Total electricity generation in Pakistan fell by 23% year on year to 10,010 GWh in April 2023, compared to 12,960 GWh in the same period last year.
“Power generation is decreased by 23% YoY during April 2023, the highest decline since available data (Jul’12),” Arif Habib Limited (AHL) announced on Friday.
Monthly power generation increased by 15%, reaching 8,741 GWh in March 2023.
Meanwhile, the overall cost of generating energy in the country remained unchanged year on year (YoY) in April 2023, at Rs10.24 KWh.
The cost of power generation increased by 25% month on month (MoM) when compared to Rs8.22 KWh in March.
“On a month-to-month basis, the increase in fuel cost is primarily due to a decline in a nuclear and hydel-based generation, as well as a 41% and 9% MoM increase in coal and furnace oil (FO)-based generation costs,” according to AHL.
In the first ten months of the fiscal year 2022-23, power generation fell by 10% year on year to 103,593 GWh, a decrease from 114,660 GWh the previous year.
Furthermore, the cost of power generation increased 13% during the first ten months of the current fiscal year, from Rs8.2 in 10MFY22 to Rs9.3 in 10MFY23.
Data on generation mix revealed that electricity generation decline on a yearly basis was led by hydel 1,872 GWh, and Residual Fuel Oil (RFO) 221 GWh, which decreased by 22% and 86%, respectively.
Power generation from gas and Re-gasified Liquid Natural Gas (RLNG) sources stood at 1,189 GWh and 2,418 GWh respectively, showing a decrease of 7% and 4%, respectively, on a yearly basis.
In April, nuclear and RLNG emerged as the leading sources of power generation, accounting for 43% of the generation mix combined.
Moreover, electricity generation from renewable sources including solar improved by 44% on a yearly basis to 126 GWh, while generation from other renewable sources such as wind declined by 31% on a yearly basis to 323 GWh.
