Future Prospective of HVDC System in Pakistan

Abstract

Electricity demand has increased intensively in all sectors around the globe from the last decade. Due to industrial revolution, changes in life style and more trends toward urbanization has compelled the researchers to come up with more innovative and smart ideas to use the non-conventional energy resources to meet the desired future electricity demand. Due to greenhouse gases (GHG) and CO2 emission, the fossils fuel based power plants have badly affected the environment, which resulted in natural disasters like heat waves and flood warnings around the universe. Power sector of Pakistan is facing energy crisis since last decade due to demand and supply gap. The country faced short fall of approximately 7000 MW in August 2022. China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Gawadar Port has highlighted the geographical position of Pakistan across the world. The country has huge potential of Renewable Energy Resources (Solar and Wind) in southern areas of Sindh and Baluchistan. In this paper, the ultimate solution is its advantages and future scope to transmit high power over long distance along with its future prospective will be discussed. The High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission seems to be an ideal opportunity to transmit such bulk amount of power from the southern areas to the load centers due to low line losses, better utilization of conductor size and less prone towards Ferranti rise effect for long distance transmission. Successful operation of Matiari-Lahore Bipolar HVDC Transmission line having ratings $\boldsymbol{\pm 660}$ KV has pushed the planners to take into account HVDC transmission to integrate Hydel Power Resources of Northern areas into National Grid.