Pakistan plans transformer-level power monitoring pilot in Lahore and Kasur
Energy Minister Awais Leghari says the planned system could target power theft more precisely, while high-loss feeders would still face loadshedding.
Pakistan plans to pilot a transformer-level power monitoring system in Lahore and Kasur after Energy Minister Awais Leghari announced a phased rollout on 19 October, Dawn reported. Officials say it could help target electricity theft without cutting off every customer served by a high-loss feeder, though the pilot has yet to launch.
Speaking at a ceremony in Dera Ghazi Khan, Leghari said the Asset Performance Management System, or APMS, would identify individual transformers in areas with high theft. That would let authorities disconnect the affected areas more selectively, he said. Loadshedding would still continue on feeders where losses reach 30 percent or more.
How the Lahore and Kasur pilot would work
A Lahore Electric Supply Company official told Dawn that preparations for the pilot were underway and that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would inaugurate it. The official gave no firm launch date. The government plans to introduce the system in phases, leaving the timing of any wider rollout unspecified.
Under the proposed setup, APMS equipment at distribution transformers would be paired with smart meters to track electricity use in real time. Conventional meters would be replaced after the transformer equipment is installed, according to Dawn. A separate Lesco officer told the outlet that the system would send theft and line-loss information to officials and could receive tampering alerts from advanced meters.
The distinction between a feeder and a transformer matters for households and businesses facing outages. A Lesco source estimated that a feeder can serve roughly 2,000 to 3,000 customers or more, while a transformer typically serves about 150 to 200. Those figures are estimates, but they show why identifying losses at transformer level could allow narrower action than switching off a whole feeder.
Procurement for high-loss feeders
A Public Procurement Regulatory Authority evaluation record shows earlier work on APMS equipment for 146 high-loss feeders. The tender, issued through a Ministry of Energy procurement office at Lesco, covers distribution transformers rated at 25, 50, 400 and 630 kVA. It was advertised on 13 July, closed on 28 July and drew six bids; the evaluation was published on 17 August.
The procurement record concerns equipment for high-loss feeders. Leghari's October announcement and the expected Lahore and Kasur pilot are reported by Dawn; neither establishes that the system has begun operating or reduced theft or outages.
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Sources and context
- Govt unveils hi-tech system to manage loadsheddingDawn
- Tender No. 4389: Asset Performance Management System for distribution transformers on 146 high-loss feeders — evaluation detailsPublic Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA)
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.