Pakistan plans maritime energy city to expand storage, re-export capacity
Wire desk byline Sourced from Xinhua, Dawn, Arab News, Anadolu and Minute Mirror. Translated and abridged by the GSRRA Desk.
Project to link new ports with oil, LNG, LPG hubs as site identification begins
Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry has announced plans to establish a Pakistan Maritime Energy City to support energy storage and re-export as part of a broader maritime expansion strategy.
Chairing a meeting on port development, the minister said a 12-member committee has been formed under the long-term “Hundred Years Vision 2047–2147” to identify locations for three to four new ports along Pakistan’s coastline.
The committee is tasked with assessing sites and planning associated infrastructure to support future maritime growth.
The proposed energy city will provide facilities for storing oil, liquefied natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas, with the capacity to serve both domestic needs and international markets. The minister said the initiative would be integrated with port infrastructure to support re-export operations.
Officials said Pakistan’s role in handling foreign transhipment cargo during recent regional tensions has highlighted its potential as a logistics hub. The project aims to build on this capacity to position the country in regional energy trade.
The minister directed authorities to identify suitable land and prepare a development plan, adding that consultations with provincial governments and other stakeholders would be undertaken before the project’s formal launch. He said the initiative could generate revenue and support supply continuity during periods of regional disruption.
In addition to the main facility, smaller energy hubs are planned to support major ports through pipeline networks and maritime connectivity. During the meeting, Muhammad Khalid of the Port Qasim Authority said preliminary data collection for identifying new port sites is underway.
Reference Link:- https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2026/04/02/pakistan-plans-maritime-energy-city-to-expand-storage-re-export-capacity/
Zamir Ahmed Awan is the founder and Chair of the Global Silk Route Research Alliance, a think tank in Islamabad. He studied engineering at Shanghai University in the 1980s, and years later he went back to China as Pakistan's science counsellor in Beijing, from 2010 until 2016, working on science and higher education cooperation between the two countries.…
