NTDC’s system needs serious attention to upgrade in order to through the generation which is now above 20,500 MW to transmit properly. The country’s power sector constraints at transmission and distribution level and rising temperatures are said to be the key reasons for tripping of grid stations and transformers across the country.
Managing Director, Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco), Musadak Khan recently informed a special committee of the Senate that $ 40-50 billion investment is required to upgrade the existing power system. The power system’s losses increased to 20.2 per cent in March 2018 as compared to 19.3 per cent losses in March 2017. Likewise, Discos system losses increased to 17.8 per cent from 17.1 per cent, which indicates that both transmission and distribution systems are going from bad to worse with each passing month.
“We have generation above 20,500 MW but the system is unable to draw more than 18,000 MW due to distribution network’s overloading,” he said, adding that if the system cannot now draw more than 18,000 MW or 19,000 MW, then there would be shedding despite power generation capacity of 23000 MW.
He said, Rawat and Gatti (Faisalabad) are overloaded, and in addition, in KP new grid stations have not been built due to land disputes.
In reply to a question, he said that small grids and transformers across Pakistan are getting overloaded as consumers with air-conditioners are using them nonstop.
The officials further stated that sometimes forced loadshedding is resorted to due to system constraints and sometimes to save the system from collapse.
