70-80 per cent electricity to be generated through local resources by 2030: Omar Ayub

November 01, 2019: Minister for Power Division Omar Ayub Khan on Friday said that the government had fixed a target to generate 70-80 per cent electricity from local resources by 2030 in order to save precious foreign reserves besides reducing burden of current account deficit.

Addressing at joint press conference along with Ministers Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashaq Awan and Special Assistant to PM on Petroleum Nadeem Babar, he said Pakistan had huge potential to generate electricity from solar, wind and hydel. Joint Market Strategy was being carried out with assistance of China to set up energy generating projects in various parts of the country, he added.

The minister said share of Renewable Energy (RE) in the total energy mix would be enhanced to 20 per cent by 2025 and 30 per cent by 2030. Around 30 per cent would be generated by hydel and 10 per cent by nuclear till 2030, he said.

He said negotiation was also being underway with China for up-gradation of Pak-Arab Oil Refinery, Petro-Chemical Plant and exploration of oil and gas in various blocks. Oil and Gas sector and other energy projects have $ 120 billion market in Pakistan and foreign investment was pouring in the country, he said.

Omar said investors were also keen in investing in Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI)-metering projects.

APP