ISLAMABAD, The Interim Minister for Energy in Pakistan highlighted the nation’s commitment to transitioning towards clean energy during a recent meeting with the Danish ambassador, H.E Jacob Linulf. Emphasizing Pakistan’s vulnerability to global climate change, the Minister outlined the country’s ambitious goals, as detailed in the recently approved National Electricity Plan 2023, and expressed hope for expanded cooperation with Denmark, a nation already successful in its energy transition.
According to a news release by Press International Department, the meeting’s agenda revolved around the Danish Energy Transmission Initiative (DETI) project. The Interim Minister underscored that as the world transitions towards greener energy sources, Pakistan must follow suit. He pointed to the National Electricity Plan 2023 which aims for renewable sources, including hydropower, to constitute 40% of the nation’s energy mix by 2025 and 60% by 2030.
Acknowledging Denmark’s success in the energy sector, the Minister expressed hopes that Denmark’s expertise would aid Pakistan in moving towards a cleaner energy mix and fulfilling its Climate Change targets and Sustainable Development Goals. The discussion encompassed potential plans to further sustainable energy in Pakistan, emphasizing wind and solar power.
In addition, the minister highlighted the significance of Power Sector’s role in climate change mitigation and shared the government’s high prioritization of an equitable energy transition in Pakistan. The true measure of success, he mentioned, is the tangible impact in sustainable energy areas, leading to decreasing tariffs and harnessing indigenous resources.
Collaboration with Denmark is pivotal, particularly since Denmark has already navigated its energy transition. During their conversation, the two officials discussed DETI’s progress, including its two main thematic areas: energy planning and modelling, and the integration of renewable energy. Additionally, the upcoming agenda for the Conference of Parties (COP-28) meeting was broached. This meeting will evaluate two scenarios related to DETI, focusing on the progress of wind and solar energy and its economic implications.
A future collaboration will involve analyzing Pakistan’s current transmission and distribution network, identifying bottlenecks, and recommending paths forward, especially concerning the Interconnection Ready Zones (IRZs) identified by the World Bank. DETI is also set to advise on measures to manage the impact of seasonal demand fluctuations to ensure stable energy supplies, considering the integration of new VRE additions as per IGCEP 2022-31.
Concluding the meeting, the Interim Minister for Energy reaffirmed the Power Division’s commitment to working closely with Denmark in realizing its green energy objectives. Ambassador Linulf commended Pakistan’s efforts in its energy transition.