ISLAMABAD: Following protracted power breakdowns in the country, with Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa being the hardest hit, the government finally took a sigh of relief on Friday as the total generation on the national grid reached 18,904MW for the first time amid a lower demand owing to a slight let-up in the intensity of the heatwave.

The Guddu Thermal Power Station achieved a maximum production of 1,300MW after it received 28 per cent enhanced gas supply from the Kandhkot Gas Field (KGF), and the Nandipur power plant reached its full capacity of operations at 415MW.

A power ministry official said even though the demand for power had not exceeded 23,000MW this year, sustained generation at this level would be sufficient for load management of about 3,500MW with an average of four to five hours of loadshedding, while parking most of the shortfall in high-theft-low-recovery areas.

A spokesperson for the Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) said the company had increased gas supply from the KGF — from 180 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD) to 230MMCFD — and was ready to ramp it up to a further 250 MMCFD if required.

Two other 200MW units at the Guddu power plant are currently being refurbished and would become available in a month to help increase its capacity to about 1,700MW, with utilisation of full gas supplies from KGF, making it the country’s largest power station.

Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2017