220-kv grid station inaugurated

LAHORE: Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood and NTDC MD Engr Dr Khawaja Riffat Hassan on Monday inaugurated 220-kv GIS Ghazi Grid Station in the City.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony, Federal Minister Shafqat Mahmood said the government was committed to provide all basic necessities to the masses, this grid station would bring relief to the consumers of Lahore with improved voltage profile. He was of the view that circular debt was one of the biggest challenges for the government which swelled to Rs2,000 billion. Efforts are being made to contain circular debt, he said adding the government was making efforts to provide electricity to people at affordable prices.

He said that IPPs were set up during power crisis in 1990, the present government has asked IPPs to review their agreement to cut down electricity prices and the government was already in negotiations with IPPs and hope that meetings would be fruitful and help in curtailing the circular debt.

He directed Lesco CEO for redressing consumers’ complaints with patience and courtesy. Target of power distribution companies (DISCOs) should be customers’ satisfaction, he observed and congratulated NTDC management on the completion of grid station.

Updating the details of project, NTDC Managing Director Engr Dr Khawaja Riffat Hassan said that National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) had successfully commissioned and energised the 220kV GIS Ghazi Road Grid Station at a cost of Rs5.664 billion. Major portion of the funds was provided by KfW Germany and remaining was arranged through NTDC own resources. He said the 220kV grid station had total capacity of 750MVA.

The project is also connected with 500kV NTDC Grid Station Lahore (South) for dispersal of power from Balloki RLNG Power Plant and Coal fired Power Plant Sahiwal to Lahore Electricity Supply Company (Lesco) areas mainly DHA, Askari-X, Allama Iqbal Airport, Gulberg, Shalimar, Batapur, and Ghazi Road.

Dr Riffat Hassan said that German Development Cooperation / KfW had appreciated the government’s efforts for power sector and said that historically Pakistan and Germany had always enjoyed friendly relations since long. The Government of Germany, through KfW, provided a financing of Euro 11.29 million for this project. The support, provided to the Government of Pakistan will help in addressing the constraints in the transmission network of the Pakistan’s power sector.

This project has strengthened NTDC transmission system along with reduction in load of 220/132-kV transformers feeding Lesco load centres from NTDC grid stations, 220kV Ravi, 220kV Newkot Lakhpat, 220kV Bund Road, 220kV Kala Shah Kaku, 220kV Sarfaraz Nagar and 500kV Sheikhupura. This will also improve voltage profile and system reliability of Lesco and NTDC Grid System. Lesco CEO, NESPAK officers and general electric representatives were also present on the occasion.