Renewable Energy in Pakistan and the Chemistry of Clean Power

Abstract

Pakistan is facing a critical energy crisis that is marked significantly by over-reliance on imported fossil fuels, chronic energy shortages, and ecological degradation. A healthy transition to renewable energy is the need of the hour to maintain sustainability and energy security. This article explores Pakistan’s potential for this transformation via the lens of chemistry and highlights recent innovations in solar photovoltaics, energy storage systems, and biomass conversion. This article also proposes some policy-making reforms, investment protocols, and strategies to harness chemistry-driven solutions, enabling Pakistan to emerge as a frontrunner in smoothly adopting clean, sustainable, and renewable energy technologies.

Introduction

Since 2013, Pakistan’s energy sector has achieved notable improvements in electricity generation and reduced power outages. However, it is continuously facing persistent structural challenges. These include the high cost of fuel sources, heavy reliance on imported energy commodities, limited availability of domestic natural gas, and an ever-increasing circular debt burden. Furthermore, the old and inefficient transmission and distribution infrastructure hampers the effective delivery of electricity, leading to significant energy losses and supply bottlenecks. Addressing these issues is essential for establishing a stable, affordable, sustainable energy system.

Pakistan’s total installed power generation capacity stands at approximately 43,775 megawatts, with a significant portion, around 59%, which is derived from thermal sources relying on fossil fuels. Hydropower provides about 25% of the energy mix, while renewable sources, including solar, wind, and biomass, contribute only 7%. The remaining 9% is generated via nuclear energy (NEPRA, 2022). 

Despite this significant progress in expanding overall energy infrastructure, Pakistan continues to face profound challenges in ensuring equitable and reliable access to electricity. Nearly 50 million people live without electricity, highlighting the depth of energy poverty. Frequent power outages and load-shedding disrupt daily life activities and inflict severe economic damage, with estimated losses of approximately 7% of the national GDP annually. These issues are accompanied by the persistent circular debt crisis, which surpassed $13 billion in 2022, and fuel import expenditures that reached $15 billion in the same year, which is placing immense pressure on foreign exchange reserves. Additionally, the environmental consequences of a fossil fuel-dominated energy sector are noteworthy, with air pollution contributing to almost 128,000 premature deaths each year (DAWN, 2022). 

The success of Renewable Energy as a sustainable alternative hinges not only on engineering advancements but also on breakthroughs in chemistry. From improving the efficiency of solar cells and developing modern battery materials to optimizing the production of biofuel and carbon capture methods, chemical science provides the breakthroughs necessary for a green energy future. This paper highlights how leveraging the chemistry of clean power can sketch a strategic and scientifically rooted way forward for Pakistan that aligns its energy goals with global climate requirements and sustainable development objectives.

Chemistry-Driven Renewable Energy Solutions for the Power Sector of Pakistan

Chemistry plays a foundational role in developing and optimizing renewable energy technologies, including solar photovoltaics, biofuels, advanced batteries, and hydrogen production. Details of Pakistan’s most prominent technologies and their work to generate energy are described here.

Solar Power

The generation of solar energy is basically driven by some chemical principles, particularly involving an understanding of semiconductor materials. At the core of solar photovoltaic technology lies the photovoltaic effect, a process where photons from sunlight cause excitation of electrons in a semiconductor, typically silicon or germanium, that leads to the generation of an electric current. The efficiency of this light conversion to current depends on the chemical composition as well as the structural purity of the semiconductor. 

Recent advancements in perovskite solar cells, which make the use of hybrid organic-inorganic materials, have demonstrated greater energy efficiencies owing to their unique structures and high charge-carrier mobility. In addition to this, solar thermal systems are also in use, where chemistry plays a significant role in the development of heat transfer fluids to absorb and store thermal energy more effectively. 

Pakistan seeks to benefit from an average of nine and a half hours of sunlight every day. The integration of solar power into Pakistan’s national energy mix started in 2013, which was followed by the implementation of government policies designed to facilitate the adoption of renewable energy technologies. 

According to the Private Power & Infrastructure Board, seven solar power projects with a combined capacity of 530 megawatts are currently operational under the Ministry of Energy. They are supplying electricity to the national grid.

Several industrial and commercial organizations are investing in captive solar power systems in response to a sudden rise in electricity tariffs and unreliable grid supply. This trend is also reflected in the residential sector, where rooftop installations of these photovoltaics have seen significant growth in major urban areas. 

Furthermore, the regulations of net metering introduced in September 2015 for projects below 1 MW have further facilitated consumer participation in this decentralized energy production. Since there is a persistent increase in fossil fuel prices, the current energy landscape provides all the favourable signs for the continued expansion of solar power across different regions of Pakistan.

