Engineering Post Report
Energy plays a pivotal role in the modern world, serving as the lifeblood of society and driving economic progress. This was particularly evident in the context of Pakistan, where energy holds immense significance in the country’s economic order and its prospects for growth. As Pakistan embarks on a transformative journey over the next decade, energy will continue to remain integral to fueling this trajectory. Notably, the growth of the middle-class population in Pakistan heavily relies on a steady and accessible supply of energy, therefore, ensuring equitable access to a diverse range of energy sources, including electricity, oil, petroleum, natural gas liquefied natural gas (LNG) and coal, was critical for fostering inclusive and sustainable growth.
The Federal Government has as such envisioned an open and competitive energy sector that provides reliable, least-cost energy supplies to meet the anticipated growth in energy demand over the years. Integrated Energy Planning (IEP) was an effective and appropriate tool for realizing the government’s vision of developing a sustainable , cost-efficient energy sector that best meets the country’s strategic and socioeconomic needs and its rapidly growing demand for energy. In order to carry out the activities of IEP, an Energy planning and Resource has been established at the Energy Wing of the planning Commission.
The public funding for electricity generation projects will follow the same least cost criteria and emphasis will be placed on transitioning the generation mix towards indigenous resources like domestic coal, renewable and hydropower resources for reducing reliance on imported fuels. Strengthening of transmission and distribution networks in the country will quite obviously bear major development focus in the upcoming years , wherein concurrence with the Transmission System Expansion Plan will be the yardstick for transmission sector project s, while the distribution sector projects will have to exhibit synchronism with the approved strategic roadmap of respective distribution and supply companies DICOs to qualify for financing by the federal government through its public Sector Development Programme (PSDP). In terms of public funding, petroleum sector projects often receive relatively lower allocations as compared to the power sector projects due to their being of capital -intensive nature, primarily financed by the corporatized entities.
