The augmentation and upgradation plan of transmission and distribution networks in Punjab will be submitted to the Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCoE) next week to make it loadshedding-free province by the coming summer, said sources.
Under the plan, the transmission and distribution networks of both the National Transmission & Despatch Company (NTDC) and five distribution companies (DISCOs), including IESCO, LESCO, FESCO, GEPCO, and MEPCO, would be upgraded to meet the five percent growth in the demand for electricity by the next summer, sources added.
According to the sources, the ministry has proposed the addition of some eight to nine transformers of 500kV and 220kV on grid stations throughout the Punjab. The NTDC network would enhance the capacity of transmission lines by 1500 megawatt before the summer of next year that would minimize the transmission issues in the province. The total cost of this exercise would be around Rs15 billion that would be borne by the NTDC from its own resources.
Meanwhile, they said, the ministry was also pursuing the DISCOs to upgrade their distribution networks simultaneously to deal with the technical hiccups on 132kV and 11kV transformers as and when there is an excessive load or heavy rains in the province. It may be noted that the ministry has estimated an increase of 5500 megawatts in the demand for electricity in the province of Punjab by the next summer, which needed system enhancement of transmission and distribution networks.
The sources said the CCoE would finalize the plan for the federal cabinet for its final approval by the next month for an early start of work within the current calendar year. They said Prime Minister Imran Khan has issued clear-cut instructions to expedite the augmentation plan to remove the transmission and distribution irritants for an uninterrupted power supply to consumers.
