The Karachiites experienced worst power outage on Friday night and on Saturday, as a tripping in Bin Qasim Power Plant suspended power supply to many localities in the metropolis. The cosmopolitan is going through a power shortfall of 300mw, as the demand touched 2,270mw during its peak hours.
Sources told Business Recorder that one unit of Bin Qasim Power Plant tripped and went out of service for some time which immediately created a shortage of 200mw in Corporation''s network, therefore, it utility immediately opted for two hours group-wise loadshedding in its five groups.
Kannup has suspended 65mw supply for last four days, while the Korangi Gas Turbine is generating 69mw, the Site Gas Turbine is supplying 62mw, and Korangi Thermal is producing 120mw. The Bin Qasim Power Plant is generating 97mw.
The current power generation of the KESC is about, 221mw while during the day Wapda is supplying around 550mw which improved in the night and the KESC is receiving 715mw to 720mw. In the night, the city is facing only 80mw power shortage, the source said, adding the lowest power demand was recorded at 2,209mw.
Source also said the Bin Qasim Power Plant, Unit No 4 is, at present, under maintenance process and likely to start generation by May-end. Another fault occurred in the extra high-tension line passing through Gulshan-e-Iqbal, which affected a large part of the city.
The KESC spokesman clarified that two-hour loadshedding was in the scheduled and the fault occurred immediately after the loadshedding time slab, which created imbalance in the network for hours, adding to the miseries of people. As soon as a schedule would be announced for power closer and the corporation would strictly follow the same.
Source said: "If the commercial centres followed the schedule for closing the markets at 8 pm the situation would be improved, as this would save 80mw electricity." They said the Corporation is expecting power demand during hot summer in between 2,300mw to 2,400mw.