Electricity demand during peak hours registers ‘zero growth’: experts

LAHORE: Demand for electricity during the peak hours has registered zero growth during the last three years due to stagnant industrial and trading activities in the country, said power sector experts.

This year, they said, the peak demand stood low, around 22,000MW and it may increase by 5% annually provided the energy cost goes down and growth starts in the industry and trade sectors.

Meanwhile, availing a fresh connection has become Herculean task for the consumers due to dismal growth in distribution and transmission networking throughout the country. The existing transmission system, some experts claimed, can manage load up to 27,000MW.

It may be noted that the power sectors have divergent views over the capacity of National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) so far as evacuation of power is concerned. Some believe that the NTDCs present transmission networks have the capability to reliably evacuate power, around 27,000 MWs, against the existing peak demand of around 22,000 MWs. While others claim that the peak hours’ demand is more than 26000 MW and registering an increase by 20% annually, therefore, the transmission system is lacking badly and the country needs aggressive up-gradation.

The proponents stress the point that the historical data of NTDC suggests that the projects completed during the period of 2017-2021 were more than what NTDC has achieved during the last 20 years. They are of the view that it was kind of a roller coaster ride, and everyone worked day and night to ensure projects were completed without further delays.

The National Transmission & Despatch Company (NTDC) in Pakistan completed several significant projects between 2017 and 2021. Some of the key projects included 500 kV Lahore South Grid Station, which was completed and commissioned on December 6, 2017. It included the installation of 3x750MVA Auto Transformer banks.

Another 220 kV Grid Station Gujrat was energized on April 26, 2017. It involved the installation of 3 (250MVA, 220/132kV) Auto-Transformers and 1 (6.3 MVA 132/11KV) Power Transformer. Similarly, 500 kV Grid Station Faisalabad-West is part of NTDC’s effort to enhance the transmission network and was completed during this period. In addition, the HVDC transmission line for Thar power plants evacuation further strengthened the power supply in the central region, they stressed.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024