Business

Electricity transmission restored across country: Power Division

Published

2 years ago

Farwa

An accidental fault had triggered an almost day-long power outage in the Southern parts of Pakistan.
The fault could not be fixed despite passing of more than 24 hours since it was detected.
Power Division says only routine power load-shedding is being carried out in country.

LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: After an almost day-long outage, the Power Division on Friday said that electricity transmission and generation have been restored across the country adding that only routine power load-shedding is being carried.

“Electricity transmission and generation have been restored across Pakistan including restoration of full supply from national grid to Karachi,” the division said in a statement.

Power outage yet to be controlled

Earlier today, sources within the National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) had said that the countrywide power crisis, caused due to an “accidental fault” in the national grid, had not been controlled yet.

Sources in the NTDC said that it was a major breakdown and could not be controlled even after 24 hours as the authorities have yet to identify the fault.

The sources added that cities have been facing four hours of loadshedding while rural areas are suffering from a 12-hour-long power outage.

Meanwhile, power plants have not been fully energised and the country still faces a 4,500MW power shortfall while the frequency fluctuation is making things more complex.

The electricity is being restored from the power plants slowly to the system, said the sources. They added that this is the 16th breakdown in the last 10 years.

Large parts of the country were in dark for more than 12 hours on Thursday after a fault was detected in the national grid’s southern transmission system.

Energy Minister Khurram Dastagir said that an “accidental fault” triggered the breakdown and announced the establishment of a committee to probe the matter and submit a report within four days.

‘Power supply will improve’

Meanwhile, the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) spokesperson said that the electricity demand in the region is 1,280MW while the national grid is supplying 1,080MW.

Once the electricity supply is back to normal, the situation will improve, said the spokesperson.

‘Power supply stabilised in Karachi’

In a statement, K-Electric said that the supply of electricity in Karachi was restored in a phase-wise manner.

KE began phase-wise restoration efforts with first priority on strategic installations such as KWSB pumping stations, airports, and hospitals, said the power utility.

Later, the supply was diverted to residential areas including but not limited to PECHS, Orangi, Lyari, Ibrahim Hyderi, Nazimabad, and Defence Housing Authority.

The technical constraints at the national grid may persist over the next 48 hours and to manage the constraints, KE may temporarily curtail power supply to industrial zones during nighttime hours to facilitate residential areas.

The power supply company said it may also have to conduct loadshedding.

Business

Irfan Siddiqui meets with the PM and informs him about the Senate performance of the parliamentary party.

Published

1 day ago

Farwa

The head of the Senate’s Foreign Affairs Standing Committee and the PML-N’s parliamentary leader paid Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif a visit in Islamabad.

Senator Irfan Siddiqui gave the Prime Minister an update on the Parliamentary Party’s Senate performance.

Additionally, Senator Irfan Siddiqui gave the Prime Minister an update on the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs’ performance.

He complimented the Prime Minister on his outstanding efforts to bring Pakistan’s economy back on track and meet its economic objectives.

Business

SIFC Increases Direct Foreign Investment: Investment in the Energy Sector Rises by 120%

Published

1 day ago

Farwa

The Special Investment Facilitation Council is intended to help Pakistan’s energy sector attract $585.6 million in direct foreign investment in 2024–2025. The amount invested at the same time previous year was $266.3 million.

This is a notable 120% rise, mostly due to investments in gas exploration, oil, and power. Such expansion indicates heightened investor confidence and emphasizes the development potential in important areas.

The State Bank reports that foreign investment in other vital industries has increased by 48% to $771 million.

This advancement is a blatant testament to SIFC’s efficient investment procedure and quick project execution.

The purpose of the Special Investment Facilitation Council is to establish Pakistan as an investment hub by aggressively promoting regional trade and investment in the energy sector and other critical industries.

Business

Discos report losses of Rs239 billion.

Published

1 day ago

Farwa

When compared to the same period last year, the data indicates that discos have decreased their losses in the first quarter of the current fiscal year.

The distribution businesses recorded losses of Rs239 billion in the first three months of the current fiscal year, a substantial decrease from the Rs308 billion losses sustained during the same period the previous year.

Additionally, the distribution businesses’ rate of recovery has improved. It has increased to 91% in the first quarter of this year from 84% in the same period last year, indicating success in revenue collection.

Regarding circular debt, the Power division observed a notable change. Last year, between July and October, the circular debt grew by Rs301 billion. Nonetheless, this year’s first four months saw a relatively modest increase in circular debt, totaling about Rs11 billion.

These enhancements show promising developments in the electricity sector’s financial health in Pakistan, where initiatives are being made to accelerate recovery rates and slow the expansion of circular debt.