Expanding renewables: Kohat Cement installs 5.34 MW solar power plant

Kohat Cement Company Limited (KOHC) has installed and commissioned a 5.34 MW on-grid solar power plant. The cement maker shared the development in its notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Wednesday.

“We are pleased to announce that the company has successfully installed and commissioned a 5.34 MW on-grid solar power plant at the company’s plant site, Kohat,” read the notice.

“This installation is in addition to the 10 MW solar power plant already installed and operational at the same location,” it added.

KOHC is one of the strong cement manufacturers, which was incorporated in 1980 as State Cement Company of Pakistan with a capacity of about 30,000 tons annually. In 1992, the government privatised the company along with several other cement companies.

In Pakistan, there has been a growing shift towards alternative energy sources, especially solar, which has become increasingly popular among residential and commercial sectors.

This rising trend has left decision-makers grappling with its implications for the national grid and energy sector, as electricity consumption remains stagnant.

Nonetheless, several projects have been initiated to exploit this relatively cheaper energy source.

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

Meanwhile, several cement manufacturing firms in the country have resorted to generating electricity through solar energy.

In August last year, Lucky Cement, one of Pakistan’s largest cement manufacturers, announced the successful commissioning of its 25 MW captive solar power plant in Karachi.

Similarly, DG Khan Cement Company Limited (DGKC), in March last year, successfully installed a 7 MW on-grid solar power plant at its site in Khairpur.