Altaf HAMID RAO
MIRPUR (AJK): Minister of State for Power Chaudhry Abid Sher Ali inaugurated 220 KV grid station at Gujrat today.
Speaking on the occasion, Ch. Abid Sher Ali said that the government is committed to eliminate load shedding from the country. Power projects of over 10,000 MW capacity are being completed on fast track. 220 kV grid station Gujrat alongwith transmission line has been constructed with the cost of Rs. 1966 million by National Transmission and Despatch Company. He appreciated the NTDC Management, engineers and staff for timely completion of the project and said that the grid station will end forced load shedding, improve voltage level and minimize trippings which was being faced due to overloading of the system. Resultantly, power supply for the people of Gujrat particularly as well as for GEPCO areas will be improved.
While giving the details of NTDC projects, Managing Director NTDC said that 3x250MVA transformers have been installed at 220 kV grid station Gujrat which will supply power to six 132 kV grid stations of GEPCO for subsequent distribution to feeders. NTDC has also provided transmission interconnection facilities to many power generation projects with their total installed capacity of 6164 MW during last one year. These projects include RLNG Bhikki Power Plant 1200 MW, RLNG Balloki Power Plant 1200 MW, RLNG Haveli Bahadur Shah Power Plant 1200 MW, Sahiwal Coal Fired Power Plant 1320 MW, Patrind Hydro Power Plant 147 MW, Chashma Nuclear Power Plants C3 and C4 680 MW, Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park 400MW (For the remaining 600 MW, a 220 kV transmission line and associated substation is already completed) and Renolia Hydro Power Plant 17 MW.
He further said that 500 kV transmission line for evacuation from 1320 MW Port Qasim Power Plant will be completed shortly. The erection work of towers of said transmission line has been completed by NTDC engineers and staff in minimum possible time.
Chaudhary Abid Sher Ali appriciated the hard work of NTDC officers and staff and said that NTDC has become a team of professionals who worked day and night and converted newly constructed power plants of govt in mininum posibble time. He also applauded the work of newly constructed 220kV Grid Station Gujrat its construction team, security staff and system constraints team of NTDC and announced one month basic pay as bonus for them.
He said that in 2013 people used to face the loadshedding of 20 hours daily but in last four years we have brought it to minimum with zero loadsheding for industry. Our government is determined to make loadsheding free Pakistan by 2018.
NTDC has been given the task of construction of huge infrastructure network. NTDC management, engineers and staff are fully committed to complete these project well before time so that the menace of load shedding is eliminated. He also thanked the team of JICA and Media for their cooperation. He also planted a tree in the yard of 220kV Grid Station Gujrat. MPs, reps of local govt, CEO GEPCO, NTDC and GEPCO officials were also present on the occasion.
