Frequent power outages in the country: Rs 22.7 billion for power distribution

* Power companies submit their projects for Planning Division’s approval

By Khalid Mustafa

ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to upgrade the electricity transmission and distribution systems and improve the grid stations across the country at the cost of Rs 22.71 billion to avoid ongoing power outages, a government official told Daily Times on Thursday.

“The existing grid stations and transmission systems have become overloaded due to the increased demand of electricity, which is why load-shedding is necessary to save the system from collapsing,” said the official.

He said that the unbundled companies of WAPDA have submitted their plans to revamp their respective power distribution systems to the planning division for approval. He added that the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) would take up these plans for approval soon.

The official said that no project for upgrading the existing electricity power transmission and distribution systems had been implemented since 1994, which had caused power outages. This crisis will continue for two or three years, he added.

The official said that the plans submitted by the unbundled companies include: two projects by the Islamabad Electricity Supply Company (IESCO) — the distribution rehabilitation (Rs 1.82 billion) and the expansion of the distribution systems (Rs 1.32 billion); two projects by the Gujranwala Electricity Power Company (GEPCO) — the expansion of the power distribution systems (Rs 2.11 billion) and the rehabilitation of the existing distribution systems (Rs 3.42 billion); two projects by the Hyderabad Electricity Supply Company (HESCO) ) – the expansion in power distribution systems (Rs 1.37 billion) and the rehabilitation plan (Rs 1.04 billion); the Quetta Electricity Supply Company (QESCO) project for the rehabilitation of the power distribution systems (Rs 1.58 billion) and the Peshawar Electricity Supply Company (PESCO) project for revamping the power distribution systems (Rs 1.99 billion). He added that the other power distribution companies would also submit their projects with the planning division soon.

The official said the government was going to launch the 6th Secondary Transmission Line and Grid Stations (STG) project with an estimated cost of Rs 7.342 billion in some districts of the NWFP.

He added that this project included the installation of 25 new 132 KV grid stations, installing 734 kilometres of 132 KV transmission lines, conversion of 66 KV to 132 KV, extension of 20 grids of 132, 66 and 33 KV, augmentation of 16 grids of 132, 66 and 33 KV, along with the installation of necessary protection equipment and line bay.

The official said the system would help meet the growing power demand of the consumers. He added that these projects had also been submitted to the planning division for approval.

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