KARACHI: The Sindh government has reiterated its commitment to reducing fossil fuel consumption and increasing the use of renewable energy sources, coinciding with the United Nations’ International Day of Clean Energy.

According to a statement by Ministry of Energy (Petroleum Division), the provincial government is prioritizing the development of wind and solar energy projects to harness the region’s abundant renewable resources. Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Sindh’s Energy and Planning and Development Minister, emphasized the government’s focus on constructing solar parks for urban centers and providing solar home systems to off-grid rural areas with support from the World Bank.

The Pakistan People’s Party, led by Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, supports these efforts as part of its manifesto to ensure continuous and cost-effective electricity supply across the province. The Sindh government has allocated substantial funding in its current budget to accelerate clean energy projects.

Significant milestones include establishing a provincial electric power regulatory authority and microgrids to supply rural areas with solar power. The Sindh Transmission and Dispatch Company is tasked with facilitating private sector transmission of clean electricity to urban industries under special B2B arrangements.

Ongoing projects involve installing solar systems on public buildings, schools, and health centers, with plans to distribute hundreds of thousands of solar home systems to rural households. The provincial government is also encouraging the installation of grid-connected solar systems in urban areas and expanding the Gharo-Jhimpir wind corridor’s capacity.

Additional initiatives include procuring electric buses, developing biogas and waste-to-energy systems, and establishing EV charging stations through public-private partnerships. The Sindh government urges federal support to further develop these clean energy initiatives to combat climate change.