LAHORE: Facing a deficit of 1,500 megawatts because of a shortfall in hydel and gas-fired power generation, the Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) on Wednesday started loadshedding for one and a half hours throughout the country.

According to a company official on Wednesday, the current demand was around 11,500MW against a supply of about 10,000MW. The reason behind the shortage, he said, was suspension of gas supply to some units and a decrease in water releases.

Wapda thermal (oil and gas both) units’ production dropped from around 3,000MW to 1,800MW, leaving a shortfall of 1,200MW.

Similarly, hydel generation dropped from a peak in summer to 4,200MW.

“On Wednesday, the Indus River System Authority (Irsa), on the insistence of provinces, further reduced water releases from Tarbela Dam without any prior notice,” said an official of the Pepco. The company was informed that water releases would be reduced from Dec 15.

The company had planned accordingly, and two independent power producers had been told to come online between Dec 14 and Dec 20. But, Irsa had reduced releases from 38,000 cusecs to 25,000 cusecs on Wednesday without prior notice, putting the company in an awkward position, he said. “Water release from Tarbela Lake also affects the Ghazi-Brotha Hydropower Project, reducing the generation.”

Some of the IPPs are also on routine maintenance schedule, and generation has dropped from 5,000MW to 4,000MW.

“Wednesday’s water reduction has still not hit the system but the situation may worsen if the two IPPs — Rouche and AES (Pak-Gen) – do not come on line according to the schedule,” says an official of Wapda’s power wing.

In order to meet the shortage, the power planners have started 90-minute loadshedding – thrice for 30 minutes – throughout the country. They said that they would monitor the situation on a daily basis.

The Indus River System Authority (Irsa), on its part, maintained that it was bound by the provincial advice, and was bound to keep water for irrigation, rather than releasing it for power generation.

An Irsa official said: “Water inflow has dropped to a minimum in almost all rivers and the provinces reduced their demands as they neared annual canal closure after the wheat sowing season. On Wednesday, River Indus had an inflow of 18,400 cusecs, Kabul 8,000 cusecs, Jhelum 6,800 cusecs and Chenab at 6,600 cusecs. The total water inflow amounts to 39,800 cusecs. Tarbella Lake has only 899,000 acre-foot of water while Mangla had 1.31 million acre-foot stored. In such a situation, the authority could hardly afford the luxury of additional releases for power purposes.”

Mujahid Anwer of the SNGPL says that gas supply suspension to power generation units was a routine and pre-planned affair. All such units know when their supplies is likely to be suspended and they plan their maintenance accordingly. No one should be surprised at the gas suspension because it is predictable and duly conveyed. Domesitc consumers are the company’s first priority, while industry is affected every year during December and January period,” he maintained.