Islamabad: A meeting between Federal Minister for Power Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari and a delegation from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) focused on exploring investment opportunities in Pakistan’s energy sector, particularly in renewable energy and modernizing the power sector. The delegation, led by the Bank’s Chief Investment Officer Konstantin Limitovskiy, discussed potential improvements to the transmission system and other key priorities.

According to Press Information Department, the Federal Minister briefed the AIIB delegation on the government’s ongoing reforms aimed at improving efficiency, transparency, and sustainability in the energy sector. He emphasized the availability of low-cost electricity in the southern regions, which has opened up significant investment opportunities in the North-South transmission infrastructure to ensure an efficient transfer of electricity to northern areas.

Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari highlighted the government’s efforts in digitalizing the power sector, with the installation of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) meters being a crucial component of this strategy. Progress is underway on a phased installation plan for around 10 million meters, with nearly 1.5 million already installed. Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and transmission lines were identified as government priorities.

The AIIB delegation expressed interest in investing in Pakistan’s energy sector, noting a potential investment range of 100 to 150 million dollars. They shared their experience in supporting renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure projects in various countries and expressed a commitment to enhance cooperation through close coordination between the Bank’s technical teams and Pakistani institutions.

Both sides agreed to expand cooperation in the energy sector, strengthen technical engagement, and continue consultations on future investment opportunities.