Karachi July 2 2022: The shortfall in KE territory has increased from an average of 250 MW – 350 MW to almost 450 MW – 500 MW due to rising temperatures and curtailed fuel supply.
Pakistan is facing an escalation of its power crisis after it failed to agree a deal for natural gas supply for this month. Tenders for July scrapped on high price, low participation as Nation is already taking action to tackle widespread blackouts.
State-owned Pakistan LNG Ltd. scrapped a purchase tender for July shipments of liquefied natural gas after it received an offer that would’ve been the most expensive shipment ever delivered to the nation, according to traders with knowledge of the matter. This is the third time this month that Pakistan failed to complete an LNG tender for July, and the country’s inability to purchase fuel threatens to exacerbate electricity shortages just as hotter weather boosts air conditioning and power demand.
Moreover, the shortfall persists round the clock making the nighttime loadshed unavoidable. KE is also facing a power supply constraint due to reduced gas supplies from SSGC, which is down to approximately 90 MMCFD versus the 200 MMCFD gas that was supplied last year. Consequently, two plants in KE’s system, one at SITE and one at Korangi, with a combined generation of 200MW, remain non-operational. The release of KE dues from the government against tariff claims will enable KE to pay fuel suppliers in full and negotiate for more gas.
In light of the ongoing power supply constraints, K-Electric yesterday announced a rationalized loadshed schedule for its customers. The revised schedule is effective July 1, 2022. This step is being taken to provide relief to customers experiencing nighttime loadshed.
Per KE Spokesperson, “This revision in timing is in line with our discussion with various stakeholders including the Ministry of Energy Sindh as well as Commissioner Karachi. We are making every endeavor to seek support in mitigating these issues. Unfortunately, at this time there is a power shortfall at the national level as well as shortage of gas and RLNG in the country. We are grateful to the Sindh Energy Minister Imtiaz Sheikh for his pledge to solicit additional power and gas to further reduce night-time loadshed. In the meanwhile, and due to limited and finite energy sources, we have redistributed the loadshed timings amongst the customers.”
“The updated schedule of the new loadshed regime has been made publicly available on KE’s website. Consumers can use their account numbers to find their individual schedule. KE is also duly communicating to registered consumers via KE’s SMS service. With that said, uninterrupted power supply will continue to feeders powering Karachi’s industrial zones and strategic feeders including those energizing KWSB and strategic installations such as Karachi Airport,” the spokesperson added.
The loadshed schedule in place is applicable on a daily recurring basis. Interruptions in power supply due to necessary maintenance on the network, or due to technical faults should not be equated with loadshed. KE teams remain active to rectify known issues. Any customer facing an outage of more than 30 to 40 minutes outside of their loadshed timings is requested to check their KE Live app for an update on their power status; KE’s call center 118 also remains available 24/7.
With reports of protests being received from across the city, spokesperson KE stated, “This is a difficult time for the country in terms of the power supply situation. Global economic challenges are creating vulnerabilities in the fuel supply chain, which is also affecting K-Electric. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience being caused to our consumers. While we recognize the right to protest, at the same time we request our citizens to maintain peace. Over the last 30 days, various KE offices have been the target of protests, which are impairing KE’s ability to conduct its operations in the city.”
KE continues to closely monitor the system, adjust and communicate any changes as may be necessary. The utility appeals to the citizens of Karachi to limit the impact of the shortages by continuing to reduce the usage of electricity by at least 20% and to switch off all non-essential items.
Sharing a recent power supply update to the city, the KE spokesperson in their message via social media also shared, “Total average power supply in KE’s service territory was around 2900MW on 30th June ,2022.”
ABOUT K-ELECTRIC
K-Electric (KE) is a public listed company incorporated in Pakistan in 1913 as KESC. Privatized in 2005 KE is the only vertically integrated utility in Pakistan supplying electricity within a 6500 km2 territory including Karachi and its adjoining areas. The majority shares (66.4%) of the company are listed in the PSX owned by KES Power, a consortium of investors including Aljomaih Power Limited of Saudi Arabia, National Industries Group (Holding), Kuwait, and the Infrastructure and Growth Capital Fund (IGCF). The Government of Pakistan is also a minority shareholder (24.36%) in the company.
Click here to view the Load-Shed Schedule
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