Electricity shortfall hit a new peak of 6,000 mw on Sunday, plunging the country into 10 to 15 hours of outages as the country braved the hottest day. Pepco spokesman said that all sources of power generation--hydel, thermal, IPPs and RPPs--produced 10,075 mw electricity, while the demand rose to 16,067 mw, causing a shortfall of about 6,000 mw.
He said that hydel power units of Tarbela, Mangla, Ghazi Barotha, Chashma, Warsak, etc produced 2504 mw, thermal power houses 1410 mw and independent power producers contributed 5746 mw electricity to the national grid system.
Pepco supplied 660 mw electricity to KESC, he said.
Meanwhile, the General Manager of Tarbela said that Irsa has allowed Wapda to draw additional 10,000 cusecs water from Tarbela dam to generate 600 mw electricity, against the current average production of 300 mw.
It may be added that hydel power generation units of Tarbela dam have production capacity of 3476 mw electricity during peak monsoon season, but are currently contributing 300 mw electricity due to shortage of water in the dam in the last week of April 2011. Mangla dam hydel power units, having capacity of 1100 mw electricity, are producing about 850 mw hydel power due to gfdaily 50,000 cusecs water release downstream the Mangla dam.
Sources say that Pepco has not yet fully resolved its chronic running dispute with PSO over clearance of circular debt of over billions of rupees, resulting into short supply of oil to the IPPs and reduction in power generation.