Electricity shortfall in the country reaches 8,500 MW

[fd24]

It must be extremely soul destroying to have to live with so much load shedding. I can only imagine how difficult things must be - dont forget we are going to start fasting soon which will add to the hardship if people cant cook. However to take the law into your own hands and create havoc is infuriating and on the verge of being barbaric. This sort of behaviour cannot be tolerated....

 

[sherindian]

pakistans current installed capacity is like 19000 mw. can anyone tell me how many pojects are uc??

 

[VCheng]

It must be extremely soul destroying to have to live with so much load shedding. I can only imagine how difficult things must be - dont forget we are going to start fasting soon which will add to the hardship if people cant cook. However to take the law into your own hands and create havoc is infuriating and on the verge of being barbaric. This sort of behaviour cannot be tolerated....

It would be ironic in the extreme if the holy month that teaches PATIENCE above all has lawless events like this.

 

[p(-)0ENiX]

It must be extremely soul destroying to have to live with so much load shedding. I can only imagine how difficult things must be - dont forget we are going to start fasting soon which will add to the hardship if people cant cook. However to take the law into your own hands and create havoc is infuriating and on the verge of being barbaric. This sort of behaviour cannot be tolerated....

The people I feel sorry for are those honest & hard working men & women trying to raise their families peacefully. I also feel sorry for the children who have to suffer & live lives of misery just because our government & people never had any ambitions to formulate a great & glorious nation.

 

[xataxsata]

pakistans current installed capacity is like 19000 mw. can anyone tell me how many pojects are uc??

Its too low

 

[niaz]

An article by AQ Khan; not really related to the title of the thread but relvant nonetheles:



Much fanfare and no substance Random thoughts

Dr A Q Khan
Monday, June 18, 2012 From Print Edition


We heard tall claims about the Thar Coal Project (5,000 MW for 500 years) and Reko Diq (Rs1.5-billion revenue per day), and now we have the new budget. Tall claims were made before its presentation and it has turned out to be no more than hollow promises. A lot of noise was made about no new taxes being levied, but for all practical purposes, prices of many essential items were raised and the same tactic will be used to increase the cost of electricity, gas and petroleum products. People were hoping for some miracle of relief, but this has turned out to be like wishing for the moon.

The first gift came in the shape of increased, unscheduled load-shedding. Because of this there have been violent demonstrations in many cities and heavy damage has been done to public and private properties. The self-proclaimed successors of Bhutto and Benazir, the present rulers who once shouted themselves hoarse claiming to be custodians of people’s rights and interests, well-wishers and messiahs of the common man, have provided nothing other than load shedding, unemployment, inflation, bullets and baton-charges. Sitting in huge, air-conditioned palaces, they merely hand out lollipops to the poor masses, who have ended up committing suicide, murder, extortions, rape, robbery, dacoities, etc.

Some of the selfish and self-centred politicians and rulers have the common sense to not only mint money for themselves but to also do some good work for the people to at least gain their sympathy and goodwill. The present rulers are least bothered about the troubles and difficulties faced by the common man and have become a curse on the nation. They are under the illusion that their policies of exploiting the graves of Bhutto and Benazir will give them another mandate.

The Indians gave us the example of UP, the most populous province in India where Rahul Gandhi campaigned vigorously, but was beaten by a 38-year-old engineer. The last straw for the Musharraf/Q-League coalition was the flour scandal and for the present rulers it will be load-shedding, inflation and the absence of law and order.

Mr Ghulam Ishaq Khan used to say that the budget, as presented, is just a matter of fudging figures. Goals projected are never achieved and the revenues expected are never recouped. The result is inflation and the printing of billions worth of new notes. Meanwhile, our public representatives live the kind of enviable, luxurious lives which even public servants in Western countries can’t imagine. Daily expenses run into the millions, to say nothing of foreign tours with entourages of almost 100 sycophants. That money could have been used to provide boundary walls and toilets with running water to hundreds of local schools which are now in abysmal conditions.

The biggest source of corruption are the discretionary funds placed at the disposal of the prime minister, the ministry of information, the ministry of interior, the Intelligence Bureau, the FIA, the ISI, etc., which are used for political purchasing, media corruption and making money. If I had any say in the matter, I would make it mandatory for these expenses to be scrutinised by the auditor general and countersigned by the president. Even the numerous support funds have become a big source of corruption and means of minting money. A lot of this illegally minted money will be used in the coming eight or nine months to buy votes and win the elections. There won’t be any auditing or checks and balances. If this huge amount were spent on education or power-generation, it could make a big difference in the progress of the country.

