KE claims utilising full power generation capacity

KARACHI: K-Electric on Friday said the company is fully utilising its power generation capacity, rejecting the criticism by some ministers on the company’s performance.
KE, in a statement, clarified that sixty percent of the city are exempted from power outages. “KE has invested more than one billion dollar and added more than 1,000 megawatts into its generation capacity, thus improving the generation, transmission and distribution network along with rehabilitation of its old plants and network,” the statement said.
“This helped K-Electric in ensuring a smooth supply of electricity for its consumers, which is why KE has been recognised as the benchmark disco (distribution company) in the country by various institutions.”
It said the maximum hours of load shedding during Ramazan in very high loss areas have also been reduced to less than five hours with full exemption across the city and adjoining areas on Sehar and Iftar.
It said all the seven industrial zones have been exempted from load shedding for the last five years. KE supplies power to 20 million consumers across 6,500 square kilometers of areas, including Karachi, Gharo, Uthal, Bela, Vinder, Lasbela and Hub industrial zones in Balochistan.
The company further clarified that KE has not received any relaxation, financial support and subsidy after privatisation. Its due bills have been written off or reversed.It said the company buys 650 megawatts of electricity from the National Transmission and Despatch Company at the same rate much like other discos.
This volume accounts for only four percent of the total electricity production in the country, it added.“(The company’s) privatisation took place in accordance with all applicable laws. Economic Coordination Committee, cabinet and Council of Common Interest approved the privatisation,” the statement said. The induction of the new management, as shareholder in KES Power in 2009, was legal.