CNG closure planned to provide low-cost gas to K-Electric: sources

KARACHI: In order to provide low-cost gas to K-Electric, the industrial units and filling stations will see the suspension of Combined Natural Gas (CNG) supplies for two days across the Sindh province, citing sources, ARY News reported on Thursday.

Sources told ARY News that the concerned authorities have finalised a plan to make a halt in industrial activities in order to ensure supplies of low-cost gas to the Karachi’s power supply company, K-Electric.

It emerged that the citizens are likely to suffer disruption of CNG supplies for two days in a week as per the plan to overcome the alleged shortage of gas to K-Electric.

Read: Citizens take K-Electric to court over prolonged power cuts, overbilling

The CNG filling stations will remain closed across Sindh on Friday and Saturday, sources added.

By implementing the latest decision, K-Electric is apparently given a chance to get low-cost fuel despite being harshly criticised for making unscheduled and long hours of load shedding. The company was also given a way out from using the expensive fuel for ensuring the uninterrupted electricity supply to Karachiites.

It is pertinent to mention here that K-Electric is already making at least eight-hour load shedding in the industrial sector.

The federal government had decided to provide additional gas supplies on low rates to K-Electric in view of the problems being faced by Karachi citizens.

Read: K-Electric to get more gas for power generation: Omar Ayub

Amid suspension of CNG supplies to industries, the electricity provider will be given an additional 30 mmcfd gas supplies on Friday and Saturday. K-Electric is currently receiving 260 mmcfd gas supplies which will be increased to 290 mmcfd after getting the as additional supplies from Friday.

President SITE Association of Industry, Suleman Chawla, criticised the government’s decision, saying that the industrial units will face a huge loss due to the closure of gas supplies in order to fulfil needs of K-Electric.

Suleman Chawla demanded the federal government to review its decision to prevent the industries from facing a financial loss.

‘Additional electricity to KE’

Earlier in the day, Energy Minister Omar Ayub Khan said that the federal government is providing an additional 100 megawatt of electricity to K-Electric to help end power outages in Karachi.

Responding to a calling attention notice in the National Assembly, he said the government took measures to improve power supply in the country’s financial hub and address the issue of prolonged power cuts.

“We are providing an additional 100 megawatt of electricity to K-electric, which is way more than agreed with it,” he told the house. Besides, he added, 30,000 metric tons of furnace oil and 100 mmcfd gas have been given to the power distributor.

Omar Ayub also said K-Electric will be supplied 30 mmcfd more gas to generate 200 megawatts of power, lamenting that it did not develop its system over years, due to which its power supply system lacked the capacity to take more electricity from the national grid.