Gas Pipeline Pressure Increases to Critical Levels, National Gas Network at Risk
Islamabad:In the severe cold of January, the pressure in the main gas pipeline has surged to 5.26 billion cubic feet (BCF), raising concerns over the safety of the national gas network system. Exceeding the 5 BCF threshold poses a significant risk, with the potential for the pipeline to rupture at any time.
According to the latest data on line pack pressure, the domestic sector’s gas demand has reached 950 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD), and 450 MMCFD of RLNG is being diverted to residential consumers. However, the power sector is not utilizing its 400 MMCFD of RLNG allocation. Consequently, the power sector’s RLNG consumption has dropped to below 300 MMCFD, despite ongoing hydro generation.
Despite this, electricity demand remains between 10,000 and 13,000 megawatts. The situation is expected to worsen as the ongoing canal closure will reduce this by an additional 1,000 megawatts until January 31, 2025.
The Power Division has stated that RLNG-based power plants are operated on an Economic Merit Order (EMO) basis, prioritizing the cheapest plants or those that are critical to operation.
