LESCO Chief assures APTMA of uninterrupted electricity supply to textile sector

LAHORE, Jun 10 (APP): Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Engr. Muhammad Ramzan Butt has assured APTMA of uninterrupted electricity supply to the whole industry, especially export-oriented units to boost economic activity and volume of exports.

He was speaking to leading exporters during his visit to APTMA (All Pakistan Textile Mills Association) office here Wednesday. He was accompanied by senior LESCO officers including Faisal Zakria Chief Engineer (P&D), Rai Muhammad Asghar GM (Technical), Abbas Ali CSD, Usman Ali Chief Information Technology Officer and Ahmed Noman, the Company Secretary. APTMA Chairman Kamran Arshad welcomed him along with Chairman (North Zone) Asad Shafi, Treasurer Mohammad Qasim, former APTMA chairmen, senior executives, Energy Advisor Tahir Basharat Cheema and Secretary General Mohammad Raza Baqir.

The LESCO chief said that LESCO is committed to serve its industrial consumers as the industry not only promotes manufacturing activities but also generates additional revenue for LESCO if the industry operates at full capacity. He said, it was very painful if industry was forced to close the mills due to any interruptions in supply of power. LESCO is approving industrial connections on top priority to make humble contribution in the economic activities in the country.

He acknowledged the growing electricity demand of APTMA members on LESCO network, as is reflected in the significant increase in consumption from previous years. He, however, expressed his concerns for decline in electricity consumption during the preceding months of April and May. He advised APTMA members to continue operating on grid instead of shifting to other fuels as grid electricity is still cheaper for industrial users. He assured APTMA membership to resolve the issues of power interruptions, fluctuations or any sort of shutdown. He asked APTMA to bring all such instances in his personal notice for immediate resolution.

Earlier speaking on the occasion, Kamran Arshad said the interaction between the two sides is need of the hour keeping in mind the energy requirements of the industry. He highlighted the importance of the textile sector as the mainstay of the economy, contributing significantly to GDP, exports (60 percent share), and employment (40 percent of manufacturing sector).

Chairman (North Zone) Asad Shafi called for making electricity cost-effective for the industry. He presented a “Way Forward” including allowing multiple electricity connections at integrated industrial units as per NEPRA Consumer Service Manual, additional connections where load enhancement is not technically feasible, and enhancement of the 11 kV feeder ceiling for B-3 industrial connections from 7.5 MW to 10 MW.

He recommended that LESCO should strengthen its network for uninterrupted and quality electricity supply in accordance with the Grid Code and Consumer Service Manual, streamline approval procedures and set timelines for processing load enhancement requests, accelerate installation and up-gradation of power transformers and grid upgrades, change design/standards/specifications to reduce the cost of independent 11kV feeders/consumer grids, and establish dedicated industrial support desks for faster resolution of technical and commercial complaints of APTMA members.

APTMA Energy Advisor Tahir Basharat Cheema noted that policymakers are also stressing on promoting usage of electricity to make the power sector successful.

He highlighted key electricity issues faced by industries including frequent power outages and feeder trippings, voltage fluctuations, unscheduled maintenance shutdowns, delays in load enhancement requests, and network constraints. One momentary tripping causes 30 minutes of production loss, resulting in millions in losses for industrial consumers.