PakAlumni Worldwide: The Global Social Network

The Global Social Network

Pakistan's Modern Infrastructure

As Pakistan struggles to bring a sense of stability and security amidst daily carnage, it is important to recognize that there is more to Pakistan than meets the eyes of a casual consumer of the images and reports by the world's media. For example, Pakistan is a developing country with functional bureaucracy, well-organized police force, democratic institutions and a powerful army. And Pakistan has more advanced infrastructure than its neighbors, including India. Among the modern infrastructure pieces in place in Pakistan are its motorway system, extensive road network, mobile telecommunications systems, airports, high-speed Internet system, extensive railroad network, gas pipeline etc. A British writer William Dalrymple who visited and compared India and Pakistan on their 60th anniversary described Pakistan as follows:

"On the ground, of course, the reality is different and first-time visitors to Pakistan are almost always surprised by the country's visible prosperity. There is far less poverty on show in Pakistan than in India, fewer beggars, and much less desperation. In many ways the infrastructure of Pakistan is much more advanced: there are better roads and airports, and more reliable electricity. Middle-class Pakistani houses are often bigger and better appointed than their equivalents in India. Moreover, the Pakistani economy is undergoing a construction and consumer boom similar to India's, with growth rates of 7%, and what is currently the fastest-rising stock market in Asia. You can see the effects everywhere: in new shopping centers and restaurant complexes, in the hoardings for the latest laptops and iPods, in the cranes and building sites, in the endless stores selling mobile phones: in 2003 the country had fewer than three million cellphone users; today there are almost 50 million."

More recently, Alistair Scrutton filed a Reuters report about Pakistan's infrastructure, particularly its 367 Km long M2 motorway that connects Lahore with Islamabad:

"Indeed, for sheer spotlessness, efficiency and emptiness there is nothing like the M2 in the rest of South Asia.

It puts paid to what's on offer in Pakistan's traditional foe and emerging economic giant India, where village culture stubbornly refuses to cede to even the most modern motorways, making them battlegrounds of rickshaws, lorries and cows.

There are many things in Pakistan that don't get into the news. Daily life, for one. Pakistani hospitality to strangers, foreigners like myself included, is another. The M2 is another sign that all is not what it appears in Pakistan, that much lies hidden behind the bad news.

On a recent M2 trip, my driver whizzed along but kept his speedometer firmly placed on the speed limit. Here in this South Asian Alice's Wonderland, the special highway police are considered incorruptible. The motorway is so empty one wonders if it really cuts through one of the region's most populated regions.

"130, OK, but 131 is a fine," said the driver, Noshad Khan. "The police have cameras," he added, almost proudly. His hand waved around in the car, clenched in the form of a gun.

On one of my first trips to Pakistan. I arrived at the border having just negotiated a one-lane country road in India with cows, rickshaws and donkey-driven carts.

I toted my luggage over to the Pakistan side, and within a short time my Pakistani taxi purred along the tarmac. The driver proudly showed off his English and played U.S. rock on FM radio. The announcer even had an American accent. Pakistan, for a moment, receded, and my M2 trip began."

Here are another western tourist's impressions of M2 from nomadic-one.com:

A strange relief to get to drive 3 lane asphalt in such serene quietness! It was unreal, we had to pinch our arm if this was really happening. Is this Pakistan? We decided to spend the night at the 3rd big service area with restaurant, gas station, police and clean toilets. It was strange to see there was no trace of locals selling stuff on the curbs – something which is really normal in Pakistan. Probably these place are off limits to the small business men.

