12-hour power outages for industrial zones in Karachi

Karachi’s industrial zones face power outage increases by the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation.

KARACHI: Karachi’s industrial zones have been thrown into darkness as the duration of daily power outages has once again been increased by the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC).

According to KESC spokesperson Amir Abbasi, the power distributor has decided to implement three four hour slots of power outages in all industrial zones of the city. “This schedule will continue till SSGC resumes normal gas supply,” said Abbasi.

The Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) has restricted gas supply to KESC to 80 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) against 160 mmcfd previously being provided to the power distribution company. Supply will remain restricted until November 4, due to closure of the Zamzama gas field for annual maintenance.

SSGC officials told The Express Tribune that KESC was informed about the maintenance plans well in advance. “They can make up the difference in their own requirements by using furnace oil,” contended SSGC spokesperson Inayatullah Ismail. “Supply has been restricted because we do not have adequate gas. It has nothing to do with the fact that KESC has not paid its dues pending towards SSGC,” he explained.

An SSGC official confirmed that about 785 mmcfd of gas were being received by the company since Tuesday night against the 989 mmcfd being received before the Zamzama field was closed.

Gas supply to Jamshoro power plant has been suspended since Tuesday, while Quetta and Kotri power plants are receiving only 3 mmcfd and 13 mmcfd against their usual supply of 10 mmcfd and 30 mmcfd, respectively.

Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (Kanupp), which normally supplies about 80 megawatts of electricity to KESC, has also been offline since Sunday when technical problems at the plant forced shut down.

Meanwhile, KESC officials contend that they have not been told when the supply will resume. For now, the distributor has enhanced power outages for industrial, commercial as well as some residential users.

“Domestic and commercial areas will see four cycles of power outages for two hours and twenty minutes each on a rotational basis,” said the spokesperson. “Medium-loss areas will undergo four spells of 1.25 hours each, while low-loss areas will have supply suspended for three cycles of one hour each.”

Published in The Express Tribune, October 28^th, 2010.