The Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB) anticipates that the completion of KE’s 220 kV Dhabeji Grid Station and the NTDC transmission line will alleviate power curtailments for existing wind projects.
Wind Independent Power Producers (WIPPs) recently highlighted increasing curtailments, primarily attributed to low local demand in the HESCO area and system-wide transmission constraints since 2022.
PPIB notes that compensation mechanisms for grid unavailability, like the Non-Project Missed Volume (NPMV) concept, may undervalue energy losses for wind projects, affecting their financial viability.
To address these challenges, PPIB emphasizes the need to eliminate system-wide transmission constraints, which requires infrastructure upgrades like the Matiari – Moro – Rahim Yar Khan 500 kV transmission line and Battery Energy Storage Systems in the South.
The upcoming operational Dhabeji Grid Station, connected to NTDC’s Jhimpir-II Grid Station by June 2024, is expected to efficiently evacuate power, contributing to reduced curtailments for wind projects.
Story by Mushtaq Ghumman
