KARACHI, Dec 29: The KESC’s private management decided not to spend funds on purchasing furnace oil to augment its current (and dangerously low) power generation levels, leaving citizens to spend yet another day with, in some cases, more than 10 hours without electricity on Monday.

Many areas of the city remained in the dark as the utility failed to take measures to remove faults created by the tripping of overloaded feeders. Others underwent multiple rounds of announced and unannounced load-shedding.

Consumers complained of indifference on the part of the utility and expressed anger at the fluctuation in supply causing faults in household electronic equipment such as televisions and computers. The breaks in supply have led, in some cases, to the loss of crucial digital data on computer systems at businesses and homes.

The areas worst hit by outages on Monday include Malir, Landhi, Korangi, Orangi, North Nazimabad, North Karachi, Lyari, Keamari and parts of Defence and Clifton. The situation in Gulshan-i-Iqbal (especially in Block 4-A), parts of Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Safoora Goth, and Federal B Area is also dire.

When contacted, the KESC spokesperson blamed under-frequency on Wapda’s end for knocking out KESC’s system. But sources at Wapda refuted the KESC’s allegations, claiming that power was being supplied at the correct frequency. They asserted that Wapda’s supply to KESC was oscillating between 600MW and 720MW. The sources clarified that the KESC received 495MW at just one point, and that Wapda monitors supply to the KESC every 15 minutes. Sources indicate that the KESC received 610MW from Wapda as of 2.15pm.

The problem also lies with the KESC’s generating capacity. While the Bin Qasim Power Plant has an installed capacity of 1,260MW, on Monday it generated just 410MW. Unit I was shut down, while units III and IV were not operational due to a lack of funds for fuel. Unit II generated 70MW, unit V 190MW and unit VI 150MW. The management of the KESC has not pumped any funds into the company in order to purchase furnace oil for the non-operational units.

The KESC’s spokesperson claims that the utility is facing a shortfall of 200MW, but insiders put the deficit at 500MW.

Sources at the KESC maintain that the KESC management has not only refused to use its own funds to operate the generation plants, it has also failed to act on the recommendations of a technical committee constituted by the previous government. They said the new management is responsible for the declining generation because it is evident that heat rates and unit-wise capacities have deteriorated considerably in recent months.

Technical committee findings

The sources added that the new management cannot blame the old for these issues, as Abaraj had been covertly managing the KESC’s affairs while Aljomaih was in charge.

According to the technical committee’s report, during year 2006 the gross heat rate (BTU/kWh) of unit IV of the Bin Qasim plant went as high as 12,072, against a designed heat rate of 9,058. The gross heat rate of unit IV of KTPS was as high as 14,257 against a designed heat rate of 9,400. Similarly, the heat rate of unit II of SITE GTPS was observed as being 16,805 against a designed heat rate of 14,465. The technical committee had observed that these figures show that the performance of the plants is not satisfactory.

The ratio of forced shutdowns was also too high compared to those of planned shut downs. The committee had also noted that the major overhauling at units I, II, III, IV and V of Bin Qasim was carried out after 15years from the date of its commercial operation. Similarly, the major overhauling of the turbo generator and boiler modification work of oil firing at unit III of KTPS was carried out after 13 years of its commissioning. It noted that predicted maintenance/major overhauling is not being carried out when it should be.

It may be pointed out that according to the official findings of the technical committee on the KESC, the utility “sustained tremendous financial losses besides customers’ annoyance on account of unnecessary breakdowns of supply and damaging of grid stations/transformers etc; merely due to poor maintenance and lack of knowledge.”

Meanwhile, the business community has declared that a 22 per cent increase in tariffs is not acceptable. During an emergency meeting of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), businessmen demanded that the government immediately do away with the ‘slab system’ on commercial tariffs.