Islamabad (Zahid Yaqoob Khawaja): K-Electric has officially closed entries for its Energy Progress & Innovation Challenge (EPIC) 2025 following an enthusiastic nationwide response from academia, entrepreneurs, researchers, and startups. As of the final deadline, over 250 entries were received from across Pakistan, reflecting the growing spirit of innovation and localisation in Pakistan’s energy landscape.

EPIC 2025, launched in March, built upon the success of KE’s earlier 7/11+ Innovation Challenge and invited participants to address key issues in the power sector through ideations suggesting cutting-edge solutions. The challenge offered both predefined themes and the opportunity for open innovation. Submissions focus on crucial areas such as ‘Real-time fleet tracking and visibility for power utilities’, ‘Proactive energy theft detection’, ‘Demand forecasting automation using AI’, ‘Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) utilization for managing system dynamics under growing RE integration’, ‘Pre-emptive transformer level failure detection’, ‘PV impact analysis’, ‘Smart monitoring of transmission lines: enhancing grid reliability’, ‘Underground MV cable health indexing’, ‘Tamper-proof PMT-based loadshedding solution,’ and ‘Open innovation: driving transformation in the power sector’.

Commenting on the enthusiastic participation, Moonis Alvi, CEO K-Electric stated: “The overwhelming response to EPIC 2025 affirms our belief in the potential of Pakistan’s innovators to reimagine the future of energy. We are proud to provide a platform that fosters fresh ideas, and we look forward to collaborating with participants to create solutions that strengthen our sector and serve our communities, thus highlighting the immense potential our country possesses.”

Sadia Dada, Chief Distribution & Marcomms Officer at K-Electric, added: “EPIC is not just a competition, it’s a movement toward a more efficient, sustainable, and inclusive power sector. The quality and diversity of entries we’ve received are a testament to the vision and passion of innovators and researchers in Pakistan. We’re excited to begin the next phase of evaluation and engagement.”

The next phase of EPIC 2025 involves entries to undergo a rigorous evaluation process. Shortlisted participants will be invited for mentoring session and presentations to a panel of experts. The top three finalists will be awarded cash prizes around PKR 3 million total and the possibility of a B2B contract with KE to implement the projects