Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday approved the early execution of a 10,000MW solar energy project to reduce the country’s fuel import bill and boost the supply of self-generated electricity.
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, Sharif told a meeting convened to discuss means to substitute imported fossil fuels that the government had to shift toward generating electricity through solar power rather than pricey fuel. It said the participants of the meeting had been given a briefing detailing how the proposed solar plan could help save the country billions of dollars.
State-run news agency APP said the first phase of the solar project would target government buildings, electric tube wells, and domestic consumers with low power consumption. Directing the relevant authorities to ensure the early installation of solar plants to provide relief to the public before the next summer season, the prime minister ordered urgent execution of the project. He also called for organizing a conference of all stakeholders next week ahead of the bidding process to allay any concerns.
In a series of posts on Twitter after the meeting, Sharif reiterated that government buildings and tube-wells running on diesel would be shifted to solar. “Power plants operating on diesel, coal and furnace oil will be partially replaced,” he wrote.
“A major chunk of electricity is produced from imported fuel, whose prices have gone up in recent months,” he said. “Our National Solar Energy Initiative is aimed at substituting costly energy with cheap solar power, which will provide massive relief to people and save precious foreign exchange,” he added.
The government’s decision to reduce the import bill and expedite the shift to renewable energy comes amidst mass protests against hefty electricity bills, which the government has blamed on expensive fuel. In a bid to reduce public anger, the prime minister on Thursday also announced an exemption from fuel adjustment charges in August for all power consumers utilizing less than 300 units of electricity.