Kohinoor Energy and Hebei Juhang explore battery manufacturing in Pakistan
A non-binding MoU outlines a plant starting at 50 MWh to 100 MWh and scaling towards 1 GWh, as Pakistan's regulator requires storage in its next renewables auction.
Kohinoor Energy Limited and China's Hebei Juhang Energy Technology Group are exploring a joint venture to make batteries in Pakistan, under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that the Islamabad-based company has disclosed to investors.
Kohinoor told the Pakistan stock exchange on October 1 that the MoU covers a proposed battery assembly and energy storage manufacturing business. The site would produce lithium-ion battery packs, battery energy storage systems (BESS) and associated electrical equipment.
The agreement is non-binding. Kohinoor said it remains subject to further evaluation and due diligence.
Scale of the proposal
The MoU sets out three stages of capacity:
- an initial 50 MWh to 100 MWh
- a possible expansion to 300 MWh to 500 MWh
- a later step to between 700 MWh and 1 GWh
Expansion towards 1 GWh would depend on market demand.
A market short of storage
The proposal comes as Pakistan's power system absorbs a surge in solar deployment with comparatively little energy storage in place.
Waqas Moosa, then chairman of the Pakistan Solar Association and CEO of Hadron Solar, has previously told ESS News that the country urgently needed more storage. "You need to declare a battery emergency right now," he said.
Storage requirement in the auction
The regulator, Nepra, has introduced a battery storage mandate for its 800 MW renewable auction. Solar and wind developers must install BESS with power output equal to at least 10% of a project's generating capacity to be eligible.
The deadline for proposals and bids for the initial 400 MW phase of the tender is November 20, 2026.
