1,000mw power to be back in the system in hours: NTDCL

LAHORE: Thunderstorm and heavy rains affected transmission lines of the Muzaffargarh power plant by disrupting 1,750 megawatts to the national grid, however, 1,000mw will be brought back to the system by Sunday evening.

Briefing the media at WAPDA House here Sunday, National Transmission and Dispatch Company Limited (NTDCL) Managing Director, Naveed Ismail said that unprecedented damage occurred due to heavy rain and thunderstorm, and six pylons (towers) of 500kv transmission line were uprooted resultantly affected the 220kv transmission line passing underneath, which further damaged 13 towers on the same transmission line.

However, NTDCL immediately mobilised senior officials and engineers for the restoration of the transmission line on war footing.

All available resources including cranes, manpower and material along with other equipment have been moved to the site from all over the country, he said.

To a question, he said that AES Lalpir and PakGen 700mw, Muzaffargarh 800mw and two units of Guddu also went out of the national grid that caused an additional electricity shortfall of 1,750mw in the country.

He assured the media that 1,000mw would be back in the system by today evening whereas 350mw of Lalpir Power Plant would be added by tomorrow (Monday) morning.

About the PakGen Power restoration, he said, the windstorm had affected transmission lines very badly and would take another two days for its recovery.

To another query, Naveed Ismail said that 650mw CHASHNUP I&II (Chashma Barrage) which were closed due to technical fault few days back, had now started functioning since Sunday morning.

On this occasion, the NTDCL chief regretted the inconvenience faced by the masses and requested for their cooperation by reducing the electricity load to minimum level. (APP)