7,759 MW electricity added to national grid system since 2013

ISLAMABAD: The incumbent government has expedite work on various power generation projects and added 7759 MW electricity to the national grid system since 2013. Official sources told APP here that the present government soon its inception took pragmatic steps to cope with menace of power load-shedding which had crippled the economic growth in the country.

They said owing to the steps of the government, currently zero load-shedding was being carried out in 5279 grid stations out of total 8600 across the country. They said recovery from the consumers has also witnessed sharp increase while cases of power theft have also declined.

The over-billing issue has also been resolved through better management, they said.The sources said the government soon its inception gave top priority to power generation projects and kicked off work on projects to get electricity from coal, hydel, wind and solar etc.

The projects completed so far were included ZEPL Wind Project (56.40 MW) Jinnah hydel project (96 MW), Gomal Zam dam (17.4 MW), Duber Khwar hydel project (130 MW), Uch Thermal power project (380.75MW), JDW-II Bagass (26.60 MW), JDW-III (26.35 MW) TJF Wind (49.50 MW), FFCEL Wind (49.50 MW), 747 MW Guddu Thermal, 100 MW Quaid-e-Azam solar project, 425 MW Nandi Pur Power Project, 340 MW Chashma C-3 nuclear power plant, 99 MW Fatima Energy Bagass, 50 MW Sachal Power Project, 50 MW Dadu Hydel project, 84 MW Gulf power project, 1320 MW Sahiwal Coal Power Project, 97 MW Reshma Power Project, 340 MW Chashma C-4 nuclear plant and 99 MW United Energy project.

Similarly, they said power projects running on imported RLNG were included 760 MW Bikki power plant, 760 MW Haveli Bahadar Shah power plant and 710 MW Balloki Power Plant.Port Qasim Coal power project set up under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has also started test generation and currently it was supplying 120 MW to the national grid system.

Soon it would start supply 1320 MW to the system, they said.Meanwhile, 969 MW Neelum Jhelum and 1410 MW Tarbela 4th Extension Power Projects would start generation this year.The Power Division has also introduced Mobile application with code name "Roshan Pakistan" for

convenience of the consumers and they could get all information about load-shedding, billing etc through this application.As per the Power Division sources, currently surplus 4000 MW electricity was available in the system and all feeders having 90 per cent recovery have been exempted from power load-shedding.New policy for alternative energy resources has also been announced under which upfront tariff has been abolished.

Now opening bidding would be held for all such power projects, the sources said. Responding to a question, they said that country's total power generation was only 9279 MW in 2013 and there were 16-18 hour load-shedding in various parts.

However, now record electricity was being generated and zero load-shedding was being observed in 5297 feeders.

They said steps were also being taken to enhance the capacity of all power distribution companies (DISCOs). The National Assembly has already passed a bill to eliminate over billing and proposed three years imprisonment for wrong billing, they said.

It is also pertinent to mention here that the government has stopped all power plants running on furnace oil and all such power plants would be converted on RLNG or other cheap source of energy.