ISLAMABAD:A spokesperson of the Ministry of Energy on Friday dismissed K-Electric (KE) claims attributing prolonged power outages in Karachi to a shortage of furnace oil in the market, saying the power utility’s system constraints were a major hurdle in resolving the issue.
In a statement, the spokesperson of the Energy Ministry said ‘it is unfortunate to note that KE didn’t invest in upgrading its systems due to which it is facing difficulties at a time of peak demand.
The statement said the federal government is ready to extend all available support for the provision of uninterrupted power supply to the residents of Karachi. It said the federal government was providing 800MW of electricity to KE and was ready to provide an additional 500MW.
It said, “KE system physical constraints are a major hurdle in taking additional electricity. It clearly indicates that system upgradation has not taken place at the appropriate level and with appropriate investment.”
It said the federal cabinet, keeping in view the general welfare of the people living in the metropolis, had approved the provision of an additional 1,100MW from the national grid. “However, KE’s system is not able to absorb the additional electricity at present and upgradation will go on until 2022-2023 to fully take the additional supply.”
The statement said Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) was available, but only a limited amount was being taken by the power utility due to Article 158 of the Constitution. It said Sui Southern Gas Company is providing a total of 250-290 mmcfd of gas including 75-100 mmcfd of LNG.
It said the Petroleum Division has made arrangements for supplying 80 per cent of Pakistan’s residual furnace oil (RFO) production to KE to run its power plants. In addition, the federal government has also made arrangements for supplying 30,000 tons of RFO from storage to immediately fulfill KE’s requirements, the statement added.
It said the federal cabinet had also allowed Pakistan State Oil to float a tender for purchasing RFO for the power utility, adding that it had also approved the allocation of 150 mmcfd of LNG for KE’s new plants. “This clearly indicates that the federal government has gone out of its way to provide support to KE and the people of Karachi besides running industries and businesses,” the statement said.