The government has decided to prioritize gas supply to the domestic sector during the winter season to ensure full-pressure gas supply for three meals a day under its gas load management plan, JEE News reported.
The plan is said to be effective from November 1 to the end of February 2023.
While priority has been given to the domestic sector, gas supply to the non-export industry i.e. CNG sector will remain suspended and in the case of the export sector, the existing gas supply will be halved in winter.
More specifically, the amount of RLNG now supplied to the power industry will be reduced by 40 percent, a senior power ministry official said.
Top officials of petroleum division and gas companies joined hands on Wednesday to present the gas load management plan to the Prime Minister for approval.
However, the government, even after diverting 250-350mmcfd RLNG to the domestic sector, will ensure only three times the supply of gas to domestic consumers for cooking purposes as there is a huge deficit of piped gas.
“Both gas utilities – Sui Northern and Sui Southern – will also import 20,000 metric tonnes of LPG on a daily basis at a price of over Rs 2,300 per cylinder and charge a one-time price of Rs 7,000 per cylinder in addition. will
“The relevant authorities worked out that in the Sui Northern system, the gas is estimated at 250mmcfd in November, 400mmcfd in December and 700-750mmcfd in January, and in the Sui Southern system at 250mmcfd in November, 300mmcfd in December, 300mmcfd in January and 50mmcfd in January. 250mmcfd in February 2023.
This means the country will have a gas deficit that will touch 1.1 billion cubic feet of gas per day in the peak winter month of January 2023. However, Sui Northern will have 600mmcfd of RLNG and 750mmcfd of local gas in November. 800mmcfd and 800 local gas in December, and RLNG of 800mmcfd and 800mmcfd local gas in January 2023, and same gas availability in February 2023. Similarly, Sui Southern will have 75mmcfd of RLNG and 875mmcfd of local gas, local gas each in December and November. February
The government has decided to reduce the supply of LNG gas to the power division from 470 mmcfd to 250 mmcfd in November 2022. Gas supply to the power sector may further decline to 200 mmcfd in January. However, gas supply to the power sector may increase to 350mmcfd in February. The government will increase coal-based power generation to 4000 MW. The country will also continue to depend on nuclear energy production. The power demand during winter season is only between 9,000 MW to 12,000 MW.
