Karachi swelters as K-Electric, SSCG trade blame

Weather expected to get better in the coming week

KARACHI: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Friday was the harbinger of relatively good news conveying temperature in Karachi is expected to cool off today.

Talking to The Express Tribune PMD forecasting spokesperson said that temperature in Karachi is expected to drop in the coming week as the city hit 39 degree Celsius today. However, the change would not be drastic.

Karachiites faced a hot week as the temperature soared up to 41.5 degree Celsius on Thursday. The situation worsened as areas faced load shedding throughout the day and power utility company K-Electric shift the blame on Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) for not providing enough gas.

In a statement released on March 29, K-Electric brazenly stated that the gas supply levels were way below the allocated supply thus creating additional shortfall.

Director Communications K-Electric, Sadia Dada shared that the amount of gas being supplied to them is not enough. 500 MW gas-fired plants are currently not operational as SSGC is providing only 90mmcfd as opposed to Economic Coordination Committee (ECC)'s allocation of 276mmcfd which is below the supply levels of this time last year.



"If the SSGC has any facts they should bring them to the front," Dada maintained.

"Our key priority at the moment is to make all possible efforts to manage load without burdening customers while also ensuring all available generation is maximised. This includes bringing online ahead of schedule one of our smaller furnace oil-fired units, which was under planned maintenance.

"It is expected to bring partial relief, however, the single fuel gas-fired power plant of K-Electric will continue to remain un-operational and the 500MW shortfall can only be addressed with increased levels of gas supply by SSGC.

"We are in contact with SSGC on the matter. The situation is expected to return to normal as soon as gas supply is elevated to last year’s corresponding levels. We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused and request our customers' cooperation during this time," the statement by K-Electric read.

SSGC promptly responded to the release by K-Electric on Thursday saying there has been no reduction in gas supply to K-Electric and termed the statement 'misleading'.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Chief Manager Media Relations SSGC Muhammad Ali Gohar shared that an old contract signed by both K-Electric and SSGC allows the allocation of 10mmcfd to K-E. However, the change in supply keeps fluctuating depending on the amount of gas provided from the fields. "We request K-Electric to have a General Services Administrations (GSA) contract so that the supply is fixed."

Gohar further added saying that due to natural depletion of resources the lack of supply is evident. He shared that SSGC has its priorities which require them to not only provide gas to Karachi but other areas too.

According to the load management plan there's a high chance that Karachi will get its supply but it would not be fixed.

"A misleading statement is being communicated by K-Electric to its customers that the shortage of gas supply has impacted its power generation leading to temporary load shedding in many areas of Karachi.

SSGC spokesperson, however, asserts that gas supply to K-Electric has neither been reduced nor increased. According to the spokesperson, the company is receiving less gas supply from the fields and since domestic demand has increased substantially, the company has to cater to it on top priority, as per the government’s gas load management plan. The company is supplying gas on priority to all those customers with whom it has contractual agreements and presently it does not have a Gas Supply Agreement (GSA) with K-Electric.

The spokesperson at the same time reiterates that despite the absence of a GSA and KE’s mounting outstanding dues with SSGC, the latter continues to provide a reasonable amount of gas to the power company in the larger interest of the people of Karachi," SSCH statement shared.