'Extreme shortfall in power generation causes major breakdown'

ISLAMABAD: Extreme shortfall in electricity generation said to be major cause of the power breakdown that hit various parts of the country, citing sources, ARY News reported on Monday.

Power generation was lower than 7,000 megawatts, this morning, well-placed sources said.”There was upto 6,000 megawatts”.

“Hydel power generation in the country goes down to 90 percent, while thermal power generation by 70 pct,” according to sources.

Over 12 power plants have been already shutdown over various technical faults, sources shared. “Guddu, Jamshoro, Muzaffargarh power plants were not running”. “Neelum-Jhelum power project of 969 megawatt, has been shut down for last eight months owing to technical problems,” sources said.

Moreover, Nandipur, Haveli Bahadur Shah, Bhikki power plants, facing fuel shortage, generating only 30 percent electricity of their capacity, according to sources.

“Quaid-e-Azam solar power plant generating nominal electricity,” sources further disclosed.

While highlighting the reason of the cross-country power breakdown, sources said that the power load was disbalanced in the north after frequency of Guddu power plant went down in the wee hours of Monday. “An unbalanced load resulted in shutdown of thermal power plants in south of the country,” according to sources.

The power breakdown in the country has also affected water supply in Karachi, Rawalpindi and other areas of the country.

Parts of the country including Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore and Quetta plunged into darkness as a high-tension electricity supply line between Quetta and Guddu caused a major electricity breakdown, according to earlier report.