China’s Hebei Juhang Energy Technology Group Co., Ltd. is planning to establish a large-scale solar panel manufacturing plant in Pakistan.
A delegation from the company, led by chairman Wang Jianbin alongside representatives of the China–Pakistan Business Forum, met with Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Board of Investment (BOI), Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, and other BOI board members last week.
According to a statement published by Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the Chinese delegation proposed developing the panel manufacturing plant to harness both domestic demand and export potential in Pakistan, while also expressing “keen interest in investing billions of USD in Pakistan’s solar energy and related high-tech sectors.”
The BOI welcomed the proposal and informed the delegation that the Pakistani government is willing to allocate 6,000 acres (2,428 hectares) of land for investment purposes. It also advised of Pakistan's special economic zones, which offer investors incentives including zero income tax for the first ten years.
Minister Sheikh then called for expedited preparation of feasibility studies and joint venture agreements related to the proposal.
Pakistan’s solar market has witnessed a significant surge in solar panel imports in recent times, with a total of 16 GW worth of panel imports in the country’s fiscal 2024, a 227% jump from the year prior.
A report published by Islamabad-based think tank Renewables First in June found Pakistan has imported 36 GW of Chinese solar panels in total, equivalent to 78% of its entire power generation capacity at the time.
Pakistan added 1.2 GW of net-metering capacity during the first half of the year, taking cumulative capacity to 6.1 GW.
