960429

KESC facing 350 mw shortfall

A long, powerless

summer in store

for Karachiites

ASHRAF KHAN

KARACHI: Karachiites will be experiencing the worst ever shortage of electricity during the current summer as the metropolis will run short of about 350 mw power per day in the months of July and August as compare to ongoing loadshedding of 198 mw per day.

A Karachi Electricity Supply Corporation (KESC) official told Business Recorder on Wednesday the situation had gone worse as various KESC power plants were generating less power then their average capacity or standing idle due to faults.

In the next month, it is learnt, the power shortfall will go upto 203 mw per day and it will further aggravate in the month of July when the total shortfall will be 348 mw. In August the loadshedding will reach its climax and 351 mw but it will recede to the level of 196 mw in the month of September, the official disclosed.

Adding to the KESC's miseries, Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) has refused to supply power make up KESC's projected shortfall. The KESC official said that KESC had demanded 50 to 60 mw during off-peak hours and 200 mw during peak hours from Wapda for the period of April to October, 1996. He further said that the Wapda was not in a position to export power at least upto the beginning of July. In case power was exported to KESC then loadshedding would be increased in Wapda system correspondingly, he added.

The official said that the projected loadshedding in KESC system, which is much higher than the Wapda's is because of mis-management, negligence in maintenance of existing plants and delay in commissioning of Bin-Qasim Unit-6. In particular the Bin Qasim Unit 1 to 5 with rated capacity of 1050 mw were producing only 846 mw. Despite the commitments given earlier in the meetings chaired by Minister Water and Power, Ghulam Mustafa Khar in October/November, 1995, KESC has not been able to restore full capacity of the units by timely maintenance.

The delay in Bin Qasim Unit-6 beyond June, 1996 has further aggravated the loadshedding situation. One unit of gas turbines at SITE has also been out of commission due to major repair for a considerable period of time. The official opined that KESC's power situation can be alleviated to some extent if purchase of power from KANUPP and Pakistan Steel Mills was increased. However, despite repeated attempts by this reporter, to contact Tanzeem Naqvi, KESC chairman, he was not available on phone.