LAHORE: The Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) on Wednesday has increased loadshedding upto 5 to 7 hours a day amid increase in shortfall. According to the LESCO administration, currently, Lahore is facing a shortfall of 1,000MW and in order to meet the shortfall, loadshedding is being carried out in the provincial capital of Punjab. In urban areas of Punjab, the loadshedding is being carried out between 4 to 5 hours, while rural areas are facing power outages up to 8 hours, a day.
Days earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was informed last Thursday that 27 power plants having a combined generation capacity of more than 7,000 megawatts are out of order due to technical problems or fuel shortages at a time when citizens are faced with power outages across the country.
The Ministry of Energy presented the list these power plants during the briefing and put the blame on the lack of direction and political support for fuel arrangements.
It was explained that nine major power plants with a generation capacity of 3,535MW were not working because of fuel shortages. They include four plants that remain closed due to LNG shortage, two due to furnace oil shortage, one for lower coal inventories and another due to the expiry of a gas supply agreement.
Besides, 18 other plants were not available for a long time due to technical faults and the lack of repair and maintenance. Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, who also held the petroleum ministry portfolio in the past, pointed out during the briefing that there was a complete lack of coordination among the petroleum and power divisions of the energy ministry and the matter should be addressed at the outset on priority instead of wasting time in the blame game. He advised that the power division should immediately come up with its demand forecast to see what could be done immediately in consultation with the petroleum division and follow it up with a mechanism for such planning and arrangements. Prime Minister Sharif requested Mr Abbasi to volunteer his time and expertise and advise the two divisions in this regard because it appeared to be a serious issue and could not be left unaddressed. A source who attended the meeting said the briefing by the energy ministry appeared to be a charge sheet against its past political leaders, as it was explained that there would be no power shortage but plants were shut for fuel and technical constraints. The meeting noted that the previous government did not take timely steps to remove technical faults or arrange spare parts for repair or proper maintenance procedures had not been pursued. Most of the faults were of administrative nature but some also involved policy problems.
The prime minister expressed displeasure over the overall situation and lamented that the citizens had to face extended hours of load-shedding across the country while power plants were shut for one reason or the other, even though these should have been available for generation in these testing times. –Agencies