Wind Power

Wind energy generation is a mechanical process, and chemistry plays a prominent role in developing wind turbine components. The lightweight, durable, and environmentally degradation-resistant design and synthesis of composite materials for turbine blades is the achievement of chemistry. Advanced polymers strengthened with fibreglass or carbon fibre composites are engineered through various chemical processes to maintain strength-to-weight ratios and long-term stability. Additionally, lubricants and hydraulic fluids, needed for the smooth operation of gearboxes and control systems, are chemically formulated to bear high pressures, variable temperature shifts, and oxidation over an extended period. For turbine towers and offshore wind installations, Corrosion-resistant coatings are prepared to prevent degradation of structural integrity where exposure to moisture, salt, and oxygen is expected. Direct-drive wind turbines use high-performance magnets to convert the mechanical energy of rotating blades into electrical energy, which is manufactured by chemically extracted and processed rare earth elements like neodymium and dysprosium. 

Pakistan have strong wind power potential, especially along the coastal regions of Sindh and Balochistan. Recognizing this opportunity, the government of Pakistan has established a dedicated wind power corridor spanning these coastal zones. 

Pakistan Meteorological Department reported that the Gharo-Keti Bandar corridor holds an estimated exploitable capacity of around 50,000 megawatts (MW) for electricity generation through wind power.  This corridor is extended approximately 60 kilometres inland and almost 180 kilometres along the coast.

Currently, 36 wind energy projects operate privately and provide roughly 1,845 MW of energy to the national grid. 

Biofuels

The production of energy from biofuels involves converting organic matter into combustible fuels. Biofuels are derived from biomass, basically biological materials like crop residues, plant oils, and animal waste. Bioethanol, biodiesel, and biogas are frequently used biofuels. Bioethanol is generated by fermentation, where enzymes and microorganisms, such as yeast, are used to catalyze the complete conversion of sugars into ethanol and carbon dioxide. Biodiesel, on the other hand, is produced by trans esterification, a chemical reaction where plant oils or animal fat-based triglycerides react with methanol using a base catalyst to produce fatty acid methyl esters and glycerol. Biogas production through anaerobic digestion involves microbial-driven reactions that facilitate the decomposition of organic material without oxygen to produce methane and carbon dioxide. 

In Pakistan, biofuels are used to generate electricity. For instance, in the Bulleh Shah Packaging plant in Kasur, agricultural residues like wheat straw and cotton stalks are being utilized to generate steam and electricity for industrial operations. 

 Several biogas projects are supported by the Punjab Power Development Board and the Alternative Energy Development Board in rural and urban areas to provide clean cooking fuel for use in houses. A significant example is the Karachi Biogas Pilot Plant, which processes waste from 40,000 cattle to produce biogas, generating 250 kW of electricity. Similarly, nearly 85 sugar mills all over Pakistan use bagasse, the by-product of sugarcane processing, to produce 700 MW of power. A part of this energy is also contributing to the national grid.

Hydroelectric Energy / Hydropower

The hydroelectric energy is generated by transforming the kinetic energy of flowing water into electricity. A key area where chemical involvement is needed is materials science, where the issues of electrochemical corrosion of turbines and other metallic components are addressed after exposure to continuous water flow. To control this, chemical principles are employed to develop advanced corrosion-resistant alloys, specialized polymeric coatings, and cathodic protection techniques to extend the equipment’s lifespan. Similarly, the chemical treatment of water is essential for preventing scaling, biofouling, and sediment deposition in hydroelectric systems. 

The Tarbela Dam has a power generation capacity of 4,888 MW, supplying 15% of the country’s total electricity. It has been operational since 1977 and is currently undergoing expansion. Similarly, the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project, which was completed in 2018, addresses regional energy needs by providing a 969 MW run-of-river system.  The Suki Kinari Hydropower Project in Mansehra and the Azad Pattan Hydropower Project in Azad Kashmir are notable hydroelectric projects developed under CPEC.

Dasu Hydropower Project, probably Pakistan’s largest hydropower initiative, is currently under construction on the Indus River. The World Bank backs the project with a planned capacity of up to 5,400 MW, and it is designed to minimize ecological and social impacts.

Hydrogen and Fuel Cells

This technology involves the electrochemical combination of hydrogen and oxygen gas to produce electricity, water, and heat. In a typical proton exchange membrane fuel cell, hydrogen gas is filled at the battery’s positive terminal; here, a platinum-based catalyst promotes the separation of hydrogen atoms into protons and electrons. The protons pass through a specialized polymer electrolyte membrane, while the electrons flow through an external circuit and generate an electric current. At the battery’s negative terminal, both protons and electrons reunite with oxygen to produce water, which is the only by-product of the reaction, and it is clean and environmentally benign. 