Going to India – something we have long looked out for. We’ve heard a lot about India from other travellers – good and bad experiences. One thing’s for sure – India must have a LOT of people, each and every traveller from India has mentioned this explicitly. With Pakistan and Nepal (1998) as context we’re curious and somewhat anxious how we will experience India. We’re not crowd maniacs and both appreciate a ‘bit of air’ between people. Anyhow India happened quicker than we expected – we left Islamabad on the 25th, the next day we already sat in the garden of Ms Bandari’s Guesthouse. The superb M2 motorway with overnight parking and the road to the Indian border was uneventful. We drove the canal bank road through Lahore a long drive on a straight road. But look carefully to find this road separated by a canal – it’s sign posted rather miniscule by “Wagah border”.

"The road to Amritsar was like wading upstream in extreme suicidal traffic – the independence day ceremony must be something special. It must be totally worth risking your life for this. Naturally we had our usual ‘end of the day – near dark – took the wrong turn in mega dense traffic’ exercise. Just to make our arrival in Amritsar a little bit more special. We arrived in the dark - asking directions many times. This way we came a few 100 meters closer to Ms Bandari’s guesthouse each time we asked. We nearly seen the golden temple by truck. Ain’t that a relaxed truck ride in the dark! Cool!
And yes, even with GPS coordinates of the place it’s still a nice puzzle to solve after a border crossing day like this."

According to BMI research, Pakistan has experienced a high level of activity in its infrastructure sector in 2008. This has mostly been focused on the power sector and the road network. In addition, construction of housing has been a top priority. However, the global downturn is hitting Pakistan hard, and the BMI's 2009 Annual Infrastructure Report for Pakistan is forecasting the construction industry to contract by 6.31% y-o-y in 2009. The power sector has been the major focus in Pakistan's infrastructure sector in 2008. Years of underinvestment in electricity generating and distributing infrastructure came to a head in 2008, when there was not enough supply to meet demand, further exacerbated by lack of rainfall almost knocking out Pakistan's large hydropower sector. It is currently estimated that there is a 3,300MW shortfall in capacity at peak hours; as a result, load shedding has been a common practice. In an attempt to combat the shortages, a US$30bn investment plan has been announced, which has seen the development of a number of projects. Construction started in 2008 on the 969MW Neelum-Jhelum power plant, which is being built by a consortium comprising Chinese Gezhouba Group Company and China Machinery Export Corporation. Construction of the Diamer Basha Dam, which will have a capacity of 4,500MW once completed, is expected to start in 2009. Within the transport sector, the roads have benefited from the majority of attention in 2008. This has been the result of the National Highways Authority's plans to invest US$5.36bn into the sector. The plans benefited from a US$900mn multi-tranche loan from the Asian Development Bank. The main project being pursued is the National Trade Corridor, envisaged as a main thoroughfare connecting the north of the country to the ports in the south; it is estimated to cost US$6.58bn. Construction of housing has been a major feature in 2008. Residential construction is being carried out under the prime minister's 'mega housing scheme' which involves the construction of one million low cost houses per year. Pakistan's economy has been hit hard by the global economic downturn and BMI's is forecasting real GDP growth of 2.5% y-o-y in 2009, down from 6.8% in 2007. In November 2008, the country received a US$7.6bn 23-month standby loan from the International Monetary Fund to "support the country's economic stabilization program". The move might help boost investor confidence in the short term; however, it may put off investors looking at long-term infrastructure investments.

Pakistan Energy Infrastructure (Source: PPECA)

The 2008 World Bank assessment says that Pakistan is one of the most water stressed countries in the world, and water resources are depleting rapidly. With its water infrastructure in poor condition, the report argues that Pakistan has to invest around Rs60 billion (US$1 billion) per year in reservoirs and related infrastructure over the next five years. In the energy sector, the country will face severe power shortages of around 6,000 megawatts by 2010. Similarly, inefficiencies in the transport sector cost the economy between 4-5 percent of GDP each year.

To overcome these constraints, the Government of Pakistan is tripling its annual infrastructure investment from an average of Rs150 billion (US$2.5 billion) to Rs440 billion (US$7.3 billion). However, the bank report points out that mega projects in the past have experienced frequent delays and cost overruns, illustrating a lack of capacity in the industry to plan, program, and execute large projects.