Previous and present governments have all failed to increase the number of tax payers. Since the rich-landlords and politicians-do not pay due taxes, they are not interested in netting other tax evaders and making rules that will make their income taxable. Most of the rich pay less tax than many wage earners or small businessmen, yet they behave as if they were as innocent as newborn babes. Lawyers, doctors, businessmen, etc., usually do not issue receipts. This is how they make their money, but the government does not benefit from it, remains poor and survives only by the suicidal policy of printing more notes. In India we see that the people are poor but the government is rich. More than 150 years ago.

Since the Quaid-e-Azam we have not had any honest, good leaders to run the country. They all looted it in one way or another, Ghulam Ishaq Khan being an exception. Whenever someone new comes, sycophants and people with ulterior motives rush to join him so as to benefit from the looting spree that follows. This practice started in the days of Ghulam Mohammad and has been going on ever since.

We are now not only a failed state, but a dead one too. National debts have broken our back but our rulers behave like the Roman Emperor Nero, who is erroneously reported to have fiddled while Rome was burning. Foreign trips where millions of dollars in donations are pledged, is common practice. While the suicide rate is increasing at an alarming rate, both the rulers and the opposition go hand in hand in continuing their dirty games and the looting goes on unabated. The opposition, meanwhile, is using all fair and unfair means to come to power so as to have an even bigger share in the loot.

The ordinary people have become thoroughly fed up with the current situation and want to get rid of the current politicians. They really don’t want to give any of them another chance. But, unfortunately, our rotten and defective election system is such that it makes the voters helpless. New elections are now just round the corner and there is no guarantee that we will get capable and honest people at the helm of affairs. We can only pray to Allah Almighty to have mercy on us and to give us good leaders.

I have requested this before, and I am requesting it again-please guard the sanctity of your votes, do take part in the elections and help elect good, honest, capable representatives. If we all fail to do so, mark my words, we will one day repent having been born in this country and being its citizens. Our main cities will be bombed by drones, the country will be infiltrated by foreign agents and, to say nothing of roti, kapra aur nmakaan, there will not even be grass to eat.

It will become difficult to find shrouds and burial places and we will be cursing ourselves even more loudly than we are doing today. The rulers are clearly putting the onus on you for electing them, thereby giving them the mandate to rule as the wish. They hold you responsible for their own actions.

Email: dr.a.quadeer.khan@gmail.com

Much fanfare and no substance Random thoughts - Dr A Q Khan

 

[p(-)0ENiX]

PPI​

June 18, 2012​

Water and Power Minister addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Monday. PHOTO: INP

Urban areas to see 8, rural 12 hours of loadshedding: Mukhtar​

ISLAMABAD: Water and Power Minister Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar announced on Monday that loadshedding will be restricted to eight hours in urban areas and 12 hours in the rural areas of the country starting June 18.

Addressing a news conference in Islamabad, the minister expressed hope that the situation will improve soon as a result of the steps taken by the government. The elimination of unscheduled loadshedding is priority of the government, he added.

He further stated that presently the electricity generation is 10,500MW while the demand is 17,500MW. “We are taking steps to enhance production to overcome the power crisis in the country. Water flow in Tarbela will improve during the next few days which would help increase the generation by 1,000MW.”

Commenting on the ongoing violent protests across the country, Mukhtar said that the damage to property in Punjab during protests against loadshedding is a loss to the nation. He vowed action will be taken against those causing loss to national assets and properties according to the law.

He said that additional gas and furnace oil supplies are being provided to power units to generate more electricity, and hoped that loadshedding will be reduced substantially in the next three months.

**********​

 

[BLACKEAGLE]

Electricity is as important as water and food nowadays. But rioting will not help here, your voice has reached the government. Pakistan is going through hard times economically and financially. You have to keep that in mind. You are already a democratic nation in where you can elect your PM and President. I believe internal security comes before food and water. In other words, countries today's economies significantly rely on foreign investments and tourism, and those wouldn't come with lack of security and safe environment which Pakistan unfortunately lacks. I hope you next time elect the one who really represents you.

