Nowshera project matches clean energy plans

Project manager says it will significantly improve Pakistan’s ailing power grid

ISLAMABAD:

Nowshera 500kV grid project is a priority sub-project under the National Transmission System Modernisation Project in Pakistan, which is financed by the World Bank, said manager of the Nowshera project.

Speaking to the China Economic Net, he said that it would significantly improve Pakistan’s ailing power grid and expand transmission and transformation capacity to match the renewable energy plans.

On December 1, China National Technical Import and Export Company (CNTIC) signed an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for Nowshera 500kV grid project with National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC).

According to the contract, CNTIC will be responsible for the design, supply, installation, commissioning and construction of a new 500kV grid station.

CNTIC said that the project was the company’s fourth contract in Pakistan this year. Located in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) province, Nowshera project, containing a large ultra-high voltage sub-station, will have a significant impact on the progress of energy modernisation in Pakistan.

It will become a landmark project that will be prioritised by the government of Pakistan.

Due to its strategic importance and role as a crucial node of the power grid, the request for construction period is very strict. The contract stipulates a construction period of 24 months.

“How to strictly control the construction period in the midst of a pandemic is an important challenge posed by the project,” the manager said.

Pakistan is working towards providing affordable and reliable electricity to all citizens by 2030.

This ambitious plan requires coordinated and sustained efforts by the federal and provincial governments in a bid to achieve the expected scale of renewable energy.

The plan calls for adding more than 24,000 megawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2030, and poses a great challenge to domestic transmission and transformation systems.

CNTIC said that the level of power grid was the decisive factor restricting the development of renewable energy in Pakistan.

Therefore, Nowshera, as the first component and an important priority sub-project under the National Transmission System Modernisation Project, will significantly increase the capacity of Pakistan’s electricity grid and lay the foundation for further development of renewable energy.

In addition, this project will provide livelihood and employment as well. CNTIC disclosed that the project will recruit and train a number of local people.

“The project will realise localisation of employees and the design and construction of the project will be basically completed by local employees,” the manager said.

THE ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED ON THE CHINA ECONOMIC NET

Published in The Express Tribune, December 7^th, 2021.

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