Many infrastructure projects in Pakistan, including power plants and motorways, are being built and financed on build-operate-transfer or BOT basis. Built on the BOT basis, the M2 motorway has already paid for itself and now generates revenue for Pakistan government.

Here's a video clip of British Writer William Dalrymple comparing India and Pakistan:

Here is a slide show of some of the infrastructure development projects underway in Pakistan:

Here is a video with pictures of Pakistan's extensive roads network:

Comment by Riaz Haq on April 12, 2021 at 10:25am: Pakistan’s road network comprises of Motorways, National Highways, Expressways, Strategic
Roads, Provincial / District Roads and Farm to Market Roads as well as urban roads.
The entire road network has a length of more than 260,000 km with present road
density of 0.32 km per sq. km.
The urban roads are linked with district and provincial road which terminate at National
Highways hence form a complete highway network for inter and intra country
movement. Road transport presently dominates Pakistan’s transport system carries
about 90% passenger traffic and 95% of freight traffic. Pakistan’s National Highways
are differentiated in terms of North South and East West Corridors providing connectivity to the
population, divided into two parts by River Indus which flows through the center of country

https://www.piarc.org/ressources/documents/1217,Pakistan-Profile.pdf

Comment by Riaz Haq on April 13, 2021 at 8:08pm: Pakistan is striving to improve its ranking as the slowest for infrastructure expansion in the region, according to the World Bank, through a $2.4 billion government investment for highways, power and transportation this year.

The investment is in addition to billions of projects being funded by the World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), Gulf Council Countries, JICA and the $56 billion China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which has been criticized for the high debt burden it will place on Pakistan.

https://www.enr.com/articles/51571-pakistan-invests-in-infrastructu...

Three metro projects are planned while several motorways and a revival of the circular rail in the port city of Karachi are also in the works. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the ADB have approved a $500 million loan to Pakistan for construction activity. Prime Minister Imran Khan’s has also announced a $30 billion plan to rehabilitate and develop the dying River Ravi into a perennial freshwater body. That project is being managed by Singapore’s Meinhardt Group.

But fundamental issues, such as safety, quality and contracting in the country, threaten to derail any progress, Said Mneimne senior vice president and managing director of Asia-Pacific for Hill International told ENR from Islamabad.

U.S. based Hill entered Pakistan’s real estate sector in 2017 as a project coordinator when it was awarded the $2.4 billion Crescent Bay 108-acre mixed-use development on reclaimed land at a seafront site about 12 miles from Karachi. Last year, the company was selected to provide construction consultancy services for the 2 million sq. m mixed-use development project called Elite Reverie, also known as Eighteen. The company is also pursuing opportunities in funded power and mass transit programs such as the Bus Rapid Transit in Karachi, Mneimne says.

“The consultant-contractor relationship in Pakistan, for example, is a tough one. Contractors treat themselves as labor demanding money every week instead of that laid out in the contract, or else threaten,” to leave, he said. “The concept of project management is not used here as the environment doesn’t justify it.”

Additionally, construction technology is from the 1960s, cranes are old and excavations must be done manually. However, he said, some clients are beginning to understand the need for improvements.

The Asian Development Bank is encouraging improvements and providing funding for things such as smart technologies and innovative development approach. The Pakistan government has frozen or reduced some taxes for construction projects and has granted amnesty to those with undeclared money if they invest in construction. This will be “to offset the negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the national economy,” Prime Minister Imran Khan announced in January.

The government of Pakistan is also starting to focus on public-private partnerships. “Pakistan represents an opportunity for significant growth,” Mneimne explained. “The government’s attention to the construction sector, combined with the demographic realities of the population, means that urban development simply must occur.”

