Solkraftsboom i Pakistan – drivs av gräsrötterna

Solar power in Pakistan is growing at the "most extreme" rate in the world, with solar installations providing an estimated one-third of the country's entire generating capacity added in 2024 alone. Solar power became part of the energy mix in 2013, following government policies aimed at supporting renewable energy development. Benefiting from nine and a half hours of sunlight daily, the country now has seven large-scale solar projects that contribute 530 MW to the national grid, along with a growing number of harder to measure off-grid projects. Rising electricity costs and grid reliability concerns have driven industries, businesses, and urban homeowners to increasingly turn to solar solutions, including rooftop photovoltaic installations. The country has solar plants in Pakistani Kashmir, Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan. Initiatives are under development by the International Renewable Energy Agency, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, Chinese companies, and Pakistani private sector energy companies. The Quaid-e-Azam Solar Power Park (QASP) was built in the Cholistan Desert, Punjab, in 2015 and has a 400 MW capacity. As electricity prices doubled from 2021 to 2024, and Chinese solar panel manufacturers with manufacturing overcapacity cut prices, Pakistanis have taken to installing solar panels around the country, importing $1.4 billion of panels from China in the first half of 2024.