ISLAMABAD: National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) is reportedly facing brain drain due to which National Power Control Centre (NPCC), the system operator, is facing problems in fulfilling its functions, which is a risk to national security.
This concern was shared by Deputy Managing Director NTDC (NPCC), Ali Zain Banatwala, in a letter to National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra), which is holding an inquiry against NTDC regarding a fatal incident at town 274-A 500 kV Gatti-Rousch G/Station, Toba Tek Singh of October 12, 2023.
NPCC manages the entire transmission and sub-transmission network of Pakistan, dispatching over 100 power plants and coordinating network operations at over 1000grid stations.
Network operation requires a combination of technology and experience. The more automated the network, the less the reliance on human expertise.
Unfortunately, since NTDC has expanded its network without adequate investment in monitoring, control and protection systems, the reliance in network experience in network operations has taken far greater importance, especially after the addition of the Matiari-Lahore HVDC link.
Therefore, the ability to retain experienced engineers and to recruit engineers with power electronics and HVDC experience in an increasingly digital grid with increasing variable renewable energy is essential for ensuring system security.
According to Deputy Managing Director NTDC, unfortunately, NPCC is facing the exact opposite worst case scenario. In the last eight months, 11 seasoned engineers have received job offers from System Operators in the Gulf and Europe. Most of them have left. These people are irreplaceable. Furthermore, motivated by the success of the first batch, an even larger second batch is known to be actively pursuing employment overseas.
If the current trend continues, there will be no one of substantial experience or skill remaining in the control room and its essential support functions such as shutdowns, operational planning, etc. The few remaining deputy managers are overburdened, overworked and at risk of burnout.
“As a result of these departures, the average years of experience among control room engineers and allied sections have decreased from 9-10 years to 3-4 years. Currently less than ten Dispatchers (including Shift Supervisors) have more than 3 years’ experience. One third of the Dispatchers, have less than six months’ experience,” he added
The current staff being short on experience is scared to take real-time decisions when the network is stressed, as they are fully aware that the Board of Directors assigned blame for the Jan 2023 blackout solely to NPCC despite both the PM’s inquiry committee and Nepra’s inquiry committee assigning equal blame to failures in system protection, design and planning.
The convener of the PM’s State Minister for Petroleum, Musaddiq Malik had in fact specifically highlighted planning failures in the HVDC link, which suffered more than 400 failures in a single year (2022), and whose failure was an integral part of the blackout. This perceived injustice has directly contributed to the accelerated departure of seasoned experts from NPCC in the last eight months, he continued.
Furthermore, additional functions and responsibilities have been given to the System Operator under the SO (System Operator) Licence, National Electricity Plan& Grid Code such as integrated system planning (generation and transmission) and Grid Code compliance. Without an adequate increase in work force, these functions cannot possibly be implemented.
Banatwala has proposed following measures to improve the situation: (i) an effective recruitment scheme and robust training programme is required to create redundancy which can to some extent mitigate the high turnover of engineers; (ii) establishment of an Independent System Operator (ISO) in accordance with the National Electricity Plan; and (iii) competitive market-based salaries and allowances in order to retain and attract high quality professionals in the wake of a global shortage of power engineers, with system operators, protection and planning engineers being the most sought after.
“Without a highly skilled and experienced workforce, NPCC’s ability to fulfil its responsibilities and contribute to the energy security of Pakistan is severely compromised,” he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023