 

[VelocuR]

Masroor Gilani (AFP)​

Mar 26, 2012​

Energy-starved Pakistan eyes solar power​

MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan — From mosques, to homes and streets, Pakistanis are increasingly seeing the light and realising that year-round sun may be a cheap if partial answer to an enormous energy crisis.

"It's the best thing I bought this winter," says Sardar Azam, a former civil servant retired to a river-side home in Pakistani-administered Kashmir, showing off his water-heating solar geyser installed on the terrace.

"The biggest advantage is that you spend money once and it runs on sunlight which is free," Azam added.

Pakistan needs to produce 16,000 megawatts of electricity a day but only manages 13,000 megawatts, according to the Pakistan Electric Power Company.

The shortfall means that millions endure electricity cuts for up to 16 hours a day, leaving them freezing in winter and sweltering in summer while hitting industry hard, exacerbating a slow-burn recession.

Voters say it is their biggest single concern, secondary to the war against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, and so the government has been increasingly vocal about redressing the problem as it eyes elections within a year.

"I think all our friends are encouraged to understand the real energy crisis that is in Pakistan. We can't afford to be selective of where we receive our energy supply from," Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said this month.

At the time, she was referring to Pakistan's determination to build a pipeline and import gas from Iran, regardless of US threats of sanctions, but the message was clear: on the energy front, Pakistan needs any help it can get.

Arif Allaudin, who heads the Alternate Energy Development Board, would like to see more of that help coming from renewable sources, saying there was a 2.4 million megawatt potential for solar energy alone in Pakistan.

Niaz Ahmed Kathia, director of private company Alternate Energy Systems, said abundant and free sunshine was the answer to Pakistan's energy woes.

"Energy is our biggest issue, more than terrorism, and if we replace our one million tubewell pumps with solar ones, we can save 7,000 megawatts," Kathia told AFP at the demonstration of a solar well in the capital.

The majority of Pakistan's tubewell pumps, which pump out underground water, run on the strained national grid or on diesel power.

There is no pretence that solar power is the only answer, but this month the prime minister ordered the government to provide solar electricity in remote villages far from the national grid.

The government described renewable energy as the "investor's choice" and said the private sector has offered to produce 1,500 megawatts a day.

In the mountains of Kashmir there is no gas pipeline and in the cold winter months electricity bills are prohibitively expensive.

In Azam's hometown of Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, solar panels light up a public park and mosques.

Solar street lights are also being installed slowly in cities such as Rawalpindi, Lahore and Karachi.
Pakistan's first on-grid solar power station, capable of producing 178.9 kilowatts, began test operations in Islamabad this month with a grant of $5.4 million from the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

"It is a seed for thousands more solar power plants," Senator Rukhsana Zuberi, a former chairperson of the Pakistan Engineering Council told AFP.

This winter Pakistan suffered a two billion cubic feet a day shortage of natural gas -- usually the mainstay of millions delivered to homes and industry via pipelines -- sparking protests and forcing factories to lay off labourers.

The trouble is remedial plans are only at an embryonic stage.

"We plan to promote the use of solar geysers as the gas shortage is becoming acute," petroleum and natural resources minister Asim Hussain said.

"The gas companies would install solar water heaters at consumer premises and deduct the amount in installments in the gas bills," he added.

Power generated during sunlight hours can be stored in deep cycle lead acid batteries to power lights, radios, televisions and fans at night.

Norwegian company Telenor says it has set up 50 solar-powered cell sites, mostly in remote areas, capable of reducing 2.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide per site by saving over 940 litres of diesel a month.

Traders say demand has certainly risen. A 170-litre (37-gallon) capacity solar geyser starts from 27,000 rupees ($300) and a 218-litre version for 32,000 rupees as a one-time cost.

"Solar geysers can reduce gas bills considerably. The technology is not only environment friendly but also pocket friendly," said vendor Shakil Ahmed.

This is one, I like to think, it will solve our problems. This cost of 27,000($300) is not expensive and it will be one time for the rest of your life.

 

[VelocuR]

Pakistan never use this coal to solve our crisis.

Coal answer to energy crisis, say experts
June 15 2012

ISLAMABAD: Experts have stressed the need for exploiting the country’s vast coal reserves for producing energy in order to cope with the power crunch that has affected the entire nation, ranging from ordinary people to industries.

