Gul Ahmed says will install a 17.1MW rooftop solar plant

Gul Ahmed Textile Mills Limited (GATM), one of the country’s largest textile mills, announced that it will install a 17.1 MW roof-top solar plant.

The Board of Directors (BoD) of the company accorded approval to the management to sign a term sheet with K Solar (Private) Limited, a vertically integrated power utility company in Pakistan, in respect of 17.1 MW on Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) basis on the rooftop of the manufacturing facility.

The announcement was announced by GATM, a subsidiary of Gul Ahmed Holdings (Private) Limited, in a notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Thursday.

“The project is expected to come live by Q1 2025,” read the notice.

As per the statement, Gul Ahmed’s current installed solar capacity stands at 0.5 MW and 1.4 MW is under the installation phase. “After this project, the solar installed capacity will stand at 19 MW,” it added.

Gul Ahmed Textile Mills’ profit sees massive decline in FY23

GATM shared that the company’s initiative will play a key role in cost savings and underscores its proactive efforts to diversify energy portfolio, enhance operational efficiencies, and mitigate long-term energy risks.

“Furthermore, it reinforces our commitment to achieving our sustainability targets in line with global best practices and regulatory requirements,” it added.

Incorporated in Pakistan on April 01, 1953 as a private limited company, GATM is a composite textile mill and is engaged in the manufacture, and sale of textile products.

As per the latest financial statements, the company for the six months ended December 31, 2023, saw its sales clock in at Rs 69.1 billion, an increase of over 35%. However, despite higher sales, the company’s profit after tax stood at Rs1.3 billion, as compared to Rs1.63 billion in the same period last year, down by 20%.

Pakistan has been actively working to increase its solar energy capacity to address energy issues and reduce reliance on traditional fossil fuels.

Several projects have been initiated to harness this potential. For example, the Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park in Bahawalpur, one of the largest solar power plants in the world, has been developed with Chinese assistance, which has added hundreds of megawatts to Pakistan’s solar energy capacity.