Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has given the go-ahead to a Rs 5.6 billion power sector project aimed at converting existing 220kV substations at Kala Shah Kaku, Ravi and Naseerabad Bund Road from air insulated to gas insulated.
Suggestions provided by Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms to a meeting of the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) chaired by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar gave nod to the project, which would be completed by the National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC).
The summary approved in the last ECNEC meeting mentions that the goal of the project is to transform existing 220kV sub-stations at Bund Road, Kala Shah Kaku, Ravi and Nishatabad from air insulated substations (AIS) to gas insulated substations (GIS).
The finance minister was apprised due to the ageing factor and industrial pollution surrounding these substations making the AIS weaker leading to their deterioration. Their change in the GIS substations will improve their efficiency as well as their dependability resulting in reduction of erosion and deterioration. It will greatly decrease their maintenance costs, frequent trappings and power flow will add 684MW in the system.
The meeting was also informed that the transmission system of the country was facing problems of frequent tripping and breakdowns. Hence enhancement in transmission and transformation capacity of NTDC system is ever so mandatory.Â
Power sector aims to provide reliable, uninterrupted power to its consumers considering the present overloaded system and additional availability of extra power generation capacity in near future coupled with hefty power demand. The strategy has been adopted to strengthen and enhance the capacity of the transmission system.
The apparatus at AIS/ grid stations has deteriorated due to being old and because of air pollutants from waste water drains and chemical industries. Conversion from AIS to GIS will ensure efficiency and improvement in overall reliability. It will decrease the erosion and deterioration of vital substation equipment, besides bringing down maintenance costs.
The project is expected to be completed by June 2018.