The focus should be on large-scale mechanised coal mining to produce various forms of energy from it, they said while speaking at a seminar on “Energy crisis and coal reserves in Pakistan: Potential, problems and prospects” at the Institute of Policy Studies here on Thursday.

They cited corruption, nepotism and poor governance as the main reasons behind the energy crisis and called for measures to tackle the problem.

“We are a nation sitting on second largest coal reserves in the world, but are still facing the worst energy crisis merely because of cumbersome procedures, lack of vision and poor planning,” said Usman Aminuddin, former minister for petroleum and natural resources.

He said 25% of global energy needs were being met through coal and it was being used to produce 41% of electricity produced around the world. Despite Pakistan having 184 billion tons of coal reserves, the second largest in the world after the US, not a single unit of electricity was being produced through this resource, he said.

Answering critics who question the quality of coal present in Pakistan, Aminuddin pointed out that South Africa was meeting 94% of its energy needs with the help of coal, though the quality of its coal was inferior than the coal in Pakistan.

“Technology has developed to an extent that any quality of coal may be processed and brought into use for various purposes. It is not that coal is of no value, in fact the people occupying and influencing the power corridors have made the whole nation hostage to vested interests,” he said.

Referring to recent efforts to utilise Thar coal through under-ground gasification, he was of the view that the technology had been in a ‘pilot stage’ in the US since the 1960s and there were 14 major drawbacks of the technology. Of these, the Americans have been able to address only six so far.

“There are other proven processes and technologies employed around the world, which should be taken into consideration,” he suggested.

He also referred to gel fuel made from molasses, which was the second major fuel source in Africa and could easily be made available to the people of Pakistan as the country was rich in sugarcane with no dearth of sugar mills producing large quantities of molasses as a by-product.

Mirza Hamid Hassan, former secretary of water and power, who was chairing the session, underlined the need for developing mechanised mining infrastructure and the coal so acquired should be brought into multiple uses.

“The whole debate about coal is with reference to power generation, while the potential of this natural resource is much more than that,” he stressed.

He called for attracting foreign investment for coal exploration, which could be ensured only through sound policies and an enabling environment for the investors.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 15th, 2012.

 

[Nishan_101]

The only solution for this GoP was that they should have privatize all of the Power plants completely and they start a BAN on CNG as well as letting the household, Industries and power plants to take gas even in Winter Season and try to go for R&D on Methanol and Bio diesel from Coal taken out from Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab.

 

[ziaulislam]

Its too low

Bangladesh a similar country like Pakistan has installed capcity of only 4700 mw while gas outflow of 2 billion cubic feet

Pakistan has hydral capcity today of 6400MW while thermal capcity of 16,000Mw and gas outflow of 4BCF gas..

india has total installed capcity of 200,000MW with 65% from coal, Pakistan produces ZERO% from coal

today production lies at approx 9,000 MW out of which nearly half is practically free(hydro)..

yet huge subsidy is allocated why?
corruption..line losses are greatest in world approx to 50%



problem can be solved in short term by reducing line losses,importing LPG..however the only real solution is to convert to coal..this will cost approx 2 billion dollars but govt isnt ready to do so, IPPs are going to convert soon with help of Asian development bank(thankfully) but govt power plants wount, its simply more corruption in oil.

lastly this is the average production cost according to WAPDA
water...1rs/unit
IPPs.....9rs/unit(run on oil/gas)
govt power plants...19 rs/unit
govt gas plants 12 rs/unit

average tariff 8rs/unit.
so today govt is approx producing electricity for 5 rs(average of water and IPPs) selling on 8 rs
reason is that half si lost due to theft and corruption.


reason for such high costs in govt sector is only corruption,even the govt admits it.



so if I line losses are dropped to 20% (as was in musharraf era) and if we convert to coal, then we can even export electrcity in next 6 months

also there are two power plants still un operated one is in storage gifted by UAE and anoher is private sector plant in storage due to unavailability of gas




so why does the govt doesnt care?
the reason is that it knows that people vote for corrupt people(unlike other people i suspect PPPP will win agin due to dividing of votes between PML N,PTI and PML Q)

..why should they care if we dont care

 

[Baby Leone]

