Under Prime Minister Shahid Khaqaan Abbasi’s directive of closing down power plants running on expensive furnace oil and tripping of plants due to smog in Punjab, some 7000 MW of power generation resources have gone offline, we have checked with sources.
With this huge power supply demand, a country wide load shedding of 8 to 10 hours is being observed.
Sources in Power Division has revealed that today’s peak demand both in urban and rural areas is hovering around 16, 000 MW whereas the generation is hovering around 9, 000 MW, leaving a power demand supply gap of 7000 MW in the national grid.
Under the directions of federal government, the power sector closed all expensive furnace oil/ diesel run power plants of a cumulative capacity of 4250 MW. These power plants include:
The diesel/furnace oil fired plants from the power sectors also include Nishat power, Nishar Chunian Power, Liberty, Hubco Norwal, Atlas and Kel, of cumulative capacity around 1200 MW, said an official statement issued by the Power Division.
Besides the hydel generation average has also come down to 2700MW against its capacity of 7000MW due to lesser releases of water from reservoirs on provinces’ demand.
The SNGPL has also curtained 200 mmcfd gas supplies due to maintenance between 3rd November to 7th November resulting reduction of 500 MW in the system, the statement added.
The Power Division has directed the NPCC to chalk out a well managed emergency load management plan for 72 hours till restoration of 1200 MW nuclear power plants.
A separate load management plan after the approximate 72 hours based on demand supply situation is also being prepared by the NPCC.
However since the demand is declining with decrease in the temperature, therefore the situation is soon expected to show improvement, the Power Division hoped.
The National Transmission and Distribution system today successfully averted major cascade due to tripping at 11 main 500KV and 220 KV NTDC’s circuits/Grid stations caused by unprecedented severe dense smog in the punjab regions which could have led to blackout in case of non-existence of system protections.
The smog triggered tripping has also led to forced closure of all Chashma Nuclear Power plants (C1, C2, C3, C4) where after necessary technical and security protocol the restoration is in progress and it is expected to get full capacity in approximately 72 hours.
These circuits/grid Stations includes 500kv Multan – DG khan. khan, 500kV Guddo747 circuit tripped along with Multan Bus Bar-1, 500kv Multan-Yousafwala circuit, 220KV Mgarh ph1 _Bhwlpr cct 1 trip @0442hrs, 220kv Multan-Vehari circuits -I & II, 220kv Vehari- Kassowal circuits -I & II, 220kv Kassowal- Yousafwala circuits -I & II, 220kv multan-M/ garh circuit -4, 220kv Multan-Kapco circuit-4 500kv multan- , 220kv Vehari ,kasowal & chishtian Grids and 220kv Yousfwala- Okara circuit.
The Power Division has regretted the inconvenience likely to be caused due to the above mentioned facts and the consumers are requested to kindly adopt energy conservation during few days to minimize load on the system.
The Power Division is closely monitoring the situation and shall continue to pass on information to the consumers, the statement concluded.
