Pakistan, which is facing a severe economic crisis and chronic energy shortages, has turned to Russia for oil imports. However, Pakistan’s petroleum minister, Musadik Malik, believes that the future of energy lies in diversification, particularly towards green energy sources.
During his visit to the United States, Malik confirmed that Pakistan had placed an initial order for Russian oil, which will arrive within a month, and based on the results, the country will assess how much to import in the future.
Pakistan, which imports 84 per cent of its petroleum products, mainly from Gulf Arab allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, has been transparent about its dealings with Russia. Malik stated that their initial dealings with Moscow were far less than those of other countries, particularly China and India, whose enthusiastic buying of Russian oil has cast a shadow over India’s warming relationship with Washington.
Malik spoke with US companies during his visit about buying shale liquified natural gas, upgrading Pakistani refineries and storage facilities, exploring offshore oil and gas and starting horizontal drilling, a method that Pakistan has not yet used.
However, he emphasized that his talks with the United States also included support for green energy sources, in line with Pakistan’s goal of generating 30 per cent of its electricity from renewables by 2030, including a plan for widespread solar power on rooftops.
Pakistan is one of the nations most vulnerable to climate change, with floods last year submerging one-third of the country. Geoffrey Pyatt, the assistant secretary of state for energy resources, has promised US backing for Pakistan’s renewable goals during his visit to the country.
According to France24, Malik also believes that the future of energy security lies in green energy sources. Although Pakistan’s share of Russian oil imports is small, it helps, and the country is open to cheaper sources of energy.
