Demand for solar power rises in Pakistan as import glut crashes panel prices

Demand for solar power rises in Pakistan as import glut crashes panel prices
In this file photo, taken on March 10, 2012, a Pakistani company employee arranges a solar panel during a marketing demonstration in a park in Islamabad. (AFP/File)
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Updated 26 April 2024
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Demand for solar power rises in Pakistan as import glut crashes panel prices

Demand for solar power rises in Pakistan as import glut crashes panel prices
  • Businessmen say solar panel prices have dropped by over sixty percent due to bulk import, rate cuts by China
  • Islamabad currently only generates around five percent of its energy from renewable solutions like solar power

ISLAMABAD: The price of solar panels has plummeted by over sixty percent in Pakistan in recent weeks due to bulk imports from China because of lower rates, importers said this week, with more consumers switching to the renewable source of power to reduce electricity bills. 
The cost of producing solar panels in China, which accounts for about 80 percent of global consumption, plummeted by 42 percent in the last year, giving manufacturers there an enormous advantage over rivals in places like the United States and Europe. Multiple European solar manufacturers have announced plans to close factories in recent months, under price pressure from Chinese imports. China accounts for 80 percent of solar module production capacity after years of subsidies.
Pakistan has ideal climatic conditions for solar power generation, with over nine hours of sunlight in most parts of the country. Utilizing just 0.071 percent of the country’s area for solar photovoltaic (solar PV) power generation would meet Pakistan’s electricity demand, according to the World Bank.
But currently, only 5.4 percent of Pakistan’s installed power generation capacity of 39,772 megawatts comes from renewables like wind, solar and biomass, while fossil fuels still make up 63 percent of the fuel mix, followed by hydropower at 25 percent, according to the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA).
But this may change with an acute drop in the price of panels, importers said. 
“A solar plate of 580 watts that I bought [last year] for 75,000 rupees [$270] has dropped to 25,000 rupees [$90] now,” Muhammad Yahya, a solar importer in Islamabad, told Arab News on Thursday. “That means it’s one-third of [earlier price].”
“The rates of the inverters are the same and keep fluctuating, but the main thing is solar panels and the rates of the solar panels are now 33 percent lower.”
Prices of solar panels dropped in China following import curtailment from major buyers including India, US and Europe while the Pakistani government had abolished a 17 percent sales tax to encourage solar imports, Yahya said, explaining the reduction in panel prices:
“People who would import through illegal channels, they [the government] blocked them, this helped stop the illegal import, and led to a bulk import, and secondly the rates [of solar panels] have dropped in China.” 
Another solar panel importer in Islamabad, Abdul Moiz, agreed that the rate drop in China and curtailment of imports to India and other major buyers had led to bulk imports to Pakistan.
“America and India have stopped their imports [from China], that’s why the majority of the imports are now directed toward Pakistan,” Moiz told Arab News.
“CLIMATE CHANGE”
Despite the benefits, including to the environment of zero carbon emissions from solar panels, Pakistan is far behind in meeting its goal of shifting to 60 percent renewable energy by 2030 with 50 percent reduction in projected emissions.
Experts say procedural and bureaucratic delays in construction approvals and unattractive tariffs for selling power to the national grid coupled with a lack of political will and little government investment had blocked the progress of the solar industry in the past. For households, a big impediment, before the Chinese rate cuts, was the steep initial investment.
But that has changed, with electricity consumers describing the drop in solar panel prices as a ‘big relief’ in reducing their electricity bills.
“After its [solar panel] installation, our [electricity] cost has reduced to thirty percent,” Imran Ali Gul, a manager at a local hotel who has installed a 16kw system, told Arab News. “That’s why we preferred to get the solar system installed.”
Aamir Hussain, chairman Pakistan Alternative Energy Association, told Arab News Pakistanis purchased and installed solar panels of around 1800 megawatts last year, which was expected to jump to 3,000 megawatts this year due to the lower prices of the panels and increased customer demand.
 “Pakistan will be spending over $3.5 billion [this year] on solar panels imports only as this doesn’t include import of batteries, inverters and other auxiliary items,” Hussain said. “Pakistan needs to follow consistent policies regarding renewable energy to meet its national and international obligations for the greenhouse gas emissions.”
Experts also said Pakistan, one of the most vulnerable nations to climate change impacts, needed to swiftly move to end its reliance on fossil fuels.
“There is no denying of the fact that climate change has wreaked havoc globally, so the studies suggest that in order to meet the global targets of reducing our temperature etc, in addition to transition of existing fossil fuel power plants, we should cap these fossils as well,” Manzoor Ahmed, a researcher at the Policy Research Institute for Equitable Development in Islamabad, told Arab News.
“So, given this roadmap, given our commitments in terms of net zero emissions or COP conferences where we agreed to meet global targets, we have no choice but to shift to renewables and we must do it.”


