PM Shehbaz orders reopening of closed power plants

Premier seeks explanation for prolonged spells of electricity outages

LAHORE:

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday ordered authorities to reopen closed power plants to ease the electricity crisis in the country.

Chairing a meeting in Lahore on the power situation, he also sought an explanation for the prolonged spells of electricity outages.

The meeting was attended by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and State Minister for Petroleum Musadik Malik.

Energy Minister Khurram Dastagir; Information and Broadcasting Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb; PML-N senior leader and MNA Shahid Khaqan Abbasi; Finance Minister Miftah Ismail; and PM’s Special Assistant on Public Policy and Strategic Communications Fahd Husain participated in the huddle through video link.

The meeting was also attended by senior government officials related to energy. The meeting discussed the ongoing electricity crisis in the country in which the premier ordered the immediate restoration of closed power plants.

The prime minister directed the authorities to submit to him a report on power outages immediately in which the reasons for them should be clarified.

PM Shehbaz further ordered that issues related to provision of drinking water and agricultural facilities to the provinces should be resolved on a priority basis.

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He added that the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) should make “independent” decisions in consultation with the provinces for this purpose.

The power shortfall in the country has reached 7,787 MW, because of which electricity outages of up to 16 hours are being carried out in different parts of the country.

Power Division sources said the power generation in the country was 21,213 MW, while the total demand was 29,000 MW.
A total of 5,430 MW of electricity is being generated from hydro sources and 1,705 MW from government thermal plants while the total output of private sector power plants is 10,241 MW.

Wind power plants are generating 1,629 MW and solar plants 113 MW.

Bagasse-power plants are producing 120 MW and nuclear fuel 2,275 MW.

The duration of power outages is even longer in areas where the losses are very high.

The country has plunged into a crippling electricity crisis that is mostly attributed to mismanagement, inefficiencies, power theft and politically-motivated appointments in the power utilities.

PM Shehbaz had recently announced import of coal from Afghanistan. But it would require huge funding – a weekly allocation of almost $25 million. In addition the government requires $51.5 million for debt servicing of imported coal power plants.

A day earlier, the government had decided to shift its buildings to solar power as soon as possible.

A meeting of the Task Force on Solar Energy, chaired by its Convener Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, had reviewed various measures to increase solar energy production in the country.

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb and other members of the task force were in attendance.

In a statement, Marriyum had said that the government was taking practical steps to facilitate the process of public access to green power under the vision of PM Shehbaz.

“Work on solar energy projects has started to make PM's dream of a clean and green Pakistan a reality,” she had said, adding that it was decided to install solar plants in areas where electricity was being subsidised.