ISLAMABAD : Federal Minister for Water and Power, Syed Naveed Qamar has asked the both power and fertilizer sectors representatives and Ministries of Water and Power and Petroleum to work out a viable solution to ensure continuity of gas and economic operation of both the fertilizer and power plants.
He asked them to submit a joint agreed mechanism tomorrow for approval. He made these directions while presiding over a meeting on gas supply issue to the power sector here on Friday. The meeting was attended by Secretaries of Water and Power, Petroleum, MDs of PPIB, SSGC, SNGPL, DG Gas, CEOs of four IPPs, and senior officials of Pepco, Ministry of Water and Power and Petroleum.The Minister said that provision of gas supply to the power sector is priority of the government as country needs maximum power generation in the summer season. However, fertilizer sector is also very important to produce fertilizer to meet the agricultural requirements. He said that maximum production of fertilizer will help to boost the agriculture economy. Unfortunately, there is shortage of gas and all the sectors are already facing cut in their gas supplies. There is need to find out ways and means to accommodate both the sectors, he added. Earlier, the power and fertilizer sector representatives briefed the meeting on their point of views, current supply and demand of gas to their plants and its affect on their production.The four power projects of above 800 MW are getting less supply of gas against their allocation, the meeting noted. Various proposals were discussed to provide gas to the power sector and the fertilizer plants by SNGPL from the current availability and adequate cost and financial implication. PPI