LONGi Solar has taken its confirmed solar module orders from Pakistan this year to 500MW, the majority of which it said were for its Hi-MO 5 series.
LONGi said more than 80% of orders secured in the country, equivalent to around 422MWp, were for the Hi-MO 5 series of modules which come in power output variants of up to 540W.
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Among the clients LONGi has secured in the country are Reon Energy, which is to develop Pakistan’s largest commercial solar project to date – and among the largest commercial rooftops outside of China – at 70MWp. The project is due to enter commercial operations in Q3 2021.
Dennis She, senior vice president at LONGi Solar, said the module manufacturer was committed to helping its customers in Pakistan contribute towards the country’s “path towards greater energy independence”.
“As Pakistan is prioritizing its energy generation methods and enhancing capacity to produce clean energy in order to meet growing demand without degrading the environment, energy project cooperation is playing a pivotal role,” he said.
Amidst a sizeable energy deficit where demand far outstrips power supply in Pakistan, the country is quickly turning to renewable power to bolster its power generation base. As of 30 June 2020, Pakistan had an operational solar generation capacity of 530MW, equivalent to around 1.36% of the country’s total power generation capacity of just over 38.7GW. Renewables in total contribute just 4% to total power output.
But Pakistan maintains an ambition to see that share rise to 30% by 2030, and sizeable additions to the country’s renewables portfolio are planned. LONGi cited estimates that between 565MW and 1,120MW of new solar capacity will be added this year, followed by between 623MW and 1,287MW in 2022.
Floating solar projects have previously been highlighted by the country’s power minister Omar Ayub Khan as having particular potential in Pakistan.
Pakistan has also been targeted for growth by a number of manufacturers. In November 2019, PV Tech’s Carrie Xiao reported how Pakistan was among a list of ‘Belt and Road’ markets, including Vietnam and Egypt, which manufacturers expected to grow by 40 – 50% over the coming years, and other solar manufacturers have also secured supply deals in the country.