Power crisis: Balochistan faces 970 MW shortfall, minister informs NA

The demand for electricity has increased by 50% in the past seven years.

ISLAMABAD:

The National Assembly on Wednesday was told that Balochistan was getting 650-700 MW of electricity against the demand of 1,620 MW due to transmission system constraints.

“The total share of electricity of Quetta Electricity Supply Company (QESCO) is 650-700 MW against demand of 1,620 MW, resulting in a shortfall of 970 MW,” Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif said.

He explained that the transmission infrastructure of QESCO has the drawing capacity of only 700 MW and the company runs 650 MW of electricity on its power lines to be on the safe side.

Power outages cut

State Minister for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali told the house that with the addition of 1,700 MW in the national grid power cuts have been decreased from six to eight hours.

Responding to a question he said that the demand of electricity has increased by 50% in the last seven years putting pressure on the available generation capacity.

The state minister added that equitable load-management is being observed in the country as per orders of the Supreme Court.

The government is also reviewing the option to privatise few electricity distribution companies. He said there was no proposal to take administrative control of the privatised Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC).

Alternative energy

Ali said the government pursuing its energy policy was promoting solar, wind, biomass and bagasse based power projects.

Wind power projects were being encouraged in the Gharo-Keti Bandar wind corridor on Sindh’s coastal belt east of Karachi, he said.

Around 16 more projects of 1,230 MW-capacity are going to achieve financial close during 2013-14, he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 22^nd, 2013.