Hammad Azhar seeks German help in clean energy technologies

ISLAMABAD, February 14: Energy Minister Hammad Azhar has urged German development agency GIZ to undertake pilot projects based on biofuels and renewable energy sources in all provinces of Pakistan.The energy minister said this while talking to a high-level delegation of Germany led by State Secretary Jochen Falsbarth, which called on him on Monday.Both sides discussed various aspects of renewable energy resources and clean energy technologies in Pakistan and German cooperation in this sector. The German side thanked the Pakistani government for assisting evacuation of German nationals from Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover back in August.Hammad lauded the German support in establishing the SCADA system in IESCO and MEPCO, and motivated GIZ to expand it to other parts of Pakistan as well. The minister reiterated the government’s vision to reach 60% energy supply from local and sustainable resources by 2030 and implement Alternative and Renewable Energy Policy and promotion of Clean and Green Pakistan Initiative.He said the government is planning to launch a policy framework whereby inviting foreign and local investors for concession agreements to set up renewable resources power projects with their own transmission networks to cover the unserved areas. – TLTP