Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: As many as 2,928 MW new generation capacity will be added in the national grid including major contribution of 1,650 MW from local coal during the  2022-23.

According to Annual Plan for Year 2022-23 issued on Friday, the National Transmission and Desptach Company (NTDC) and Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPAG) basket would have a cumulative capacity of 40,879 MW. Power System Planning Department of NTDC has confirmed that the available capacity would be 32,703 MW and 22,339 MW against estimated peak load of 26,346 MW and 15,410 MW during summer and winter seasons, respectively, of FY 2022-23.

The transmission sector would not witness any significant capacity addition during 2022-23 as only 4,230 MVA would be added on 220kV level.

The capacity addition at distribution level of 132kV voltage level would be 4,385 MVA, with the addition of 1,614,219 consumers and electrification of 10,506 villages during 2022-23, it was further said.

Seven projects for provision of power supply to Special Economic Zones (SEZs), with the cumulative cost of Rs. 19,855 million, were included in PSDP 2021-22. Further, three number of new schemes in respect of Power Sector, with total estimated cost of Rs. 1,354 million, were approved under Accelerated Development Plan for Southern Balochistan while two new schemes of power sector projects, with total estimated cost of Rs. 41,747 million, were approved under Socio-Economic Development Plan of Gilgit-Baltistan.

In the coming years, strengthening of Transmission & Distribution (T&D) network and energy provision in the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) would be prioritized from the public investment. PSDP investment in transmission would only be made in projects identified in Transmission System Expansion Plan (TSEP) while in DISCOs, the PSDP financing for DISCOs would be limited to the strategic roadmaps prepared by the DISCOs under National Electricity Plan (NE Plan).

The distribution system would be boosted by addition of 2,578 MVA on 132kV Voltage levels with the addition

of 1,389,939 consumers and electrification of 6,513 villages by June, 2022.