ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Friday directed that less-efficient power plants should be closed and oil-based plants should be converted to gas in as soon as possible in view of the availability of ample gas for the power sector.
He said this while chairing a meeting to review power generation and the demand-supply situation in the country here at PM Office.
The meeting reviewed projected estimates of power generation and the expected demand in the coming four months, from November 2017 to February 2018.
The prime minister was informed the average demand for the next four months, calculated on the basis of data received from various discos, stands at around 14452MW while the average net generation after deducting any unforeseen outages from IPPs and Gencos would remain at 16865MW approximately.
It was informed that the projected surplus for the next four months has been estimated to range between 2400MW to 3400MW approximately.
Taking into account the projected figures, the Prime Minister directed that less-efficient power plants should be closed in a phased manner and every effort should be made to convert oil-based plants to gas in a shortest possible time in view of the availability of ample gas for the power sector.
The conversion of oil-based plants to gas and maximising the efficiency of the existing power plants would not only reduced oil import bill of the country but would also ensure maximum availability of power, observed the prime minister.
PM Abbasi also directed all relevant stakeholders that greater coordination among themselves and between Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA), Private Power & Infrastructure Board (PPIB) and Pakistan LNG Terminals Limited (PLTL) should be ensured for optimum utilisation of the available resources and ensuring maximum efficiency in the power sector.
Decisions on policy matters, said the prime minister, should not be kept lingering as such type of ambivalence creates uncertainty and negative sentiments for the investors.
Prime minister also emphasised timely completion of the ongoing projects and directed the heads of the relevant organisations to come-up with timelines for the completion of the ongoing power sector projects.
