KANUPP 500KV: KE's flagship project to supply power to Karachi soon

KARACHI: In a move to meet the electricity demand of Karachi, K-Electric (KE) is making substantial progress on its Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (KANUPP) 500kV flagship project, ARY News reported on Friday.

A spokesperson for K Electric stated that the teams are working tirelessly to complete the work on the K-Electric KANUPP Interchange grid.

“500 kV grid will cost around at least $135 million,” the spokesperson stated.

Chief Minister of Sindh Murad Ali Shah inaugurated the first 500kV grid back in 2022 which is estimated to be completed in mid-2024.

This grid will be interconnected with the National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC) through an approximately four km transmission line.

However, this will be K Electric’s fourth transmission line interconnection with NDTC.

“Once operational, the 500 kV grid is expected to contribute around 1,000 megawatts to the KE system, which will not only help in meeting the increasing demand for electricity in Karachi but also ensure access to affordable and reliable electricity for KE consumers in the metropolis,” the spokesperson concluded.

It is pertinent to add here that, KE’s system has seen a remarkable $474 billion investment, resulting in a significant increase in the customer base, a substantial boost in power consumption and infrastructure, and a substantial reduction in losses.

Meanwhile, after getting approval from the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) another Rs 484 billion has been invested from December 2022 which entails raising the generation mix from renewable sources to 30 percent by 2030, concurrently aiming to reduce load-shedding periods by 30 percent within the same timeframe.