PM calls for minimum loadshedding during Ramazan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday directed the Ministry of Water and Development to take immediate measures for resolution of tariff issues and to minimise loadshedding during the holy month of Ramazan.

The prime minister was chairing the third consecutive meeting of Cabinet Committee on Energy. 

The prime minister directed the Ministry of Water and Power to immediately resolve `upfront tariff' issues with National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) for different kinds of sources including LNG, solar, coal, furnace oil, diesel and gas.

He directed that the line departments should work out immediate solutions for administrative and legal issues faced in implementation of energy projects on priority.

The NTDC was directed to pickup pace of work on HVDC transmission lines and other smaller transmission lines projects.

The prime minister also directed to carry out comparative study about efficiency of various power sources, for presentation in the next CCOE meeting.

He said the government was working on multiple options of power generation so that consumers were provided with uninterrupted power supply.

For this purpose the government has focused on adding base load thermal power projects which shall ensure availability of power all through the year even during lean periods of Hydro power generation in 2018 and onwards, he added.

The secretary Water and Power briefed the meeting on current load management plan, implementation status of planned and ongoing energy projects and enhancement of transmission system, a statement from the PM House said. 

He said during the present government a total of 9,625 MW in 132 KV and 2,004 MW in 11 KV systems and capacity enhancement have been achieved in the transmission system.

The chairman of WAPDA briefed the meeting on progress of Hydel power projects including Dasu, Diamer Bhasha and Mohmand Dam.