Key Points
- Solar and wind resources among the highest in region
- Off-grid systems replacing diesel in villages
- Renewables expected to generate thousands of jobs
ISLAMABAD: Solar energy is being increasingly positioned as a practical and affordable solution for the distant rural areas of Balochistan, where difficult terrain, scattered settlements and high infrastructure costs have long limited access to reliable electricity.
Pakistan’s renewable energy potential is among the highest in the region, with technical estimates placing solar capacity at around 2,900 gigawatts and wind potential at about 340 gigawatts.
Within this overall landscape, Balochistan stands out for its strong solar and wind resources due to high irradiation levels, open landmass and favourable geographic conditions.
Studies indicate that the province could support more than 14 gigawatts of renewable energy deployment over the next five to ten years through least-cost pathways. These could include utility-scale solar plants, wind projects, concentrated solar power and distributed photovoltaic systems.
Other assessments, including those cited by the World Bank, estimate Balochistan’s solar potential at up to 1.2 million megawatts, underscoring its long-term strategic importance in Pakistan’s energy mix.
Household-level boom
At the household and community level, distributed solar systems are already reshaping energy access patterns.
Off-grid installations are replacing diesel generators and kerosene-based lighting in remote villages, reducing fuel costs and cutting environmental pollution.
Schools and basic health units powered by solar energy are reporting improved continuity of services, particularly in areas where grid expansion is not economically viable.
Renewable energy creating jobs
Employment generation is emerging as an additional benefit of the renewable transition.
Data from the renewable energy sector shows that thousands of full-time equivalent jobs have been created across grid-connected and off-grid systems.
Off-grid solar alone has supported more than 12,000 jobs, mainly in installation, maintenance and local operations, while grid-scale solar and wind projects have added several thousand more positions across the country.
A World Bank assessment also highlights strong labour intensity in renewable deployment.
It indicates that solar and wind projects generate significantly more jobs per unit of installed capacity compared with conventional energy sources.
This is particularly relevant for rural provinces such as Balochistan, where employment opportunities remain limited.
Decentralisation of solar
Energy experts argue that decentralised solar solutions offer the most viable option for electrifying dispersed settlements, given the high cost of extending transmission infrastructure across vast and mountainous regions.
However, they also note that scaling up adoption will require improved financing mechanisms, stronger maintenance networks and local technical training to ensure long-term sustainability.
Future pathway despite challenges
Despite these challenges, policymakers and development practitioners view solar energy as a transformative pathway for Balochistan.
It has the potential to improve living standards, support small-scale economic activity and integrate remote communities into the national development framework.
Tubewells solarisation
The success story of Balochistan in renewable energy is its solarisation of agricultural tube wells. The provincial government took significant steps last year to promote agriculture, education, and youth employment, converting over 27,000 agricultural tube wells to solar systems.
This project, with a total cost of nearly Rs 55 billion, was funded 70 per cent by the federal government and 30 per cent by the provincial government, as a major driver for sustainable farming in the province.
Untapped wind potential
In Pakistan, installed wind power capacity stands at roughly 1.8 gigawatts (1,800 megawatts), with nearly all operational projects concentrated in the Jhimpir–Gharo wind corridor in Sindh.
Despite this progress, it remains a small fraction of the country’s estimated wind potential, which is assessed at well over 300 gigawatts, indicating that less than 2 per cent of available wind resources has been tapped so far.
The gap highlights both early-stage development and significant room for large-scale expansion in the renewable energy mix.
In Balochistan, wind energy development is still at a very limited stage, with negligible installed capacity compared to its vast technical potential, which is considered among the highest in Pakistan due to strong coastal and inland wind corridors.
Estimates suggest the province could contribute several gigawatts of wind power under least-cost development pathways, but most resources remain untapped due to infrastructure constraints and limited grid integration. As a result, Balochistan’s role in wind generation today is minimal, despite its strong long-term strategic promise.