Comment by Riaz Haq on July 20, 2021 at 7:49am: #Pakistan & #Russia agree to jointly finance/build 1,100 Km #gas pipeline from #Karachi to #Lahore. It'll cost $2.5-$3 billion & complete by 2023. Pak will own 76%, Russia 24%. Carrying capacity: 700-800 mmfcd, upgradabale to 2,000 mmfcd with compressors. https://www.business-standard.com/article/international/pakistan-ru...

Pakistan and Russia have signed an agreement for the construction of about 1,100-km gas pipeline from Port Qasim in Karachi to Lahore at an estimated cost of USD 2.5-3 billion by the end of 2023, according to a media report on Friday.

The Heads of Terms (HoTs) of shareholders' agreement was signed on Thursday after four days of talks, the Dawn News reported. The two sides also signed minutes of the third meeting of the Russia-Pakistan Joint Technical Committee (JTC) for implementation of the Pakstream Gas Pipeline Project commonly known as North-South Gas project.

The two sides agreed over 74:26 per cent shareholding in the special purpose vehicle (SPV) for the project. This envisages both put option' and call option' to Russian side which means its entities can move out of the project if it is not found feasible or increase its shareholding to 49 per cent if it is able to provide attractive financing arrangements acceptable to Pakistan. In any case, Pakistani entities will maintain majority shareholding.

The Russian side will arrange funding for foreign exchange components through suppliers' credit or typical project financing to cover imported items like steel, consultancies, pipelines and related products and materials not available in Pakistan. The concession agreement for the pipeline will remain effective for 25-30 years. The pipeline size was agreed at 56-inch diameter to cater for next 30-40 years of energy needs in the country that will ensure 700-800 million cubic feet per day (mmfcd) of free gas flow which can go up to 2,000mmcfd with compressors.

The next steps will be the signing shareholders' agreement, financial agreement, gas transportation agreement and lenders agreement during which time the Russian side will complete the front end engineering design (FEED) and the Pakistani side will arrange dollar financing of local currency component against Rs321bn worth of Gas Infrastructure Development Cess.

The two sides committed to expeditiously implement the project to meet the emerging energy security scenario of Pakistan to ensure investment commitments by coming LNG terminals, the Pakistani daily reported.

At the signing ceremony in Islamabad, Pakistani side was led by Petroleum Division Secretary Arshad Mahmood while Deputy Director of Department of Foreign Economic Cooperation and Fuel Markets Development of Russian Ministry of Energy Alexander Tolparov led the visiting team.

Comment by Riaz Haq on August 16, 2021 at 5:52pm: Night view of a well-lit grid-station in #Lahore. It connects #Punjab to 878 Km 600 Kv HVDC $2.1 billion Lahore-#Matiari (#Sindh) #power #transmission line that recently became part of #Pakistan's national grid. #CPEC #China

https://twitter.com/haqsmusings/status/1427433907608199175?s=20

Comment by Riaz Haq on August 28, 2021 at 5:05pm: #Pakistan to launch 911 #emergency helpline PEHEL (Pakistan Emergency HELpline) across the country. https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/pakistan/single-emergency-helpline-...

Different emergency numbers will be merged into one hotline

Islamabad: The Pakistan government is set to launch an all-in-one emergency helpline 911 to swiftly respond to call for help across the country.

Different emergency numbers will be merged into one hotline called Pakistan Emergency Helpline (PEHEL). The idea is to launch a service similar to the 911 helpline in the United States.

The project is being implemented by the National Telecommunication Corporation (NTC) and the Digital Pakistan initiative of the IT ministry. NTC, which is responsible for providing secure and reliable telecommunication services to government organizations, is spearheading the initiative to help the citizens in distress. The software applications are being developed by NTC and the National Information Technology Board (NITB).

The dedicated emergency response number can be dialled to avail different services including police, ambulance, and other rescue and support so that the citizens will not have to go through different helplines during emergencies.

