ISLAMABAD/LAHORE – An alarming situation has developed with the Ministry of Water and Power expecting the worst ever power load shedding this summer, as the shortage is being estimated at more than 5,000MW. Meanwhile, electricity shortfall crossed 3,000MW level resulting in massive load shedding across the country on Monday. The ministry said the shortfall could rise to 7,000MW in case fuel supplies, furnace oil and natural gas were not available to generate electricity.
An official source said the ministry had estimated that if the shortage of fuel supplies persisted during the upcoming summer, the load shedding would increase from early April. Due to gas shortage, power generation units in Multan and Faisalabad are shut, while other plants are running below their full capacity due to limited furnace oil supplies. Lahore witnessed eight to 12 hours of load shedding while in the rural areas the duration of load shedding touched 14 hours.
Sources said PEPCO Director General Muhammad Khalid cancelled the routine briefing because of the rapid increase in shortfall and worst load shedding. They said that other distribution companies were carrying out load shedding up to 14 hours. Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (FESCO) consumers remained most deprived, with 14 hours of load shedding being carried out in different areas. The power shortage has persisted between 1,000MW to 1,500MW during winters, while it jumped to between 2000MW and 2500MW in March.
“We are not getting full fuel supplies, which is why the shortage has increased immensely during the last week,” said the ministry source. The ministry, he said, had asked the government to ensure fuel supplies urgently, otherwise the power shortfall might further increase to 5,000MW during early April, just like last year. Fuel supply limitations could end if the Petroleum Ministry increased the price cap from $3 to $4 for new gas wells, which was still far cheaper than importing gas through pipelines at a cap of $13. Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) Managing Director Rasul Khan Mahsud had told the National Assembly Standing Committee on Friday that load shedding could end in a day if full supplies of furnace oil and gas were ensured.
