Pakistan needs to declare a ‘battery emergency’
Image: Hadron Solar
From ESS News
Booming solar capacity additions in Pakistan have been making global headlines, but industry leaders are now calling for quick deployment of energy storage to complement PV growth.
Solar module imports reached an estimated 17 GW in 2024, but while BESS imports have not achieved similar volumes, the segment is growing. Pakistan imported an estimated 1.25 GWh of lithium-ion battery packs in 2024, according to IEEFA data, plus another 400 MWh in the first two months of 2025.
This was despite battery energy storage facing a raft of taxes and custom duties that combine for an effective rate of 48% on imported BESS. By contrast, the Pakistan government only proposed an 18% general sales tax on imported solar in June 2025 – well into the PV import boom. It was implemented at 10%.