LAHORE, Oct 2: The Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) has failed to install dedicated power transmission lines for the Ghazi Barotha hydel-power project, and may not be able to utilize the project fully when the third unit starts operating by the end of the year.
According to independent experts, the failure could cause consumers billions of rupees as cheap power from Ghazi Barotha (60 paisa per unit) will have to be replaced with that from the IPPs, which costs Rs7 per unit. Wapda, however, denies the calculation, and claims that it can manage power transmission till next summer.
As part of the project, Wapda had to build two dedicated 500kv lines connecting Barotha with the Rawat grid station and the Ghakkar sub-station (Lahore). At Ghakkar, a sub-station was to be built for upgrading the system and accommodating the massive power injection from Ghazi Barotha. The 500kv line coming from Tarbela was to be taken in and out of the Barotha switchyard to provide the authority some flexibility for power transmission.
However, all the authority did was to connect the existing 500kv line coming from Tarbela with the extra high voltage system at Ghazi Barotha and was thus able to deal with the first two units of GBHP.
But, it remains a temporary arrangement which has to replaced with a dedicated system when the GBHP is fully operational.
According to experts, the authority has been able to manage power transmission from the first two units. But, transmission of power from the other three units, due to become operational in December, March and June, respectively, would be impossible without dedicated lines.
The authority had awarded the contract to a Turkish firm, but the latter ran away a few months ago citing procedural and financial reasons.
The authority has not been able to bring the Turkish firm back and is now left with no option but to cancel the contract and invite a new tender. But, inviting a new tender would consume another year or so, thus putting a big question mark over full utilization of the GBHP.
Commenting on the situation, a spokesman for Wapda said that the authority had taken up the matter with the Pakistan ambassador to Turkey and the Turkish envoy to Pakistan but was not able to bring the contractors back. It knows the time-cost of cancelling the contract and inviting a new tender. Precisely for this reason, it is now desperately trying to find a way out, and weighing different options. Engaging the contractors already involved in the process could be one of the options, as it could help save time.
According to a former member (power) of Wapda, failure to plan in time and properly execute these allied requirements could cost the consumers billions of rupees.
A former member (finance) termed it a national disaster and demanded a full inquiry into the matter and fixation of responsibility for it.
The failure to probe such disasters and letting the guilty off the hook has not helped Wapda, nor it ever will, he remarked.
On the other hand, the current member (power) of Wapda thinks that the authority will somehow manage power transmission till the installation of these lines.
The power generation from Tarbela drops in winter and could give Wapda a breathing space. But, it would certainly be a crisis situation if the authority failed to construct these lines by next summer. However, he was of the view that this would not be the case.
