Managing Director Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO), Rasul Khan Mehsud has assured of three hour for urban and 5 hours loadshedding for rural areas during canal desilting programme, starting from Sunday (tomorrow). He was speaking at a hurriedly called press conference at the Wapda House here on Friday.
He said the improved hydrology with sufficient oil supplies has created a comfortable cushion for PEPCO this time around. He said Pepco has also cleared Rs 27 billion dues of Pakistan State Oil (PSO) besides arranging another Rs 33 billion for smooth oil supplies ahead. The MD said that the PEPCO has also ordered both plants of AES (Lalpir and PakGen) back online by the time canal closure starts.
"These plants would contribute around 700MW to the national grid," he said, adding, "Another 700MW would come from Kot Addu Power Company (Kapco), which has been running on 500MW since floods hit the area." He said there were other plants that were about to start production and would generate 200MW. The dams have over four million acre feet more water than last year, and the Pepco was hoping to continue getting 2,000MW from dams even during canals closure. Thus, the actual shortage would be reduced to around 1,500MW, and it would not cause more than three hours loadshedding in urban and 4-5 hour in rural areas," he assured.
During this period, the company would ensure supplies to industries and pass the load onto the domestic consumers. The company knew the importance of the industry and would make every effort to ensure supplies to it. "Today, the company officials spent the entire day calculating supply demand situation and creating space for the industry. Even the Federal Secretary (ministry of water and power) was at (company headquarters Wapda House) to ensure planning for the canal closure period."
Talking about gas supplies, the MD claimed that it remained a problem for the company. Even on Friday, the company received only 214 million cubic feet (mmcf) against its total requirement of 780mmcf. Natural, the generation is shifted to expensive furnace oil and company losses skyrocketed. "But gas supplies are a matter of policy, and as power sector manager I can only talk about the ground realities," he said. Khan also assured that the distribution companies would make loadshedding schedule public and would stick to it all costs. "The company would not tolerate unannounced and unscheduled loadshedding during the next five weeks of canal closure," he warned.
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