Iran kills four after deadly attack in province bordering Pakistan

Iran kills four after deadly attack in province bordering Pakistan
Updated 27 October 2024
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Iran kills four after deadly attack in province bordering Pakistan

Iran kills four after deadly attack in province bordering Pakistan
  • Ten police officers were killed in Sistan-Baluchistan in an attack claimed by Jaish Al-Adl militant group
  • The suspects were killed by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, who were backed by intelligence and police

TEHRAN: Iranian armed forces on Sunday killed at least four “terrorists” behind a deadly attack on police the day before in the country’s southeast, Tasnim news agency reported.
Ten police officers were killed in Sistan-Baluchistan province on Saturday in an attack claimed by the Pakistan-based militant group Jaish Al-Adl.
In response, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards backed by intelligence forces and police on Sunday killed at least four “terrorists” suspected of involvement in a drone strike, Tasnim said, citing the Guards.
“During this operation, four terrorists were killed, some were wounded and escaped and four others were arrested,” it said.
“The operation to arrest and destroy the remaining terrorists is still ongoing.”
The official IRNA news agency, citing a police statement, reported the death of “10 personnel in two patrol units” in what it called an ambush.
Sistan-Baluchistan borders Pakistan and Afghanistan and is one of the most impoverished provinces in the Islamic republic.
Saturday’s attack was one of the deadliest in the area in recent months.
In early October, at least six people, including police officers, were killed in the province in two separate attacks.
Jaish Al-Adl claimed responsibility for the two attacks in a message on Telegram.
Formed in 2012 by Baloch separatists, the group is considered a “terrorist organization” by both Iran and the United States.


Pakistani forces kill four militants in restive northwest — military

Pakistani forces kill four militants in restive northwest — military
Updated 27 October 2024
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Pakistani forces kill four militants in restive northwest — military

Pakistani forces kill four militants in restive northwest — military
  • The militants were killed in two separate encounters in North Waziristan and Khyber tribal districts
  • Pakistan blames surge in militancy on militants operating out of Afghanistan, Kabul denies the charge

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani security forces have killed four militants in two separate operations in the country’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the Pakistani military said on Sunday.
Two militants were killed in an exchange of fire during an intelligence-based operation in the North Waziristan district, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing.
In another encounter in the Khyber district, Pakistani troops effectively engaged a group of militants, killing two of them and injuring three others.
The ISPR said the deceased militants had been “actively involved” in militant activities against law enforcement agencies as well as the civilians.
“Sanitization of the area is being carried out,” it said in a statement. “Security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country.”
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which borders Afghanistan, has witnessed a number of attacks by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant groups that targeted security forces convoys and check posts, besides targeted killings and kidnappings of law enforcers and government officials in recent months.
Islamabad blames Kabul for facilitating anti-Pakistan militants and says it has consistently taken up the issue of cross-border attacks with the Taliban administration.
The Taliban deny allowing the use of Afghan soil for attacks against any country and say rising violence in Pakistan is a domestic issue of Islamabad.


Pakistan proposes regional climate data bank for evidence-based response to disasters

Pakistan proposes regional climate data bank for evidence-based response to disasters
Updated 27 October 2024
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Pakistan proposes regional climate data bank for evidence-based response to disasters

Pakistan proposes regional climate data bank for evidence-based response to disasters
  • The proposed V20 Climate Action Data Bank will consolidate data on climate risks, economic losses and resilience-building needs
  • Pakistan PM’s climate aide says it is inevitable to enhance access to reliable data to strengthen climate resilience strategies 

ISLAMABAD: Romina Khurshid Alam, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s coordinator on climate change, on Sunday proposed the establishment of a regional climate data bank to help Vulnerable Twenty (V20) group of countries prepare an evidence-based response to climate disasters.
The PM’s climate aide reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to boost regional collaboration among the V20 group, which represents 70 countries from the most climate-vulnerable regions, and pledged her all-out support to set up the V20 Climate Action Data Bank at a recent high-level meeting of V20 representatives, according to the Pakistani climate change ministry.
This centralized platform will aim to empower V20 nations to effectively cope with adverse fallouts of climate change by providing critical evidence-based information needed for informed decision-making and resource mobilization from available regional and international climate funding channels for the result-oriented climate actions through adaptation and mitigation efforts.
“Establishing the proposed data bank would be indeed a groundbreaking initiative to consolidate data on climate risks, economic losses and financial resilience-building needs of the V20 group member countries,” Alam said in a statement on Sunday.
Established in October 2015 in Lima, the V20 group is a coalition of finance ministers from countries highly susceptible to climate change impacts and aims to promote greater investment in climate resilience and low-emission development. As of October 2024, the V20 comprises 70 member countries from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Pacific, collectively representing over 1.7 billion people and account for just 5 percent share in the total heat-trapping global carbon emissions.
The V20 countries are disproportionately affected by climate change. Many of these nations grapple with rising sea levels, extreme weather events and rapid environmental degradation that threaten their economies, essential infrastructures, populations and livelihoods, according to the Pakistan PM’s climate aide.
Given the V20 countries’ heightened climate vulnerability, the new data bank is inevitable to enhance access to reliable data to strengthen climate resilience strategies and leverage international funding.
“By centralizing data and making it widely accessible for decision-makers, policymakers and planners, we can ensure that every dollar is well spent and every action is informed by the best available evidence,” she added.
Pakistan is recognized as one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change effects in the world and has seen erratic changes in its weather patterns which have led to frequent heat waves, untimely rains, cyclones and droughts in recent years. Scientists have blamed the events on human-driven climate change.
In 2022, unusually heavy rains triggered flash floods in the South Asian country, killing over 1,700 people and causing economic losses of around $30 billion.
By pooling data, Alam highlighted, the V20 members could engage in joint risk analysis, promote innovative financial mechanisms and coordinate responses to climate challenges more effectively.
“With this this new and crucial collaborative approach, the V20 countries can also strengthen collective resilience efforts, ensuring that countries can better prepare for and respond to climate impacts, ultimately fostering sustainable development,” she said.
“By enhancing risk management, timely informed decision-making and strengthening regional cooperation can also help attract investment and yield economic benefits.”


