LAHORE: The Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) curtailed on Tuesday gas supply to industries in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following a shortfall of about 500mmcfd (million cubic feet per day) in domestic and commercial sectors against a total demand of 2,500mmcfd in the two provinces.

The SNGPL authorities also indicated a shortfall of 800-900mmcfd in the days to come, raising the alarm about loadshedding and low gas pressure in domestic and commercial sectors of the two provinces.

“We have asked the dyeing, ghee, chemical, sizing and steel units to either switch to re-gasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) or LNG or other alternative sources of energy because the SNGPL will not be able to provide them gas from Tuesday, following a shortfall of about 500mmcfd in the system. We have to ensure frequent gas supply to other essential sectors, especially domestic consumers, in Punjab and KP,” SNGPL Managing Director Amjad Latif said.

Meanwhile, former president of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry Mian Anjum Nisar criticised the government for not taking appropriate measures to keep the wheel of the industry running, which provided jobs to a large number of people.

“I just ask them (the government) why they are going to eliminate the industry in Punjab. Why don’t they take steps to import more and more LNG/RLNG and set up more terminals to meet the gas shortage the industry continues to face,” Mr Nisar wondered. He appealed to the prime minister to save Punjab’s industry by ensuring it gas supply through imported LNG/RLNG or indigenous gas.

According to the SNGPL authorities, the total gas demand of all sectors in Punjab and KP at present stands at 2500mmcfd — over 700mmcfd for domestic consumers and 100mmcfd for the commercial sector. “Besides this, the CNG, textile and fertiliser sectors are being provided 50, 300 and 125mmcfd of gas, respectively. The power sector is getting about 700mmcfd,” the SNGPL managing director said.

Mr Latif told Dawn that the total gas demand included 450mmcfd imported LNG/RLNG being supplied to the industry — 300mmcfd to textile and fertiliser sectors, 100mmcfd to Rosch and Fauji power plants in Kabirwala (Khanewal) and 50mmcfd to the CNG sector.

“Keeping in view the available sources, we have only curtailed 50mmcfd of gas to 20 per cent of the total industry that is exclusively using indigenous gas. And we have told them clearly to shift to RLNG/LNG like other industries or use any other alternative fuel during winter,” he explained.

The SNGPL chief said that since Punjab had not been producing even a single unit of gas, its domestic and commercial sectors might face low gas pressure in night hours. There would be no gas loadshedding in the industry using LNG or RLNG, he added.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Pakistan Textile Exporters Association (PTEA) said on Tuesday that at the request of the association, the SNGPL chief had directed regional offices to supply system’s gas to textile units (both industrial and captive connections) till Nov 21 with 100pc load.

“Members (of the association) are requested to use gas accordingly. Those interested in RLNG allocation may apply for the same through the PTEA,” the spokesman said in a statement.

Published in Dawn November 16th, 2016