NationalGrid-Pakistan has energised a 220kV transmission line from Jhimpir-II to the Dhabeji sub-station, completing a project that paves the way for reliable electricity supply to the Dhabeji Special Economic Zone. The line, completed at a cost of Rs1,806.90 million, is a significant addition to the transmission network in Sindh, linking generation in the Jhimpir corridor to industrial demand at Dhabeji.
Jhimpir is known as a hub for wind power generation in Pakistan. The wind corridor in the Thatta district has attracted a series of wind farms over the past decade, taking advantage of steady coastal winds. A transmission line from Jhimpir-II therefore connects renewable generation to the wider grid, allowing clean power produced in the corridor to reach consumers and industries elsewhere. Energising the line means it is now live and capable of carrying power, a milestone that follows construction, testing and commissioning work.
Dhabeji, in turn, is the site of a Special Economic Zone intended to attract industry, investment and jobs. Special Economic Zones offer investors a package of facilities and incentives in a defined area, with the aim of concentrating infrastructure — roads, water, gas and, crucially, electricity — so that factories can operate efficiently. Without reliable power, however, even generous incentives struggle to attract tenants. The new transmission line addresses that bottleneck directly, giving the zone a stronger power supply on which to build.
NationalGrid-Pakistan’s Managing Director, Engineer Altaf Hussain Malik, has commented on the project, according to reporting. His comments, as summarised in the brief, link the line to reliable electricity for the Dhabeji zone and to the wider benefits of jobs, investment and industrial activity. Those benefits are the standard rationale for economic zones: factories create employment, suppliers cluster nearby, and exports can grow if firms find the zone competitive. Whether Dhabeji delivers on that promise will depend on many factors beyond power, including land, logistics, labour and the overall investment climate, but power is a necessary starting point.
The cost of the project, Rs1,806.90 million, reflects the scale of high-voltage transmission work. Building a 220kV line involves towers, conductors, insulators, substation equipment and protection systems, all engineered to carry large amounts of power safely over distance. The figure is reported as the completion cost, and it gives a sense of the investment required to connect a generation hub to an industrial zone. Transmission is often less visible than power plants themselves, yet without it, generated electricity cannot reach users.
For the wider energy system, the line also illustrates a shift toward integrating renewable generation. Wind power is variable by nature, rising and falling with the wind, and the grid must be able to absorb that variability while keeping supply stable. Strong transmission links help by allowing wind power to be shared across a wider area, reducing the risk that it is wasted when local demand is low. The Jhimpir to Dhabeji link therefore serves both a local purpose — powering an economic zone — and a system purpose, strengthening the grid in Sindh.
Residents and businesses near Dhabeji will be watching for the practical effects: steadier supply, fewer outages, and the arrival of new industrial tenants. Those effects may take time to materialise, as firms decide to invest, build factories and hire workers. The energisation of the line is a precondition, not a guarantee, of that activity. Still, it removes one of the most common obstacles cited by investors in new industrial areas.
In short, the verified facts are straightforward. NationalGrid-Pakistan has energised the 220kV line from Jhimpir-II to Dhabeji sub-station, at a cost of Rs1,806.90 million, to support reliable electricity for the Dhabeji Special Economic Zone, with the aim of supporting jobs, investment and industrial activity. That is a concrete infrastructure step, and its success will be measured in the months and years ahead by what it enables at Dhabeji.
Source: Express Tribune
