Pakistan’s first HVDC project: Matiari-Lahore

by Jan 13, 2017

An agreement is signed between Pakistan’s water and power ministry and State Grid of China for the development of a High Voltage transmission link from south to North of Pakistan. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was also signed between National Transmission and Despatch Company Limited (NTDC) and China Electrical Power Equipment and Technology Company earlier this year for design and construction of high voltage direct current (HVDC) link.

Impression: It will be country’s first ever Direct Current (DC) transmission project. This 866-km long transmission link will serve the purpose of dispatching bulk power (approx. 4000 MW at 660 kV DC), generated from coal power plants, from southern region to densely populated central region of Punjab where generation-demand imbalance has been a long-standing issue. HVDC link will also provide breathing room to NTDC’s existing overburdened transmission system. This will not only improve the voltage profile of the system but also reduce transmission losses. Although this is NTDC’s internal HVDC link, but it can open possibilities for cross-border HVDC links which not only can narrow down generation-demand gap but also enhance stability of the transmission system.

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