State minister inaugurates 220kv grid station in Chishtian. PHOTO: STOCK
LAHORE: Minister of State for Water and Power Chaudhry Abid Sher Ali has announced that the power ministry, distribution and transmission companies have overcome 90% of system constraints and maximum relief will be provided to consumers during Ramazan.
“The government is committed to eliminating load-shedding from the country; power projects of over 10,000 megawatts are being completed on fast track,” he said after inaugurating, along with National Assembly member Chaudhry Tahir Bashir Cheema, a 220-kilovolt grid station in Chishtian near Bahawalnagar on Tuesday.
The grid station along with an 88km transmission line has been constructed by the National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) at a cost of Rs2.633 billion.
“The grid station will end forced load-shedding, improve voltage level and minimise tripping, which was being faced due to overloading of the system,” Ali said.
Consequently, power supply to the people of Chishtian, Bahawalnagar, Hasilpur, Noor Sar, Haroonabad, Dhahranwala and Fortabbas will improve. Ali assured local people about the creation of new sub-divisions in offices of the Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) to ease their electricity-related problems.
NTDC General Manager Wajahat Saeed Rana said the 220kv grid station in Chishtian would provide electricity to six 132kv grid stations of Mepco for subsequent distribution to feeders.
“NTDC is completing its projects on a war footing in order to connect 50 power plants with the national grid. At present, 37 projects of grid stations and transmission lines are under different stages of completion,” he said.
NTDC has recently connected a 1,320-megawatt coal-fired power plant and 1,230MW liquefied natural gas-based Bhikki power plant with transmission lines.
The transmission line for the 230MW Haveli Bahadur Shah power plant will be connected soon as it has already been completed. Apart from this, 90% construction work on the 500kv Neelum-Jhelum transmission line has also been completed.
Work on a 660kv high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line from Matiari to Lahore will get under way soon.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 1st, 2017.
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