The decision was taken in the wake of the horrific rape incident at Lahore-Sialkot Motorway in September 2020 in which the victim failed to get any help through the motorway helpline. The incident prompted Prime Minister Imran Khan to launch a dedicated hotline to prevent such crimes and offer citizens immediate help during the emergency situation.

Khan had asked the PM Delivery Unit (PMDU) to complete work on the emergency helpline by December 2020. However, the launch of the pilot project in Islamabad is expected to take another two months. The testing of the service has been completed. The operations would initially begin at Safe City Islamabad.

The PEHEL 911 service would offer a “unified and one-window access to all emergency services” in Pakistan, according to IT Minister Syed Aminul Haq. The IT ministry will provide technical support and infrastructure and the interior ministry will ensure the smooth....

Comment by Riaz Haq on March 27, 2022 at 7:32pm: Since the 1990s, the federal and provincial governments in Pakistan have sought to encourage private sector participation in development projects and in the provision of public infrastructure and related services in Pakistan. Beginning in the 2000s, several legal and regulatory changes have been made to expand the use of public–private partnerships.

https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=3df8a24e-6658-405c-a...

As of 2020, the federal government and all four provincial governments have passed PPP-specific legislation, formalising and enabling the regime, including by creating independent statutory bodies to facilitate, support and promote PPPs. At the federal level, the Public Private Partnership Authority (the PPP Authority) was set up in 2017 under the Public Private Partnership Authority Act, No. VIII of 2017 (the 2017 PPP Act). The PPP Authority replaced the Infrastructure Project Development Facility (IPDF), formed by the federal government in 2006 to facilitate PPPs. The 2017 PPP Act was subsequently amended through the Public Private Partnership Authority (Amendment) Act, 2021 (the 2021 Amendment Act), to create a more facilitative PPP regulatory framework and make it more amenable to private investment in development projects.

Traditionally, PPPs in Pakistan have been particularly common in the energy, power generation and transportation sectors. In fiscal year 2019–2020, 17 infrastructure projects involving private investment reached financial closure.2 The power sector made up the largest investment share with a total investment amount of US$5 billion.3 In recent years, though, the government has expressed a commitment to using PPPs in many more sectors including aviation, technology, healthcare, tourism and others. In late 2019, the Prime Minister approved a development plan, expected to run from fiscal years 2020 to 2023, termed the Public Sector Development Programme Plus (PSDP+) initiative, firmly orienting the government towards PPPs across sectors.4

In addition to the federal initiative, each of the four provinces – Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – has its own specific roster of projects and policies to promote PPPs. In accordance with the Constitution, PPPs in the areas enumerated in the Federal Legislative List fall within the domain of the federal government, while other areas generally fall under the domain of the provinces. This chapter focuses on the federal regime as exemplary of other models, but where relevant, also references the provincial regimes.

The year in review

According to information available on the PPP Authority's official website, at the federal level, 47 PPP projects are in the pipeline across sectors out of the 105 PSDP+ portfolio federal projects.5 Additionally, the PPP Authority lists a number of 'early harvest' projects that it is assisting with, including:

the construction of the Sukkur Hyderabad Motorway (expected cost around US$1.2 billion);
the construction of the Sialkot Kharian Motorway (expected cost around US$225 million);
the construction of a teaching and research hospital;
the construction of an innovations ecosystem (science and technology park);
the conversion of a guesthouse located in Lahore (the provincial capital of Punjab province) into a hotel;
the creation of a mass transit facility in a major city, the Karachi Circular Railway; and
the modernisation of the current Karachi–Pipri Rail Track.6
Previous projects finalised by the IPDF include:

the overlay and modernisation of the Lahore Islamabad Motorway (investment of US$460 million), which has been in operation since 2016;
the construction of the Lahore Sialkot Motorway (investment of US$438 million), which is in operation now;
the conversion of an existing four-lane super highway into a six-lane Karachi Hyderabad highway (investment of US$430 million), which has been in operation since 2017; and
the construction of the Habibabad Flyover (investment of US$8 million), which has been in operation since 2014.7

