Load-shedding: USAID implements load monitoring programme in Gujranwala

Step part of USAID programme to avoid unscheduled load-shedding.

ISLAMABAD:

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Power Distribution Program on Saturday successfully implemented the Load Data Improvement (LDI) programme at Gujranwala Electric Power Company (GEPCO) to assist in minimising unscheduled load-shedding, says a press release.

The USAID technical team initiated operation in the Power Distribution Centre (PDC), established by USAID for GEPCO, with monitoring screens presenting continuous actual live load data from the 51 GEPCO grid stations and 674 GEPCO feeders, providing GEPCO PDC operators an immediate display of near real time actual load and load shedding status of GEPCOs system for the first time.

This information will enable GEPCO to monitor its planned load-shedding to stay within allocation and avoid the need for unscheduled load shedding.

At present government-owned DISCOs lack the capacity to manage planned load-shedding, mainly due to the lack of current near real time information to enable monitoring of unpredictable loading using below-par communications systems, manual implementation and ineffective monitoring systems due to the non-availability of information regarding real-time load conditions.

To solve this USAID’s Power Distribution Program launched the Load Data Improvement Program. This project involves installing Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) devices at all incoming and outgoing feeders of the grid stations in all nine DISCOs across Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 30^th, 2013.

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