Government is still unclear about the real cause of power breakdown all over Pakistan. Authorities have admitted that they are still unable to locate the exact reason for the power shutdown even after passing 48 hours.
Khurram Dastgir from the Ministry of Power is going to ask the power division for a complete audit of the whole infrastructure and transmission lines including the aspect that if any hacking attempt was done.
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Speaking to a press conference on Tuesday, he said that after yesterday’s breakdown, all energy had been fully restored and that all 1112 of the country’s grid stations were operational.
He stated that load shedding would occur within the next 48 hours since coal and nuclear power plants need up to 48 hours to operate at full capacity before the KE system is also restored.
Dastgir stated, “We are still unable to identify the technical defect in the power system,” and added that any outside intervention, such as hacking, would be looked into.
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According to him, the goal of the audit is to geographically confine the defect; it shouldn’t spread as it did on Monday.
He claimed that the Prime Minister had appointed a three-person committee, chaired by State Minister of State for Petroleum Musadik Masood Malik, to look into the situation and submit a preliminary report within seven days.
He claimed that the Power Division and its affiliated organizations are fully cooperating with the Committee.
He claimed that the necessary information for creating an accurate and logical report had also been given to the Committee. The Minister added that further investigation is necessary to determine the precise reason for the transmission system issue.
However, a separate inquiry into this aspect has been undertaken to ensure that there was no intervention given the existing cyber system, Khan claimed. “At the moment, the majority of the system is not functioning on computers due to which the possibilities of any outside involvement are scarce.
The North and South transmission line encountered a technical issue at 7:30 AM yesterday, but the precise cause has not yet been identified, according to the Energy Minister.
According to Dastgir, the procedure to integrate the nuclear power plants in Karachi and Chashma into the grid would take 48 to 72 hours, and it has already begun.
The coal power plants also need 48 hours. The coal-fired power plants in Sahiwal and EngroThar are now coordinated and will shortly begin to generate electricity.
The industrial sector will be excused from load shedding because of the minister’s prediction that there may be some electricity shortages over the next 48 hours.
According to Dastgir, the country’s peak demand in the winter is 8,600 MW while it surpasses 30000 MW in the summer. He continued by saying that the previous administration did not spend sufficiently on the transmission infrastructure. He claimed that Pakistan’s system is built to handle 30,000 MW.
In the winter, he continued, “we only operate the least expensive facilities that can supply the nation’s demand.”
The Minister added that steps will be taken to further divide separate locations once the safety audit of the transmission system was finished, ensuring that any faults would stay contained to a specific area.
He fully credited PML Supremo Nawaz Sharif for building and enhancing the nation’s infrastructure, which includes generation and nuclear power plants in Karachi as well as transmission lines like the Lahore-Matiari transmission line.
According to the energy minister, there is no fuel scarcity and there is enough fuel available to produce enough electricity that the transmission system is safe from this disruption.
According to the current government’s policy, industrial consumers would be spared from electricity load-shedding.
According to information, 96 of the 111 grid stations of the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) have had their electricity restored, while 86 of the 176 grid stations of the Lahore Electric Supply Company have had their electricity restored (LESCO).
Out of the 113 grid stations that make up Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO), 40 have had their electricity restored. More than 50 of Multan Electric Power Company’s (MEPCO) 138 grid stations have had their electricity restored.
The National Transmission and Dispatch Company, Electricity Division, and WAPDA’s efforts to restore the power supply were praised by the energy minister.
In response to an inquiry, the minister stated that Rana Abdul Jabbar had been the NTDC’s MD for six months and that his position had been terminated as of January 7, 2023. According to established procedures, a new MD would be appointed soon, he added.
He added that the Power Division is aware of various concerns over the selection of DMD NTDC, Ali Zain Banatwala, and that appropriate action will be taken in this regard. In response to a different query, the Minister stated that while KE’s system has significantly improved in terms of transmission and distribution, it has not improved in terms of generation, as a result of which the power utility relies on the national grid for 1000–1100 MW of electricity.
He claimed that because KE’s plans to increase its generation capacity fell through, Karachi’s consumers are suffering.