Govt unveils hi-tech system to manage loadshedding

• Asset Performance Management System pilot project to be launched from Lahore, Kasur • APMS to be synced with smart meters to monitor power consumption in real-time • System will help authorities triangulate point of loss, theft with greater accuracy LAHORE: The government is all set to introduce the Asset Performance Mana­gement System (APMS), also known as the Advanced Power Management System, to control power theft and load management across the country in a phased manner. Minister for Energy (Power Division) Awais Leghari, while speaking at a ceremony in Dera Ghazi Khan on Monday, revealed the government’s plan to introduce modern technology to combat power theft and curtail line losses.

According to him, the APMS will identify specific transformers in high-theft areas, enabling targeted disconnections so that thousands of paying consumers on an entire feeder are not penalised for the actions of electricity thieves. The minister reiterated that loadshedding will continue on feeders reporting 30 percent or higher losses, emphasising that no leniency will be shown toward electricity thieves or chronic defaulters. According to power experts, the APMS will enable more targeted identification of high-loss consumers, improve energy accounting, enhance operational visibility, and support equitable load management through data-driven decision-making. As the Power Planning and Monitoring Company (PPMC), the technical arm of the Mini­stry of Energy (Power Divis­ion), is playing a central role in supporting the planning, des­ign, and effective implementation of this sector-wide reform, the APMS will serve as a key enabler in achieving these obje­ctives through transformer-le­vel monitoring, analytics, digi­tal oversight, and enforcement mechanisms across Discos. The APMS…