Why are low-price battery energy storage systems coming to Pakistan?

The combination of a glut of lithium, a key battery material, and overcapacity of lower-tier China-made batteries has created a flood of cut-price battery energy storage systems for lower-income countries such as Pakistan.

Are battery storage systems too expensive in Pakistan?

The battery storage systems are still too expensive to be adopted as widely as solar has been in Pakistan in the near future. But distributors say prices are falling rapidly and demand continues to grow.

How much does a BYD battery cost in Pakistan?

Faaz Diwan, director at Karachi-based Diwan International, one of Pakistan’s largest solar and battery distributors, said the cost of the BYD batteries he sold had fallen by more than a third since last year to about Rs275,000 for a 5kWh unit that is enough to power a small house.

Is Pakistan trying to create a more competitive electricity market?

Pakistan’s power minister Awais Leghari told the Financial Times that the government was working to create a more competitive electricity market and find other ways to sustain power cost reductions. “I can’t stop the evolution of technology,” he said. “Competition is a very healthy way to bring about efficiencies in the entire system.”

Why is Pakistan a cash-strapped country?

Both efforts resolved the worst of the blackouts but proved costly, as Pakistan’s economic growth has not kept up with the demand projections made at the time. The result is a cash-strapped country that owes some $18bn in mounting power and gas sector debts.