The Express Tribune/25-08-2020

LAHORE: The government is committed to providing all basic necessities to the masses and the Ghazi Grid Station will bring further relief to the consumers of Lahore in the form of improved voltage profile, said Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood. At the inaugural ceremony of 220-kilovolt GIS Ghazi Grid Station, Mahmood reaffirmed that the political leadership was making all-out efforts to provide electricity to the consumers at affordable prices. Speaking on the occasion, National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) Managing Director Dr. Khawaja Riffat Hassan said the company successfully commissioned and energized the 220kv Ghazi Grid Station at a cost of Rs5, 664.24 million. “A major portion of funds was provided by KfW Germany while the remaining was arranged through NTDC’s own resources,” he said. The official pointed out that the 220kv grid station had total capacity of 750MVA. The project is connected with the 500kv NTDC Grid Station Lahore (South) for the transmission of power from the Balloki re-gasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) power plant and Sahiwal coal-fired power plant to Lesco areas, he said. “The German government, through KfW, provided financing of €11.29 million for this project,” he said. “The support provided to the government of Pakistan will help address constraints in the transmission network of the power sector. “This project has strengthened NTDC’s transmission system along with a reduction in the load on 220/132kv transformers feeding Lesco load centres from NTDC grid stations at Ravi, New Kot Lakhpat, Bund Road, Kala Shah Kaku, Sarfaraz Nagar and Sheikhupura.