KARACHI: K-Electric wants the government to take control of 300 loss-making feeders, out of a total of 2,129, to make the city load-shedding-free, following criticism from government quarters, including the National Assembly’s Standing Committee.
Monis Alvi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of K-Electric, during a session with a group of journalists on Saturday, urged the government to establish a recovery mechanism for revenue -deficient distribution feeders, assuring that K-Electric would support the government’s initiative to eliminate power outages in the metropolitan city.
Alvi said that the company is willing to supply electricity to these loss-making feeders, provided the government takes responsibility for recovery operations.
The CEO faced criticism from the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Power as well as the Sindh Assembly amid rising temperatures exceeding 41°C. The power utility has reportedly increased load-shedding in areas where transmission and distribution losses have reached 70 percent or higher.
“If the government takes control of these loss making 300 feeders, we would be very close to making Karachi load-shedding free,” Alvi said confidently.
He explained that these 300 feeders account for 87 percent of the total losses incurred by the company, mentioning that 70 percent of the city is already exempt from power cuts.
Regarding the new Multi-Year Tariff (MYT) for the supply segment from FY2024 to FY2030, Alvi said these determinations will not affect the electricity rates charged to customers, as these continue to be governed under the uniform tariff policy applicable across Pakistan.
This decision marks a significant milestone for KE towards realizing its comprehensive investment plan 2030 that entails the company’s efforts to further reduce losses in transmission and distribution network, drive growth in its customer base, and bolster power utility’s infrastructure to meet current demands and future needs.
He said that with the implementation of the renewed MYT, Karachi could become up to 90 percent load-shedding free by 2030.
He noted that increased economic activity has led to a rise in electricity demand in Karachi and confirmed that K-Electric currently has the capacity to supply 4,500 megawatts of electricity to the city.
By 2030, the number of electricity consumers in the city is expected to reach 5 million. The CEO expressed confidence that the utility would expand its transmission capacity to 5,000 megawatts. “K-Electric currently has the capacity to supply 4,500 megawatts.”
Alvi also mentioned that K-Electric is prepared to connect captive power industries to the grid and provide them with electricity. He added that the utility is willing to adhere to the agreed timeline for transitioning captive power users to the grid, in coordination with the government and relevant stakeholders.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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