Key findings from the report on Battery Storage and the Future of Pakistan’s Electricity Grid include:
Battery storage adoption is accelerating in Pakistan’s residential, commercial, and industrial sectors, driven by high electricity costs and declining solar component prices. Consumers are combining solar with Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) to reduce grid dependence, lower energy bills, and improve reliability. This trend is expected to continue as battery economics improve.
Solar with BESS has a payback period of 3-5 years in Pakistan’s residential sector despite a 48% cost increase from surcharges and duties on lithium-ion batteries. The payback period ranges between 4-6 years for the commercial and industrial sectors, depending on battery size or usage requirements.
Pakistan imported an estimated 1.25 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of BESS in 2024. This could increase to 8.75GWh, or 26% of the projected peak demand in 2030, if business as usual persists. Such a shift could lead to stranded peak generation assets and higher financial losses for the grid.
Unmanaged BESS growth could destabilize Pakistan’s national grid by reducing demand and raising capacity payments. Timely investments in grid modernization, smart metering, and regulatory updates can enable decentralized solar plus BESS configurations, avoiding expensive generation expansion and supporting strategic power planning.
Access the report here
