Despite the power shortage, the private-owned utility is not fully utilising its generating capacity, as currently it has reduced its power generation by 850 MW. According to sources, the Bin Qasim Power Plant having power generation capacity of the 1150 MW is presently generating around 300 MW. The three out of the total six units of Bins Qasim Thermal Power Plant (BQTPP) are offline for the lack of furnace oil or lower gas pressure.
The remaining three units- 1, 2, and 6, are generating only 90, 70,140 MW, respectively, against the capacity of 200 MW by each unit. The sufferings of Karachiites as well as other Wapda's consumers would reduce to considerable extent, if the KESC run its power plants with full capacity, as the 600 MW being supplied to KESC could be saved for the national grid.
Federal Minister for Water and Power Raja Parvez Ashraf, during his recent visit to the city, had also instructed the company to rely on its own power generation while reducing its dependence on Wapda. The reduction, what the sources claimed, of over 800 MW from BQTPP was due to the KESC management's strategy of running the plant on gas while keeping the oil-based units offline, to save money.
Those plants, being run on gas were also generating less electricity due to, what they said, low pressure of gas being supplied by Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC). Besides, the Defence Cogan Limited, an IPP with 85 MW of power generation capacity, is also dysfunctional for the last two-month, due to faults occurred in its blades.
Karachi Nuclear Plant (Kannup), which has the power generating capacity of 80 MW, has already been switched off for maintenance work. According to Tariq Rasheed, official spokesman of Kannup, the plant would be online within next three to four days.
The utility is currently carrying out three hours load shedding in the city in three spells with one hour's each. But on Friday there were reports of four to five hours power outages in different areas of the metropolis like, PECHS, Liaqatabad, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Tariq Road, North Nazimabad, Korangi, PIB Colony, Gulistan-e-Johar, Shah Faisal Colony, Keamari, Sadar.
However, the official sources in KESC said that the total demand of the City on Friday was 1830 MW, while the utility was supplying 1655 MW with a shortfall of 175 MW. They said the two units at BQTPP were offline for planned maintenance work. The remaining units would also go through routine maintenance for one month, in three stages and the process would continue till March 2010, they added.