riggered the blackout in Pakistan requires a thorough probe into possible solutions and a way forward.
Firstly, the long-term solution is obviously the upgrading of the national grid, which requires a huge amount of investment in terms of new transmission lines and grid synchronization measures. The role of Private Power Infrastructure (PPIB) will be crucial in this regard, to bring private investment into the upgrading of the national grid and modernized synchronization measures for the power generators based on artificial intelligence and up-to-date practices.
Secondly, the time is ripe to consider unbundling of the National Dispatch and Transmission Company (NTDC) so that the cascading of blackouts can be avoided through the separation of national grids. Furthermore, distributed generation is required to further strengthen the resilience of our electrical system. The concept of distributed generation is based on the construction of electricity generation plants near the area where it is required. This practice not only reduces the system losses and inefficiencies of transmission networks but also the ability to separate the grids through microgrids.
Thirdly, there is a need to establish microgrids in Pakistan so that the cascading effect can be controlled and limited to the faulted area. A microgrid in an electrical system is a self-sufficient energy system that transmits and distributes electricity to isolated and discrete geographic areas. The significance of a microgrid is enormous for strategically important electricity consumption units such as hospitals, airports, railways, and other institutions. The recent National Solar Energy Initiative which targets the generation of an additional 10000 Megawatts of solar power is a good testing ground to establish microgrids powered by solar power in Pakistan.
Lastly, for the consumers, the power breakdown is a wake-up call to invest in self-sufficiency and resiliency. In case of a power blackout, the alternatives included diesel and petrol generators, these alternatives are not suitable not in terms of widening trade deficits neither in their environmental adverse impacts. The answer to this dilemma is the investment in rooftop solar and power storage options. So that in future, green and economically sustainable alternatives can be used in times of such crises.
The writer is associated with SDPI as an energy consultant. He can be reached at khalidwaleed @sdpi.org and tweets @Khalidwaleed_
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