ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has requested a detailed report from the National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) regarding the alarming increase in voltage violations, as well as the corrective measures being taken to prevent such incidents in the future. The request comes after a significant rise in voltage issues within NTDC’s transmission network, sources informed Newzshewz.
The power sector regulator emphasizes that, according to Rule 7 (1) & (2) of the Performance Standards Transmission Rules-2005 (PSTR-2005), under normal conditions, voltage variations of ±5% from the nominal voltage are permitted for voltages of 132 kV (where applicable) and above. Under (N-1) contingency conditions, voltage variations of ±10% are permitted for voltages of 132 kV and above. However, voltage variations exceeding these limits must be reported only if the duration lasts longer than thirty minutes.
Based on a report submitted by NTDC, NEPRA has noted that during FY 2023-24, NTDC reported a total of 157,692 voltage violations—an increase of 24.26% compared to the previous year, which saw 126,899 violations. This raises serious concerns about NTDC’s performance, particularly considering the billions of rupees allocated to the company to improve service delivery and performance.
Additionally, the Performance Evaluation Report for FY 2023-24 (PER-2023-24) indicates that the number of voltage violations has increased in the Hyderabad and Multan regions. Specifically, the number of violations in the Hyderabad region rose from 61,548 to 107,793, and in Multan, it increased from 6,805 to 9,509, compared to the previous fiscal year (FY 2022-23).
Furthermore, the highest number of voltage violations in FY 2023-24 were reported at several 500 kV and 220 kV grid stations across the regions.
NEPRA has instructed NTDC to submit a comprehensive and detailed report that outlines the reasons behind the significant rise in voltage violations and the corrective actions being taken to prevent further occurrences. The report should also address the upcoming fog season, which presents additional challenges to grid stability and reliability.
The Authority has set a deadline for NTDC to submit the report to the Director of the Registrar’s Office within 20 days of receiving the letter of January 21, 2025.
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