ISLAMABAD, Apr. 13 (INP): In collaboration with China, a plan is afoot to shift Pakistan Railways to solar energy in a bid to ward off colossal financial damages and lay the foundation of green energy in railway infrastructure. Initially, 100 sites with heavy electricity consumption have been identified and once shifted to solar energy, it would save at least Rs1 billion a year for the entity. According to senior PR officials, the government of Pakistan and Chinese firms have been negotiating to hammer out an actional deal, Gwadar Pro reported on Saturday. “Pakistan has started attuning its transport infrastructure to realize its vision of high-quality green and sustainable development,” he added. 

Another PR official said "CPEC has changed the landscape of Pakistan and accelerated growth while bringing about socio-economic benefits for the people of Pakistan. China's commitment to promoting carbon-free global economy is commendable." The officials said that the railway management has assigned NESPAK to complete the feasibility study of installing solar panels on selected sites, adding that 16,535 out of 26,660 electric meters so far of the railway’s residential complexes are shifted to Distribution Companies (Discos) and Karachi-Electric (KE) to minimise the financial losses.  “The electric meters of residential complexes are being shifted to Discos by the department and the step has resulted in savings of Rs1.3 billion so far,” they added.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak China