Lahore-Matiari transmission line of CPEC completes successful testing

LAHORE: Testing for the evacuation, transmission, dispatch and distribution of 2,200MW of electricity by the country’s first high voltage direct current (HVDC) Matiari-Lahore transmission line was successfully carried out on Thursday, paving the way for the launch of the line’s formal operation on Sept 1, a revised date for the commercial operation of the mega project being completed under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

“Since the line has been designed to evacuate 4,000MW from the power plants in south (Sindh) in alternative current (AC) mode, convert it in direct current (DC) at a convertor station at Matiari (Sindh, near Hyderabad), transport/transmit it in DC mode and dispatch it to the distribution systems of the power distribution companies after converting it from AC to DC at a convertor station near Bhai Pheru (Lahore), the transmission and despatch test of 2,200MW is a major test ahead of the commercial operation of the line set for Sept 1,” a spokesman for NTDC told Dawn.

He said the 660kV HVDC line is new technology in Pakistan being completed under the ‘build, own, operate and transfer basis by the Matiari-Lahore Transmission Company under the supervision of the NTDC. From Sept 1, the official said the line would start evacuating, transmitting and dispatching of 4,000MW to the urban load centres in central and northern parts of the country.

“After 25 years operation, the project will be handed over to the NTDC,” he said.

In April, this year, the decision for the launch of commercial operation of the line from Sept 1 had been taken after various technical and contractual issues were amicably resolved between the Pak Matiari-Lahore Transmission Company Limited (PMLTCPL) and the NTDC.

The project agreements were signed between the NTDC and the PMLTCPL at the PM house on May 14, 2018, and its construction was launched in December 2018. Currently, the construction of the project is almost complete and the project is at advanced stages of testing and commissioning, and more than 95pc testing and commissioning stands completed.