K-Electric to facilitate industrial customers after govt decision to curtail gas

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ISLAMABAD, Mar 13 (DNA): K-Electric is fully committed and engaged with
industry stakeholders to ensure fresh electricity connections as well as
load-enhancement for its industrial consumers.

The power utility has always prioritized its industrial customers and
continues to do so following the recent decision of the Cabinet
Committee on Energy (CCoE) to discontinue gas supply to captive power
plants of non-export related industries. It has been working round the
clock to ensure that there is minimal disruption to industrial
activities.

As per surveys conducted by the power utility, the overall
load-requirement/load-enhancement of captive power plants that will be
connected to the grid is around 747 MW, spread across 743 customers.
More than 500 customers have already been contacted by the power utility
for load requirements amounting to around 300 MW. Permission for survey
for load-requirement or load-enhancement is still awaited from around
100 customers.

The power utility’s Network Planning team has charted out a detailed
plan to highlight the captive requirement of industrial zones and the
investment required to facilitate this requirement. Based on the current
surveyed load an investment plan of approximately PKR 3.7 billion has
already been finalized, which will be increased based on the completion
of further surveys and load requirement.

Working on a fast track, out of the 743 customers, more than 120
applications are already under process for new connection or load
enhancement for a total of around 130 MW and 16 applications for total
load of 17 MW has already been eneregized, comprising both new
connections as well as load-enhancement.

The entire effort is being overseen by the K-Electric leadership and
delegations led by Amer Zia, Chief Distribution Officer have already
visited several industry associations, including Federal B Area
Association of Trade & Industry (FBATI), Bin Qasim Association of Trade
& Industry (BQATI), North Karachi Association of Trade & Industry
(NKATI), Korangi Association of Trade & Industry (KATI) and the SITE
Superhighway Association of Trade Industry (SSHATI). These visits were
held to brief them on the power utility’s approach in line with their
needs and to make sure their concerns regarding quantity, quality and
reliability of power supply are addressed.

Multiple visits of all other leading industry associations as well as
engagements with industrial representatives have been carried out by the
power utility’s Network Planning and its Distribution teams.

All these visits have been carried out in the last three weeks as part
of the power utility’s commitment to expedite the shift of captive
customers to the grid. Helpdesks have been set up at all the above
mentioned trade associations as well as at SITE Association of Industry
and the Landhi Association of Trade & Industry (LATI) to facilitate
industrial customers with regards to their new connections requests and
load enhancement.

K-Electric is also in continuous engagement with Sui Southern Gas
Company Limited (SSGC) and other stakeholders including the city
administration to discuss the way forward and issues such as
right-of-way, etc. KE hopes that all concerned stakeholders will also
play a facilitating role in line with the government’s commitment to
expedite new connections.

As part of its continuous engagement with industrial consumers, which
have always been a priority for KE, delegations under the leadership of
Moonis Alvi CEO of K-Electric have met with trade and industry leaders
over the past few months to address their concerns.

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