By Ali Imran
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar said on Friday that 40 per cent Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) supply system has been restored, whereas, electricity and gas system will get improved from Monday.
Hammad Azhar, while addressing a press conference yesterday, said that Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) was not facing a gas shortage. He admitted that electricity shortfall was witnessed due to shortage of water in Tarbela Dam, however, power production will be increased within two days.
The federal minister criticized that some people tried to politicize the issue of electricity shortfall. He added that the government is overcoming the energy crisis and improvements will be seen in the electricity and gas system from Monday.
He was of the view that power demand rises after the industries made fully functional across the country.
“When we came into power, circular debts were increased Rs450 billion every month which is now reduced up to Rs177 billion.”
“In the next eight years, electricity projects for generating 26,000 megawatts are going to be completed.” Hammad Azhar announced that the government will add 10,000 MW of power to the national grid.
Earlier on June 28, SSGC had announced the suspension of gas supply to CNG stations and non-export sector till July 5 across Sindh.
The SSGC spokesperson said that CNG filling stations in Sindh including the provincial capital Karachi will be closed till July 5.
It added that SSGC is facing a shortfall of 160 MMCFD due to the Annual Turn-Around (ATA) of the KPD gas field which resulted in a decrease in gas availability in line pack and low pressure in the system.
The spokesperson added that all CNG stations including RLNG users in Sindh will remain closed from 8:00 am Tuesday, June 29, 2021, to 8:00 am Monday, July 5, 2021, in compliance with the sectoral priority order of the gas load management.
Moreover, CNG stations will also be closed across Balochistan province till July 5.
The Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) notified the suspension of gas and RLNG supplies to CNG stations, cement and non-export industrial sector in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) under the gas load management.
According to SNGPL, gas and RNLG supply to the said sectors will be suspended from June 29 midnight till July 5, 2021 midnight. It added that Engro Elengy Terminal Private Limited (EETPL) RLNG Terminal 1 will be closed due to unplanned dry dock activities, resulting in a disruption in gas supply.
On June 21, SSGC had announced to suspend gas supply to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) filling stations across Sindh for an unidentified period from June 22 in the wake of the worsening gas crisis in the country.
The suspension announcement came after SSGC has spared itself the responsibility to ensure gas supply to the commercial and domestic sectors on June 19, citing acute shortage in the system and low pressure and asked them to go for an alternative until the crisis is resolved.
Until the gas supply has resumed and the crisis is resolved, SSGC had asked the stakeholders to go for an alternative arrangement to meet their gas requirements as the Kunnar-Pasakhi Deep (KPD) gas field is shut due to the annual maintenance work.
It said things will get better in a few days as for now the accumulation of gas was lower than usual and underlined a shortfall of 177 mmcfd that has affected the gas line pack –the total volume of gas contained within the system.
