Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) has partly restored the gas supply to the affected power plants of IPP and Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) resulting in re-induction of 700 MW of electricity to the National Grid by Friday afternoon.
Pepco General Manager Tahir Basharat Cheema told Business Recorder here on Thursday that the allocated gas quota was expected to be fully available to the power houses of Pepco and IPPs immediately to help them end the forced load shedding.
He further said that rehabilitation of the damaged pipelines, supplying gas to the SNGPL system from Zamzama and Pir Koh gas fields, was completed late on Wednesday night.
After packing of these lines, the gas supply through these lines to the system was likely to start immediately, he added. It is pertinent to mention that the said pipelines were blown up by miscreants some four days ago, disrupting gas supply to a number of power plants, including Kapco, Muzzafargarh, Faisalabad and the rental facilities at Sheikhupura and Bhikki near Lahore.
The reduced gas supply added another 1300 MW to the electricity shortfall in the system, which forced the Pepco to resort to load shedding for longer hours to save the system. He said the Pepco saw a tangible improvement in the system and expected that the situation would become normal soon.
"Once the supply of gas is fully restored, only announced load management up to six hours in urban areas and eight hours in rural areas will be carried out as was practised before the said subversive act on the gas pipelines," he added. He said the Pepco was also hopeful that the inconvenience caused to the industry, which otherwise was being provided continuous supply, would also come to an end.