Karachi: Karachi Electric Supply Company has demanded immediate supply of the government’s already committed quota of 276 MMCFD of gas that the Economic Coordination Committee of Federal Cabinet has recently re-approved, and said that the government needed to revise its policy of preferring a few industrial units to about twenty million power users of Karachi.
KESC had been expecting the ECC decisions to be implemented but, contrary to the expected increase in gas supply, SSGC further dropped gas supply to KESC unilaterally on Sunday morning from 160 MMCFD to around 111MMCFD. In the summer of 2010, KESC had received over 200 MMCFD of gas regularly.
KESC understands that any reduction is gas supply for power generation was in effect a move against the life of the Metropolis. KESC maintained that every time SSGC faces any supply issue they find it convenient to curtail KESC’s supply while maintaining regular flow to a few industrial units, a strategy beyond comprehension.
SSGC being a public sector company needs to review its policies keeping public interests supreme. KESC had already been operating at 40 per cent less than its approved quota of 276 MMCFD but this supply was not stable either. The cut by SSGC Sunday caused immediate tripping of several turbines and engines and brought the power generation further down. KESC has still been maintaining previous load shedding plan by using more furnace oil but it would be forced to further extend load shedding duration further for need of fuel.
Gas pressure suddenly decreased at KESC’s Combined Cycle Power Plant Korangi Sunday morning tripping two gas turbines, while at SITE power plant gas pressure went to near zero shutting down more than half of gas engines. From 160 MMCFD that KESC had been receiving till last night, the gas supply came down to 111.
KESC, however, continued to maintain the previous load shedding plan of three, six and eight hours a day in residential and commercial areas, by burning more furnace oil. The KESC believes that all stakeholders and providers of energy sector need to keep the interest of general public supreme and consider their power requirements above the individual interests. The SSGC being a public sector organization also needed to perform its responsibilities in a responsible manner and consider eliminating the unilateral style that proves against the interests of the general public.
For more information, contact:
Adil Murtaza
Assistant Manager, Media and PR
Karachi Electric Supply Company Limited (KESC)
2nd Floor, State Life Building No 11,
Abdullah Haroon Road, Saddar, Karachi
Tel: +9221 9920 7163
Cell: +92346 822 3641
Email: adil.murtaza@kesc.com.pk