April 01, 2008	Tuesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 23, 1429

LAHORE, March 31: The Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) which continues facing over 2,500 megawatt (MW) of power deficit is maintaining five-hour loadshedding schedule in urban and six in rural areas.

According to Pepco officials, occasional dips in hydel power generation and constraints in distribution system were in addition to the given loadshedding schedule.

According to the official schedule, the industry (chemical, pharmaceutical and paper) that cannot be stopped because of technical reasons is getting 24-hour supply. It (the industry) has promised to cut consumption by 25 per cent during peak hours on voluntary basis, which it generally has not been doing except for a few exceptions.

Textile industry is facing two-hour loadshedding and predominantly industrial areas, which also include residential areas, are suffering four-hour loadshedding.

Purely residential urban areas remain in loadshedding grip for five hours and rural ones for six hours.

Officials blamed dip in hydel generation because of poor hydrological conditions for current deficit. On Monday, hydel contribution was only 2,200MW against 4,000MW on March 31 last year.

This reduction of 1,800MW explains the entire situation, they said.

According to official record, the company generates around 10,185MW — 2,200MW hydel, 4,800MW from independent power producers (IPPs), 2,900MW from company's own thermal units and 285MW rental power.

Out of its total generation, it had to provide 300MW to 400MW to the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC), taking its deficit to around 2,500MW.

Officials claimed that it depicted general power situation in the country but occasional dips in power generations forced by squeezing water supplies or any IPP going out of operation due to technical faults were in addition to this prolonged squeeze.

During last three days, Lahore had to absorb additional deficit of 100MW and was forced to resort to another hour of loadshedding, taking the tally to six hours.

The generation keeps fluctuating and company had to adjust almost on hourly basis but overall picture remained the same, they claimed.