A day after a massive breakdown hit Pakistan, Minister for Energy Khurram Dastgir said on Tuesday that electricity has been fully restored at grid stations across the country. However, major cities, including Karachi, Quetta and Lahore, remained deprived of power.
“Power at all 1,112 stations of the national grid has been restored,” Dastgir tweeted.
][قومی گرڈ کے تمام 1112 گرڈ اسٹیشنز الحمدللہ بحالقریبا 6600 MW کوئلے اور 3500 MW نیوکلیئر پلانٹس کو دوبارہ چلنے کے لئے 48 سے 72 گھنٹے کا تخمینہان پلانٹس کے چلنے تک صنعتی صارفین کے علاوہ محدود لوڈ مینیجمنٹ ہو گیپاور ڈویژن تمام پلانٹ دوبارہ چلانے کے لئے ہمہ وقت کوشاں][ pic.twitter.com/n6E4ahNvLN
— Engr. Khurram Dastgir-Khan (@kdastgirkhan) January 24, 2023
In a televised address at 10am, the minister explained said that there was a “delay in synchronisation” between Tarbela and Mangla power plants.
“But with the support of the Power Division, Wapda and other departments, we fixed the technical problem after which power at systems across the country was restored.
“Today, at 5:15am, the system was completely restored across the country,” Dastgir said.
He said that approximately 6,600 megawatts of coal and 3,500MW of nuclear plants would take an estimated 48 to 72 hours to restart. “Until these plants start running, there will be limited load management, excluding industrial users.”
The minister added that efforts were underway by the Power Division to restart these plants.
According to media reports, in Karachi, outages were reported in Defence, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, North Karachi, Federal B Areas, Gulshan, Jacob Lines, Korangi, Landhi and Qayyumabad on Tuesday morning.
Meanwhile, K-Electric spokesperson Imran Rana tweeted earlier today that the restoration of connectivity between the national grid and Karachi has helped improve the electricity supply to the metropolis.
On the other hand, the spokesperson of the Quetta Electric Supply Company told reporters, that electricity was partially restored across Balochistan from the 220kV Uch-Sibbi transmission line.
In Quetta, he said, power was being supplied from the 132kV Sibbi- Quetta circuit transmission line.
“We have also restored electricity at grid stations in Dera Murad Jamali, Rojhan Jamali and Gandakha, Bhag, Jhal Magsi, Usta Muhammad, Sohbatpur, Sui, Sibbi, Dhadar and Machh.”
Further improvement in the power situation will come after the Dera Ghazi Khan-Loralai transmission line is repaired, the Qesco spokesperson added. “God willing, electricity will be fully restored in Quetta and other areas by tonight.”
