WE BELIEVE that electricity
exists, because its life line of the country and the electric company keeps
sending us bills for it, although we cannot consume it all 24 hours. Pakistan is
in the grip of a serious energy crisis that is affecting all sectors of the
economy and the various segments of the society. Luckily Pakistan has blessed by
many types of resources but lack of attention and sincerity among authority
leaders and concerned department all resources are just for name of
appreciations rather than utilization.
For years, the matter of balancing Pakistan’s demand and supply for electricity
has remained a largely unresolved matter. Pakistan faces a significant challenge
in revamping its network responsible for the supply of electricity.
Pakistan’s energy infrastructure is not well developed, to a certain extent it
is considered to be underdeveloped and poorly managed. Currently the country is
facing severe energy crisis. Even despite the fact that of strong economic
growth, rising energy demand during past decade, no serious efforts have been
made to install new capacity of generation.
Because of rapid demand growth, transmission losses due to outdated
infrastructure, power theft, and seasonal reductions in the availability of
hydropower have worsened the situation. Consequently, the demand exceeds supply
and hence load-shedding is a common phenomenon through power shutdown. The power
cuts during this time amounted to 20 to 22 hours a day mostly in rural or semi
urban cities and even cities likeKarachiis experiencing more than 18 hours of
load shedding.
Pakistan needs around 15,000 to 20,000 MW electricity per day, however,
currently the production is about 11,500 MW per day hence there is a shortfall
of about 4,000 to 9,000 MW per day.
According to an official report of 2004; “the gap between firm supply and peak
hours demand has already been shrunk to three digit (440 MW) during this fiscal
and will slip into negative columns next year (-441 MW) and further intensify to
(-1,457 MW) during the financial year 2006-07”.
The report further maintained that the difference between firm supply and peak
demand is estimated at 5,529 MW by the year 2009-10 when firm electricity supply
will stand at 15,055 MW against peak demand of 20,584 MW. And this is a common
fact of today.
In June 2011, The National Assembly Standing Committee for Water and Power
meeting was told that Mangla Dam would be filled up to 1,210 feet by the end of
this year. This will enhance the water storing capacity of the dam by 0.8
million acres. The Standing Committee further told by Chairman Wapda Shakil
Durrani that load shedding cannot be overcome until 2018 and power demand would
soar to 130,000 megawatt by 2030.
The horrifying earthquake of 2005 and during floods of 2010 power stations,
power distribution and transmission and other energy infrastructures were
damaged. During the recent floods the newly constructed Jinnah hydroelectric
power plant was flooded in addition to severe damages to transmission and
distribution network and installations while several power plants and refineries
were threatened by rising waters and had to be shut down. Natural gas field
output had to be reduced as the flood waters approached the wells.
There has also been some concern by Pakistani nuclear activists over the effect
of natural disasters on nuclear plants especially over the Chashma Nuclear Power
Complex, since the plant lies over a geological fault.
The entire circular debt system has plagued the entire system as banks, PSO,
OGDCL, PPL, POL and refineries are all on the verge of collapse. Intezar Mehdi,
a corporate lawyer and energy expert associated with some foreign investors in
the local power sector said, “Short-sightedness of experts and the government is
not only restricted to the power sector, but also the entire economy is stuck
with it.” Mehdi further added, “The consequences of bad energy and petroleum
policy, or the lack of a holistic view has now been termed as circular debt.”
The electricity prices charged from the end-consumers and its recovery had been
the victim of government’s incompetence and is influenced by the government
ofPakistan’s whims, compulsions and political calculus. As a result, National
Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC) is unable to recover full cost recovery
and surplus, he said.
About the main reason of non-recovery, Mehdi said that one of the reasons for
non-recovery is the non-payment of bills by the customers. However, he said, a
huge chunk could not be recovered due to misreporting, disguised losses and
theft, masqueraded as inflated bills.
Mehdi further added that there is no consistent gas supply for the four gas and
diesel-based IPPs at Muridke, Balloki, Qadirabad and Sheikhupura, which got gas
on rotational basis. The alternative, diesel firing, is apparently worse as the
incremental cash loss is higher, hence, more circular debt.
Need of the hour is in the future, Pakistan must adopt other technologies for
generating power from renewable energy sources, such as municipal waste and
landfill methane geothermal recovery, anaerobic biomass gasification, biological
fuels, fuel cells and ocean waves. “Faith is like electricity. You can’t see it,
but you can see the light.” This is very famous quotation but as now days
electricity shortage is on full boom so how we faith on government for providing
us 24 hours nonstop electricity because to further turn darker Pakistan to
brighter Pakistan which is not in favor of few un seen so called Powers.