Loadshedding to continue this summer, NA body told

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s energy shortage issue would persist and cannot be resolved so quickly, as there will be almost 5,000 megawatts power shortage over the months to come, the Ministry of Water and Power told a parliamentary panel on Friday

Even containing this figure (5,000MW) would be a big achievement for the government. The ministry officials expect that energy demand could go up to 24,000MW this summer from the last year’s demand of 23,000MW. They also claim to add around 1,300MW to the national grid before June indicating that power outages would persist in Ramazan as was the case last year. “This June (Ramazan), we expect to touch generation of 19,000MW, while the demand will reach 24,000MW,” an official said.

The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Water and Power that met here with MNA Arshad Khan Leghari in the chair was informed by the officials of the ministry that the government was vigorously working on power projects and by end of May this year, there will be an addition of around 1,300MW to the national grid, but at the same time the demand was also increasing. Right now, the officials said, there is generation of around 12,000 megawatts while the  demand is around 17,000MW.

The officials also told the committee that last year, power generation of 17,400MW was achieved, while the demand was 23,000MWs. Additional Secretary of the ministry Omer Rasul said, “Right now, there is no major addition, however, before June 2017, we will have some (small) addition.” 

He further informed the panel that in April, shortfall will be on average 5,000MW, however, before Ramazan, in the month of May, around 12-1,300MW would be added to the system. “This year, loadshedding would be less than last year. There is scheduled power outage of four hours in urban areas and six hours in rural areas,” he said.

He further said, by September-October this year, there will be some major additions under the CPEC project and “we will be able to get the breakeven.” Chairman Wapda Lieutenant General (R) Muzammil Hussain while briefing the committee said that there was about 100,000MW hydropower generation capacity in Pakistan, but so far the country has installed capacity of only 7,000MW in this sector. He further said that under construction 969MW Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project’s first unit will start generation by end-Feb 2018, second unit in mid-March and third and fourth units will be completed in April 2018, and so the entire four units will give 969MW to the grid.

Regarding 1,410MW Tarbela-IV extension, he said that its first unit will be completed by end Dec 2017, whereas its other two units will be completed in high water flow season in 2018. First unit of 108MW Golen Gol Hydropower Project will start generation in December this year, while overall completion of this project is scheduled in August 2018.

Replying to a question, he said that under the CPEC, only thermal power projects are being financed, and not hydel power projects. Additional Secretary Omer Rasul, however, added that after July this year, Pakistan-China Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) of CPEC will meet to discuss around 4,000MW hydropower projects in Pakistan and Diamer-Bhasha project is at top of the list.