Recent Development and Sustainability of Wind Power Sector in Pakistan

Abstract

In Pakistan, the wind power sector has gained considerable attention over recent years. However, instead of sufficient renewable energy resources, the share of wind power within the national power generation mix is negligible. The gap between supply and demand has increased significantly (6,000 MW) over the last decade, resulting in an urgent need to assess future supply and demand and consider a feasible, if not sustainable power generation mix. For this reason, the most recent developments in wind power and sustainability were assessed against the selected environmental economic and social indicators. Notably, the wind power sector in Pakistan has gained considerable foreign and local attention in the last five years. Many projects are presently in progress and operational at various stages and locations. Furthermore, it is expected that by 2030, wind power energy generation will constitute more in the country’s power gen eration mix, more than the planned target of 5% by 2030. There is a high possibility that the utilization of wind for power generation can enhance overall climate change resilience.