KARACHI: As Pakistan continues to grapple with energy insecurity, high import bills, and persistent loadshedding, Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman AltafShakoor here on Sunday called for urgent and full utilisation of Sindh’s Gharo–Jhimpir–Keti Bandar wind corridor, a natural asset with the proven potential to generate over 50,000 megawatts (MW) of clean, low-cost electricity, which alone can energise the whole country.
He said the full power generation capacity of the Sindh wind corridor alone is larger than Pakistan’s entire installed generation capacity from all sources combined (around 49,651 MW) as of FY 2025-26.
He said after huge reserves of Thar coal, Sindh’s wind corridor could become a game-changer for whole Pakistan, as this single corridor could become the backbone of a clean, indigenous energy system capable of meeting the bulk of the nation’s electricity needs -—ending the need to import billions of dollars of fuel simply to keep the lights on.
He regretted that despite this immense resource, Pakistan’s total installed wind capacity stands at only around 1,838 MW across 36 commercial projects — barely scratching the surface of a corridor that studies estimate holds an economically viable potential of at least 11 gigawatts (GW), with technically exploitable capacity reaching up to 50 GW.
He said the wind corridor, located just 90 kilometres from Karachi, is one of the most consistent wind resource zones in the region, with turbines regularly achieving capacity factors above 30 per cent—a level of efficiency that rivals international benchmarks. “Yet, paradoxically, this clean energy source is being systematically wasted. Grid managers routinely curtail up to 1,750 MW of southern wind power due to transmission bottlenecks, leaving 491.89 GWh of renewable energy completely unutilised in a single year. At the same time, the country spends billions of dollars in foreign exchange on imported RLNG and coal to meet demand.”
He said Pakistan is sitting on a clean energy goldmine while simultaneously importing expensive fossil fuels and imposing loadshedding on its citizens.
He said: “The wind corridor’s potential is not a distant dream — it is a proven, bankable resource. What is missing is the political will and infrastructure investment to move power from Sindh’s wind belt to the demand centres in the north.”
Shakoor said the monetary case for full utilisation is undeniable — and it is measured in billions of dollars. Every unit of wind that replaces imported RLNG or coal saves scarce foreign exchange, shields consumers from global fuel, price shocks, and reduces the circular debt pressure created by costly generation.
He said even on conservative estimates, each additional 1,000 MW of wind capacity could avoid on the order of USD100–200 million per year in fuel imports alone; scaling up toward the corridor’s 11 GW economically viable potential could save Pakistan well over USD1 billion annually in foreign exchange while attracting billions in private investment without sovereign guarantees.
The World Bank-backed USD 375.9 million grid upgrade — designed to bring 640 MW of currently curtailed wind onto the system and enable full transmission of 1,840 MW from southern Pakistan —will pay for itself many times over through avoided fuel costs, and it demonstrates that modest, targeted infrastructure spending can unlock enormous economic returns.
Add to this the tax revenue, land lease income for Sindh, local manufacturing and construction jobs, and reduced capacity payments for idle fossil plants, and the wind corridor emerges not merely as an environmental asset but as one of the highest-return economic investments available to the state, he added.
The case for full utilisation is reinforced by Pakistan’s own climate commitments, he said. The government has set a target of 60 per cent renewable energy in the national grid by 2030, and wind is already contributing 1,845 MW through private-sector projects.
However, without urgent upgrades to the transmission network — particularly the full utilisation of the 660 kV Matiari–Lahore direct current line, which has been operating at an average capacity factor of only 35 per cent — the corridor’s potential will remain locked.
He said the World Bank has already approved USD375.9 million to install grid-stabilising equipment that will bring 640 MW of currently curtailed wind energy onto the grid and enable the full transmission of 1,840 MW of wind capacity from southern Pakistan. This is a critical first step, but far more is needed.
AltafShakoor also warned that inconsistent policy signals and repeated contract renegotiations have eroded investor confidence, deterring the capital required to scale up wind generation.
He said that the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) has already demanded that wind power be granted “must-run” status, that grid operators be held accountable for transmission upgrade failures, and that compensation mechanisms be reformed to protect investors from losses caused by curtailment.
“Every megawatt of wind power that is curtailed is a megawatt of expensive imported fuel that must be purchased, and a step further away from energy sovereignty,” Shakoor added.
“We call on the Ministry of Energy, NEPRA, and the National Grid Company to take immediate action: enforce priority dispatch for wind, accelerate transmission upgrades, and create a stable, predictable policy environment that attracts investment. Sindh’s wind is ready to work for Pakistan.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026