ApnaSolar Market Roundup: Tariff Hikes, Industrial Storage Boom, and Solar Milestones
September Tariff Spikes Drive Demand for Self-Consumption
Pakistani electricity consumers are facing a substantial bill increase on their September statements due to two overlapping regulatory adjustments: a July Fuel Charges Adjustment (FCA) of Rs 2.0581/unit and a quarterly tariff adjustment of Rs 0.5194/unit. To add further pressure, the Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) filed a request on September 30 for an additional Rs 1.73/unit fuel adjustment for October bills. With standard grid tariffs escalating under NEPRA's net-billing setup, households and commercial users are rapidly shifting toward self-consumption solar designs paired with energy storage to insulate themselves from recurring rate hikes.
Attock Cement and FrieslandCampina Invest in Large-Scale Solar and Storage
Major industrial entities in Pakistan are advancing their off-grid capabilities to curb rising operational costs. Attock Cement Pakistan Limited (ACPL) approved the installation of a 20 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) coupled with a dedicated 5 MW solar PV plant site. In a parallel move, FrieslandCampina Engro Pakistan deployed a 450 kW solar array integrated with a 255 kWh battery storage system at its Nara Dairy Farm. These projects highlight a growing push across Pakistan’s manufacturing sector toward hybrid solar-battery setups to ensure power stability.
Government Urged to Establish Policy for Local Solar Manufacturing
Speaking at the 3rd International Solar Technology Excellence Awards in Lahore, Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan called for a structured national policy framework to incentivize local manufacturing of solar equipment. He noted that setting up domestic production facilities for panels and key system components would save vital foreign exchange, build supply resilience, and create thousands of technical jobs as solar adoption continues to surge across the province.
Global Milestone: Solar Power Outpaces Nuclear Output
On the international front, the World Nuclear Industry Status Report (WNISR) revealed that monthly global solar electricity generation surpassed total nuclear power output for the first time. Driven by over 500 GW of new solar additions over the past year, the milestone underlines the ongoing global shift toward decentralized, rapidly deployable renewable energy solutions.
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