PM directs immediate resolution of Tariff issues and minimum load-shedding during Ramzan

Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif chaired 3rd consecutive meeting of Cabinet Committee on Energy during this month, today in Islamabad.

Secretary Water & Power briefed the meeting on current load management plan, implementation status of planned and ongoing energy projects and enhancement of transmission system. He informed that during the present Government a total of 9,625 MW in 132 Kv and 2,004 MW in 11 Kv systems,  capacity enhancement have been achieved in the transmission system which is unprecedented and is essential keeping in view new power generation which is scheduled to come into national grid and allocated to DISCOs in next nine months. Chairman WAPDA briefed the meeting on progress of Hydel power projects including Dasu, Diamer Bhasha and Mohmand Dam.

The Prime Minister directed the Ministry of Water & Power to immediately resolve ‘upfront tariff’ issues with National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) for different kinds of sources including LNG, Solar, Coal, Furnace Oil, Diesel and Gas.

Prime Minister further directed that line departments should work out immediate solutions for administrative and legal issues faced in implementation of energy projects on priority. NTDC was directed to pickup pace of work on HVDC transmission lines and other smaller transmission lines projects.

The Prime Minister also directed to carry out comparative study about efficiency of various power sources, for presentation in the next CCOE meeting.

The Prime Minister stated that the Government is working on multiple options of power generation so that consumers are provided with uninterrupted power supply. For this purpose the Government has focused on adding base load thermal power projects which shall ensure availability of power all through the year even during lean periods of Hydro power generation in 2018 and onwards.

The meeting was attended by Minister for Petroleum & Natural Resources Mr. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Minister for Planning Mr. Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Water & Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, Minister for Information & Broadcasting Ms. Maryum Aurangzeb, Special Assistant to PM Mr. Tariq Fatemi and senior officials.