ISLAMABAD: National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) on Wednesday unveiled revised Transmission Investment Plan (TIP) (2023-25) of Rs 510.105 billion which includes over Rs 180 billion cost run, amid grilling by Nepra members for allocating meagre share for Sindh and Balochistan.
The Nepra Authority comprising of Chairman Nepra Waseem Mukhtar, Member (Technical) Sindh Rafique Ahmad Shaikh, Member (Tariff and Finance) Mathar Niaz Rana, Member (Licensing) and Amina Ahmed (Member Law) officiated the public hearing. The Regulator is holding a two-day (November 22-23) public hearing.
NTDC team headed by Deputy Managing Director, Qaisar Ahmad Khan responded to questions, framed by Nepra’s technical team and instantly raised by the Authority representing different provinces.
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NTDC stated that it submitted its initial investment plan of Rs 370 billion for FY 2022-23 to FY 2024-25 on September 23, 2022 as per requirements laid down in section of the Nepra Act. Later on NTDC verbally noted that it will be submitting revised investment plan and thereafter General Manager Technical NTDC shared the revised plan.
According to the plan, Rs 30.369 billion will be spent on Special Economic Zones (SEZ), Rs 6.616 billion on land acquisition for solar plants at Muzaffargarh, Jhang and Layyah, Rs 350.438 billion on ongoing works PSDP and own resources, Rs 110.232 billion on new PSDP projects and Rs 1.2450 billion on completed projects.
The revised investment plan included 18 new projects and has a budgetary revision for 33 projects.
With new investment, NTDC plans to undertake 99 projects which would add 35,000 MVA or 55 per cent to transmission capacity. Also transmission lines of 6,500 kilometres will be laid to increase transmission lines length. The Authority was informed that Rs 30 billion or 6 per cent will be spent on 13 projects of other categories which is 6 per cent of total investment plan, Rs 30 billion on 5 projects of SEZs which constitutes 6 per cent of total estimated investment, Rs 173 billion is projected to be invested on 51 projects meant to remove system constraints, system expansion, which is 34 per cent of entire envisaged investment plan.
NTDC also intends to start 30 projects of power evacuation with an investment of Rs 277 billion, which constitute 54 per cent share of total investment plan.
During the hearing, Member (Technical) Sindh Rafique Ahmad Shaikh, Member (Tariff and Finance) Mathar Niaz Rana, expressed their annoyance at NTDC for allocating only 2 per cent to Balochistan and
less than 10 per cent to Sindh.
Rafique Ahmad Shaikh enquired about the parameters of envisaged investment in different provinces, especially Sindh.
Deputy Managing Director NTDC Qaisar Khan explained that load figures are gathered from Discos to integrate the plan saying that whatever figures are shown in presentation are received from Discos’ jurisdiction and are based on existing constraints.
He; however, argued that NTDC should not be held responsible for those faults for which it is not responsible.
He cited the example of 969 MW Neelum Jhelum hydropower project which remained shut for a long time due to collapse of its tunnel.
The Authority will resume hearing on Thursday (today) on those questions which are yet to be responded by the NTDC. NEPRA has framed 18 questions based on TIP of NTDC.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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