Karachi: KESC using 'load-shedding' as political tool

[Naveed Yaseen]

* Utility’s officer says load shedding pressurising PEPCO to increase supply

By Irfan Aligi

KARACHI: Karachi’s residential areas have been suffering unannounced load shedding while in certain areas the load shedding exceeds six hours.

An Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) officer, on condition of anonymity, told Daily Times that the increase in the load shedding duration is artificial and a mere trick to put pressure on the Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) for more supply. This tactic ensures that PEPCO supplies more power on cheaper rates when the citizens of Karachi take to the streets and the media highlights the situation. The increased supply from PEPCO makes KESC retain the self-imposed ban on furnace oil used at power generation units installed at Bin Qasim Thermal Power Station (BQTPS) and it also helps KESC keep at least one of the BQTPS units off the grid, alleged the officer.

A few days ago, unit-4 of BQTPS had been shut for six days causing an acute 190 MW shortfall and now unit-3 has been shut for the last three days resulting in an acute 170 MW shortfall. On Saturday unit-1 and unit-5 generated 180 MW and 190 MW respectively, unit-2 and unit-4 gave 80 MW each while unit-3 was shut, said the officer.

The total shortfall did not exceed 327 MW on Saturday morning and the total power generated was 710 MW. Total generation ranges from 650 MW to 750 MW at BQTPS instead of the actual generating capacity of at least 1,150 MW, claimed the officer.

It is pertinent to mention that unit-4 generated as much as180 and 190 MW last month, which indicates that the unit has been kept below its capacity.

When Daily Times contacted another KESC officer for his comments, he added that the increased duration of load shedding allows the utility to minimise transmission and distribution (TD) losses and if 40 percent of energy is saved through load shedding, 6 percent of TD losses are saved with it.

Saving just one percent of TD losses is equal to saving Rs 800 million a year and the utility easily saves up a total of Rs 4.8 billion in a year.

The officer was asked if the government has gotten a written bond from the present management, Al-Abraj Capital stating that the money saved will be invested in KESC for power generation as the management has claimed that Rs 361 billion will be invested in the utility.

“Actually this money will be used for floating new shares of which Al-Abraj will own 50 percent. KESC’s management will float shares on the behalf of KES Power Ltd, a private firm, which is registered with Cayman’s Island and is the technical owner of KESC, claimed the officer.

KESC corporate communications personnel could not be contacted for KESC’s perspective on this matter.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...008_pg12_3