ISLAMABAD: Senate Chairman Syed Nayyer Hussain Bokhari has said that solar energy can bring about a revolution in the energy sector which will help bridge the demand and supply gap.
However, he said that it would require better policies at the government level to expedite progress in the area of solar energy. Senate chairman earlier met representatives of Yingli Solar, a Chinese solar energy company, at his residence and exchanged views on increasing cooperation in the energy sector between the two countries.
During the interview, Bokhari said that the energy crisis was also affecting the economy and industrial production. “The current shortfall of 4,000 to 6,000MW calls for using alternate sources of energy,” he said. He appreciated the government’s initiatives towards importing solar panels and said that reducing customs duty and taxes in this sector will further encourage people towards using it.
Bokhari emphasised on the use of green energy saying that it is cheaper as well as environment friendly. Talking about his visit to China, he said that the Pakistani delegation had visited a number of projects utilising solar energy. This, he said, looked a viable option for Pakistan. He appreciated the expertise of Yingli Solar which was working on a number of projects in Pakistan. Sky Han from Yingli Solar said that there was huge potential for investment in the energy sector of Pakistan and the company was keen to help Pakistan in overcoming energy crisis.
Bokhari, in his interview, laid special emphasis on increasing awareness about solar energy. Besides domestic usage, the Senate chairman also emphasised the need to utilise solar energy for the agriculture sector of Pakistan. “This will give relief to public and also support the economy,” he said. Bokhari said people using solar system would also be able to sell surplus megawatts to the national grid.
