National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) Takes Notice Of Increased Load Shedding

ISLAMABAD, (Muzaffargarh.City – 8th Jun, 2018 ) :The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has taken notice of the increased load shedding witnessed recently throughout various parts of the country.

It has been found that the underlying issue hampering continuity of supply is overloaded grid stations of the National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC), said a press release issued here Friday.

The NTDC’s grid stations have suffered extensive overloading, specifically in the service territories of Islamabad Electric Supply Company Limited (IESCO), Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) and Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO). This has caused the DISCOs to carryout forced load shedding to relieve overloading at 500kV Rewat, Shiekhupura, Gatti, Multan and Sikarpur grid stations, and 220kV Burhan, New Kot Lakhpat, Kassowal, Mardan, Bannu, Vehari, Muzaffargarh and Hala Road grid stations.

NEPRA has allowed a huge investment of Rs96.63 billion to NTDC during last three years (i.e. FY 2014-15, FY 2015-16 & FY 2016-17) for the improvement and reliability of transmission network.

However, NTDC has failed to bring any improvement in its network. Repeated power breakdowns, persistent overloading of NTDC’s grid stations, delay in projects (transmission lines & grid stations), power evacuation issues from power plants and additional 4-5 hours load shedding by DISCOs on account of NTDC’s system limitations indicate poor state of affairs of NTDC.

Furthermore, NTDC also failed to intimate information regarding constraints in its network to NEPRA.

NEPRA, in its capacity as the regulator of the energy sector, has taken serious notice of the aforementioned failures of the NTDC and has directed the system operator, vide letter dated 20-11-2017, to resolve the issue of overloaded grid stations expeditiously.

However, the issues with NTDC’s network remains unresolved and will foreseeably become further aggravated in the following months of July and August if immediate measures are not taken by the NTDC. In light of such, NEPRA has issued directions to the NTDC toforthwith prepare and implement a prioritized plan for elimination of itsoverloading and network issues.