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Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Electricity distribution formula needs continuous revision, SC told

By Hasnaat Malik

ISLAMABAD: All the stakeholders including Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and experts of power sector have agreed that electricity distribution formula needs to be continuously reviewed because equitable distribution is linked to a number of factors.
In response to the Supreme Court’s June 10 order, Attorney General of Pakistan Munir A. Malik has submitted a report after holding a consultative session with all the stakeholders including SNGPL and experts in the field for equitable distribution of electricity between various groupings of consumers.
The AGP submitted in the SC that the distribution formula needs to be continuously revised and appropriate adjustment needs to be made.
He also said that all participants were agreed that equitable distribution to industrial and domestic consumers was linked to various factors including payments of electricity bills, prevailing weather conditions, level of discomfort, the nature of industrial process, the supply or non-supply of gas, effect on employment and binding contracts, whether export orders are involved.
The AG said that there was no mechanism to determine the amount of electricity drawn by distribution companies (Discos) from the national grid.
He also reported that the current average power generation per day in the country is recorded at 10,483 MW saying NTDC distributes almost all the electricity to Discos in proportion to their respective connected loads.
He told the SC that during the meeting it was suggested that electricity supply should be continued for four hours to strengthen the manufacturing sector, adding that ministry of water and power shall prepare load shedding plans based on different permutation as the hours of domestic load shedding and industrial load shedding.
“The Ministry of Water and Power places the maximum peak demand at 17,211 MW (thus shortage of 6728 MW) but these figures are disputed by APTMA. The Ministry of Water and Power bases its figures on the generation figures of 2006 when there was no load shedding while APTMA contends that the peak demand is currently the same as it was in January 2013 when there was less load shedding (about 4 hours only),” the report said.
The AGP reported, “the Ministry of Water and Power maintains that if the regional representatives of APTMA (industry operation in particular areas) approach the Discos that supplies them electricity, it may be possible to obtain some more relief against load shedding with in the parameters of the supply allocated to the Discos.”
A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry will hear the suo motu case on unprecedented load shedding in the country today (Wednesday).

 

Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk

 

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