Pakistan appoint Rizwan white-ball captain, recall Babar Azam for Australia tour

Pakistan appoint Rizwan white-ball captain, recall Babar Azam for Australia tour
Updated 27 October 2024
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Pakistan appoint Rizwan white-ball captain, recall Babar Azam for Australia tour

Pakistan appoint Rizwan white-ball captain, recall Babar Azam for Australia tour
  • Mohammad Rizwan will lead the squad with Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi, who were dropped from Pakistan’s last two Tests against England
  • Rizwan led Pakistan in two Tests on the tour of New Zealand in 2020, when Azam was injured but has never led in limited over matches

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Sunday it had appointed Mohammad Rizwan skipper for the upcoming white-ball tours of Australia and Zimbabwe.
Rizwan replaces Babar Azam who stepped down this month. He led Pakistan in two Tests on the tour of New Zealand in 2020, when Azam was injured but has never led in limited over matches.
Rizwan will lead the squad with Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi, who were dropped from Pakistan’s last two Tests against England in the series Pakistan won 2-0 on Saturday.
“I am confident that Rizwan’s leadership qualities, underpinned by his deep commitment and passion for the game, will help shape this talented team into a consistently successful unit,” PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said in a statement.
“Rizwan has earned the respect of his peers and colleagues through his dedication and positive attitude, and I have no doubt that these qualities, combined with his game knowledge and performance, will inspire the next generation of Pakistan cricketers.”
Azam, appointed white-ball captain for the first time in 2019, stepped down after Pakistan’s disastrous first-round exit from the ODI World Cup in India last year.
He was re-appointed for a second time in March ahead of the Twenty20 International World Cup in the United States and West Indies, where Pakistan exited in the first round again.
“I am deeply honored to be appointed as Pakistan’s white-ball captain. Representing Pakistan on the global stage is the greatest privilege and to now be entrusted with leading such a talented and exciting group of players is a tremendous honor. Joining the ranks of some of Pakistan’s legendary limited-overs captains truly is the icing on the cake,” 32-year-old Rizwan was quoted as saying by the PCB.
“I am committed to giving my absolute best in this role and look forward to working closely with the selectors, coaches and my immensely talented teammates. Together, we aim to meet and exceed the expectations of our fans and supporters.”
Rizwan, who debuted in white-ball cricket in 2015, has played 74 ODIs and 102 T20Is to date, scoring 5,401 runs with four centuries and accounting for 143 dismissals behind the stumps. As he leads the team in the opening ODI against Australia in Melbourne on 4 November, Rizwan will become Pakistan’s 31st captain. For the first T20I in Brisbane on 14 November, he will be the 12th to captain Pakistan in the format.
PAKISTAN SQUADS FOR AUSTRALIA AND ZIMBABWE TOURS
ODI squad for Australia: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi
T20I squad for Australia: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Usman Khan
ODI squad for Zimbabwe: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Saim Ayub, Shahnawaz Dahani and Tayyab Tahir
T20I squad for Zimbabwe: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair bin Yousuf, Qasim Akram, Sahibzada Farhan, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan


Pakistan to vaccinate 45 million children in nationwide anti-polio drive

Pakistan to vaccinate 45 million children in nationwide anti-polio drive
Updated 27 October 2024
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Pakistan to vaccinate 45 million children in nationwide anti-polio drive

Pakistan to vaccinate 45 million children in nationwide anti-polio drive
  • Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries where polio remains an endemic
  • Since late 2018, Pakistan has seen a resurgence of cases and increased spread of virus

ISLAMABAD: Officials on Sunday urged parents to have their children administered anti-polio vaccine as Pakistan gears up for a nationwide inoculation drive from Oct 28.
The development comes amid a deepening polio crisis in the South Asian country, which has reported 41 polio cases so far this year.
The anti-polio vaccination drive aims to inoculate more than 45 million children across the country from Oct. 28 till Nov. 3, according to Pakistan polio program.
“Parents are requested to fully cooperate with polio workers,” Ayesha Raza Farooq, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s focal person for polio eradication, said in a statement.
“Parents must ensure vaccination of their children aged below five years.”
Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries where polio remains an endemic.
Since late 2018, Pakistan has seen a resurgence of cases and increased spread of poliovirus, highlighting the fragility of gains achieved in the preceding three years.