Govt eyes power surplus as blackouts persist

PM chairs meeting to review electricity supply situation across the country

ISLAMABAD: Despite persistent power outages, the federal government is hopeful of achieving an electricity surplus ranging between 2,400 and 3,400 megawatts over the next four months.

This ambitious plan was shared with Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi at a meeting held here on Friday to review the power supply situation across the country.

Recurring power outages – despite improvement in weather throughout Pakistan, resulting in a reduction in demand for energy – have undermined claims made by the rulers in general, and PM Abbasi in particular, that blackouts would end by November.

During the meeting, however, the PM was informed by the Power Division at the Ministry of Energy that the prolonged dry spell in the country had caused a massive reduction in hydel power generation that caused massive power outages, said officials who attended the meeting.



The situation, the Power Division claimed, would improve after the country received sufficient rains. However, the prime minister appeared unimpressed.

The PM, according to sources, was too concerned about the embarrassment he and his team may have to face if the outages happen in the next month too.

PM Abbasi has been insisting publicly that load-shedding would end by November.

“Till when do we have to wait for divine intervention to get things in order?” a visibly irked PM is said to have questioned the officials concerned who could offer no reasonable justification in reponse.

The PM had established the new Ministry of Energy, comprising power and petroleum divisions, to improve their functioning, but he was still dissatisfied with its performance, according to the sources.

“Decisions on policy matters must not be kept lingering as such… ambivalence creates uncertainty and negative sentiments among investors,” a press release from the PM House quoted Abbasi as saying.



The PM, it said, also “directed all relevant stakeholders to increase coordination for optimum utilisation of available resources and ensuring maximum efficiency in the power sector”.

The meeting reviewed projected estimates of power generation and the demand between November this year and February next year, the press release said.

It informed the PM that the average demand for the next four months – calculated on the basis of the data received from various distribution companies (discos) – amounted to 14,452MW while the average net firm generation after deducting unforeseen outages from independent power producers (IPPs) and generation companies (Gencos) would remain at 16,865MW.

“Projected surplus for the next four months is estimated to range between 2,400MW and 3,400MW,” the PM was informed.

Stressing on the need for timely completion of the ongoing projects, Abbasi directed heads of relevant organisations to come up with realistic timelines for the completion of the ongoing projects in the power sector, said the press release.



“Less-efficient power plants must be closed in a phased manner and efforts must be made to convert oil-based plants to gas in the shortest possible time in view of the availability of ample [natural] gas for the power sector,” Abbasi directed the officials concerned.

Conversion of oil-run plants and maximising the efficiency of existing power plants would not only reduce the domestic oil import bill but would also ensure maximum availability of power, he said, according to the statement from the PM House.

He also called for greater coordination among the Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA), the Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB) and the Pakistan LNG Terminals Limited (PLTL) for ensuring availability and maximum utilisation of gas for the power sector.