Comment by Riaz Haq on March 27, 2022 at 7:32pm: Pakistan - Operational Design for the Project Development Fund and for the Viability Gap Fund

https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/12391

This final report is the fifth deliverable for the World Bank funded project 'operational design for the project development fund and for the viability gap fund'. Taking into account feedback and further consideration of issues rose in the previous Reports, it aims to: provide high level recommendations on the overall Public Private Partnership (PPP) framework in Pakistan, recognizing international best practice but also taking into account the specific Pakistan context and the challenges faced their-in; provide the analysis of the project pipeline for PPP projects in Pakistan, on the basis of consultations undertaken in Islamabad in May 2009; and design possible structures for the Project Development Fund (PDF) and for the Viability Gap Fund (VGF), that is informed by the current local enabling environment for PPPs, including the institutional capabilities and the existing pipeline of PPP projects. This final report incorporates feedback from the World Bank and the Government of Pakistan on each of the above-listed issues, which were set out and discussed in details in previous reports.

Comment by Riaz Haq on November 27, 2022 at 10:17am: Mastercard partners with Pakistan’s One Network to Digitize Road Toll Payments | Middle East/Africa Hub

https://newsroom.mastercard.com/mea/press-releases/mastercard-partn...

Islamabad, Pakistan; 08 November 2021 – Mastercard has signed a strategic partnership with the Pakistani intelligent transport systems provider, One Network, to digitize the country’s road toll payments network. The announcement was signed at the Pakistan Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, where Mastercard is the Official Payment Technology Partner, in the presence of Frontier Works Organization, Pakistan’s biggest toll collection entity.

The partnership will see Mastercard integrate its digital payment gateway infrastructure into One Network’s newly launched Apple and Android smartphone app, allowing motorway commuters to top-up their M-Tag cards in advance from anywhere using their mobile devices. The newly developed app will also enable motorists to review their travel history and check their balance in real-time.

Every year, over three hundred million vehicles travel and pay Toll Tax on Pakistan’s motorways. M-Tag uses RFID technology (radio-frequency identification) to automatically and digitally deduct credit from commuters’ prepaid M-Tag accounts as they pass through RFID-enabled toll lanes. With the integration of Mastercard’s digital mobility payment solutions, commuters can add credit whenever and wherever is most convenient to them through the new application without interrupting their journeys.

Comment by Riaz Haq on December 25, 2022 at 7:04pm: ADB CAREC Energy Report

https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/850111/carec-en...

Electricity Generation
Pakistan’s electricity sector has a total installed capacity of 34.5 GW, with thermal generation dominating
the power mix, having a share of 66% (National Transmission and Despatch Company 2020). Gas-fired
plants are the main source of power, having an installed capacity of almost 9.3 GW, while oil-fired power
plants have 6.5 GW installed capacity and coal-fired plants have 4.6 GW. Since the regulatory framework
allowed independent power producers to develop generation projects, multiple new thermal power
plants were constructed. As the country’s oil and natural gas reserves are diminishing, further growth in
alternative energy sources is needed.
Historically, hydropower was one of the main sources of electricity generation in Pakistan. The total
hydropower resource potential is estimated at 60 GW (Faizi 2020). However, with the expansion of
thermal power, its share in electricity has declined significantly and currently holds a 29% share of total
installed capacity. The country has 30 hydropower plants in operation, with a total installed capacity
of 9.9 GW, including 17 categorized as major hydropower and 13 as small hydropower units operating
mainly as a run-of-river units. The three main projects are Tarbela Dam (4.8 GW installed capacity),
Ghazi–Barotha (1.4 GW), and Mangla Dam (1.1 GW). Tarbela and Mangla dams, commissioned in the
1970s, are considered the main contributors to hydropower generation. To enhance the quality and
reliability of supply, Mangla Dam is planned for refurbishment, and Tarbela Dam for extension.
Pakistan’s first nuclear power plant, Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (KANUPP), began operations in 1970,
with a capacity of 100 megawatts (MW). Since then, nuclear power generation has experienced active
growth, and current capacity is 2.5 GW. Cross-country cooperation is a cornerstone of Pakistan’s strategy
to reach its goal of 8,800 MW of nuclear installed capacity by 2030. Currently, one new reactor of
1,100 MW is being built.
The country’s renewable energy potential has been realized to only a limited extent. The theoretical
potential of total wind energy is estimated at 340 GW, with the southern wind corridors being the most
auspicious—the Gharo–Keti Bandar wind corridor has over 50 GW of potential alone. However, only
around 1.1 GW of wind energy capacity is currently in operation. Likewise, solar power has tremendous
potential—as high as 2,900 GW, only about 0.4 GW of which is installed as of 2021. Although projects such
as the Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park (0.4 GW capacity) were successfully implemented, the lack of political
commitment, land availability, and the lower performance of outdated PV plants installed earlier are among
the reasons for limited development of renewable energy. Additional potential solutions include offshore
wind, floating solar PV in existing hydropower reservoirs, and wind farms near hydropower plants with
integration into existing grid infrastructure.

