ISLAMABAD, Oct 24: Wapda has informed the government that sudden rise in power demand has “overloaded its existing system, resulting in low voltage and high line losses” and the issue needed urgent remedial measures.

It said that increasing power demand has become a burden on the system which was causing acute low-voltage problems, overloading of transformers and transmission lines, transmission losses and putting at risk the system stability.

Official sources said on Monday that Wapda had proposed urgent remedial measures to avoid system breakdowns similar to the one experienced recently across Pakistan.

As a first step Wapda called for removing power shortages in Lahore and Quetta and subsequently in other cities as well. The government was told that installation of 132KV and 11KV capacitors at various grid stations could provide adequate reactive power compensation to “give relief to the system in this situation”. It would improve the overall working of the power system for the benefit of the general public.

The main objective, Wapda argued, is to provide adequate facilities for the generation, transmission and distribution of power keeping in view the future requirements for the industrial, agricultural and socio economic development of the country.

Wapda also informed the government that as major hydel resources were located in the north of the country and thermal generation facilities are concentrated in central and southern parts, an extensive power transmission network consisting of 500, 200, 132 & at 66KV transmission lines and grid stations were built for delivering power to the load centres.

Further extension in the transmission network was being constantly carried out in lines with expansion of generation schemes for which unbundling, 132KV and 66KV network has been assigned to the Wapda power distribution companies, Wapda said.

Load flow studies had been carried by the concerned officials to stimulate the future conditions of Lahore Electric Supply Company system and Quetta Electric Supply Company for the peak load conditions of June 2007 and June 2010.

Wapda has directed the concerned officials that during commissioning of the proposed capacitors, the generation voltage level at KEL, Japan power, Saba and Sepcol power plants and transformer taps of 220/132KV grid stations should be carefully monitored to avoid over-voltage at the grid stations. Also, the 132KV capacitors should be equipped with auto-switching capability to avoid over-voltage under light load/emergency conditions.

The government was also informed by Wapda that at present a number of hydel and thermal power stations have been installed to meet the power demand of the country. According to the latest break-up, a total of 17,350MW of electricity is being generated which included 6,463MW by Wapda hydel, 4,779MW by thermal generation companies and 6,108MW by Independent Power Producers.