The seminar emphasised the crucial part that the LUMS Energy Institute is playing in advancing discussion about Pakistan’s energy crisis that is focused on finding solutions.
LUMS Energy Institute, hosted a seminar with renowned academics, researchers, and energy experts on “Advancing Pakistan’s Power Sector through Strategic Investments and Digitization.”
The seminar examined the transformative potential of strategic investments in addressing Pakistan’s power sector’s problems, including power shortages, inefficient distribution, and ageing infrastructure.
The seminar was put on by the LUMS Energy Institute (LEI), and experts looked at innovative opportunities and solution-driven strategies to address the problems facing the energy sector.
The panelists called for confidence-building measures to encourage local and international investment in the sector through investment-friendly and consistent policies for long-term and sustainable impact.
Experts included Professor Werner-Von-Siemens Chair and Director, LEI, Dr. Fiaz Ahmad Chaudhry; Associate Professor and Co-Founder, LEI, Dr. Naveed Arshad; Advisor to CEO, K-Electric, Mr. Amer Zia; Project Director, National Incubation Centre Lahore, Mr. Nauman Ahmad Zaffar; Head, Computer Science Department, LUMS, Dr. Basit Shafiq; Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, K-Electric, Ms. Sadia Dada, and Chief Technology Officer Power Information Technology Company (PITC), Mr. Kashif Shehzad.
Ms. Dada described K-upcoming Electric’s investment plan, which will total PKR 484 billion over the next seven years, during the panel discussion. The plan seeks to increase generation capacity by 2,172 MW, including 1,182 MW of renewable energy.
Through the implementation of the Advanced Distribution Management System, Mobile Workforce Management, Geographical Information Systems (GIS), Advance Analytics, and Artificial Intelligence, she emphasised the organization’s commitment to innovation in its distribution segment.
She claimed that these developments would enhance customer satisfaction by enabling quicker problem resolution, fewer interruptions, and increased capacity.
Dr. Chaudhry talked about the necessity of constructing more environmentally friendly and energy-efficient structures in order to lower the 20,000 MW of demand currently used for cooling. He claimed that the investment needed to meet Pakistan’s summer cooling demand was unsustainable and significantly added to the country’s circular debt.
Dr. Arshad emphasised investing in the energy sector once more, saying, “We need to invest in our future by allocating more funding towards achieving climate goals. The USD 830 billion spent in 2021 won’t have much of an effect. Clean technology is a solution that can reduce climate change and create jobs for our youth.
Mr. Zia continued by saying that the effects of digitisation and new technologies are frequently long-term and call for leadership support.
He emphasised the urgent need to put money into the future and have patience while waiting for the results. The development of an automated decision-making process and a focus on decarbonization through renewable energy sources are priorities for K-Electric, he continued.
Director of the Centre for Intelligent Systems and Networks Research, Dr. Gul Muhammad, noted the significance of artificial intelligence (AI) in the energy sector, saying, “Without energy, we can’t access AI. The best renewable energy is that which you conserve without compromising service quality.
The seminar emphasised the crucial part that the LUMS Energy Institute is playing in advancing discussion about Pakistan’s energy crisis that is focused on finding solutions.