The Central Development Working Party (CDWP), led by Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal, approved three significant energy sector projects with a total cost of Rs58.857 billion. The projects, aimed at modernizing Pakistan’s power distribution system and improving efficiency, were recommended to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for further consideration.
The first project, the Power Distribution Strengthening Project (SEPCO), is estimated at Rs9,014.36 million and will be financed through the Asian Development Bank (ADB). This project focuses on converting four 66kV grid stations to 132kV, installing 50,000 AMR meters on high-load consumers with more than 5kW demand, deploying Asset Performance Monitoring Systems (APMS) on 1,200 distribution transformers, and bifurcating 40 feeders to mitigate high technical and administrative losses.
The second project, the Power Distribution Strengthening Project (LESCO), is valued at Rs27,613 million, with funding from ADB (Rs20,317 million) and LESCO’s own resources (Rs7,296 million). It includes constructing five new 132kV grid stations, upgrading four existing stations, laying 1,328 kilometers of aerial bundled cable, and installing 1,600 APMS and 131,901 AMI/AMR meters. These developments aim to enhance operational efficiencies, reduce losses, and modernize management systems.
The third project, focusing on Supply, Installation, Testing & Commissioning of APMS for MEPCO, is worth Rs22,229.81 million and will also be financed by ADB. This initiative targets deploying APMS for 100kVA and 200kVA transformers and installing AMI meters to improve monitoring and operational performance.
These strategic investments are expected to modernize Pakistan’s power distribution, reduce circular debt, enhance reliability, and lower electricity costs, driving the energy sector toward efficiency and sustainability.
