Govt to shut CNG stations nationwide for December and January

The government has decided to shut down CNG stations nationwide during the coldest months, December and January, as part of its gas load management strategy.

The Ministry of Petroleum has announced that CNG stations will be closed during these months to manage gas supply effectively, a local news outlet reported.

Officials have stated that gas supply will also be halted for industries that generate electricity from gas during this period.

According to the Ministry, this decision aims to ensure a continuous supply of natural gas to domestic consumers during the winter months.

Consequently, industries across all provinces that rely on gas for electricity generation or have captive power plants will also face gas supply interruptions from December 2024 to January 2025.

These industries will need to rely on electricity provided by utility companies during this time.

The Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) has been instructed to issue orders to shut down CNG stations and disconnect their gas connections from December 1, 2024, to January 31, 2025.

During a meeting chaired by Minister for Petroleum Musadik Malik, it was determined that the annual production of natural gas is experiencing a decline of five percent. As a result, the government will implement gas load management.

Despite ongoing gas production in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), which is similar to Sindh, the decision has been made to keep CNG stations in both provinces closed throughout the first two months of winter.

Earlier this year, federal government called on the K-P government to assist SNGPL in implementing its Winter Gas Load Management Plan. This request follows the refusal of the Peshawar administration to cooperate in suspending natural gas supplies to CNG stations.

SNGPL announced that CNG stations across KP would be without gas for a month and urged local authorities to enforce this decision.

A letter from the energy ministry to the provincial chief secretary stated that the supply to the CNG sector in K-P needed to be curtailed to prioritise household gas supply during the peak winter season.

The letter highlighted the urgency of suspending gas supply to the CNG sector to manage the increased demand during "peak winters." It warned that failure to implement this could lead to severe gas depletion and low pressure across the system, adversely affecting domestic gas supply during the current cold wave.

Additionally, the ministry noted that gas supply to the power sector would also be reduced due to slow river flows resulting from prolonged dry weather. The cooperation of the provincial government was deemed essential for executing the Winter Gas Load Management Plan effectively.

The suspension of gas supply has caused frustration among the public, particularly affecting transport services reliant on gas. Many public transport vehicles were off the roads as gas stations remained closed.