16,912 megawatts would be available in summer: National Assembly panel informed

Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) will add 1184 MW to the power generation capacity with highest from Chashma Nuclear Power Unit-2 (C-2) ie, 300 MW by the end of May 2011. Pepco Director General Khalid Ahmad informed the National Assembly Standing Committee on Textile Industry that after addition to the generation capacity, 16,912 MW would be available in summer against the installed capacity of 19,919 MW.
The body met here on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Haji Muhammad Akram Ansari. The committee also discussed the recently announced general sales tax for textile sector. The DG Pepco and MD KESC briefed the body on the shortage of electricity and proposed duration of load shedding for the textile sector. The DG Pepco informed the committee that 225 MW would be added to the system from Hub Power and 225 MW from Halmore Power Project by the end of April.
Similarly, 202 MW from Foundation Power Project and 300 MW from the Chashma Nuclear Power Unit-2 (C-2) by the end of May would be added to the system. He said 232 MW would be made available from Karkey Rental Power Plant by the end of June, however, all of these projects were being tested and very soon would be made available. The testing process of the Karkey Rental Power Plant has been completed to provide 232 MW of electricity.
According to the presentation, during the current month, net capacity would stand at 13,424 MW against the demand of 16,450 MW with a shortfall of 3,026 MW. Similarly, the shortfall would reduce to 2,842 MW in May and 2,526 MW in June after new addition. The shortfall would reach at 3,516 MW by the end of September.
The DG Pepco briefed the body about the load management programme, which is effective from March 16, 2011. According to the plan the cements industry, continuous process industry (other than cement industry) and textile industry would get uninterrupted power supply. However, steel furnaces ETC would face 12 hours while all B-3 and B-4 consumers (other than textile and steel furnace), Small Medium Enterprises (SME)/industrial estates and flour mills & ghee/oil mills would have to bear 4 to 6 hours load shedding.
According to the plan agriculture tube wells would have to bear 10-hour load shedding. However, electricity to the commercial dominated/market feeders and domestic feeder would be made available according to the quota given by NPCC.
According to the presentation, several measures would be taken on the demand side for energy conservation including, two holidays in a week, closure of markets and shops by 8pm, use of air conditioners by authorised to officers after 11am, ban on commercial decorative lights and reduction of lights up to 50 percent in president, prime minister's secretariats and houses, federal ministers, governors, chief ministers, all provincial ministers offices/residencies and all government offices.