270MW electricity added to national grid

Islamabad

The government has added 270 megawatts electricity to the national grid, after it partially brought back Guddu Power Complex into life which had stopped generation in 2013 due to damages in gas and steam turbines.

Secretary Ministry of Water and Power Muhammad Younus Dagha while inaugurating the addition to the national grid from the plant, at Guddu said, “A new addition of around 450MW is also expected from Chashma-III and some wind power projects before summer this year.” A total of 820MW addition in the generation capacity is expected during the summer from the new power plants and rehabilitation process, he added.

This 270MW electricity has been added from 415MW Seimens Block of Guddu Power Complex having two gas turbines and one steam turbine. This entire plant stopped generation in 2013 due to damages in gas and steam turbines.

Aimed at rehabilitation of the 415MW Seimens Block plant at Guddu, the government awarded it to Mapna from Iran last year, and work started on it on November 20, 2015 and timelines were strictly followed. With aggressive work plan followed, first gas turbine was put on generation on Jan 16, 2016 while the second one started generation on March 9, 2016.

With completion of work on these two turbines, a total of 270MW electricity has been added in the system. Another GE gas turbine is also under rehabilitation and this will add another 100MW in the system by end April.

The Ministry of Water and Power has also submitted a proposal in Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet for rehabilitation of Sui-Guddu pipeline to get additional gas for complex which has a generation potential of more than 1,700MW.

The Ministry of Water and Power has set a target to achieve more than 1,500MW generation from Guddu Power Complex by summer of 2016. Recently, 120 mmcfd gas from Mari gas field has been allocated for Guddu Power Complex and aggressive work is in progress for installation of compressors to fully utilise the gas.