Will Pakistan be Asia's next big energy player?

In the last two years, solar energy has been used to provide electricity to 1,000 households. Now, something in the wind is telling Pakistan that wind farms is the way to go for the future. Estimated to have a wind energy potential of over 50,000 megawatts, Pakistan aims to produce 650 megawatts of wind power by the end of 2008 but would it be enough?

As part of a plan to harness sources of renewable energy, the wind power still accounts for only 3% of total installed capacity. Not surprising then that the government is still looking for other ways to meet rising demand. With the nation's energy needs to more than double by 2020, Pakistan wants to produce at least 9,700 megawatts through renewable energy sources. Currently, Pakistan has has installed generation capacity of 19,522 megawatts, 97 percent of which comes from thermal and hydel sources.

Taking the right step forward, five companies have been issued licenses by the government to begin producing wind power with the hope of having as much as 15% of energy coming from sources such as solar and wind. Pakistan receives one of the highest levels of solar radiation in the world but so far, the only proven wind corridor is in Gharo, in the southern province of Sindh.

Pakistan's demand for power is growing at an annual pace of as much as 12 percent a year, and is expected to be 162,590 megawatts by 2030. While, renewable energy will be used to provide electricity to 7,874 villages in the next three years, there are still as many as 40,000 villages in Pakistan do not have access to power.

It seems like there's still a long way to go before Pakistan can achieve full electrification but efforts like these wind projects bode well for those still without access to electricity.

With extra focus on meeting rising energy demands, many so-called lesser developed Asian countries like Vietnam are suddenly in the limelight with their energy efforts. Could Pakistan be the next talked about energy player? What do you think?