Govt Considering Strategy To Cope Power Shortage Issue In Summer

The amount of hydel power produced has decreased 7.8% YoY, from 3,591 GWh in May 2022 to 3,312 GWh in May 2023.

Govt Considering Strategy To Cope Power Shortage Issue In Summer Power production in Pakistan decreased by 16 percent YoY to 12,284 gigawatts per hour (GWh) in May 2023. Fuel costs for power generation averaged Rs. 9.72/KWh, down from Rs. 13.15/KWh on average last year in May 2023. Solar generation is up 38% YoY.

In the first 11 months of the fiscal year 2022–23, power generation decreased 10.4% YoY to 115,876 GWh from 129,317 GWh during the same period the previous year, according to data from Arif Habib Limited (AHL). Hydel (share: 27 percent), RLNG (share: 24.3 percent), Coal (share: 16.8 percent), and Nuclear (share: 16.8 percent) were the major contributors in May 2023. (share: 12.6 percent).

The amount of hydel power produced has decreased 7.8% YoY, from 3,591 GWh in May 2022 to 3,312 GWh in May 2023. The hydel generation is up 76.9% month over month (MoM). It is down 0.5 percent YoY for the 11MFY23 period.

When compared to May of last year, when it was 3,355 GWh, RLNG-based power generation in Pakistan decreased by 10.9 percent YoY to 2,988 GWh, but it increased by 23.6 percent when compared to 2,418 GWh.

In May 2023, coal-based power production in Pakistan is increased by 2.1 percent YoY to 2,061 GWh from 2,018 GWh the previous month. In May, from 1,819 GWh in April, coal-based power output increased by 13.4% MoM.

From 1,890 GWh in May of last year, nuclear power generation fell by 18.4% YoY to 1,543 GWh in May of this year, while nuclear power generation on a monthly basis fell by 19.5% from 1,916 GWh recorded in May of last year.

Solar-based generation has increased 38% YoY as of May, from 90 GWh to 124 GWh. It increased by 38.5 percent YoY to 968 GWh in 11MFY23 from 699 GWh in 11MFY22.

The average cost of fuel for power generation in May 2023 was Rs. 9.72/kWh, down from an average of Rs. 10.24/kWh in April by 26.1 percent YoY and 5.1 percent MoM, respectively. Fuel prices are up 6.1 percent YoY for 11MFY23, with an average cost of Rs. 9.30/kWh versus Rs. 8.76/kWh for 11MFY22.

Based on fuel imported from Iran, the cost of production rose by 24.1 percent YoY to Rs. 23.53 per unit. The most expensive fuel was RLNG, which had a per-unit cost of Rs. 24.46.