Prime
Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi today chaired a meeting to review power
generation and demand supply situation in the country here at Prime Minister
Office today.
The meeting reviewed projected
estimates of power generation and the expected demand in the coming four months
i.e. from November 2017 to February 2018.
The Prime Minister was informed the
average demand for the next four months, calculated on the basis of data
received from various discos, stands at around 14452MW while the average net
firm generation after deducting any unforeseen outages from IPPs and Gencos
would remain at 16865MW approximately. It was informed that the projected
surplus for the next four months has been estimated to range between 2400MW to
3400MW approximately.
Taking into account the projected
figures, the Prime Minister directed that less-efficient power plants should be
closed in a phased manner and every effort should be made to convert oil-based
plants to gas in a shortest possible time in view of availability of ample gas
for the power sector.
The conversion of oil-based plants
to gas and maximizing the efficiency of the existing power plants would not
only reduced oil import bill of the country but would also ensure maximum
availability of power, observed the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister also directed
that greater coordination should be ensured between Central Power Purchasing
Agency (CPPA), Private Power & Infrastructure Board (PPIB) and Pakistan LNG
Terminals Limited (PLTL) for ensuring availability and maximum utilization of
gas for the power sector.
The Prime Minister also directed all
relevant stakeholders to increase coordination among themselves for optimum
utilization of the available resources and ensuring maximum efficiency in the
power sector. Decisions on policy matters, said the Prime Minister, should not
be kept lingering as such type of ambivalence creates uncertainty and negative
sentiments for the investors.
Prime Minister also emphasized
timely completion of the ongoing projects and directed the heads of the
relevant organizations to come-up with timelines for the completion of the
ongoing power sector projects.
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