ISLAMABAD: The Engineering Development Board (EDB) is all set to submit its policy document on solar panels and allied equipments manufacturing to the government by the end of this month.

The policy document would reveal as how to promote the use of alternate energy resources to overcome power shortages in the country.

A press release issued by the Board here on Sunday said that the EDB initiated working on the policy formulation some time back under the directions of the Ministry of Industries and Production and EDB’s Board of Management.

Over the last few months, extensive consultations have been held with stakeholders including local manufacturers of solar panels, provincial energy departments, research organizations, academia, users, and other relevant organizations and departments in the federal and provincial governments.

The draft policy was presented in the 51st Board of Management meeting of EDB held in June 2022 and EDB was advised to hold a consultative workshop on the matter before submission of the policy document to the government.

The policy is expected to dovetail with the national solar energy policy being prepared by the Ministry of Power and the Renewable Energy Task Force under the leadership of the Prime Minister, it added.

It also said that the country is facing serious energy shortages with record prices that had directly and indirectly affected all sectors of the economy. The country’s electricity demand has reached almost 29,000 MW total whereas generation is about 22,000 MW creating a considerable gap between generation and demand, resulting in load shedding.

With the present government’s focus on setting solar setups it becomes imperative to promote localization and indigenization of solar panels and allied equipment in the country to save huge outflow of foreign exchange.

The country’s power sector has a structural issue as its energy generation mix is 40% based on indigenous resources while 60% comprises imported oil fuel, it said adding that the government has planned to increase local share to 90% by 2030, out of which the targets set for renewable energy is 20% to 30% which is currently around only 1.4% of the total installed capacity.

The EDB has invited the panel manufacturers, provincial energy departments, local EPC contractors, solution providers, foreign consultants working in this field, research organizations, academia, users, and other relevant organizations and departments in the federation. The highlights of the draft policy document shall be shared in the workshop to get inputs from the stakeholders for firming up the requisite recommendations.