PM orders action against those responsible for January power breakdown

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday directed the Power Division to hold a departmental action after the findings of an inquiry report held responsible the ‘human and technical error’ for the countrywide power breakdown of January 23, ARY News reported.

The prime minister issued the directives as the inquiry report of the massive power breakdown was presented in the cabinet meeting.

Chairing the meeting, PM Shehbaz Sharif said the nation was awaiting strict action against those responsible for the incident that left the country in a power blackout for several hours.

The inquiry report also said that an abnormal increase in the frequency of the alternate current line tripped the automatic security system of power plants.

It also said that the Kot Addu power plant had the facility of ‘black start’, however due to expiry of the contract of the plant, it could not be made operational. Black Start is the procedure to recover from a total or partial shutdown of the transmission system which has caused an extensive loss of supplies.

The prime minister ordered the authorities concerned to take necessary steps to line the power system with Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA).

The federal cabinet was proposed that a special police force be deployed in areas with 60 percent and more line losses.

The prime minister directed to constitute a special cabinet committee to finalize a strategy to end line losses, theft of electricity and solarization of tube wells.

It is pertinent to mention here that parts of the country including Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore and Quetta plunged into darkness as a high-tension electricity supply line between Quetta and Guddu caused a major power breakdown.

A power outage hit 22 districts of Balochistan, including Quetta, Islamabad, Lahore, cities in Multan region, Karachi and others.

The extreme shortfall in electricity generation said to be major cause of the power breakdown that hit various parts of the country.

“Hydel power generation in the country goes down to 90 percent, while thermal power generation by 70 pct,” according to sources.

Over 12 power plants have been already shutdown over various technical faults, sources shared. “Guddu, Jamshoro, Muzaffargarh power plants were not running”. “Neelum-Jhelum power project of 969 megawatt, has been shut down for last eight months owing to technical problems,” sources said.