SSGC advises consumers to follow gas load management plan

KARACHI: Sui Southern Gas Supply Company has advised its consumers to comply with the gas load management plan announced by the company.

During a media briefing to explain the natural gas load management plan being implemented during the current winter season, SSGC's Additional Deputy Managing Director (UFG) Saeed Larik reiterated that the company always worked to ensure uninterrupted gas supply to its customers.

However, since there was major gap between demand and supply that needs to be managed by load management. It actually defined a sectoral priority set by Federal Government with some specific directives from the Cabinet Committee on energy.

He was assisted by General Manager/Incharge Distribution Karachi Kamran Nagi and General Manager (Corporate Communications) Shahbaz Islam.

Saeed Larik said that while SSGC was being provided 1000 mmcfd indigenous gas and constrained demand was around 1250 mmcfd.

Larik explained that rapid depletion of natural resources in the recent years had contributed primarily to a shortfall of 200 to 250 mmcfd gas especially since the domestic sales sees an increase of 50% every year.

He said that as per directives of Cabinet Committee on Energy, there would be no curtailment of gas supply to the domestic and commercial sector and for meeting the demand of high priority sectors, SSGC was obligated to curtail gas supplies to CNG, general industry (non-export), captive power plants (non-export) and captive power plants (export) which are connected to power grid and can meet the requirement of their power generation.

He said that the current decision to curtail gas to Captive Power Plants (CPPs) of industries including non-export and export are on as and available basis during March to November each year as per agreement.

In this situation, these units would make duel fired arrangement to avoid production loss between the peak winter months of December, January and February and SSGC was not obligated to supply gas to captive units of general industry from December to February, he explained.

Larik noted that the Federal Cabinet approved gas curtailment to captive units of non-export general industry from the middle of Dec. 2020 but SSGC continued to ensure uninterrupted gas supply till end of December since supply position was better.

However, record breaking winter spell in both Sindh and Balochistan placed a severe pressure on the SSGC system that deteriorated the supply situation, compelling SSGC to serve notices of curtailment to CPPs of general industries twice, one for 50% curtailment and then for 100% cut in the last week of December when the notices was not complied with, putting the system under severe stress.

He said notices were issued to the captive units of export based industries for closure this Sunday but due to the massive power breakdown in the country, the curtailment could not be implemented.

SSGC's Additional DMD stressed that the CCOE’s priority order needs to be complied by all the stakeholders especially in extreme situations to ensure steady supply to the domestic and commercial customers.

The SSGC management informed the media persons that hopefully as mercury would rise in the next couple of weeks, there would be more induction of local gas and SSGC would be allowed to retain RLNG up to 150 mmcfd to meet consumer demand.

GM (Corporate Communications) added that customers could lodge gas related complaints with SSGC through a number of tools including the 24/7 1199 Call Centre, Social media platforms, Customer Connect mobile app, customer facilitation centres and Mega Service Centre.