Hydel boost eases load shedding

Increased dam releases lift generation to 6,000MW

ISLAMABAD:

A significant mid-April surge in dam discharges lifted hydropower generation, trimming, though not ending, load shedding across the country.

The Power Division on Saturday said hydropower generation rose to 6,000 megawatts during peak hours Friday night, allowing authorities to limit load management despite a surge in electricity demand.

According to a spokesperson, increased water releases from Tarbela Dam during nighttime contributed to the higher hydel output. He said the total installed hydropower capacity stood at around 11,500 megawatts, adding that the improved generation also enhanced the stability of the national grid.

The spokesperson further said that around 500 megawatts of electricity from the southern region was transmitted to the central grid, including an additional 100 megawatts facilitated by improved hydel output.

Despite higher demand, power distribution companies kept load management within one to two hours during peak times, with outages not exceeding two hours due to the increase in hydropower generation.

He clarified that economic load management on high-loss feeders was being carried out as per policy and had no connection with peak-hour load management.

The spokesperson added that power plants with a total capacity of 5,500 megawatts, operating on liquefied natural gas (LNG), were currently not generating electricity due to global supply constraints.

He said that the availability of LNG, along with further increases in water releases, would help eliminate the power shortfall during nighttime hours.