The electrolysis of water, which produces hydrogen as a fuel from water, is another chemical process that involves the use of an electric current to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen gases. Since water is a renewable energy source, this process holds ecological significance.

In Pakistan, a prominent initiative regarding hydrogen fuel use is Oracle Power’s Green Hydrogen project in the Jhimpir Wind Corridor, Sindh. This project uses a hybrid of wind and solar power, producing 55,000 tonnes of high-purity green hydrogen each year, making Pakistan a potential regional supplier of high-quality green hydrogen and ammonia.

Recently, pilot projects for hydrogen production via electrolysis are scheduled for 2026 and 2028 at the Ghazi Barotha Dam and Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park, respectively.

Energy Storage

In the core of this field are electrochemical storage systems, especially rechargeable batteries such as lithium-ion batteries. These systems operate reversibly through redox reactions, where lithium ions move between the anode and cathode through an electrolyte during different charge and discharge cycles. Apart from lithium-ion, other emerging chemistries such as sodium-ion, solid-state, and metal-air batteries also involve complex electrochemical mechanisms to balance performance, safety, and system cost. In addition, capacitors and super capacitors used for rapid energy storage and release are also based on electrostatic and electrochemical methods.

Chemistry also facilitates thermal energy storage, where, through controlled molecular transitions, phase change materials and molten salts absorb and release heat. 

Electrochemical storage adoption was commissioned in Pakistan in 2019 in the Jhimpir Battery Energy Storage System, where a 20,000 kW lithium-ion battery array is in use to stabilize the power grid and store excess renewable energy. 

Companies such as Reon Energy are working on lithium-ion batteries in the industrial sector, and they are integrating these batteries with solar and wind projects to generate backup power, eventually reducing fossil fuel dependence. 

Pakistan’s Renewable Energy Potential and Ongoing Developments

The potential of renewable energy in Pakistan is significant, particularly in the form of hydropower, solar, and wind resources. Despite carrying an estimated hydropower capacity of 60,000 MW, only 10,251–10,681 MW of this capacity has been used profitably. Solar energy is also abundant across the country. However, its contribution towards the national grid is merely 600 MW, while wind power has an operational capacity of nearly 1,845–1,985 MW, estimated at 50,000 MW.

To address this gap, Pakistan plans to source 58% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Key initiatives regarding the execution of this plan include the expansion of solar capacity to 1,822 MW by net-metered systems and the upcoming competitive bidding for 2,400 MW in regions such as Kot Addu and Layyah. Wind energy is also harnessed through hybrid projects such as the 1.3 GW initiative in Jhimpir under Oracle Power. At the same time, it is also expected that 12 independent hydropower projects (IPPs) will contribute an additional 1,563 MW of power capacity (Pakistan Economic Survey 2023-24). 

Currently, renewables comprise almost 41% of the energy mix, yet acceleration in investments and infrastructure development is important to align with growing global energy trends, where renewables contribute 90% of new capacity.

Recommendations

A multi-pronged strategy must be implemented to enhance Pakistan’s renewable energy utilization effectively. 

First, grid infrastructure modernization and integration of advanced storage solutions such as lithium-ion batteries and hydrogen systems are required to stabilize solar and wind power output.

Secondly, expansions of solar deployment via various government incentives such as tax rebates, low-interest loans, and net-metering processes in the United States can accelerate adoption, while balancing partnerships with China through CPEC can help reduce technology costs. 

Thirdly, under its revised renewable energy policy framework, Pakistan also holds strong potential for expanding small, mini, and micro-hydropower systems, apart from large-scale hydroelectric facilities. The Government of Pakistan seeks clean, cheap, and decentralized energy solutions from these small projects and thus introduced the Indicative Generation Capacity Expansion Plan (IGCEP), which outlines future generation targets based on capacity, technology, and resource availability. These projects should be completed without delay to secure energy security.

Lastly, strengthening regulatory frameworks with green bonds, standardized tariffs, and renegotiation of agreements on power purchase can attract private investment. Public-private partnerships at the national and international levels are necessary to scale up the utility of renewable energy projects. Investing in off-grid solar microgrids and biogas systems can be a decentralized solution to electrify rural areas and increase agricultural growth by reducing diesel dependence. 

Pakistan can achieve its 2030 targets by giving priority to these measures and can maintain lower energy costs with secure a climate-resilient energy future.

Conclusion

Pakistan’s transition towards renewable energy depends on harnessing chemistry-driven innovations and improving systemic policy reforms. The effectiveness as well as scalability of solar cells, biofuels, and battery technologies relies on advancements in chemical science. To overcome its energy crisis, Pakistan has to make strategic investments in the fields of research and education, improve local capacity-building, and promote ecological sustainability. Chemistry plays a key role in clean power generation and fosters a more self-reliant and resilient Pakistan.

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