Power generation during fiscal year 2020 reached 121,691 GWh: 32% by hydroelectric plants, 57% by
thermal plants, 8% by nuclear plants, and 3% by renewable energy power plants.
Transmission and Distribution
Pakistan’s power T&D system is suffering from significant energy losses and disruptions. In 2020, 19.8%
of energy was lost during its transmission, distribution, and delivery to end consumers. Among the
10 distribution companies, losses vary greatly from 9% to 39% (NEPRA 2020). On average, the country
experienced 81 interruptions (system average interruption frequency index) lasting nearly 5,300 minutes
(system average interruption duration index) in 2020. The poor performance can be attributed to a
variety of factors, including poor technical conditions, insufficient collection rate of accounts receivable,
and issues with circular debt present in the country.
Pakistan had 7,470 kilometers (km) of 500 kilovolts (kV) and 11,281 km of 220 kV T&D lines in 2020.

Comment by Riaz Haq on December 25, 2022 at 7:05pm: ADB CAREC Energy Report

https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/850111/carec-en...

Transmission and Distribution
Pakistan’s power T&D system is suffering from significant energy losses and disruptions. In 2020, 19.8%
of energy was lost during its transmission, distribution, and delivery to end consumers. Among the
10 distribution companies, losses vary greatly from 9% to 39% (NEPRA 2020). On average, the country
experienced 81 interruptions (system average interruption frequency index) lasting nearly 5,300 minutes
(system average interruption duration index) in 2020. The poor performance can be attributed to a
variety of factors, including poor technical conditions, insufficient collection rate of accounts receivable,
and issues with circular debt present in the country.
Pakistan had 7,470 kilometers (km) of 500 kilovolts (kV) and 11,281 km of 220 kV T&D lines in 2020.
Distribution companies are responsible for T&D activities below 132 kV. Importantly, only 74% of Pakistan’s
population is connected to the power grid. With high electricity losses and frequent outages, Pakistan is
planning to introduce advanced grid management infrastructure and metering. Advanced conductors and
other smart grid upgrades could help reduce T&D losses.
There are two operators in Pakistan’s natural gas T&D system: Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited
(SNGPL), covering the central and northern regions of the country; and Sui Southern Gas Company
Limited (SSGCL), covering the southern regions. Total grid losses accounted for nearly 17% by SSGCL and
11% by SNGPL in 2020. According to estimates, average leakage rate is 4.9 leaks per km for SSGCL, and
2.2 leaks per km for SNGPL (for comparison, this value equals 0.2 in Germany and 0.4 in Massachusetts, on
average). The gas pipeline systems require a major overhaul and modernization to increase the efficiency
of transportation and to reduce leakages.

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