ISLAMABAD - Federal Minister for Power Khurram Dastgir Khan Wednesday said that zero loadshedding was being carried out for industrial sector across the country. The minister while addressing a press conference here said that only three and a half hour load management was being carried out on around 84 percent feeders across the country. The power load-shedding would gradually decrease and the people would witness visible reduction in it by next month.
Sharing data of June 7, the minister said the total power generation was recorded as 22,010 MW against the peak demand of 26,227 MW while the shortfall was stood at around 4,000 MW. He said around three and half hour load management was carried out on feeders of category 1 and 2 having less than 20 per cent losses.
He also said that the government is evolving a strategy for provision of upto5-kw solar system to salaried class on installment and switching over the government buildings to solar.
The government will protect the consumers using up to 200/units from base tariff hike, proposed by NEPRA. In reply to a question on base tariff increase of Rs 7.91/unit, the minister said that the tariff increase will be as per the subsidy to be fixed by the finance ministry in the next budget. However he said that there will be no increase for the consumers using up to 200/units.
Khurram said that several proposals are under consideration for the encouragement of solar electricity, which includes tax relief on solar equipments, providing solar system on easy installment and switching over the government building from grid to solar system.
He said that government will withdraw the 17pc GST from solar equipments and the announcement in this regard will be made in the next budget. Similarly he said that the proposal to provide solar system of up to 5kw on easy installment to the people who are receiving their salaries through cheques. Another proposal of switching government building to solar is also under consideration. The pilot project in this regard will be started from the Federal Capital’s government owned buildings. The government’s electricity cost could be reduced, he added.
He said that people are confused between installed generation and effective capacity. The effective capacity is 23000MW, while the installed capacity is higher but it is expensive and unaffordable.
For me the power plant that is generating electricity at Rs 60/unit is not installed capacity, the minister added. By the end of this month we expect K2 nuclear power plant, which is currently under refueling process, will come online. We will get its full 1100MW capacity in system. Similarly Coal power plants will also be operational by the end of the ongoing month.
Currently the hydle generation is 3696 MW, which was technically required to be 4500MW during this season, he said. “Our focus is on the operationalisation of 4th RLNG based power plant, with the capacity of 1200MW at Trimmu. It was required to come to the system three years ago, but was not completed. We want to make it operational during the ongoing year, he added. Similarly 1200 MW Shinghai coal power plant at Thar, which was due one year ago, is still not operationalised. “Efforts are underway to bring it online soon,’ he added.
While giving the future policy statement the minister said, “No new imported fuel based power plant will be installed in Pakistan.” Even in the current installed capacity only efficient power plants will be used for power generation and the inefficient and expensive power plants will be phased out.
“We require massive investment in solar power generation before 2030 at least for the installation of 10000 -MW capacity,” the minister said. Affordability is the main concern, and will protect life line consumers from the electricity tariff hike, the minister said.
We have generated more electricity as compared to previous year, but the demand is also rising.
To save electricity various measures are under consideration and will be announced soon.
In reply to a query the minister said that high loss feeder is challenge, we are working on various solutions, the first solution is to bifurcate various feeders. If possible, the feeders with the concentration of paying consumers will be separated from the non-paying or loss making consumers. “We want to provide electricity to paying consumers”.
We don’t want to deprive our brothers and sisters on the name of high loss feeder,” he said. “We have the effective capacity of 23000-MW, we will add 3000-MW by the end of the ongoing year. By next summer we will have effective capacity of 26000 MW,” he replied to a question.
Sharing data of June 7, the minister said the total power generation was recorded as 22,010 MW against the peak demand of 26,227 MW while the shortfall was stood at around 4,000 MW. He said around three and half hour load management was carried out on feeders of category 1 and 2 having less than 20 per cent losses.
He also said that the government is evolving a strategy for provision of upto5-kw solar system to salaried class on installment and switching over the government buildings to solar.
The government will protect the consumers using up to 200/units from base tariff hike, proposed by NEPRA. In reply to a question on base tariff increase of Rs 7.91/unit, the minister said that the tariff increase will be as per the subsidy to be fixed by the finance ministry in the next budget. However he said that there will be no increase for the consumers using up to 200/units.
Khurram said that several proposals are under consideration for the encouragement of solar electricity, which includes tax relief on solar equipments, providing solar system on easy installment and switching over the government building from grid to solar system.
He said that government will withdraw the 17pc GST from solar equipments and the announcement in this regard will be made in the next budget. Similarly he said that the proposal to provide solar system of up to 5kw on easy installment to the people who are receiving their salaries through cheques. Another proposal of switching government building to solar is also under consideration. The pilot project in this regard will be started from the Federal Capital’s government owned buildings. The government’s electricity cost could be reduced, he added.
He said that people are confused between installed generation and effective capacity. The effective capacity is 23000MW, while the installed capacity is higher but it is expensive and unaffordable.
For me the power plant that is generating electricity at Rs 60/unit is not installed capacity, the minister added. By the end of this month we expect K2 nuclear power plant, which is currently under refueling process, will come online. We will get its full 1100MW capacity in system. Similarly Coal power plants will also be operational by the end of the ongoing month.
Currently the hydle generation is 3696 MW, which was technically required to be 4500MW during this season, he said. “Our focus is on the operationalisation of 4th RLNG based power plant, with the capacity of 1200MW at Trimmu. It was required to come to the system three years ago, but was not completed. We want to make it operational during the ongoing year, he added. Similarly 1200 MW Shinghai coal power plant at Thar, which was due one year ago, is still not operationalised. “Efforts are underway to bring it online soon,’ he added.
While giving the future policy statement the minister said, “No new imported fuel based power plant will be installed in Pakistan.” Even in the current installed capacity only efficient power plants will be used for power generation and the inefficient and expensive power plants will be phased out.
“We require massive investment in solar power generation before 2030 at least for the installation of 10000 -MW capacity,” the minister said. Affordability is the main concern, and will protect life line consumers from the electricity tariff hike, the minister said.
We have generated more electricity as compared to previous year, but the demand is also rising.
To save electricity various measures are under consideration and will be announced soon.
In reply to a query the minister said that high loss feeder is challenge, we are working on various solutions, the first solution is to bifurcate various feeders. If possible, the feeders with the concentration of paying consumers will be separated from the non-paying or loss making consumers. “We want to provide electricity to paying consumers”.
We don’t want to deprive our brothers and sisters on the name of high loss feeder,” he said. “We have the effective capacity of 23000-MW, we will add 3000-MW by the end of the ongoing year. By next summer we will have effective capacity of 26000 MW,” he replied to a question.
