ap-
European Union have included various resources such as agri- proved to install 1200 biogas plants in next 4 years. In 2006 under this
cultural and forestry residues, biodegradable matter of municipal solid project 400 plants more than the target were installed. Presently 5357
waste and industrial residues within the definition of biomass [31,32]. biogas plants installed under any project initiated by PCRET are
Pakistan being an agrarian country has a vast potential of biomass working in all over the country [14] but after the technology got
energy. These biomass include, wheat straw, sugar cane trash, poultry ground many private organizations started business of biogas plants
litter, bagasse, animal dung and wood [10]. and now people are individually interested in this technology. Many
There are 83 sugar mills in the country with an expected potential of industries also installed biogas plants for their facilities. As an example
3000 MW electricity for the grid. Currently 4 sugar industries have four industries (Al-Hamad Exports, Ashraf Zia textile industries, JK
installed their own power plant operated on the byproduct bagasse farms and Tahir dairy farms) in Faisalabad, Punjab have their own

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Fig. 6. 5 m3 biogas plant developed by PCRET.

Fig. 7. JK farms, Faisalabad biogas plant at different

project development stages.

Table 8 Table 9
Under construction hydro projects [39,40]. Available micro hydro power potential [22].

Sr. no. Dam Capacity (MW) Expected COD Sr. no. Area No. of Potential Total Remarks
potential range potential
1 Neelum Jehlum 969 Dec. 2017 sites (MW)
2 Dasu 2 ×2160 2025
3 Diamir Bhasha 4500 2019–2020 1 Kheber Pakhtun 125 0.2 to 32 750 Natural
4 Keyal Khwar 128 Jan. 2020 Khawa (KPK) falls/
flows
2 Punjab 300 0.2 to 40 560 Canals
industrial scale biogas plant. Construction stages of 35 m3 biogas plant 3 Gilgit Baltistan 200 0.1 to 38 1300 Natural
falls
at JK farms [37] is shown in Fig. 7. Revgreen Pakistan has installed a
4 Sindh 150 5 to 40 120 Canal falls
biogas plant of 1200 m3 capacity at starlet shoes Sheikhu-pura road. 5 Azad 40 0.2 to 40 280 Natural
Biogas is being used to feed 150 KVA generator and to fulfil the gas Jamu & Kashmir falls
requirements of the industry. Ultimate capacity of the plant will be Total 3100
300 m3 after up gradation [38].

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Table 10 7. Hydro/ micro hydro

Operational micro hydro power projects [39,40].
In the field of hydropower Pakistan started working in 1967 with
Sr. no. Location Capacity (MW) Remarks
the inauguration of Mangla dam with installed capacity of 1500 MW.
1 Nandipur, Punjab 13.8 Upper Chenab canal Later on in 1976 Terbala dam started producing 3478 MW of electricity.
2 Chichoki, Punjab 13.2 Upper Chenab Canal In 1980 hydro power fulfilled the 70% electricity needs of the country
3 Shadiwal, Punjab 13.5 Upper Jhelum Canal
that reduced to 31% in 2014-15 because of the slow progress in har-
4 Rasul, Punjab 13.8 Upper Jhelum Canal
5 Dargai, KPK 20 Malakand nessing the available 60 GW hydro potential. Major hydro power pro-
6 Renala, Punjab 1.1 Lower Bari Doab Canal jects are under different project development stages under Water And
7 Pehur HES, KPK 18 Sawbi, KPK Power Development Authority (WAPDA). Detail is shown in Table 8.
8 Shishi HES, KPK 1.8 Chitral, KPK Micro hydro concept is not novel in Pakistan. In 1925 Sir Ganga
9 Reshun HES, KPK 4.2 Chitral, KPK
Ram constructed a power station at BRB canal, Renala generating
Total 98.41
electricity from kinetic energy of water which is still operational with a
capacity of 1.1 MW. Total potential of micro hydro at natural falls and
run of river sites is 3100 MW at 815 different locations in the country.

Table 11
Mission, aims and objectives of RE organizations.

Organization/ Mission Aims & objectives

institution

CERAD-UET Lahore To strengthen energy sector by replicating and scaling energy 1) Provide training, advisory services and research for public and private sectors,
policies, technologies and management practices for socio support in energy technology, policy and management.
economic development. 2) Support public and private institutions in spreading knowledge of energy
technology, policy and management.
3) Conduct training and research for academic staff and create organizational
framework for renewable and conventional energy regarding technology, policy
and management.
PCRET To develop, promote, disseminate, provide training and energy 1) To promote renewable technologies in the country through research and
services to the people living in remote areas and create RE development and organize conferences, seminars and workshops.
culture in the country. 2) To produce materials, devices and applications in the field of RE.
3) To determine short and long term policies and programs by assisting government
and relevant industry.
AEDB To introduce Alternative and Renewable Energies at an 1) To develop national strategy, policies and plans for harnessing Alternative and
accelerated rate in country. Renewable Energy (ARE) resources.
2) To evaluate, monitor and certify ARE projects and products.
3) To provide one window facility for establishing, promoting, evaluating,
facilitating and conducting feasibility study for ARE proposals and projects from
national and international agencies.

