ISLAMABAD: The Natio­nal Ele­ctric Power Regula­tory Authority (Nepra) has imposed a cumulative fine of Rs20 million on the National Transmission & Despatch Company (NTDC) in two separate incidents of major blackouts on May 31 this year and Sept 1, 2021.

In a statement, the power regulator said it imposed Rs10m on NTDC on account of power supply failure and partial blackout due to the collapse of eight towers. These inclu­d­­ed 2 towers of 500kV Dadu-Jam­sh­oro Tra­nsmission Line and 6 towers of 500kV Port Qasim-Mat­iari due to cyclonic wind and thundersto­r­­ms.

In a separate case, Nepra also imposed another Rs10m penalty on NTDC on account of an incident of partial blackout that occurred on Sept 1, 2021 evening due to lightning on an isolator, resulting in tripping of the 500/220kV Jam­shoro Grid Station.

Published in Dawn, October 6th, 2022