ISLAMABAD: The Power Division has constituted a committee to identify the sitting and sizing, assessing benefits and preparing a roadmap for the deployment of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) in Pakistan’s power system. The committee will be headed by Altaf Hussain, Managing Director, National Grid Company (NGC), as Convener. Other members include Muhammad Zakria, Executive Director, ISMO; Talha Khalid, Chief Power, Planning & Monitoring Company (PPMC); Syed Faizan Ali Shah, Energy Advisor, Power Division; and Murtaza Jaffer, Director General (MIRAD), LESCO. Pakistan’s lithium battery imports soar, projected to hit 8.75 GWh by 2030: report According to the notification, the committee’s Terms of Reference (ToRs) include: (i) identifying the role of BESS in the evolving landscape of distributed energy generation and changing load demand on the national grid; (ii) determining optimal siting of BESS, including appropriate voltage levels at the transmission and/or distribution network; (iii) assessing high-level sizing requirements for BESS placement at the transmission and distribution levels; (iv) developing a high-level roadmap for deployment of BESS across the power network; (v) proposing suitable procurement modes for BESS, including centralised procurement and Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models; (vi) examining and recommending any policy, regulatory or legal changes required for effective integration of BESS into the power system; and (vii) proposing mechanisms to channelise and harmonise ongoing and planned support from donor agencies, including ADB, World Bank and GIZ, to avoid duplication and ensure synergies. The Power Division’s Power Planning & Monitoring Company (PPMC), which serves as the division’s think tank, will provide secretarial support to the committee. The committee may also co-opt additional members from the public or private sector, as deemed necessary, to facilitate discharge of its mandate. The committee has been tasked to submit its recommendations in the form of a report within 30 days from December 22, 2025, the date of issuance of the notification. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025