PM orders additional 2,500MW in system by Feb 2015

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Friday directed the Ministries of Petroleum and Natural Resources, Water and Power and Finance Division to ensure that additional electricity of 2,400 to 2,500MW is added to the system by February 2015, both in the case of LNG and new on-site generation.

The prime minister was chairing a joint ministerial meeting of the energy sector held at the PM House.

Sharif said line losses and electricity theft should be controlled at all costs and serious steps be taken against theft of gas, irrespective of official status of the persons involved.

The prime minister was briefed about the status of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) import and its availability for the power sector and informed that the first consignment will reach Pakistan by February 2015 and to be available to the power sector.

Sharif gave approval of making the consignment available to Kot Addu Power Plant which will produce 1,200 MW, as well as four other private power plants Orient, Saif, Saphire and Halmore collectively producing 800MW of electricity. The consignment will also be provided to Jamshoro power plant for producing 400 to 500MW of electricity.

The projects, including Fast Track LNG Terminal, SSGC LNG Terminal, Gwadar Nawabshah LNG Terminal and Pipeline, Private LNG Terminals, GEI, PGPL and Bahria to import 2BCFD LNG, enough to generate up to 15,000MW, will be expedited.

The prime minister was also informed that there are opportunities for producing affordable power from mobile mounted on- site power plants through 26 gas fields in the country having a potential of 1,000 MW.

Sharif also directed the relevant agencies to implement the already provided tax relief in the LNG Policy.

He directed the Ministry of Water and Power to ensure that in future, if bills are issued without meter-reading, it will be specified on the bill that this is a ‘presumptive bill’, and any excess amount charged will be adjusted when the meter is read; the meter will be read at least once every three months.

The prime minister said the demand of the people to have affordable electricity was justified and also a promise of the PML-N government. He vowed to regularly chair meetings of relevant ministries for better coordination and to achieve desired results within the stipulated timeframe.