Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government suffered a severe blow after a National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) report exposed its tall claims that the existing energy crisis in the country will be overcome by the end of year 2018.

Contrary to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s claims, the NEPRA report says that load shedding will continue to haunt energy-starved country beyond 2018 due to serious problems in the power transmission system.

Sources told Daily Times that the government will have to pay an amount of Rs 1 billion per month to the power plant owners on account of capacity building because the plants are likely to complete by end of 2018 but the transmission and distribution system could not get complete by that time due to slow pace of work.

The PML-N government after taking over in 2013 raised the slogan that it will end load shedding from the country by the end of their term in 2018 but energy experts say that government has added just 200 MW in first three years of their rule while 1500 MW power is being generated from the projects installed by the previous government of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

Sources in the Ministry of Water and Power told Daily Times that zero load shedding across country until 2018 was not possible and that NEPRA report in this regard seems correct on the technical grounds. The government has offered attractive power tariffs to investors and power production companies but paid no attention to power transmission and distribution system, which at present can bear the load of only 16,000 MW. Power experts believe if more power is added to the existing distribution system, it will break down and result in blackout in the country.

Sources say a number of more power plants are likely to be commissioned till the end of next year but the present transmission and distribution system is not in a position to bear the load of electricity to be generated by these plants.

The fate of 969 MW Neelum-Jehlum Hydro Power Project is also in doldrums. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had announced that first turbine of the project would be in operation in December 2016 but, sources said, it was not possible at the moment. The Ministry of Water and Power has now extended the deadline for completion of the first phase to June 2017.

The ministry officials admitted that prime minister’s recent orders regarding reduction in load shedding across country could not be fully implemented. The load shedding period has been reduced to an extent only in some big cities, while situation in small cities and villages not only remains the same but is likely to aggravate due to closure of canals in the last week of December for desilting.