ISLAMABAD, Jun 08 (APP):Federal Minister for Power Engineer Khurram Dastgir on Wednesday said that zero load-shedding was being carried out for industrial sector across the country.
Addressing a press conference here that minister said only three and half hour load management was carried out on around 84 per cent feeders across the country. The power load-shedding would gradually decrease and the people would witnessed visible reduction in it in start of July, he added.
Share 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 4000 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 said maximum generation would be available in next two to three weeks. Expansive and furnace oil based electricity has to add to the national grid system for giving maximum respite to the people, he added.
The minister said arrangement to import coal for power plants have also been done to further reduce the load-shedding in the country.
He expressed the hope that with addition of 600 MW coal based power generation would further reduce load-shedding. K-2 Nuclear power plant which was under refueling process would also start generating 1100 MW which would further help decrease power outage.
Khurram said Karot hydropower project which was delayed due to former PTI government would also start supplying its full generation capacity of 720 MW.
He said unfortunately, currently hydel generation stood at around 3,196 MW due to less water inflow in the rivers. The government was also making all out efforts to made operationalize RLNG based Trimmu power project shorty to further bridge power demand, he said.
The minister said that more electricity was generated in April-May but this year the country witnessed unprecedented power demand during the said period due to sharp increase in temperature.
He said the government has planned various measures including early closure of markets, two weekly off and one day work from home etc to conserve maximum electricity.
He said the past government did not add single megawatt electricity to the system except power projects already started by Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) government under the leadership of Muhammad Nawaz Sharif. More electricity than the demand was generated during the past tenure of PML-N government, he added.
To a question, the minister said the government has decided that no more power plant would set up in the country based on imported fuel in future. Massive investment would be carried out in solar energy in order to increase its share upto 10,000 MW.
To another question, he said that most efficient power plants would also be switched on local based resources while in-efficient and expensive power plants would be gradually phased out.
He expressed the hope that 3000 MW more efficient capacity would be added to the system next year.
