Gas suspension deepens power crisis

LAHORE-Country will face yet another energy crisis as several thermal power plants with a generating capacity of upto 1,200 megawatt electricity have either halted their production or reduced their generation capacity, following the suspension of gas supply to them, it is learnt.

The officials in the Pakistan Electric Power Company informed The Nation that in the aftermath of thermal plants closure due to gas supply suspension, the Pepco authorities have asked the distribution companies to prepare new schedule of loadshedding duration in big as well as small cities and towns, including rural areas, which will be from 6 to 8 hours.

The water release from Tarbela and Mangla has also been reduced to around 60,000 cusecs from 1,40,000 cusecs, leading to the scarcity of electricity over 3,000 megawatt from hydel generation side, they added.

They said that at present, the total power production capacity in the country was about 10,000 MW out of which a rental plant at Sheikhupura with capacity of 285 MW and GTPS in Faisalabad with capacity of 170 MW had halted their production after being disconnected from gas supply from the SNGPL.

Although gas is to be provided to various thermal power plants for generation of 5,800 MW electricity, but in actual fact much less gas is usually being made available and that shortage is often overcome through furnace oil supply.

About 400MW extra burden of electricity has been put by SNGPL on WAPDA, which the industry of Punjab and NWFP was using currently.

Right now power consumers are facing a massive power shortfall of about 4,000 megawatt and this crisis would further deepen by another scarcity of 1,200 megawatt after the closure of seven thermal power plants due to disconnection of gas supply following the shutdown of Qadirpur and Sawan gas fields on Oct 12, which produce upto 500 to 600 million cubic gas feet per day.

It is to be noted that Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Ltd (SNGPL) had announced to cut supply to the industrial sector of the Punjab and NWFP from Sunday and issued notices to them in this regard.

On the pretext of smooth supply of gas to the domestic consumers, the company decided to cut the supply to the industries, which also include Independent Power Producers, generating electricity mainly through gas or furnace oil.

It was a strong perception that this winter would give a considerable relief to the public and wriggle the country out of loadshedding and power crisis but the notion proved to be wrong, thanks to SNGPL.

Official sources said maximum hydropower generation capacity in the country was about 6,500 MW and in the winter, contrary to the common perception, it goes down to about 1,850 MW, resulting in the shortfall of 4,600MW.

This scarcity would have to be supplemented by thermal power plants, but the suspension of gas supply to these gas-run plants has further worsened the crisis, they added.

Industrialists, traders and shopkeepers are losing millions of rupees due to this suspension. Power crisis is already hurting the industrial activities now suspension of gas supply further deepened the crisis, said manufacturers and industrialists while talking to The Nation.

A textile manufacturer said that weeklong suspension of gas along with 10-hour daily power breakdown will devastate the textile industry. They said that SNGPL had notified them for gas shutdown of two weeks, advising them to make alternate fuel arrangements in that period.

They said that it was difficult to turnover to alternate fuel supply as it involved total replacement of the gas fuel system by alternate diesel fuel system machinery.

They said industry was facing gas suspension only in Punjab and NWFP on the pretext of maintenance and repair of machinery and plants. They said manufacturing process in Sindh and Balochistan was running smoothly and no gas suspension or shortage was announced by the SSGPL.

Don't they need any overhauling or maintenance, they asked the authorities of the SNGPL.

They said that it was difficult for business and industry to flourish in an environment where they daily experience 6-8 hours power shutdown coupled with absolute gas supply disconnection.

He said commercial and industrial units need steady gas supply to run their machines and business activities, but the current suspension of gas supply was damaging the economic activities in the country.

Meanwhile, power outages continued to cripple urban as well as rural life in the country. Like other parts of the country unannounced loadshedding of up to 10 hours was reported also in City areas like Shadbagh, Queen's Road, Mozang, Wahdat Colony, Ichhra, Township, Rehman Pura, Walled City, Bhatti gate, Sanda, Mufti Road, Chouhan Park, Samanabad, Griffin Housing Scheme, Allama Iqbal Town, Johar Town, New Mozang, Gulshan-i-Ravi, Kachupura, Garhi Shahu, Cavalry Ground, Green Town, Awan Town, Faisal Town, Model Town, Chungi Amar sidhu, Ravi Road, Gulberg, Sadar, Cantt, Mughalpura, Gujjarpura, Lakshmi, Gawalmandi, Anarkali, The Mall, Saadi Park, Shadman, Multan Road, Yateem Khana, Muslim Town, Shahdara Town, Badami Bagh, Circular Road, Railway Road, Fleming Road, Islampura, Sant Nagar, McLeod Road and Band Road.