Minister suspects ‘foreign hand’ as power supply fully restored
Says there will be limited load management during next two days: Low chances of hacking of system through internet
January 24, 2023 11:25 AM
Federal Minister for Energy Khurram Dastgir has claimed that the power supply has been fully restored across the country, 22 hours after the collapse of the national grid, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Addressing a news conference in Islamabad on Tuesday morning, Khurram Dastgir said the government will also investigator whether foreign hand was involved in the nationwide electricity breakdown.
The energy minister, however, said that there would be limited loadshedding in the country during the next two days.
He said sufficient fuel was available to run the thermal power plants. He was of the view that routine loadshedding was being carried out in the country. Dastgir said the power transmission system remained safe during the breakdown. He said last govt did not invest in power system.
The minister said that Karachi needed 1100MW power which will be supplied soon. Power will be restored soon in Karachi. Nuclear plants needed two to three days while coal power plants required 48 hours to start.
He said hacking through internet needed to be investigated, however, there were few chances of foreign interference through internet. Dastgir said only Lahore Matiari Line had a protection system.
He further told reporters that it was a technical issue due to which the breakdown occurred.
He said all 1112 grid stations of the country were fully functional now. He said 9,704 megawatts power being generated in the country and electricity was restored to different cities gradually.
Complete power was restored at 5:15 am in the morning. He told media persons that 72 hours were required to make functional nuclear power plants in Chashma and Karachi and the work had already been started to restore them completely.
In the same manner, power plants running on coal, also needed two days to start power generation completely. So, there will be some power shortfall and limited load management will be carried out in the country, he added. The minister said industrial sector will be supplied uninterrupted power supply so that business activities should not be interrupted.
The minister further said yesterday one unit of each Sahiwal and Engro Coal Power plant has also started work. There would be a shortage of electricity for the next 48 hours and limited power loadshedding would be carried out, he added.
He dispelled rumours that country had not sufficient fuel supplies to run the power plants. The minister said it was government’s priority to use thermal power plants only in compelling circumstances so that general public could be burdened at the minimum in terms of fuel adjustment charges.
He said all 71 grid stations of Hesco had been made fully functional.
The minister said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had formed a three-member high-level committee headed by Musadik Malik to probe the power breakdown.
The minister said that it will be ensured that such an incident should not occur again as steps were being taken in this regard. He said the reason behind power breakdown was yet to be ascertained.
He, however, said that breakdown occurred due to some problem between Tarbela and Manga power plants. He told media persons that to restart power plants, electricity was required. “So, through Tarbela Power Plant, electricity was supplied and other plants made functional.”