Table 12
Performance of CERAD in disseminating RE in Pakistan [41].

Products CERAD has designed energy efficient cloth dryer and washing machine, solar powered
deep freezer and sewing machine, small wind turbine home powered system and solar
auto rickshaw.

Services (Pre-Qualification Documentation, Technical Evaluation of Pre-Qualification,
Grievance Redresser, Technical Bid Preparation, Technical Bid Evaluation, Testing
and Assessment, Financial analysis)
Provided services to Energy Department, Govt. of Punjab for following solar projects.
• 50 Wp AC/DC solar System for Tribal Area Development Project, DG Khan.
• 2.5 MWp on Grid Solar System at Islamia University Bahawalpur.
• Solarization of Off Grid Schools in Punjab.
• Chief Minister’s Ujaala Phase I & II.
• Solarization of 50 offices in Punjab.
• Solarization of Management and Professional Development Department.
• Solarization of Rescue 1122 Buildings.
• Recommendations for solarization of Children Library Complex, Lahore.
• Solar tube well System for Punjab Province.
• House Hold Solarization Loan Project.
• Solarization of Punjab IT Labs.
• Installation of 12KWp Solar Submersible Water Pump at KSK UET.
• Solarization of Punjab School System.
• Solarization of Planning and Development Department, Lahore.
Services provided to miscellaneous clients are as follow.
• Quaid e Azam Solar Park project for 100 MW solar System.
• Solarization of Quaid e Azam Library, Lahore.
• Solarization of Schools in Rajanpur.

Training Courses & Certification

• Solarization of Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) Building.
Three days duration Solar Pumping System, one week duration Solar System Design,
two week duration Solar PV Testing, four weeks duration Solar Cell Technologies.
Academics • Awarded M.Sc. Energy engineering degree to almost 35 engineers.
• Established PV household lab, solar thermal energy lab, PV pumping systems lab,
PV testing facility, PV vehicle lab, fuel cell lab, bio fuel lab, wind turbine lab, low
head hydro power facility lab and energy conservation lab.

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Table 13
Role of PCRET in implementing RE technologies in Pakistan.

Success story Ongoing efforts

1) Installed 300 PV systems of 100 kW capacity for 500 houses, street and garden lights, mosques and 1) Planed to install 4 community sized solar dryers in dates growing
schools. fields of Punjab, Sindh and Baluchistan.
2) Installed 538 micro hydro power plants of 7.8 MW capacity for more than 70,000 houses. 2) Working on development of 2nd and 3rd generation solar cell
3) Installed 155 small wind turbines of 161 kW capacity for 1560 houses and 9 coastal guard check technologies.
posts.
4) Installed 4000 biogas plants of the size of 3 & 5 m3/day with a cumulative production of 18000 m3/
day.
5) Developed 6 efficient smokeless models of cooking stoves, 100,000 mud stoves in rural areas were
built that saved 36,500 tons fuel wood in a year.
6) Installed 21 solar dryers with a cumulative fruit drying capacity of 5230 kg.
7) Established lab facilities (Crystal growth lab, wafering lab, cell process lab, test and measurement lab,
lamination lab, solar testing lab and analysis Lab) for conventional solar PV fabrication.
8) Published more than 200 research papers in national and international journals and conferences.

The range of potential at a site is 0.2–40 MW. Among that available
potential 128 MW [22] is operational in the country and some are de-
tailed in table. Table 9 shows the detail of the available micro hydro
potential in different areas throughout the country that has been pro-
vided by WAPDA in collaboration with provincial governments and
AEDB. 9 projects currently generating electricity of cumulative capacity
98.41 MW is listed in Table 10.
Micro hydro projects are taken by provincial governments fa-
cilitated by AEDB. Government of KPK has undertaken 6 micro hydro
project of cumulative capacity 118 MW and are expected to be com-
pleted by 2018 [22,39]. Except that different projects of almost
2500 MW are in different stages of feasibility study [39]. Punjab gov-
ernment has undertaken 4 projects of 20 MW likely to be commissioned
by December 2017 [22]. Having a vast experience in hydro power these
projects are expected to be successfully completed in time.
8. Renewable energy organizations/ institutions
To promote, regulate and implement RE technologies and projects in
the country some institutions and organizations were brought into ex-
istence. 3 major organizations Center for Energy Research and
Development (CERAD), Pakistan Council of Renewable Energy
Technologies (PCRET) and Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB)
with their mission, aim and objectives are described in Table 11.
8.1. Center for energy research and development (CERAD)
Center for Energy research and Development (CERAD) is actively
playing its role toward the establishment of RE in Punjab and the whole
country (Table 12)
8.2. Pakistan council of renewable energy technologies (PCRET)
Pakistan Council of Renewable Energy Technologies (PCRET) was
formulated in May 2001 by the merger of National Institute of Silicon
Technologies (NIST) and Pakistan Council of Appropriate Technology
(PCAT). PCRET not only researched the renewable technologies but
also devised efficient RE equipment in the field of solar PV, solar

Table 14
Universities carrying R & D in RE fields [41].

