Nawaz govt removes 5,576MW power deficit amid turmoil

ISLAMABAD: The sitting government has undoubtedly been focused on improving the electricity generation supply during the last four years despite many serious political expeditions launched by opposition parties - PTI and PAT and so far managed to erase the power deficit of 5576 MW during peak hours, a senior official told The News. 

“Hats off to the Nawaz government for this tremendous performance,” he added. The government didn’t show any kind of laxity in improving the electricity generation outlook even during the long 126 days ‘dharna’ and is on track to end the menace of darkness by March 2018. 

However, the recently unfolded JIT (Joint Investigation Team) report that created ripples in the politics of Pakistan may slow down the government efforts to upgrade the transmission and distribution system, a senior official said. 

The government had earlier fixed the target to complete by December this year the projects with regard to strengthening the transmission and distribution system enough to carry the required load as per the massive increase in demand of electricity. But the said target may not be materialised as the government may not be able to pay the required heed to the projects because it has stepped up its focus on how to get itself out of the legal and political fight for its survival and no one knows for how long the country continues to face the political mess that has virtually overshadowed the gains which are in sight in the result of the projects initiated by the incumbent regime. 

According to the official documents, in 2013 the electricity of 473 MW is added, in 2014, electricity of 1422 MW is injected and 717 MW electricity is added in 2015. Likewise, the electricity of 920 MW is added in the system in 2016 and in seven months of 2017, the electricity of 2035 MW is injected. This means that so far 5576 MW of electricity is injected and keeping in view the hard fact that the sitting regime continued to face the political mayhem in the shape of 126 days ‘dharna’. 

In addition, there are new more plants to come and will add more electricity of 3386 MW in the system by December this year. “This would be a feather in the cap of Nawaz government and more importantly we are also on track to overcome the shortcoming of the system constraints and trying our best to complete the projects means for up-gradating the transmission and distribution system,” spokesman of the ministry of water and power told The News. 

When asked about the recently released Nepra’s State of Industry Report 2016 which mentions that the country may continue to experience loadshedding even in 2018 due to constraints in the transmission and distribution networks despite the fact that the government will be able to erase the electricity deficit by adding generation of almost 9000 MW in the system by the-said year, the official said no doubt the government will be able to add the new electricity supply up to far more than 9000 MW by March 2018. “However, as far as up-gradation of transmission and distribution system is concerned, it may take more time than the deadline of December this year”. 

He said in the current month of July, NTDC chairman Dr Fayyaz Chaudhry has been removed from his post for not laying down the 500 kv transmission line for the evacuation of 1320 MW of coal-based Port Qasim power plant, 220 kv transmission line for 400 MW from Gharo (coastal area) and 500 kv another transmission line from Rahim Yar Khan to Moro. Chaudhry also failed to lay down the transmission line of 132 kv from Patrind power house of 160 MW. When asked for how long the said projects will delay more on account of removal of Dr Fayyaz Ch, the official said it depends on the government which is now fully at legal and political war for its survival. However, the spokesman said the government is on toes to complete the projects within the deadline as its next election campaign will hinge on the fulfillments of the promise made in 2013 election that if voted to power it would make the country loadshedding-free by 2018. 

Interestingly, the State of Industry Report 2016 prepared by Nepra mentions the alarming fact that the overloading in DISCOs’ system coupled with other constraints on NTDC (National Transmission Distribution Company) system has been resulting in power supply constraints. The regulator in the report has observed that during the high demand months, due to constraints in DISCOs and NTDC network, the electricity to the tune of more than 3000 MW on a day could not be withdrawn by DISCOs. 

DISCO (Electric Power Distribution Companies) are emphasised to deliver a reliable electric power to end consumers while maintaining performance standards as set by Nepra. Three main components are monitored by the regulator for gauging the performance of DISCOs as constraints in these components would limit DISCOs ability to draw power from the extra high voltage system of NTDC which will result in power supply cuts for the end consumers. 

Highlighting the system constraints, it mentions the overloading position of 11 kv feeders in DISCOs. “Except for IESCO where overloading of 11 kv feeders is noted to be around 12 percent, other DISCOs have more than 20 percent overloaded feeders. PESCO and MEPCO have more than 40 percent feeders overloaded, whereas in Lesco about 58 percent feeders are loaded above 80 percent and on country wide basis 32 percent of 11kv feeders have been noted to be loaded above the acceptable level.”

The problems of the system constraints have increased because of the fact that DISCOs remained unable to make investments to upgrade the distribution systems. In 2013-14, DISCOs were allowed to invest Rs52.006 billion to improve the system, but they just spent Rs43.88 billion showing that it failed to spend the amount of Rs8.124 billion. And in 2014-15, DISCOs were permitted to invest Rs 57.4 billion, but they spent Rs41.8 billion showing inability to spend the huge amount of Rs 15.57 billion. And in 2015-16, the distribution companies were allowed by Nepra to invest Rs65.034 billion, but the DISCOs just managed to spend meagre amount of Rs718.6 million. 

About the ugly performance of NTDC, the report reveals that in FY 2014-15, out of a total of 33 auto transformers at 500/220 kv grid stations, 8 were loaded above 80% of their rated capacity representing 24.24% overloading. At 220/132 kv, 90 out of a total of 125 auto transformers were loaded above 80% of their rated capacity showing 72% overloading. 

 During the reported period FY 2015-16, out of a total of 35 auto transformers at 500/220 kv grid stations, 4 were loaded above 80% of their rated capacity. Out of a total of 130 auto transformers at 220/132 kv grid stations, 29 were loaded above 80% of their rated capacity. And the overall percentage of overloaded auto transformers at 500/220 kv grid station is recorded as 11.43% whereas the overall percentage of overloaded auto transformers at 220/132 kv is recorded as 22.30 percent.