No power load-shedding during Sahr-o-Iftar

LAHORE: Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) has chalked out a Ramadan Package under which there will be no electricity load-shedding during Sahr-o-Iftar.

In a media briefing at Wapda House here Monday, PEPCO Managing Director Rasool Khan Mahsud said the package, however, would be implemented after thorough discussion at Ministry of Water and Power level.

To a question, the MD said, "Basically, this is not the power (electricity) but the energy crisis, because furnace oil and natural gas are not being supplied to our four Generation Companies (Gen. Cos) - Saif Power, Orient Power Company, Saphire and Halmore." Thus these four Gen. Cos. are ultimately contributing nothing to the main power system, he added.

The PEPCO Managing Director claimed that he would bring down the power shortfall from 5784 mega watts at present to around 2500MW, provided that smooth supply of gas and oil to Gen. Cos is ensured.

Mahsud told media men that PEPCO is paying Rs 15 billion per month to Pakistan State Oil Company for furnace oil supply to Gen. Cos. "Under this head, we have paid Rs 101 billion last year and Rs 126.6 billion this year to the PSO," he added.

To another question, he said, PEPCO was striving hard to narrow the power shortfall down, and it had added 3000MW of electricity in the national grid during last two years, however, the power demand was increasing with the passage of time.

The PEPCO, he said, had also lodged 39,000 FIRs against the power pilferers and made recoveries of more than Rs 2 billion in this regard. The consumer dues' recovery rate had remained at 93 percent in 2010 and 94 percent during current year, while one percent represented Rs 64 billion, he asserted.

During last 24 hours, he said, the PEPCO had generated 12807MW against 18591MW demand, rendering a shortfall of 5784MW, while the company exported 770MW to Karachi Electric Supply Company.

Giving generation break-up, he said, the hydel component contributed 5175MW, Thermal 1944MW, the Independent Power Producers (IPPs) 5544MW and the Rental Power Projects 144MW.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011