GILGIT: On Sunday, Prince Rahim Aga Khan launched two solar power plants in Hunza to assist alleviate the region’s electricity shortfall.
Prince Rahim, who is now visiting Pakistan, has begun the development of Duiker Solar Power Plant Phase II and Nasirabad Solar Power Plant, which have a combined capacity of 3.6 Megawatt Peak (MWp).
The Duiker plant’s first phase, with a generation capacity of 1MWp, began operations in November 2023. The facility enhanced daily power availability for over 11,000 people by 10 to 17 hours in the summer and 4 to 9 hours in the winter.
The second phase is expected to boost generation capacity from 1MWp to 1.6MWp and battery storage from 0.6MWh to 1MWh, delivering electricity to an extra 8,760 people. Crucially, Duiker replaces diesel power generation, resulting in an annual savings of 1,100 tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
The combined project cost is $6 million.
In Nasirabad, lower Hunza, a 2MWp solar power plant with 1MWh of battery storage is also planned.
This will mean that 23,400 more people will have access to power. June 2025 is when this facility is anticipated to be put into service.
Six million dollars will be invested in these projects by NPAK Energy Limited, a division of Industrial Promotion Services, the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development’s industrial and infrastructural development arm.
Grants, sustainable loans, and equity are all combined in project finance. Development partners have contributed an extra $14 million to improve the energy infrastructure in the area.
In order to alleviate the severe energy shortage in the region and support international efforts to slow down climate change, NPAK Energy plans to mobilize more investments in clean, sustainable sources of electricity throughout Hunza and the adjacent territories over the course of the next five years.
