KARACHI: Worst power crisis likely in summer: Delay in import of plant
By Arman Sabir
KARACHI, Dec 28: As the Karachi Electricity Supply Corporation is unlikely to install a new power plant, which was set to be made functional by April next year, the Karachiites may face the worst power crisis during the next summer.
The KESC has claimed it planned to import a combined-cycle power plant to be installed at the Korangi Thermal Power Station and, according to the stated schedule, the plant should be working in April and producing 480 megawatts of electricity.
However, the KESC lags by three months behind its stated schedule and the Karachiites may suffer immensely in the next summer.
Well-placed sources told Dawn that the KESC board of directors at a meeting stopped Siemens the operation and management contractor from importing the proposed power plant as it was a used one and expensive too. Siemens was asked to cancel the deal as the KESC board of directors had asked the firm to import a new plant.
In view of the decision by the KESC corporate heads, Siemens is in a fix over installing a new power plant before the next summer.
At the meeting held here on Thursday with the KESC CEO and representatives of Siemens to review the current power supply situation, Federal Minister for Water and Power Liaquat Ali Jatoi said the purpose of the meeting was to review the KESC's performance and to see whether its management had met its schedule and commitments.
The minister said the problem of power supply was due to an shortage of gas and furnace oil, resulting in the reduced power generation. The KESC is already three months behind its schedule, the federal minister for water and power said.
However, he maintained that the KESC had made assurances that it would make efforts to produce power supply utilising all its capabilities. The KESC told the minister that it would have surplus power available by 2008.
The KESC did not pledge that it would have enough power next summer to avoid power load-shedding. It also did not brief the minister on its plans to improve the network and distribution system, which is too weak to bear an additional power supply as it would result in overheating of the circuits and breakdowns.
Mr Jatoi said that at least four generation units of the KESC were out of order and the KESC management assured him of making available 360mw additional power in a couple of months. He directed the KESC to restore power supply from those plants which were closed for minor maintenance.
The KESC was unable to meet the demand of mere 1,700mw on Wednesday due to the power shortage of 200mw, which forced the utility to resort to power load-shedding. The situation was identical on Thursday. Officials predicted that the power demand in the next summer may rise up to 2,500mw.
He said the government had extended full cooperation to the KESC which was being supplied 600mw electricity from Wapda so that it could augment its power supply.
He asked the KESC to import more power plants by engaging Siemens and the General Electric.
He was of the view that there was a greater need than ever for more power generation plants as demand for power was growing at a rate of 13 per cent. He said Wapda had improved marginally by one percent than the previous year but still it was suffering a loss to the tune of Rs80 billion.
The minister appealed to the people across the country to use electricity with austerity, especially during the peak hours. Besides, he urged the people to avoid power theft and get legal connections. He said people would be helped in getting legal connections with payment to be made in instalments.
Mr Jatoi said both the president and the prime minister were keen to see the privatisation of the KESC a success for which the KESC was given a subsidy of Rs4 billion.
The meeting was attended by senior KESC and Wapda officials, including the CEO of the KESC.
