Staff Reporter
Lahore
Federal Minister for Education & Professional Training Mr Shafqat Mahmood and MD NTDC Engr. Dr Khawaja Riffat Hassan inaugurated 220 kV GIS Ghazi Grid Station here on Monday.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony, Federal Minister Mr. Shafqat Mahmood congratulated NTDC management on the completion of grid station and said that present govt is committed to provide all basic necessities to the masses, this grid station will bring relief to the consumers of Lahore with improved voltage profile. Govt is also making efforts to provide electricity at affordable prices. He said that IPPs were setup during power crisis in 1990, the present govt has asked IPPs to review their agreement to cut down electricity prices and the govt is already in negotiations with IPPs and hope that meetings will be fruitful and help in curtailing the circular debt. He directed CEO LESCO for redressal of consumer’s complaints with patience and courtesy. Target of power distribution companies (DISCOs) should be customer‘s satisfaction.
While updating the details of project, Managing Director NTDC Engr. Dr. Khawaja Riffat Hassan said that National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) had successfully commissioned and energized the 220kV GIS Ghazi Road Grid Station with the cost of Rs 5664.24 million. Major portion of the funds was provided by KfW Germany and remaining was arranged through NTDC own resources.
He said that, the 220 kV grid station has total capacity of 750MVA. The said project is also connected with 500 kV NTDC Grid Station Lahore (South) for dispersal of Power from Balloki RLNG Power Plant and Coal fired Power Plant Sahiwal to Lahore Electricity Supply Company (LESCO) areas mainly DHA, Askari-X, Allama Iqbal Airport, Gulberg, Shalimar, Batapur, and Ghazi Road.
Engr. Dr. Khawaja Riffat Hassan said that German Development Cooperation, KfW has appreciated the government’s efforts for power sector and said that historically, Pakistan and Germany has always enjoyed very warm friendly relations since long. The Government of Germany, through KfW, provided a financing of Euro 11.29 Million for this project. The support, provided to the Government of Pakistan will help in addressing the constraints in the transmission network of the Pakistan’s Power Sector.
This project has strengthened NTDC transmission system alongwith reduction in load of 220/132 kV Transformers feeding LESCO load centers from NTDC Grid Stations, 220 kV Ravi, 220 kV New Kot Lakhpat, 220 kV Bund Road, 220 kV Kala Shah Kaku,220 kV Sarfaraz Nagar and 500 kV Sheikhupura. This will also improve voltage profile and system reliability of LESCO and NTDC Grid System.
CEO LESCO, NESPAK officers and General Electric representatives were also present on the occasion.
