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ISLAMABAD: National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) is reportedly facing brain drain due to which National Power Control Centre (NPCC), the system operator, is facing problems in fulfilling its functions, which is a risk to national security.

This concern was shared by Deputy Managing Director NTDC (NPCC), Ali Zain Banatwala, in a letter to National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra), which is holding an inquiry against NTDC regarding a fatal incident at town 274-A 500 kV Gatti-Rousch G/Station, Toba Tek Singh of October 12, 2023.

NPCC manages the entire transmission and sub-transmission network of Pakistan, dispatching over 100 power plants and coordinating network operations at over 1000grid stations.

Network operation requires a combination of technology and experience. The more automated the network, the less the reliance on human expertise.

Unfortunately, since NTDC has expanded its network without adequate investment in monitoring, control and protection systems, the reliance in network experience in network operations has taken far greater importance, especially after the addition of the Matiari-Lahore HVDC link.

Therefore, the ability to retain experienced engineers and to recruit engineers with power electronics and HVDC experience in an increasingly digital grid with increasing variable renewable energy is essential for ensuring system security.

According to Deputy Managing Director NTDC, unfortunately, NPCC is facing the exact opposite worst case scenario. In the last eight months, 11 seasoned engineers have received job offers from System Operators in the Gulf and Europe. Most of them have left. These people are irreplaceable. Furthermore, motivated by the success of the first batch, an even larger second batch is known to be actively pursuing employment overseas.

If the current trend continues, there will be no one of substantial experience or skill remaining in the control room and its essential support functions such as shutdowns, operational planning, etc. The few remaining deputy managers are overburdened, overworked and at risk of burnout.

“As a result of these departures, the average years of experience among control room engineers and allied sections have decreased from 9-10 years to 3-4 years. Currently less than ten Dispatchers (including Shift Supervisors) have more than 3 years’ experience. One third of the Dispatchers, have less than six months’ experience,” he added

The current staff being short on experience is scared to take real-time decisions when the network is stressed, as they are fully aware that the Board of Directors assigned blame for the Jan 2023 blackout solely to NPCC despite both the PM’s inquiry committee and Nepra’s inquiry committee assigning equal blame to failures in system protection, design and planning.

The convener of the PM’s State Minister for Petroleum, Musaddiq Malik had in fact specifically highlighted planning failures in the HVDC link, which suffered more than 400 failures in a single year (2022), and whose failure was an integral part of the blackout. This perceived injustice has directly contributed to the accelerated departure of seasoned experts from NPCC in the last eight months, he continued.

Furthermore, additional functions and responsibilities have been given to the System Operator under the SO (System Operator) Licence, National Electricity Plan& Grid Code such as integrated system planning (generation and transmission) and Grid Code compliance. Without an adequate increase in work force, these functions cannot possibly be implemented.

Banatwala has proposed following measures to improve the situation: (i) an effective recruitment scheme and robust training programme is required to create redundancy which can to some extent mitigate the high turnover of engineers; (ii) establishment of an Independent System Operator (ISO) in accordance with the National Electricity Plan; and (iii) competitive market-based salaries and allowances in order to retain and attract high quality professionals in the wake of a global shortage of power engineers, with system operators, protection and planning engineers being the most sought after.

“Without a highly skilled and experienced workforce, NPCC’s ability to fulfil its responsibilities and contribute to the energy security of Pakistan is severely compromised,” he added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023

Comments

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DR.A.BASHIR Nov 09, 2023 12:18pm
UNLESS & UNTIL PEOPLE FEEL USECURE,AS IN PRESENT STATE OF AFFAIRES "FOUJIE DANDA" EVERYWHERE,NO ONE EXCEPT THOSE WHO CAN'T MIGRATE WE WILL NOT SEE ANY IMPROVEMENT??
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Awais Ahmad Qureshi Nov 09, 2023 12:50pm
Ask Army to provide necessary resource as they have abundance of everything
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JAMSHED SALEEM Nov 09, 2023 12:58pm
Today power system is quite complex to deal with. System operation & control is nerve of the system. Unfortunately this is neglected part when it comes to NTDC Pakistan. Latest tools are missing along the concept of modern grid. No proper studies done nor focus on latest trend on training module. NTDC need a big shift by adding proper authorization of technical staff at different level repeat sequence of every 2-3 years. NTDC need WAMs system as SCADA system had no capacity to deal these dynamically issues. Along all this pay them well along good career planning. At last Train them , train them , train them.
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Abdullah Nov 09, 2023 02:37pm
Consultants can be hired to advise the young engineers
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Ahsan Mubashir Nov 09, 2023 05:45pm
@Abdullah, the consultants hired will train the engineers and the trained engineers will then leave for abroad. This is not the solution.
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Ali Nov 09, 2023 09:51pm
Increase pay package. The only solution to retain current engineers
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N.Q Nov 09, 2023 10:18pm
Have the management ever thought why this is happening? Previously there was a proper Foreign Deputation Policy in place where a certain figure of people used to go abroad and return back to NTDC which helped in bringing Foreign Reserves into the country and most importantly, a vast amount of Experience with them. Why deputation policy has been stopped? No one has the answer. Secondly, and most importantly, there is not system studies tools in NPCC where proper reserves and response studies are carried out. Fault Level studies needed to be carried. Strick compliance of Voltage Step changes has to be enforced. In this modern era of Power Systems, we are running a wonderful system in a very vague and cruel way. The current SCADA-III project can play a very vital role and can be a ground breaking cornerstone in modernising our extremely ill maintained and poorly run system. Last but not the least, proper career paths and market based competitive salaries needs to be introduced.
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JAMSHED SALEEM Nov 09, 2023 10:20pm
Multiple hit needed to this issue; technological update along career planning with market base salaries.
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Muneeb Nov 09, 2023 10:51pm
But the prime minister said there is nothing like brain drain and he knows how good of a community expat physicians are. As long as policy makers are this stupid, there will be no end to it.
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ENGR Hamid Shafiq Nov 09, 2023 10:58pm
@Ahsan Mubashir, when you offer good salary and package they never left it.
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Noor M Sheikh Nov 10, 2023 11:06am
point is valid. long-term planning is missing. ntdc is more involved in day to day matters without any insight of future issues. scada 2 was also mismanged. hope scada 3 is properly implemented to help npcc operations. A strategy for training is important. dependence on our own technical resources be undertaken rather than foreign experts. A strong link with academia is required for producing competent workforce of engineers Engr. Dr. Noor Muhammad sheijh prof. GCU Lahore
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Shahid Ali cheema Nov 10, 2023 07:05pm
Bail lagane ka bail news dekhne ka tarika
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Irshad Gul Nov 11, 2023 04:47pm
Whenever there is a conflict between the PM and CEO NTDC, the PM should go home not the other; meaning to say the institutions should be so strong. Japan is a good example.
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Irshad Gul Nov 11, 2023 04:49pm
@Noor M Sheikh, the root causes be sought and settled.
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