Load-shedding of electricity continues in this industrial city and adjoining towns despite public holiday on Monday, while small traders and civil society members stated that the suspension of electricity for such a long time has ruined their business and now it was impossible to live and feed the family.
Industrialists are facing severe difficulties due to load shedding after every two hours in various industrial estates. Mian Javed Iqbal, CEO, Sitara Energy Limited, and former President, Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry said that Load-shedding of electricity is yielding negative impact over the industrial production on one side, while employment generation on the other side.
Talking to newsmen, he said that country is still facing energy crisis, while Government is making all-out efforts to come out of it as soon as possible. Private sector alone cannot overcome the critical situation prevailing at this moment and resolve the issue. No doubt, he said that the existing crisis is because of short fall in supply as against its real demand. It is, however, felt that the same is aggravating day by day due to mismanagement of the concerned authorities and lack of passing of information by them to industrialists, he added.
Javed Iqbal demanded that the Faisalabad Steam Power Generation Station, which is under-utilised at present, should be reactivated to bring it up-to its optimum capacity. The power generation station is presently producing only 26 per cent electricity of its total capacity. The steam power generation station has multi-fuel system and is capable of producing 150 to 200 mega watts of electricity. Now that the prices of petroleum products have gone considerably down, the concerned authorities may be directed to provide diesel oil to the power generation station on priority basis. It shall be very helpful in reducing the negative effects of load shedding in the manufacturing, he added.
He said that the current energy crisis is only due to the mismanagement of circular debt and non supply of furnace oil to IPPs, if Government put emphasis to sort out this problem we are of the firm opinion that the current problem of load shedding can be resolved within 15 days. Former FCCI President said that the Government should ban all evening Government functions, marriage functions and other social functions. These functions should be performed in the daytime before sunset.
He demanded that the Government should announce to ban conventional 60 / 200 watts Bulbs w.e.f. year 2010 and new electricity connections of houses, industry and commercial centres should be sanctioned after obtaining the affidavit that all electricity installations and bulbs are "Energy Savers", only this small effort can save 2000 to 3000 mw energy in 2 to 3 years.
The industries that have their own power generation capacity should be allowed to sell the energy to surrounding industries. In this regard the procedural constraints / hurdles from Nepra and Wapda should be rationalised and eliminated accordingly, he added.
Javed Iqbal said that in Pakistan 6 hundred thousand tube-wells are working on old and conventional motors. Government should take special initiative to ensure the replacement of the old traditional motors with efficient and latest technology based motors. That can save more than 5000 mw electricity.
Demanding "Long Term Solutions", Javed Iqbal mentioned that Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) has a potential of more than 2000 mw Hydel Energy, special efforts should be made in this respect to utilise the optimum level of available natural resources in the said area. Pakistan northern areas / NWFP has a immense potential of generating 20,000 mw from natural water falls in the shape of constructing small and medium dams on Hydel basis. This available resource should be fully utilised.
In all over the world coal is a prime source of producing electricity, 40 percent of world electricity is being produced from coal but unfortunately in Pakistan its share is less than 3 percent, we have adequate stock of coal in Sindh and Balochistan which can produce 10,000 mega watts. Whereby no concrete effort had been made so far to tap this natural source. Alternative energy, which includes solar energy and wind energy, has potential, but Government of Pakistan has never emphasised to construct or utilise this energy source.
He mentioned that Pakistans installed capacity of electricity generation is 19,419 Megawatts (MW) of which 70 per cent is generated by public sector and 30 per cent by private sector. Wapdas Hydel and Thermal are contributing 6,479MW and 4,900 MW respectively, KESC Thermal is generating 1,756 MW, IPPs Thermal and Nuclear is contributing 5,822MW and 462 MW respectively. The main sources of electricity production are Gas 44 per cent, Hydro 32 per cent, Oil 16 per cent, Coal 6 per cent and Nuclear 2 per cent.
In the present scenario the most critical issue is circular debt between fuel supplier and power producers may worsen the energy crisis and create fuel supply problem. Pakistan State Oil (PSO) is the major fuel supplier in the country with the market share of 70 per cent, PSO has to recover billions of rupees from its clients like Hubco, Kot Addu, Pepco, and in return has to pay billions of rupees to Oil Refiners like Parco, Bosacar, PRL, National and Attak refineries.
He mentioned that PSO is facing problems to pay dues to the Oil Refineries due to non-payment of dues from IPPs. On the other hand Pepco has to pay 170 billion rupees to IPPs which has a receivable from 70 billion rupees from KESE and 78 billion rupees receivable from Fata.
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