ISLAMABAD: The Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) has announced that gas supply to all general industries (non-export) including their captive power plants across Sindh and Balochistan will be suspended from today in a bid to provide gas to domestic consumers.
The SSGC released a statement in this regard on Friday stating that gas will remain discontinued till further orders; however, zero rated export industry including CPPs along with the fertiliser sector will continue to get utility.
“The volume of gas curtailed from this arrangement would be diverted to domestic customers for them to cater their enhanced gas loads in context of the winter season,” the statement read.
According to a spokesman of SSGCL, the decision has been taken in order make gas available to the domestic and commercial sectors during the current winter season that has seen a major demand-supply gap due a extraordinary spike in fulfilling water and space heating needs in upper Sindh and especially Balochistan that is experiencing extreme temperatures.
It may be mentioned here that gas supply to the CNG sector and CPPs of the non-export industry had earlier been suspended till February 15.
In Balochistan, supply of additional gas is a must for the survival of human lives since it serves a huge population in extremely low temperatures.
“SSGC looks forward to the non export industrial sector for understanding the gravity of the situation and expects its cooperation for serving domestic customers through uninterrupted gas supplies,” the spokesperson Salman Ahmed Siddiqui said.
Siddiqui added that the decision was made in accordance with the Ministry of Energy’s approved gas load management plan.
With the advent of winter season, SSGCL is facing a severe shortage of indigenous gas from producers every passing day, resultantly depleting line pack. At the same time, SSGC is experiencing increased gas consumption in the domestic sector that peaks during winter season and ultimately causes low pressure in the whole system.
SSGCL’s Deputy General Manager, Sohail Mustafa Jaleel, in a letter dated December 10, requested all industrial associations to cease 100 per cent consumption in all general industries (non-export) captive power units operative till further orders in the larger interest of the general public.
“We expect that needed cooperation and support shall be extended to SSGC to pass through this difficult period,” Jaleel said.
Earlier on November 27, SSGCL had cut gas supplies to all CPPs of general industries across the two provinces in adherence to Petroleum Division’s priority order for gas load management.
The discontinuation of supply was exercised under the Gas Sales Agreement (GSA) signed with CPPs, which states that gas will be provided by the company on an ‘as and when available’ basis during March to November each year, adding that the domestic sector tops the list of the petroleum division’s priority.
