DISCOs face over 9000MW shortfall: CPPA

LAHORE: The power sector distribution companies (DISCOs) are facing over 9,000 megawatt shortfall of demand for electricity. According to the Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA), DISCOs are being supplied with 16,419.73 megawatt electricity against a demand of 25,694 megawatt, leaving the system with an exact shortfall of 9,274.27 megawatt.

However, the former director general Pakistan Electric Power Company Tahir Basharat Cheema, when contacted, said the estimated shortfall of over 9,000 MW could be calculated on the basis of peak-hours demand for electricity in the country. Otherwise, he added, the actual shortfall in the country was not more than 4,000 megawatt, which is being met by observing revenue-based load shedding.

"The ministry was carrying out 5000 MW revenue-based load shedding in the country that has hit the far flung areas of Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces hard. But the province of Balochistan is being hit the most because of a less revenue recovery," he added.

According to Cheema, the cities like Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad are facing load shedding for a minimum hours due to a good revenue recovery ratio. Therefore, those who visit such cities from remote areas find themselves in paradise comparing with their own regions. "In other words, the revenue-based load shedding is dangerous for the unity of federation and the ministry should look for the ways to attract far flung areas of all the provinces towards compliance rather than applying revenue-based load shedding formula," he stressed.

As per the CPPA data, demand for electricity by Islamabad Electric Supply Co., Lahore Electric Supply Co., Faisalabad Electric Supply Co., Multan Electric Power Co., Gujranwala Electric Power Co., Quetta Electric Supply Co., Peshawar Electric Supply Co., Tribal Areas Electric Supply Co., Hyderabad Electric Supply Co., Sukkur Electric Power Co., and Karachi Electric is 2,565 MW, 5,270 MW, 3,082 MW, 3,769 MW, 2,276 MW, 1,715 MW, 3,170 MW, 833 MW, 1,290 MW, 1,074 MW, and 650 MW respectively against a supply of 1,506.36 MW, 3,635.83 MW, 1,913.72 MW, 2,302.65 MW, 1,770.72 MW, 797.99 MW, 1,862.17 MW, 326.82 MW, 965.12 MW, 688.34 MW and 650 MW respectively.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021