SOLAR PAKISTAN: Bringing Together National and International Experts to Accelerate the Solar Industry in Central Asia

• Solar energy is the most competitively priced technology worldwide and leads the renewable electricity capacity growth. The Government of Pakistan paves the way for the energy transition with new legislations attracting investments and international business.
   
• SOLAR PAKISTAN is the only dedicated solar energy exhibition and conference in Pakistan with more than 10,000 visitors and 150 national and international exhibitors from across the value chain.
   
• In two multi-stakeholder educational sessions with high-level speakers, visitors are invited to learn about and actively participate in the energy transition in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

In recent years, Pakistan experienced massive economic growth and industrial development along with an increasing energy demand of more than 9% annually. With the prime geographic location, political dedication and a clear path for the energy transition, Pakistan is gaining international popularity as a new solar nation. In the past five years, six solar energy projects with a total capacity of 418 MW went into operation1.

At SOLAR PAKISTAN, the only trade fair in Pakistan dedicated to solar energy, national and international industry experts from the public and private sector are offered the opportunity to network, exchange on latest technologies and foster business partnerships to further develop the solar energy industry in Pakistan and neighboring countries. In the three exhibition days from March 19 to 21, exhibitors present their products and innovations on 9,000 sqm to an estimated 10,000 visitors.

The leading global business and knowledge platform Joint Forces for Solar offers a joint booth with comprehensive marketing and logistic support for international solar champions without a local office looking to display their products to business representatives of the aspiring region.

In a full-day workshop on day two of the exhibition, high-level speakers from research organizations, leading global companies and the national government authorities will share their perspectives and insights open to all visitors. Among the confirmed speakers is Vice President of Investment at Yellow Door Energy, Umer Farooq who will give attendees the local perspective on the market and explain how to successfully implement solar projects in Pakistan. CEO of Tesla-PV and long-standing expert of the solar industry, Aamir Hussain offers a deep-dive into the ideal technological characteristics of solar energy systems taking into account local conditions and regulations. The Director of Business Development at Shams Power, Omar M. Malik will then shed some light on the core elements of financing solar projects in Pakistan. In further sessions, visitors can also learn about further opportunities and risks for industrial solar manufacturing, the international perspective of the Pakistan solar market as well as engage in two discussion rounds.

Looking ahead and across the borders, an exclusive half-day session taking place on 21 March will focus on neighboring market Afghanistan. Like in Pakistan, the Government of Afghanistan set high goals for the integration of renewable energy into the energy mix.  In 2019, the Afghanistan Ministry of Energy & Water issued a series of tenders for hybrid and solar plants with the goal to deploy 500 MW of solar generation capacity by 20202. The latest application for a 40 MW Solar Photovoltaic Project in Herat Province closed on Jan 15, 20203. The speakers will inform attendees about the viability and regulatory frameworks of the market, discuss the potential of emerging solar technologies for Afghanistan and prospects for investors.

The exhibition will attract key industry leaders, government officials, manufacturers, suppliers, traders, contractors and partners from across the globe. It will highlight the latest innovations in the solar and sustainable energy field by offering a unique platform to forge partnerships between public and private sectors to develop innovative solutions. Be part of activating new markets and accelerating solar energy in Pakistan and Afghanistan – save the date: 19 to 21 March, 2020 at Lahore Expo Centre in Pakistan

­¹ International Trade Administration, 2019-10-13. https://www.trade.gov/knowledge-product/pakistan-renewable-energy 
² Afghanistan Ministry of Energy & Water, 2017-09-06. Quoted by https://www.pv-magazine.com/2017/09/06/afghanistan-issues-tenders-for-three-hybrid-solar-projects-totaling-55-mw/ 
³ Afghanistan Ministry of Energy & Water, 2019-12-23. https://mew.gov.af/index.php/en/notice-extension-prequalification-application-submission-deadline 

  ­­­­­­For more information visit solarfairpakistan.com