Closure of power plants: Not washing transmission lines on time led to tripping

ISLAMABAD: The transmission line tripping that led to the closure of many power plants, including nuclear power houses, was caused because of failure of the NTDC (National Transmission Dispatch Company) in properly carrying out the washing of lines on time prior to the advent of the winter season.

According to the well-placed sources, this time the NTDC completed just five percent of the washing of transmission lines and could not check the insulators and replace the faulty ones on time which was why the tripping took place leading to the massive breakdown in the country.

NTDC MD Zafar Abbas was sent questions asking him for the reason of tripping of transmission lines but he did not respond. The cell phone of Zafar Abbas was though functional yet it stayed unattended. He was also sent questions through whatsApp saying:"Last year in smog and fog season, tripping of transmission line was not so damaging, but this time it is too much damaging, why? It has also come to knowledge that the NTDC has failed to fully complete washing of transmission lines and insulators, as it only succeeds to wash 5 percent transmission system, which is why the tripping caused huge power breakdown. Please respond in detail." The News didn't get the response.

The same questions were sent to the spokesman of power division on WhatsApp but to no response as his phone was powered off till the filing of the story.

The tripping led to the closure of the many power plants including three Chashma nuclear power plants (C1, C2 and C3) followed by exit of LNG gas dedicated for power houses and because of faults in Egro LNG terminal and reduction in hydro generation to a reasonable level and the decision to close down furnace oil and diesel based power plants had caused the power outages of long duration in the country. Now the power system has started recovering, but the power outages are still haunting the masses.

Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission spokesman Shahid Riaz Khan said that three Chashma nuclear power plants have restarted generating the electricity of 990 MW after becoming the victim of transmission lines. Whenever tripping takes place, he said, the nuclear power plants having built-in safety system automatically stop working to avoid mammoth loss to the plants. Now the three nuclear power plants are back to business.

About the fourth nuclear power plant, Khan said this plant is under maintenance and whenever gets completed, it will start functioning.

The top official sources while mentioning the tripping of transmission lines said that K-Electric was once used to face the tripping problem, but now the management has coped with the issue. There was a time when sea pollution used to create rust in the lines and insulators which had led to the closure of plants resulting in  loadshedding.

One of the NTDC officials also said that in recent past a company had offered the NTDC to paint insulators in some three points in North and three in South of transmission lines for free of cost. The company had explained that the paint of insulators would ensure the safety of insulator for 15 years from dust, fog and smog. The company wanted to paint the whole system but NTDC board refused to entertain the offer arguing it will incur million of rupees cost. But now, the system gets tripped causing of huge damage of billion of rupees to the economy of the country because of loadshedding in last 3-4 days.

In the last year when mercury got more low in December, some tripping had taken place but power system was survived within hours but this time tripping caused more damage to the country's economy as loadshedding is still hitting the masses despite the fact that 9,000 MW has been added to the system.