KP completes 2,900 solar installations, plans 10,000 more

JAVED KHAN MOHMAND
PESHAWAR
A total of 2,900 solar systems have so far been installed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under the provincial solarization programme, while the government was preparing to launch another 10,000 solarization projects for schools, colleges, hospitals, mosques and other public institutions, officials told the Provincial Assembly’s Standing Committee on Energy and Power on Monday.
Briefing the committee on the provincial solarization programme, officials of the energy department said that 2,400 of the planned 5,000 solar systems had been installed in the settled districts, while 500 of the planned 2,000 installations had been completed in the merged districts.
They said the government was also planning to launch an additional 10,000 solarization projects covering schools, colleges, mosques, hospitals and other public institutions. Household solarization in the merged districts is also continuing with the support of the federal government.
The committee, which met at the Provincial Assembly Secretariat under the chairmanship of MPA Daud Shah, reviewed the implementation of decisions taken during its previous meeting and discussed the progress of ongoing energy projects across the province.
Committee members Arbab Muhammad Usman, Muhammad Riaz, Ubaid Ur Rehman, Ahmad Karim Kundi, Gul Ibrahim Khan, Asma Alam, Arifa Bibi, Mehr Sultana, Farzana Shaheen and Faiza Malik attended the meeting. Senior officials from the Energy and Power Department, Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization (PEDO), Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO), the Law Department, the Advocate General’s Office and the Provincial Assembly Secretariat were also present.
During the meeting, Arbab Muhammad Usman proposed adopting the Chinese model of reverse engineering to promote the local manufacturing of modern energy technologies and equipment. Responding to the proposal, the energy department secretary said preliminary work on the initiative had already begun.
The committee was informed that two of the province’s nine hydropower projects had been completed, while work on the remaining seven projects was between 60 and 95 percent complete.
MPA Ahmad Karim Kundi said KP possessed abundant natural resources and could achieve self-sufficiency in the energy sector through their effective utilization. He directed the department to present a comprehensive briefing at the next meeting on gas reserves, ongoing gas projects and the province’s future energy strategy.
MPA Ubaid Ur Rehman expressed concern over the slow pace of work on the proposed 102-megawatt Panjkora Hydropower Project in Upper Dir and urged the department to expedite its completion.
Officials assured the committee that all ongoing hydropower and solarization projects would be completed by December this year.
Concluding the meeting, Chairman Daud Shah directed the Energy Department to make optimal use of the province’s water resources by prioritizing small and medium-sized hydropower projects with generation capacities ranging from 200 to 300 megawatts to enhance local electricity production and reduce dependence on external sources.
He also instructed the department to promote energy conservation in educational institutions, hospitals, government offices and households, while directing the relevant authorities to avoid unnecessary load shedding for schools, colleges, hospitals and domestic consumers wherever possible.
The chairman further called for the identification of high line-loss areas and directed authorities to take effective and impartial action against electricity theft to improve the efficiency of the province’s power distribution system.