Punjab industries to receive uninterrupted gas supplies

LAHORE: Most of the industries in the Punjab will receive uninterrupted gas supplies for the first time this winter after a gap of more than five years owing to the injection of re-gasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) into the system, an official said on Tuesday.

The official said unlike the previous practice of gas supply suspension in the winter season, as many as 80 percent of the industry will be supplied with re-gasified liquefied natural gas this year. 

The official said LNG import helped the government a lot in reducing the gap between demand and supply of natural gas in the energy-deficient Punjab province.

The Punjab, being the largest province of the country in terms of population, faces an acute natural gas shortage.

A load management schedule, issued by the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd, said industrial consumers with re-gasified liquefied natural gas allocations will continue to be supplied RLNG on round-the-clock basis as per their allocated loads. 

Industrial sectors, including textile industry, presently consuming system gas, may continue to use gas. However, they will be charged RLNG tariff with effect from November 21.

As far as CNG sector is concerned, the official added that re-gasified liquefied natural gas supply will also continue on round-the-clock till further orders.

Power sector is also enjoying continuous gas supply in the shape of re-gasified liquefied natural gas, leading to reduction of gap between demand and supply of electricity in the country. Similar is with the case of fertiliser sector, producing excess urea in the country.

Before injecting re-gasified liquefied natural gas into system up to maximum capacity, natural gas demand on the system during peak winter load period was met through implementing load management plan under which domestic and commercial consumers could get continuous gas supply while gas supply to industries, having nine month contracts, was curtailed or totally disconnected.