Maritime Affairs Minister Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry announced Wednesday that plans are being made to use solar energy to boost the Gwadar port of Baluchistan in an attempt to improve its efficiency, said a press release issued by its ministry.
The port of Gwadar, built more than a decade ago, remains a beginning, which leads to the federal government to accelerate efforts aimed at the maximum use of the port. Earlier this month, the Port Authority of Gwadar (GPA) and a Chinese company agreed to boost investments in the port, in an attempt to develop it as a “regional transhipment center.”
At a meeting aimed at improving port operations, Chaudhry announced that “efforts are being made to implement solar solutions” to improve the operational capacity of the Gwadar port.
In that sense, a subcommittee has been established, which will be responsible for planning and implementing a “efficient solar panel use plan, recommending the installation of photovoltaic solar systems, battery storage solutions for Gwadar water facilities and proposing measures to improve the energy supply of the region,” said the press release.
By further describing the responsibilities of the Subcommittee, he added: “The Committee will design solar energy distribution systems with storage options to guarantee a reliable energy supply for critical infrastructure, including Gwadar’s Port Authority.”
The Subcommittee will include representatives of the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, the Federal Income Board, the Gwadar Port Authority, the Gwadar Development Authority, the Quetta electricity supply company and the officials of the Prime Minister’s office.
According to Chaudhry, the plan will establish micro solar networks throughout the port, which is expected to meet the port energy demands throughout the year.
“The initiative seeks to significantly reduce Gwadar dependence on external energy by making it self -sufficient through local energy sources,” said the press release citing.
He also explained that the grids will be “established in strategic locations to supply energy for water pumps and the desalination plant of 1.2 million gallons per day (MGD).”
Chaudhry said the initiative will be fully functional, which in turn will facilitate the “establishment of new factories in the Gwadar free zone and will provide energy to Gwadar International Airport.”
The minister shared that the Maritime Ministry is working in collaboration with the Ministry of Planning, along with other relevant bodies, to solve the problems of “energy shortage and” gwadar “water.
He stressed that a change to solar energy could also potentially save the Gwadar fishing industry for more than one million dollars.
“Solar energy is not only a matter of reducing expenses, but also vital to protect the city’s flagship industry, which supports local livelihoods and strengthens its position in export markets,” said the aforementioned press release.
They attended the meeting: President Gwadar Port Authority Noorul Haque Baloch, President Cothcl My Yu Bo, the additional secretary of the Maritime Ministry, Uumer Zaffer Shaikh, and technical advisor Jawad Akhtar.
On July 1, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs announced a plan to expand the operational capacity of the Gwadar port by introducing additional shipping lines and launching a ferry service that connects Pakistan with the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
In January, the government sought support from the private sector on the route of its loads through the port of Gwadar.
