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| June 29, 2006 | Thursday | Jumadi-ul-Sani 2, 1427 |
Wapda plans to cut power breakdowns
ISLAMABAD, June 28: Wapda has proposed an expensive ‘reactive power compensation’ plan for improving voltage fluctuations and reducing power losses. Sources said on Wednesday that singed by the public uproar over the frequent power breakdowns in major cities, Wapda’s hierarchy has prepared a plan to provide ‘immediate relief’ to the sufferers of its poor performance.
A major cause of low voltage profile in the national grid system is said to be excessive reactive power requirement within load centres of Wapda’s distribution companies, especially during hot season when load demand increases.
WAPDA has informed the government that when the reactive power requirement within a load centre is not compensated, it results in large amount of reactive power flow which leads to degradation of system resulting in poor voltage profile of grid stations, increase in the load on lines and transformers, increase in system losses and load shedding in some areas.
Initially, Wapda has sought government’s permission to install 132-KV and 11-KV capacitors in Hyderabad through the Hyderabad Electricity Supply Company (Hesco) at a cost of Rs479.94 million. This will provide proper reactive power compensation, relieving the system and subsequently benefiting the people.
So far, Wapda has not been given permission to carry out its power relief programme in Hyderabad. The plan needed to be included in a five-year plan, according to the sources.
Wapda officials have also informed the authorities about the latest break up of existing installed capacity of the integrated system.
Currently, a total of 17,405-MW of electricity is being produced, including Wapda hydel (6,463-MW), thermal generation companies (4,834 MW) and independent power producers (6,108-MW), including 325-MW Chashma Nuclear Power-1 and 30-MW Jagran hydel.
As major hydel resources are located in the north and thermal generation facilities are concentrated in central and southern parts, an extensive power transmission network consisting of 500-, 200-, 132- and 66-KV transmission lines and grid stations were built for delivering power to the load centres. Wapda also say that extension in the transmission network is being carried out in line with expansion of generation schemes.
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