Sindh to face whopping 16-hour gas loadshedding

• SSGC announced a new plan for gas load shedding in Sindh
• Gas will be supplied to consumers for only eight hours
• Gas shortage has increased the sale of LPG cylinders

KARACHI: The Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) has announced a new plan for gas loadshedding in Sindh, BOL News reported.

The utility company announced that under a new load management plan, gas will be supplied to consumers in Sindh from 6-9 AM, 12-2 PM, and 6-9 PM — for a total of eight hours.

An SSGC spokesperson said gas supply would not be cut off completely for the rest of the day. The official said they are facing a shortage of 350-400 mmcfd. The SSGC will ensure supply in the above-mentioned eight hours as per the government directives, the spokesperson added.

There have been reports of prolonged unannounced gas loadshedding and low pressure in Karachi. Due to the gas crisis, the sale of LPG cylinders has witnessed a staggering increase of 2000%. The crisis had worsened with the advent of winter making it difficult to residents to cook meals.

It may be noted that the demand for gas is more than 1,250 mmcfd while the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) is supplying less than 900mmcfd to the province.

Earlier, the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) announced a new schedule for gas load shedding in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

SNGPL Managing Director Ali J. Hamdani revealed that domestic consumers in KP and Punjab will be supplied with gas for eight hours per day, resulting in a 16-hour gas outage during this winter season.

He emphasized that domestic consumers will receive gas thrice a day, from 6 AM to 9 AM, 12 PM to 2 PM, and 6 PM to 9 PM.

He said there is a global gas crisis that has affected Pakistan as well. He said the Ukraine-Russia conflict has caused a severe gas crisis in the world, including skyrocketing costs of Re-Gasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG). He added that Pakistan failed to purchase sufficient RLNG this year.

He underlined the growing use of gas compressors and gas theft which is exacerbating the gas crisis and revenue collection. He advised the federal government to hike gas prices as it is challenging to acquire expensive gas and sell it at cheaper costs.

He assured the industrial sector that SNGPL will not be suspending the gas supply, however, it will impose a temporary ban on the issuance of new connections on account of the current gas crisis.

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