LAHORE: National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) energised the first phase of 500kV Double Circuit Quad Bundle Transmission Line from Port Qasim Power Plant to Interconnect with existing 500kV Single Circuit-1 Hub-Jamshoro Transmission Line. The main objective of the project is evacuation of power from 1320 MW power from Bin Qasim Power Plant. Total cost of phase-I is approximately Rs 3,000 million. NTDC spokesman said that the work of the 500kV Double Circuit Transmission Line Port Qasim which consists of two phases, phase-I comprising of 55km long 500kV Double Circuit Quad Bundle Transmission Line from port Qasim power house to 500kV Circuit-1 Hub-Jamshoro has been completed. Installation of 1,320 MW Coal Power Plant at Bin Qasim has been planned by Government of Pakistan to improve overall power supply in the system. He further said that completion of this transmission line has improved the reliability of NTDC System and the addition of 1,320 MW power in the National Grid will help to bridge the demand-supply gap. While dilating upon the other recent developments of NTDC projects, the Spokesman said that NTDC also successfully energised Bus Bar-1 of newly constructed 500kV Grid Station New Lahore (South) through In/Out circuit of 500kV Balloki-Sheikhupura transmission line yesterday. Furthermore, to provide relief to the consumers of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, NTDC has also replaced and energized a 250 MVA Auto Transformer T.5 on “No Load” at 220/500kV grid station Rawat Islamabad which resulted in enhancement of transformation capacity from 160 MVA to 250 MVA to overcome the overloading problem of 500 kV Grid Station Rawat. Ministry of Energy has also appreciated the pace of work and timely completion of transmission lines, grid stations and augmentation work carried out by NTDC which will ultimately help the government’s effort to minimize load shedding in the country. Published in Daily Times, November 3rd 2017.