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AS if on cue, the power crisis has returned — soon after the government declared victory in the epic battle against it.
As temperatures have shot up over the last few weeks, the demand for power has surged. But the new system that the PML-N government trotted out as its favourite accomplishment has been unable to keep pace. It turns out that the country’s fuel supply chain cannot keep up with the rapid increase in demand. Owing to the depleted furnace oil stocks following a winter order by the prime minister to halt imports of the dirty, expensive fuel in favour of imported LNG, power plants were unable to ramp up generation.
The result was that the power deficit shot up to 7,000MW at its peak, according to ministry sources, which is broadly the same level it hit during the years of severe power shortages. The fact that this happened only days after the government boasted that it had added 13,000MW of new power-generation capacity to the system, more than what was added in the previous 70 years — as per its telling, though not far off the mark — is ironic.
If any further validation were required that it will take far more than raw megawatts to decisively end the chronic power shortages the country has been living with for decades now, then the present circumstances provide it.
Beyond megawatts, the reform of power-sector governance, finances and pricing, as well as a more intelligently thought-out power-sector expansion plan that breaks out of the decades-old thinking of large mega projects towards distributed generation, are among the ideas that will need to be admitted into the policy mainstream. Currently, we are only adding more and more megawatts of generation capacity to a system that is already beleaguered and unable to recover even its own costs, let alone provide for future expansion.
The government can brag all it wants to about adding megawatts, but the fact remains that the country cannot afford, nor manage, the additional generation capacity. Repeated episodes of widespread load-shedding amid plenty are clear reminders of this. The way matters stand, if the power system is run at close to full speed, major problems will arise in either fuel supply or the circular debt, or both. This means that the fundamentals of the power crisis are still with us.
It is too late for the party to address this problem now in the twilight of its term. But as a departing thought, it is worth the while of all political parties to reflect carefully on the institutional reforms needed for making meaningful progress on the long road leading out of the power crisis. Beyond power plants, how do they intend to address the problems of sector liquidity and fuel supply, and encourage distributed generation through renewable energy sources?
Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2018
Comments (12) Closed
PMLN govt fake openings and Lies EXPOSED.
The writer is very right that it is easier to build power plants than to produce electricity from them. The reason is that electricity being a secondary form of energy requires other forms of energy to produce it. It is quite obvious that petroleum is a costly commodity to use, renewable sources are not stable and costly to maintain and are in experimental use in advanced countries only. Coal is our indigenous commodity and is used abundantly by the powerful countries to produce electricity for themselves. But, unfortunately, despite our empty bragging, we cannot use coal for electricity production because the powerful countries forbid us to do so as their petroleum companies will lose an important customer. Even our neighbors have shifted to coal, but we don’t dare do so. It is useless to build new powerhouses without first picking up the courage to use our coal to run them. Meanwhile, load shedding has escalated to a dangerous level (12 hours in our Muzaffargarh feeder) because we do not have money to buy costly oil.
Load-shedding despite megawatts... it is not the megawatts that is the problem it is all about the mega bite... bite the money out of resources is the main problem... only mother nature can afford to waste the electricity we cannot do that... cos in our country it is a novelty...
We do not have the distribution capacity/Network for all the added MWs. Total capacity will remain worthless for many years to come
Inspite of adding so many coal fired power plants , still there is power shortage?
Hope the load-shedding is in PML-N supporter communities. Only by personal suffering will these people learn a lesson to give their votes, keeping in mind the nation's good and not their selfish interests.
There is no denying that further systemic improvements are needed. However, adding power generation capacity was still the right first step. With additional capacity on line, the next tier of system weaknesses are exposed and can be addressed.
No surprise there. PMLN will hold this country by the throat by manipulating fuel supplies as soon as LNG circuits start running in full swing. Khaqan's and Nawaz's massive investments with their Qatari counterparts for this very reason makes absolute sense now.
I am strong believer of economic fundamentals. And o am very confident in my statement.
“There will be no load-shedding if we allow the private sector to address the issue but unfortunately it the government and the politicians - the culprits”
“Government job is to provide subsidized or free utilities to poors who cannot afford buying it from the market on their own because of their limited earnings. Pay taxes”
And in the immediate neighborhood our abrasive neighbor claims to have provided electricity to all it's villages up to the last mile. If in fact, that is he truth unlike the noon leagues' empty boasts, then it would be an important milestone for our subcontinent.
You live in a country bathed in sunshine. Solar panels on as many buildings a possible will help take some of the burden of power generation off the grid. It's time to start thinking people.
"The fact that this happened only days after the government boasted that it had added 13,000MW of new power-generation capacity to the system, more than what was added in the previous 70 years — as per its telling, though not far off the mark — is ironic."
The fact is the government is inaugurating under construction projects to put their name on the plate before elections. Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project is another such example. The project is yet to be completed and our PM has already inaugurated it.