LAHORE: (APP) Country's power system will have an additional quantum of 4000 megawatts (MW), of electricity by this year end, and load-shedding problem would hopefully be resolved completely by January 2018.
Sources in the water and power sector told APP here Wednesday that in year 2013, Pakistan had been facing an accumulative shortfall of 5500 MW of electricity with load-shedding duration of 12 hours each for the industry and urban areas and 14 hours for rural areas.
To a question, they mentioned that efficient policies of the government and strong recovery monitoring, the power sector's recovery rate recorded at 93.4 percent that amounted to additional recovery of Rs 51 billion in 2015, while zero load-shedding on industrial feeders was made possible. The power sector's line losses, which had all the time remained above 19 percent, were reduced to 18 percent last year, they added.
They further said, it was a general perception in the past that Pakistan could not generate more than 15000 MW of electricity, contrary to this, the country's overall power generation reached up to 16866MW in 2015 and 17340 MW in 2017 due to greater focus of the present government on the energy sector.
The sources also mentioned that IPPs with total generation capacity of 8756 megawatts (MW), had been installed by the private sector from 1994 to 2013, but in year 2015 alone, private sector was encouraged and allowed to install power projects having total capacity of 12113 MW.
Similarly, they said, the 2015 also proved historic year with regard to investment in energy sector.
To another query, they said that line losses and circular debt had been increasing up Rs 15 billion per month; asserting that currently circular debt was Rs 320 billion and it would remain at Rs 310 billion this month (August 2016). However, efforts were being put in order to contain and eliminate this debt.
The sources added that in 2015, Water and Power Ministry ensured outstanding payments up to 126 percent to PSO (Pakistan State Oil) as well as to IPPs (Independent Power Producers) that subsequently resolved the fuel problems of power sector.
To a question, they said that foundation stone of Dasu Power Project would be laid by 2016, asserting that new power plants being added to the country's power system had no match in the world with regard to their efficiency.