Increased usage of power amidst Coronavirus lockdown and rise in temperature has caused power demand to peak at 3,200MW, K-Electric said on Wednesday.

According to K-Electric, the power utility is facing severe shortage of furnace oil, which is compromising the generation capability at its furnace-oil fired 1,250MW Bin Qasim Station.

“K-Electric’s daily furnace oil requirement is close to 4,500 tonnes per day, while at present we are receiving only around 1,500 tonnes daily. Currently there are pending orders of close to 13,500-tonne furnace oil which have not yet been supplied; this is creating difficulties in meeting power demand which may necessitate load-management even in exempted areas to meet the shortfall between supply and demand.”