Bangladesh a similar country like Pakistan has installed capcity of only 4700 mw while gas outflow of 2 billion cubic feet

Pakistan has hydral capcity today of 6400MW while thermal capcity of 16,000Mw and gas outflow of 4BCF gas..

india has total installed capcity of 200,000MW with 65% from coal, Pakistan produces ZERO% from coal

today production lies at approx 9,000 MW out of which nearly half is practically free(hydro)..

yet huge subsidy is allocated why?
corruption..line losses are greatest in world approx to 50%



problem can be solved in short term by reducing line losses,importing LPG..however the only real solution is to convert to coal..this will cost approx 2 billion dollars but govt isnt ready to do so, IPPs are going to convert soon with help of Asian development bank(thankfully) but govt power plants wount, its simply more corruption in oil.

lastly this is the average production cost according to WAPDA
water...1rs/unit
IPPs.....9rs/unit(run on oil/gas)
govt power plants...19 rs/unit
govt gas plants 12 rs/unit

average tariff 8rs/unit.
so today govt is approx producing electricity for 5 rs(average of water and IPPs) selling on 8 rs
reason is that half si lost due to theft and corruption.


reason for such high costs in govt sector is only corruption,even the govt admits it.



so if I line losses are dropped to 20% (as was in musharraf era) and if we convert to coal, then we can even export electrcity in next 6 months

also there are two power plants still un operated one is in storage gifted by UAE and anoher is private sector plant in storage due to unavailability of gas




so why does the govt doesnt care?
the reason is that it knows that people vote for corrupt people(unlike other people i suspect PPPP will win agin due to dividing of votes between PML N,PTI and PML Q)

..why should they care if we dont care

as i said we dont have power shortages only govt wil is required

P.S : why u r even taking this indian seriously? tht u need to give a long reply...?

 

[ziaulislam]

reply was for pakistanis..
one last thing..the capacity of tarbela will be increased to 4,800 MW(again credit goes to world bank they are providing the money!!)
that would be equal to Bangladesh whole capcity in 2010

sorry to say but only dictators have done something in pakistan (mangla,tarbela,even the neelam jehlum)


projects that can be completed in next four years....
adding power plants to warsak (400mw)
kalabagh 4600MW
DASU 4000 MW
bunji 7,100MW (will take 6 years)

so if govt had just allocated the money they did in benazir income support programme(75-150 billion ruppes) above project could have been completed but we know that programe earns votes dams dont ..


projects that are in progress
neelam jehlam pro..900mw
Ilahi project 128 mw
small dams 300mw
tarbela extension 1400 mw
bhasha 4,700 MW

due to our immense capacity and not availing it we have became a laughing stock in whole world

i will give some approval to benazir for IPPS and nawaz sharif for barotha project, though building dam would have been much better he used it upon brotha due to royalities for punjab

 

[AstanoshKhan]

PPI​

June 18, 2012​

Water and Power Minister addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Monday. PHOTO: INP

Urban areas to see 8, rural 12 hours of loadshedding: Mukhtar​

ISLAMABAD: Water and Power Minister Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar announced on Monday that loadshedding will be restricted to eight hours in urban areas and 12 hours in the rural areas of the country starting June 18.

Addressing a news conference in Islamabad, the minister expressed hope that the situation will improve soon as a result of the steps taken by the government. The elimination of unscheduled loadshedding is priority of the government, he added.

He further stated that presently the electricity generation is 10,500MW while the demand is 17,500MW. “We are taking steps to enhance production to overcome the power crisis in the country. Water flow in Tarbela will improve during the next few days which would help increase the generation by 1,000MW.”

Commenting on the ongoing violent protests across the country, Mukhtar said that the damage to property in Punjab during protests against loadshedding is a loss to the nation. He vowed action will be taken against those causing loss to national assets and properties according to the law.

He said that additional gas and furnace oil supplies are being provided to power units to generate more electricity, and hoped that loadshedding will be reduced substantially in the next three months.

**********​

Now an ex defence minister - a renowned playboy is running the bloody ministry now... Raja Pervaiz made a mess he is then transferred to run IT ministry where Pakistan is booming in IT industry under his leadership, Water and Power ministry was then transferred to some other person (forgot his name), now Ahmad Mukhtar is running the ministry... what the hell is going on? Who is our defence minister now?