8000MW of renewable energy to be generated by 2025: Omer Ayub

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Power Division Omer Ayub Khan on Monday said that the government was planning to generate 8000 megawatts of electricity through renewable energy by 2025.

Replying to a question during Question Hour in the National Assembly, Omer Ayub said, “11 wind energy based projects have been approved to generate affordable electricity.”

The minister said that around 85 per cent electricity will be produced through domestic resources to provide the commodity on affordable rates to the consumers in the country, Radio Pakistan reported.

He informed the house that a total of 33 renewable energy projects with the cumulative capacity of over 1,716 megawatts had been developed during the tenure of last two governments.

Omer Ayub said, “These renewable energy based power generation projects have been developed by private sector investors and no government funds or expenditure is involved in this regard.”

Responding to another question, he said that 18 exploratory wells had so far been drilled in the offshore area but unfortunately all of them found dry.

Earlier on July 11, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Petroleum Nadeem Babar had said the government aimed to enhance the country’s renewable electricity production by up to 20 per cent by 2025.

He was speaking to World Economic Forum (WEF) President Broge Brende who had called on him in federal capital.

The special assistant had apprised the top WEF official of the government’s new policy on renewable energy and details of the overall energy consumption in the country.