KARACHI, July 14: The Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) has regretted what it termed the unforeseen situation because of which it could not maintain normal electricity supply on Friday and Saturday. It said that the total power demand of the megapolis was 2,100 megawatts.
''We are awefully sorry for the situation but are helpless at the moment,” KESC’s spokesman said on Friday. “There is a power shortage of 70MW during day peak hours (9am-1pm) (which rises to) 150MW during evening peak hours (7pm-midnight). Meanwhile, KESC would be supplying 1,950MW.”
The spokesman said that sectional shutdown was necessary to “keep the city’s power supply intact otherwise local power stations may trip, discontinuing the supply of electricity, forcing a total blackout”.
“An earlier schedule was not possible because the KESC do not have control over total power production. The utility generates 50 per cent (of the total power required by the city) through its own plants, while the remaining 50 per cent (of the required electricity) is imported from outside sources”, adding that it could not know in advance about a reduction in supplies from “these sources” or the “requirement of a sudden repair work on its own aging machines”.
The spokesman said that under the present situation, local power generation was at a reduced level because of the shut down of one unit each run by both the city’s IPPs and a unit at the Bin Qasim Power Station “for maintenance and repairs”. The rehabilitation of the all the three units would be completed by Sunday afternoon, he hoped.
He said that power imports from one Jamshoro circuit of Wapda are 295MW and for some time “may go upto 300MW; the other circuit is under maintenance”. NTDC-KESC Interconnection (NKI) -- the Hubco-Baldia link was providing 340 MW and could go up to 400MW “as instructed by the NTDC to KESC control”. “Total supplies from the national grid are up to 700MW, while the local generation of the two IPPs and the KESC is around 1,250MW,” he said.
“To meet this shortage, groupwise loadshedding was carried out for one hour on rotational basis, between 9am and 1pm for compensating 70MW shortage, at a time about 35 feeders out of 900 supply feeders at the 52 city grids were shut off. While during the evening peak hours 7pm to midnight to meet the shortage of about 150MW 75 feeder would be shut off for 60 minutes.
“On Saturday, the same schedule would be maintained, as the shortage would persist. However, on Sunday the city’s power demand is reduced by 250 MW (eliminating the need for) loadshedding, while on Monday all generating units would resume power production.” In case of any unexpected shortage necessitated further shutdowns, an announcement would be made by the KESC. — PPI
