Govt working to introduce virtual grid system, says power minister

ISLAMABAD: Power Minister Awais Leghari on Wednesday said the government was working to introduce a virtual grid system in the country, under which consumers would be able to generate and store electricity. Talking to the media after a National Assembly panel meeting, the minister said work on regulations for virtual grids had already started and that the regulations would be finalised by the last quarter of the current fiscal year. The minister said power distribution companies (Discos) had also been directed to install batteries on their grids as part of efforts to improve the power system and promote energy storage. “A battery revolution is coming to Pakistan as the government seeks to promote battery use and introduce a virtual grid system,” he said. “The government’s objective is to increase the use of batteries in the country’s power sector.” Earlier, the minister faced a tough time at the NA Standing Committee on Power meeting as committee chairman Muhammad Idrees questioned him about prolonged electricity load-shedding in the country. During the meeting, Leghari acknowledged that load-shedding was being carried out on around 3,500 of the country’s 14,500 feeders due to elec