Report by Engineering Post
The National Grid Company of Pakistan (NGC) has quite successfully energized the 220kv Quaid-e-Azam Business Park Grid Station in Sheikhupura and thus marked another milestone in the expansion of the power transmission network in the country.
The strategically important project has been developed to meet the electricity requirements of the large -scale industrial consumers within the Business Park Sheikhupura Special Economic Zone (SEZ) which has been completed at a cost of more than Rs 4 billion by the Federal Government under the Cash Deposit Loan Facility (CDLF). The project aims to ensure provision of reliable power supply in an uninterrupted manner for industrial operations, business growth and economic growth.
Power infrastructure developed for SEZs play a vital role in attracting investment and generating employment opportunities. The Business Park Grid Station, according to the NGC sources, has been designed to support long-term industrial expansion and inclusive socio-economic growth. The newly energized grid station has a transformation capacity of 500 MVA at 220.132 kv level, supported by approximately 4 kilometers of 220kv transmission lines, interconnecting with the regional.
The project is the first station which has been commissioned specifically for a SEZ and will also be reducing operational pressure on the existing grid stations in Sheikhupura, Kala Shah Kaku, Bandala (Faisalabad) and nearby industrial zones.
By improving power supply and reducing technical losses, the project is expected to enhance supply reliability for the industrial consumers, resulting in reduced downtime, improved productivity and better cost efficiency. The availability of reliable power infrastructure was also expected to encourage new investment, accelerate industrial expansion, support job creation and strengthen supply chains, contributing to broader economic and socio-economic development , the sources emphatically stated concludingly.
