Electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure is of crucial importance, termed as the backbone of power sector, as it enables reliable, stable and efficient supply of electricity to the consumers of various categories.
Electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure is of crucial importance, termed as the backbone of power sector, as it enables reliable, stable and efficient supply of electricity to the consumers of various categories. In fact, power generation and transmission are complementary activities that are to be coordinated effectively to ensure an optimum use and development of the transmission system. Thus, an adequate, integrated and well-interconnected transmission network is a vital prerequisite for achieving energy policy goals.
Sadly, this segment of power sector has remained neglected for a long time and not much attention has been paid by the successive governments to its strengthening, augmentation, expansion and modernisation, resulting in static growth in relation to power generation capacity.
An obsolete, inadequate, underdeveloped and poorly- managed transmission system, which has not been upgraded and modernised over decades, has caused increased forced outages in the system a number of times, adding to the sufferings of the electricity consumers.
While the government has been successful in attracting private sector in power generation sub-sector, it failed over a period of decades to seek effectively, either foreign or domestic investment in the equally critical power transmission area. With the commissioning of the first Independent Power Producer (IPP) as per Power Policy 1994 the government had announced a Transmission Policy in 1995 to attract private investment in this sector due to constraints on public funding. Contract for two packages totalling 1,450km of transmission line and associated grid stations costing $700 million was awarded to a foreign company under 1995 policy, which could not achieve financial closure within the time schedule, hence the project was shelved.
After a long gap, the present government has made efforts to attract private investment, having launched Transmission Line Policy 2014 for construction of transmission lines and grid station projects of 220kv and above on Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) basis. In response, two Turkish companies namely STFA and Zorlu Holding had signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Pakistan, but no progress was achieved.
Recently, the government has revised the policy, and issued a Policy Framework for Private Sector Transmission Line Projects 2015 with a package of investment incentives. The prospective entrepreneurs are invited to construct both AC and DC Extra High Voltage (EHV) Transmission Line, with associated substations and converter stations, being an advanced technology it has to be compatible with the existing system in Pakistan, on equity participation 20 percent of total capital cost of the project. So far, the response to the policy however has remained poor.
Pakistan’s national grid consists of a network of EHV transmission lines and grid stations of voltage levels from 500kv to 220kv to transmit electricity to various load-centres. This system is owned, operated, and maintained by the National Transmission and Dispatch Co Ltd (NTDC), excluding the area served by K-Electric (formerly KESC). It consists of thirteen 500kv transmission lines of 5,183km and thirty-five 220kv lines of 9,104km along associated grid stations, and also includes power transformation of 38,430MVA capacity and some 132kv link transmission lines and grid stations. Among the 13 grid stations of 500kv, Gatti (Faisalabad) was commissioned in 1979, Guddu in 1986 and Jamshoro in 1987, whereas New Multan, Rawat and Muzaffargarh grid stations were upgraded from 220kv to 500kv in 1986, 1997, and 2000, respectively.
Likewise, Sheikhupura grid station was commissioned in 1992, Dadu in 1993 and Sheikh Muhammadi (Peshawar region) in 1995. The other grid stations in Yousafwala (Sahiwal), NKI (Karachi region) and Nokhar (Lahore region) are relatively new, having commissioned in 2006 (upgraded), 2006 and 2009, respectively. The last (5th) Secondary Transmission and Grid Station Project was implemented during 1994-95 to 2000-2001 developing 500kv (i) Jamshoro-Lahore, Tarbela-Lahore, (ii) Hub River site-Jamshoro and (iii) Jamshoro-Moro-Dadu-Rahim Yar Khan, and installing 20 grid stations of 220kv along 1,853km transmission lines by June 2000.
While net power generation capacity increased from 59,545GWh in 2002-03 to 105,996GWh in 2013-14, registering an increase of 78 percent, the transmission system could only achieve 49 percent growth (from 9,592km in 2002-03 to 14,287km in 2013-14), causing significant deficit. Shockingly, total forced outages (other than planned outages) in NTDC network were numbered 90 in 500kv system in 2013-14, of total duration of 113,460 minutes, while maximum duration of a single forced outage was of 37,339 minutes. Similarly, total forced outages in 220kv system that year numbered 265, of total duration of 101,493 minutes, according to Nepra State of Industry Report 2014.
The inadequate capacity and lack of timely interconnections with transmission network also proved to be a major bottleneck at the time of induction of additional power generating capacity resulting in delays in dispersal of power from many new power projects, as planning, design and construction of new transmission lines across the country was also the responsibility of NTDC. Under the government’s Power Transmission Enhanced Investment Programme, which is being implemented at a total cost of $3.9 billion, three new 500kv grid stations of total 4,500MVA along associated transmission lines were to be commissioned during December 2013-June 2014, that have been delayed due to various reasons, including financial constraints-revised timeline is 2016-17.
NTDC has also undertaken refurbishment of existing 500kv and 220kv grid stations, and another 500kv project of 2,250MVA, which is scheduled for commissioning in 2017-18.
In addition, 13 new 220kv grid stations along associated transmission lines are under construction. These include six projects of 3,750MVA that are to be commissioned in 2016-17, four of 2,750MVA in 2017-18, and another three of 1,500MVA in 2018-19. Projects for dispersal of power from various proposed coal-based, nuclear and hydropower power stations and wind power projects, and import of electricity from neighbouring countries are in different stages of planning and implementation. For the purpose, NTDC has been allocated Rs45.324 billion, including foreign exchange element of Rs32.457 billion in the 2015-16 Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP).
Recently, NTDC has also signed an MoU with a Chinese company to upgrade transmission lines for the transmission of 900MW of solar energy from the Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park, Bahawalpur. Nonetheless, it is a herculean job for NTDC, given the present conditions, to interconnect all upcoming power projects before achieving respective commercial operation date (COD) as required.
Sustainability, reliability and security of power supply is of paramount importance for the socio-economic development. There is an urgent need therefore, to extend, upgrade, and integrate electricity transmission infrastructure on priority, which should correspond to planned enhanced generation capacity at national level.
The writer is Chairman of Institution of Engineers, Pakistan
