| Federal government plans to launch another high voltage power line from Thar to Lahore to transmit over 4,000MW electricity. The high voltage direct current (HVDC) line of 660 kilovolts will transmit power from future projects in Sindh to load demand centers in Punjab. The project, a part of next years’ energy development plan, may also be included in China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), as per official sources in Ministry of Water & Power. Government has already included two similar projects Matiari- (Hyderabad) Lahore and Port Qasim (Karachi)- Faisalabad in CPEC. Preparatory work – feasibility study, cost estimate and preliminary survey for $2 billion Matiari – Lahore 660kV HVDC transmission line has already been completed. And detailed survey and land acquisition is under way. Preparatory work for Port Qasim- Faisalabad (formerly called Matiari-Faisalabad HVDC line) would begin next year, a Ministry of Water and Power official told the press. As for Thar – Lahore line, preliminary tasks would begin after 2020. Project`s feasibility study was under way, an official said. China Electric Power Equipment and Technology Co, a wholly owned subsidiary of China’s State Grid Corp. It would execute first two transmission lines, and is likely to implement Thar- Lahore project also. Line’s length will be over 900 kilometers and it will pass various rural areas of Sindh and Punjab, the official said. Project’s total cost is expected to go over $2bn when it is ready including execution, initial and detailed route surveys and land acquisition plus several civil and electrical works, etc. Project’s PC-I would be prepared after completion of its feasibility. National Transmission and Dispatch Co (NTDC) would get the project executed on a ‘build, operate and transfer’ basis through the contractor. Government of Pakistan would buy project’s land. Port Qasim- Faisalabad line would help NTDC evacuate 2,640MW, whereas Thar – Matiari line would transmit power from two nuclear projects of 1,100MW each. For executing Matiari – Lahore line, government has already handed over two chunks of the land for building and installing two convertor stations (one in Matiari for converting alternate current (AC) to direct current (DC) and another near Lahore for conversion of DC to AC) to Chinese company. Land acquisition for towers and transmission line was also under way for this project, the official said. A detailed survey to change its route near Bahawalpur has also been launched after Pak army sought to keep the project 30km away from cantonment and Pak – India border areas, the official added. |
