CPPA seeks Rs1.23 per unit hike in power tariff
NEPRA is scheduled to hold a public hearing on CPPA's tariff petition on March 20.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has been recommended an increase of Rs1.23 per unit in power tariff, under the monthly fuel price adjustment adjustment cost for power distributing companies.
The Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA), in a tariff petition submitted on behalf of the power distribution companies (DISCOs), has requested NEPRA to jack up the power tariff on account of variation in the monthly fuel charges.
NEPRA is scheduled to hold a public hearing on CPPA’s tariff petition on March 20. The power regulator has invited all the interested/affected parties to raise written/oral objection as permissible under the law.
According to NEPRA, an increase of Rs1.23 per kWh over the reference fuel charges, while Rs5.20 per kWh for DISCOs was the production cost while consumers were charged at Rs3.97 per kWh, has been proposed by the CPPA for the month of February.
As per the documents, the total energy generated in February was 6,686.81 Gigawatt hours, while net delivered to DISCOs was 6,425.29GWh. During the month under review, power generation from hydel sources remained at 1,522.60GWh (22.77pc), coal 1,167.69GWh (17.46pc), residual fuel oil 112.35GWh (1.68pc), gas 1,595.08GWh (23.85pc), re-gasified liquefied natural gas 1,129.23GWh (16.89pc), nuclear 744.03GWh (11.13pc), Iranian import 28.38GWh (0.42pc), mixed 23.49GWh, wind 212.51GWh (3.18pc), bagasse 98.53GWh (1.47pc) and solar 52.93GWh (0.79pc).
Pursuant to Section 31(7) of the NEPRA Act (XL of 1997) and the mechanism for monthly fuel price adjustments prescribed by NEPRA in the tariff determination of ex-WAPDA DISCOs, the authority has to review and revise the tariff on account of any variation in the fuel charges on monthly basis.
Analysts have said that power generation from dams has been reduced to due heavy snowfall in northern areas of Pakistan, causing hindrance in water flow. To cope with the requirement, power distribution companies have been using oil and LNG for power production.
