LAHORE: Most of the ongoing or completed projects related to laying extra-high-voltage (EHV) transmission lines for evacuating power from several wind power plants in Sindh have allegedly appeared to be faulty, apparently because of substandard material and equipment.

The situation is worsening, causing huge financial losses to the National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) in particular and the national exchequer in general, Dawn has learnt.

“None of the projects executed by the NTDC’s EHV department in the south would be found as complete in all respects and devoid of blunders,” complained NTDC’s South Asset Management unit in a letter to the GM (South) Hyderabad.

“Whenever any defect observed is pointed out purely to preserve NTDC’s interest by getting its earlier rectification, the same is never digested by the EHV section. All construction defects/blunders done by the EHV section during project execution are to be compensated by the Grid System Operations (GSO) department,” it added.

NTDC, national exchequer face huge losses as situation worsens

While discussing the issues in the construction of 220-kilovolt Jhimpir II-KDA-33 and 220kV Jhimpir-II Jamshoro transmission lines, the company’s asset management unit conveyed its concerns to the EHV section about these projects, which it says are important in connecting the national grid with the wind cluster and supplying power to K-Electric.

The unit believes that all new projects were executed on sharp practices by ignoring the quality of work and material, and the only target seemed to be meeting the deadline.

“The [EHV] department cannot deny poor workmanship, consultancy services, engagement of contractor and depriving management of executing various projects in the wind corridor,” the letter revealed.

Due to these practices, “the NTDC has already faced severe humiliation and unbearable financial losses in the past and have also been encountering with blunders done by the EHV section on a daily basis”, it said.

It mentions frequent failure of substandard disc insulators installed in the 220kV Jhimpir-TMK transmission line, which, later on, were replaced with of good quality ones along with the addition of two extra insulators.

The unit also pointed out frequent tripping of the 220kV Gharo-Jhimpir line, resulting in the breakage of its conductor owing to the non-installation of damper weight despite being included in the bill of quantity. Besides, as highlighted by the design department, the damaging of spacers and D-shackles was also questionable, it said.

The unit further indicated the tilting of foundation of circuit breakers, isolators, posts, etc at the 220kV grid station Jhampir-1 and said an inquiry report had yet to be finalised in this regard.

“It is hoped that the projects would be completed with no discrepancies left unattended to benefit the NTDC. Please take the action as recommended by the company’s [board of directors] regarding Jhimpir-TM Khan lines and Jhimpir-1 G/S, etc. Also, provide all relevant record to the asset management department (south) on time,” the unit said.

NTDC managing director and asset management (south) general manager were not available for comment.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2022