Inquiry report over Wednesday’s power blackout submitted to PM

ISLAMABAD: The massive power breakdown that left Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and the Federal Capital without electricity for many hours on Wednesday was caused by a fault in the switchyard of the 747MW Guddu power plant, it has been learnt.

Well-placed sources in the power division on condition of anonymity disclosed that Wednesday’s massive power blackout was due to a fault surfaced in the shunt reactor of 747MW Guddu power plant. He said the shunt reactor was damaged and it caused tripping in the electricity transmission lines and as a result, various power plants including Bhikki, Haveli Bahadur Shah etc. stopped power generation as they could not sustain sudden changes in the frequency.  He said the shunt reactor was installed in the switchyard of the Guddu power plant and the closure of the 747MW Guddu power plant and other power plants increased the load on the entire power system.

The investigation of this massive power cut has been completed and a report has been forwarded to the Prime Minister Shahid Khaqqan Abbasi for further action, declaring a fault in switchyard of Guddu power plant responsible for the power blackout, said sources.

The sources added that no action against the responsible person would be taken as the enquiry team declared the electrical equipment as the main cause for the blackout on Wednesday.

An official of the National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) informed that the repair and maintenance work of damaged shunt reactor was in process and electricity was restored through the bypass. Soon, the damaged part will be made functional, said the official.

It is relevant to mention that the shunt reactor’s job was to absorb the reactive power and control the voltage in the transmission lines and maintain the voltage at normal range. It is connected with transmission lines and switchyard. The shunt reactor was installed at Guddu in 2015 to control the voltage at normal range.

Ahmad Ahmadani
Ahmad Ahmadani
The author is a an investigative journalist at Profit. He can be reached at [email protected].

3 COMMENTS

  1. Fact is:
    Governance of our power sector is in hands of Brigs and DMGs etc, these non professionals hv acted as “Bugs and Viruses” play havoc with a running system.
    At top we have Jerks like Abid Sher Ali, Leghari is doing what he did with PTCL, Steel mill, now attempting KESC…Abraaj to Shinghai. SS is mentally sick….

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