Pakistan’s rapid solar capacity growth has been attracting global attention, but industry leaders are now stressing the urgent need for energy storage to complement the country’s PV expansion.
In 2024, solar module imports in Pakistan reached an estimated 17 GW. By comparison, battery energy storage system (BESS) imports have lagged but are growing steadily. According to IEEFA data, Pakistan imported approximately 1.25 GWh of lithium-ion battery packs in 2024, with an additional 400 MWh arriving in the first two months of 2025.
High taxes and customs duties have challenged the growth of BESS, resulting in an effective import rate of 48%. In contrast, the government proposed an 18% general sales tax on imported solar modules in June 2025, during the PV import surge, which was ultimately implemented at 10%.
The Pakistan Solar Association (PSA) has opposed such duties on both solar and storage technologies and is calling for accelerated deployment of energy storage.
“You need to declare a battery emergency right now,” said Waqas Haroon Moosa, PSA chairman and CEO of Lahore-based Hadron Solar.
Moosa emphasized that Pakistan’s grid challenges stem not from overgeneration but from low demand. He highlighted electrification opportunities, including converting more than 20 million gasoline motorbikes to electric vehicles (EVs), which could boost electricity demand while reducing reliance on volatile fossil fuel imports.
“As a country, Pakistan has a very low per capita electricity consumption. According to World Bank data from 2023, Pakistan consumes 628 kWh per person per year, compared to India’s 1,056 kWh. Globally, the average is around 3,400 kWh. Solar is helping to bridge this gap,” he explained.
Moosa believes adding energy storage to spread electricity use throughout the day is the missing piece of the puzzle. He is advocating for investment in grid-scale BESS combined with supportive regulations.
“We need to engage with the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and battery manufacturers. If you want to test your batteries, Pakistan is the place to do it—within regulatory standards, like a sandbox,” Moosa said.
On the behind-the-meter front, Usman Ahmad, CEO of Nizam Energy, noted that revisions to net metering policies could trigger a surge in energy storage installations, further supporting Pakistan’s solar transition.
