Green economic recovery

by Cheng Xizhong

I have noticed that recently the government of Pakistan has been emphasizing the scientific development concept of "green economic recovery", which is also the consensus of all countries in the world.

At present, Pakistan's total installed power generation capacity is 40,000 MW, of which clean energy and renewables account for 35% and fossil energy 65%.

As far as I know, the cost of fossil energy in Pakistan is very high, of which 8% uses imported coal and 23% uses imported liquefied natural gas. Therefore, the Pakistani people always complain about the high electricity charges.

To implement the concept of green economic recovery and sustainable economic development, the Pakistani government has put forward some specific measures. First, it will not build new coal-fired power plants. Second, it will gradually shut down old coal-fired power plants. Third, it will vigorously develop renewables such as wind energy, solar energy, and geothermal energy. By 2025, renewables will account for 20% of power generation, and by 2030, it will account for 30%, Fourth, Pakistan will accelerate the development of new nuclear power plants.

It is fair to say that the previous governments of Pakistan did not pay enough attention to the development and utilization of local rich water resources and renewable resources. In recent years, the current government of Pakistan has attached great importance to the construction of hydropower projects and has created a fair, open and transparent platform for the sustainable development of the hydropower industry. Some large dams have been built, and three large reservoirs and some medium-sized reservoirs will increase the share of hydropower generation from 26% to 40% by 2040.

In my point of view, among all the clean energy, hydropower, wind energy and solar energy are the most mature technologies, which have been widely developed and utilized by countries all over the world. Moreover, hydropower, wind energy, and solar energy are inexhaustible and have great development potential. Therefore, we should regard the development and utilization of hydropower, wind energy, and solar energy as the top priority.

China-Pakistan relations are very close. China has the world's leading technology in clean energy, especially hydropower, wind energy and solar energy. Chinese technology can be transferred to Pakistan without any reservation, and Chinese enterprises are very interested in large-scale investment in Pakistan. Therefore, Pakistan should make full use of this advantage to carry out close and extensive cooperation with relevant Chinese enterprises.

Editor's note: Cheng Xizhong, Visiting Professor at Southwest University of Political Science and Law,Senior Fellow of the Charhar Institute, former Defense Attache in South Asian countries. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of  Gwadar Pro.