The Prime Minister creates an authority for an additional utility-scale renewable energy project

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has constituted a committee to assess the benefits of an additional utility-scale renewable energy project in the public sector, informed sources said Business Registrar.

The following committee will independently assess the technical, commercial and economic parameters governing the addition of solar PV capacity to the system: (i) Musadik Malik, Minister of Petroleum, convener; (ii) Captain Muhammad Mahmood (Retd), Member Secretary IT&T; (iii) Waseem Mukhtar, Chairman, Nepra, Member; (iv) Fiaz Ahmed Chaudhry, LUMS, Member; (v) Gerwin Dareesmann, renewable energy expert, member; (vi) Muhammad Shaid, CEO, Pak Solar, Member; (vii) Syed Faizan Ali Shah, GIZ, Member; (viii) and Sheraz Khan, Director of PPIB.

According to sources, the terms of reference of the committee are as follows: (i) to determine the threshold of available capacity to add the optimal amount of solar energy to the electricity mix, keeping in mind the current status (constraints) of power generation, transmission and distribution system; (ii) suggest the feasibility of additional solar power generation via utilities, scale public sector renewable energy projects by analyzing the monthly peak system demand (summer and winter seasons, and assess the potential solar power capacity (utility and distributed scale) that may need to be added ; (iii) the tariff impact of additional solar capacity, taking into account current installed capacity, GoP contractual obligations, global trends in the solar pricing system, existing national tariff structure and projected demand/supply (iv) technical and financial requirements for additional solar power (; utility-scale and distributed) to the power system by improving the transmission and distribution system, and (v) policy options to introduce additional renewable energy into the energy mix to reduce the average national energy tariff.

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The Prime Minister also allowed the committee to co-opt additional members as needed so that a rigorous plan can be prepared in this regard.

The committee will develop recommendations within a month and the report will be submitted to the Prime Minister for consideration. The Department of Energy shall notify the committee and provide secretarial services to the committee.