Pakistan: Total Power Generation Capacity 19,855. Demand: 14,500 MW. Why the Load Shedding Then?

Life with the current load-shedding is becoming unbearable. There is no relief from the menacingly long spells of power outages is in sight. Cities and towns across the country are facing 14 to 18 hours of unscheduled load shedding and still failing to protest which goes to prove patience of the nation.

There is no plausible explanation from any quarter for the phenomenon. Some official sources say that many of the units are unable to generate power because of absence of gas and oil. Six power plants — Chashma, Orient, Saif, Sapphire, Hallmore and Rouche — had not been generating power for several weeks because of unavailability of gas and oil. Hydel production has dipped causing long hours of power outages in major parts of the country.

Pakistan needs 9500MW of electricity. It is presently facing a shortfall of more than 2500MW.

The industrial sector of any country always plays an instrumental role in not only earning foreign exchange but also in providing job opportunities but unfortunately long hours of load shedding has destroyed each and every thing.

In this age of severe competition when most countries are providing concessions and incentives to their industrial sectors, in Pakistan the picture is bleak because every day we face long hours of load shedding.

Pakistan has three sources of energy, namely hydel, thermal (gas/ steam/ furnace oil) and nuclear.

There are four major power producers in country: WAPDA (Water & Power Development Authority), KESC (Karachi Electric Supply Company), IPPs (Independent Power Producers) and PAEC (Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission).

The break-up of the installed capacity of each of these power producers (as of June-2008) is as follows:

WAPDA

a. WAPDA Hydel
Tarbela                                                                             3478  MW
Mangla                                                                              1000  MW
Ghazi – Barotha                                                              1450   MW
Warsak                                                                                 243  MW
Chashma                                                                              184  MW
Dargai                                                                                     20  MW
Rasul                                                                                       22 MW
Shadi-Waal                                                                            18   MW
Nandi pur                                                                               14  MW
Kurram Garhi                                                                         4  MW
Renala                                                                                       1  MW
Chitral                                                                                       1  MW
Jagran (AK)                                                                           30  MW

 

    Total Hydel                                        ==>                     6,461 MW

 

 

WAPDA Thermal
Gas Turbine Power Station, Shahdra                              59  MW
Steam Power Station, Faisalabad                              132   MW
Gas Turbine Power Station, Faisalabad                   244   MW
Gas Power Station, Multan                                            195   MW
Thermal Power Station, Muzaffargarh                    1350   MW
Thermal Power Station, Guddu                                  1655  MW
Gas Turbine Power Station, Kotri                                174  MW
Thermal Power Station, Jamshoro                              850  MW
Thermal Power Station, Larkana                                  150  MW
Thermal Power Station, Quetta                                       35  MW
Gas Turbine Power Station, Panjgur                              39  MW
Thermal Power Station, Pasni                                          17  MW

    Total Thermal                           ==>                             4811  MW

WAPDA’s Total Hydel + Thermal capacity is  ==>   11,272 MW 

Karachi Electric Supply Company
Thermal Power Station, Korangi                                         316  MW
Gas Turbine Power Station, Korangi                                   80  MW
Gas Turbine Power Station, SITE                                        100  MW
Thermal Power Station, Bin Qasim                                   1260  MW

 

Total (KESC)                                              ==>                   1756  MW

Independent Power Producers (IPPs)
Hub Power Project                                                                    1292 MW
AES Lalpir Ltd, Mahmood Kot Muzaffargar                      362 MW
AES Pak Gen, Mahmood Kot Muzaffargar                          365 MW
Altern Energy Ltd, Attock                                                          29 MW
Fauji Kabirwala Power Company, Khanewal                    157 MW
Gul Ahmad Energy Ltd, Korangi                                            136 MW
Habibullah Coastal Power Limited                                        140 MW
Japan Power Generation, Lahore                                          120 MW
Kohenoor Energy Limited, Lahore                                       131 MW
Liberty Power Limited, Ghotki                                               232 MW
Rousch Power, Khanewal                                                         412 MW
Saba Power Company, Sheikhupura                                    114 MW
Southern Electric Power Company Limited, Raiwind   135 MW
Tapal Energy Limited, Karachi                                               126 MW
Uch Power Limited, Dera Murad Jamali, Nasirabad     586 MW
Attock Gen Limited, Morgah Rawalpindi                           165 MW
Atlas Power, Sheikhupura                                                         225 MW
Engro Energy Limited, Karachi                                              —– MW
Kot Addu Power Company Limited (Privatized)           1638 MW

Total  (IPPs)                                       ===>                        6365 MW

 

 

Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission
KANUPP                                                                                         137  MW
CHASNUPP-1                                                                                325  MW

Total (Nuclear)                                  ===>                       462  MW
 
Hydel electricity generated by WAPDA varies between two extremities, i.e., between minimum of 2,414 MW and maximum of 6,761 MW depending upon the river flow.

Total Power Generation Capacity of Pakistan (including all sources) is 19,855 MW and the electricity demand (as of April 2010) is 14,500 MW and PEPCO is merely generating 10,000 MW.

So it is obvious that these 15-20 hrs power shutdowns in most parts of the country are not because of the lack of generation capacity but due to the incompetency of the present government.

The Power generation companies are not buying furnace oil from PSO by saying they don’t have money to do that but Pakistanis are all paying for electricity that is generated from furnace oil.

This is the reason that top refineries like PRL are operating at 40% of their capacities.

About these ads