ISLAMABAD: In six months, the parliament will hold the distinction of being the first parliament in the world to go green.

This was announced by Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, at a signing ceremony of Letter of Exchange between Pakistan and China for the installation of Solar Power Generation System (SPGS) at the Parliament House on Wednesday.

Adviser to Finance Division Rana Asad Ameen told Dawn that the Chinese government had provided a grant through the Economic Affairs Division (EAD) to set up the SPGS system as an alternative source of energy to meet electricity needs of the Parliament House.

“The Chinese government will install 1.1 MW SPGS at the Parliament House while the current requirement of the parliament is 1.8 MW,” Ameen said.

The adviser said the project will be completed in the next six months.

He said solar panels will be installed on the roof of the parliament.

An official of the Ministry of Water and Power told Dawn that feasibility was carried out through the EAD last year, regarding the installation of the SPGS.

The official said the Chinese government will bear the initial cost of the SPGS under the grant, while batteries will be replaced after three years.  

He said the initiative will be environmentally friendly and there will be no fuel expenses.

The Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Energy Dr Musadiq Malik told Dawn that the SPGS at the Parliament House will set an example for hospitals, schools, banks and other institutions.

“Hospitals and other institutions use generators in the absence of electricity which costs Rs40 per unit but if we replace generators with SPGS, the price of one unit will be Rs15. This is why it is a good alternative for consumers,” Malik said.

He said the government was interested in moving towards solar energy to overcome crisis of loadshedding across the country.

Earlier, Ayaz Sadiq said the establishment of 1-MW solar power generation system by the Chinese government will begin a new chapter in the existing relations of Pakistan and China.

Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar thanked the Chinese government as well as its ambassador to Pakistan for making the project a reality.

Chinese Ambassador Sun Weidong said the solar power generation system for the parliament of Pakistan would be a gift from China and work on the project will be initiated soon.

Published in Dawn, October 30th , 2014