After a break, KESC back to its dirty old ways

A large number of domestic, commercial and industrial consumers of the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) have started facing load shedding of up to 10 hours as the power utility has decided not to run its plants on furnace oil, whereas the company has also demanded more gas from the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) without paying the gas utility Rs 30 billion in dues, Pakistan Today has learnt.
According to KESC sources, when the SSGC reduced 20mmcfd gas supply to the KESC, the latter increased the load shedding hours in Karachi. However, other sources claimed, “The fresh demand of the KESC for being provided over 250mmcfd gas to maintain the previous schedule of four-hour load shedding is not for enhanced gas supply, but for the subsidised supply of furnace oil the power company enjoyed during the entire month of Ramazan.”
SSGC sources said the gas utility is currently supplying almost 183mmcfd to the KESC and the supply has not been reduced. They said the available gas supply is enough to run the gas-based plants of the KESC, so the power company should run its dual-fuelled plants at Bin Qasim on oil. The move to carry out 10-hour load shedding is to blackmail the government and the authorities concerned for more gas and oil on reduced rates, they added.
Sources said the power utility owes the SSGC over Rs 30 billion as dues of various months, besides the monthly bill of the gas company. Moreover, the KESC Shareholders Association asked in a statement, “Where does the KESC’s revenue of over Rs 8 billion go? Why is the power utility’s management not paying the SSGC and the Water and Power Development Authority?”
On the other hand, in a statement issued on Monday, the KESC condemned the extremely low gas pressure that tripped the 220MW Combined Cycle Power Plant in Korangi on Sunday night and then again on Monday morning. The power utility has demanded immediate intervention of the federal government for resolving the crisis as it has drastically cut down power generation.
The KESC has asked the SSGC to start providing the power company 276mmcfd gas regularly. The KESC would pay Rs 35 million daily to the SSGC in return. On a monthly basis, this amount would total over Rs 1 billion in lieu of additional gas supply. The power utility has warned the power consumers of a possible increase in tariff by Rs 2 per unit if 276mmcfd gas supply is not provided to the KESC.
The power utility has requested Petroleum Minister Dr Asim Hussain to advise the SSGC to implement the Economic Coordination Committee’s decisions so that the KESC receives enough gas to maintain the previous load shedding schedule. The KESC has expressed concern that while the SSGC is supplying around 300mmcfd gas to private industrial units and captive power plants, the gas utility has been ignoring the 20 million people of the city.
With the reduced level of gas supply and increasing electricity demand, power generation by the KESC is not enough and the company has been forced to carry out six to 10 hours of load shedding in residential and commercial areas.