Kick-off meeting for ‘Establishment of PAK-KOREA Testing Laboratory for PV Modules & Allied Equipment’ project was held at the Ministry of Science and Technology( MoST).
Ambassador H.E SungkyuKwak of the Republic of Korea to Pak
istan, Director Seokwoong Yang from Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), H.E Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain from Most, and Director General Baqer Raza from Pakistan Council of Renewable Energy Technology attended the meeting
Pakistan has immense potential for solar energy because it has solar insolation of 1500kWh/㎡ in more than 90% of its land and the southwest region of Pakistan has the highest solar insolation rate in the world.
However, consumers often become the victim of low-quality solar products in the absence of a domestic quality assurance system.
To address this issue, KOICA plans to establish a testing laboratory for PV Modules in Islamabad. The laboratory will be provided with simulators, environmental chambers, and other major equipment. In addition, KOICA will and host capacity-building programs to Pakistani professionals and provide necessary consulting to establish the international level system.
Through the project, KOICA aims to achieve internationally recognized accreditation of the laboratory to enhance the capacity of the solar energy sector. Further, KOICA plans to meet the Pakistan government’s policy of supplying 30% of total energy usage with renewable energy by 2030 and, ultimately, contribute to the achievement of SDG 7(Ensuring Access to Energy).
Ambassador Kwak mentioned that this project will not only construct a testing laboratory but also create jobs and produce future leaders of the solar energy industry in Pakistan.
Korea Conformity Laboratory( KCL), selected as KOICA’s contract, presented the project’s overall implementation plan at the meeting. KCL plans to transfer its professional experience and technical skill for solar energy-related policy and accreditation attainment for the next 4 years.
Minister Hussain stressed the importance of having a testing lab to build national competitiveness and showed a strong will to attain an international level system in Pakistan.