Institutions Working renewable energy fields

National University of Science and Technology
(NUST), Islamabad
University of Engineering and Technology (UET)
Taxila
NED UET Karachi
Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute KPK
Quaid e Awam University of Science and Technology
Nawabshah
Quaid e Azam university Islamabad
Govt. College University Lahore
Mehran UET Jamshoro
• Enhanced hydrogen production from algae using artificial electron donors and inhibiting agents for FNR.
• Development of a nano-photo catalyst for efficient biodiesel conversion from Jatropha (US Patent Published).
• Super-critical fluid extraction of micro-algae for bio fuel production as an industrial outreach in collaboration with NRG
Biofuels CANADA.
• Survey on the availability of biomass: a resource mapping study.
• Development of high performance catalyst for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and establishment of GTL facility.
• Development and testing of Solar Charging Stations for Electric Vehicles (EV).
• Design and development of real-time engine blow-by monitoring system.
• Indigenous design/development and fabrication of solarized Airlift tubular Photo bioreactor.
• Designed and fabricated six different types of wind turbines in 300–1000 watts power range.
• Design and development of Low cost electric bike and EV.
• Research on solar thermal energy both for air conditioning of buildings and for power generation. Research on
concentrating solar technologies for power generation and production of fuels and commodity materials solar heating,
cooling and integration.
• Design and development of low head small Hydro turbines in Pakistan.
• Designing Axial Flux Machines and Permanent Magnet Machines for Wind Turbine Applications.
• Modelling and Simulation of Control System for Wind Turbines.
• Research on design and development of parabolic troughs to achieve maximum power generation.
• Development of simulation tool for finding optimum tilt angles for solar collectors.
• Study the effect of variable blade pitch angle on the performance of horizontal axis wind turbine.
• New Approaches for Lower Cost, Longer Stability, and Higher Efficiency of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs).
• Research on Utilization of solar energy in office building and its impact on environment.
• Research on Solar Tracker.
• Enzymes reactive used in industry to replace chemical reactive for biofuel technology.
• Biofuel production from biomass (lignocellulose).
• Energy recovery from municipal solid waste and resource recovery from waste.
• Production optimization of bio-fuels; bio-diesel, methane & biogas.
• Catalysis & catalyst synthesis for bio-diesel production and catalytic cracking of petroleum.
• Utilization of indigenous mineral resources of Pakistan for high value product.
616
M. Kamran
thermal, wind, biomass, biogas, biofuels, micro hydro and energy
conservation technologies [7]. RE systems installed by the PCRET in the
whole country are shown in Table 13 [42,43].
8.3. Alternative energy development board (AEDB)
AEDB was established in 2003 as a representing agency of govern-
ment of Pakistan to facilitate, introduce, encourage and promote RE in
the country. In 2006 its administrative control was transferred to the
Ministry of Water and Power. AEDB is an autonomous body in im-
plementing policies, projects and programs in the field of RE.
Government of Pakistan has given a task to AEDB to ensure 5% RE
share in the total generation by 2030. AEDB is taking radical steps to
achieve the target.
All the above stated completed and under construction projects of
solar, wind, biomass, and micro hydro are under the supervision of
AEDB. To initiate a project sponsor presents its proposal to AEDB which
is reviewed by the project team appointed by AEDB. If the proposal is
accepted AEDB issues a LoI for a raw site. After which a feasibility study
is conducted by the sponsor and reviewed by a panel of experts ap-
pointed by AEDB and a LoS is issued by AEDB. After which sponsor may
write to NEPRA for determination of tariff for bulk power purchase.
Today all the RE projects in country are under AEDB with international
cooperation of USAID, The United Nations Industrial Development
Organization (UNIDO), Asian Development Bank (ADB), International
Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), German Cooperation, World Bank
(WB) and International Finance Corporation (IFC).
8.4. Other R & D institutions
Some organizations actively involved in RE in the country have
been detailed in sub sections of Section 8. Other than these organiza-
tions there are number of universities who are conducting research in
RE field such as biofuel technology, photovoltaic technology, hydro
turbine technology, wind technology, hybrid vehicle and concentrated
solar power. A summary of all these universities with their working
area in RE is given in Table 14.
9. Conclusion
The author concluded in the light of above discussion that renew-
able energy is taking its share in energy mix by giving 553.3 MW of
electricity to the grid as compared to the previous year’s energy mix
when there was zero percent share of the renewable energy. It is ex-
pected that under the view of ongoing projects and accelerated R & D in
RE organizations RE will get grounds in the future energy mix of
Pakistan making it dominant with solar, wind and biomass energy and
accordingly will mitigate energy import bills and the generation of CO2
in the atmosphere.
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