By Farhan Mujeeb
Pakistan’s power sector has long struggled with blackouts, inefficiencies, and an outdated grid. Recent reforms, such as the bifurcation of the National Transmission & Despatch Company (NTDC) into the National Grid Company (as Transmission Owner) and the Independent System & Market Operator (ISMO) (as System & Market Operator), aim to modernize the grid.
At the same time, the country is experiencing a solar power boom, with households and industries rapidly adopting rooftop solar and large-scale projects. Amid these changes, Pakistan acquired a Real-Time Digital Simulator (RTDS) a few years ago with the help of USAID, a powerful tool that can help prevent blackouts, optimize grid stability, and integrate renewables smoothly. However, many engineers and policymakers remain unaware of its potential.
RTDS is essentially a supercharged virtual power grid lab that mimics real-world electricity systems in real time. It allows engineers to test protection relays, simulate blackouts, train grid operators, and validate new power plants and transmission lines before they are built. Think of it as a flight simulator for the power grid pilots train in simulators before flying real planes; similarly, RTDS helps engineers test grid scenarios without risking real blackouts.
One of the most critical applications of RTDS in Pakistan is preventing blackouts and improving grid stability. The country has suffered nationwide blackouts due to cascading grid failures. RTDS can simulate faults, such as a major transmission line tripping, and test how the grid responds. It can also optimize relay settings to prevent unnecessary tripping, a common cause of blackouts, and test islanding scenarios to keep parts of the grid running during a collapse.
With solar energy exploding, Pakistan’s grid faces new challenges like solar intermittency, reverse power flow, and instability. RTDS can help by testing how solar farms behave during grid disturbances, designing battery storage systems to balance solar fluctuations, and ensuring grid-forming inverters work safely in Pakistan’s grid. These capabilities are crucial as the country transitions to higher shares of renewable energy.
The recent separation of NTDC into NGC and ISMO introduces new complexities in grid management and market operations. RTDS can simulate these changes before implementation, reducing risks of failure. It can test new control strategies for grid balancing, model electricity market fluctuations, and even simulate cyberattacks to improve grid resilience. Additionally, RTDS can train grid operators to handle emergencies, such as sudden generator failures or extreme weather events, reducing the likelihood of human error in control rooms.
Despite having RTDS, Pakistan underutilizes it due to a lack of awareness among engineers, shortage of trained experts, and limited funding for advanced testing. To fully leverage this technology, Pakistan needs a clear roadmap for integrating RTDS into national grid operations.
First, the Ministry of Energy (Power Division) must take the lead in fostering collaboration between universities, industry players, and the newly formed NGC and ISMO. The government should facilitate the establishment of an RTDS training centre by bringing together the key stakeholders, academia to provide research and training, industry to offer practical insights, and grid operators to share real-world challenges. This tripartite partnership could be formalized through a dedicated working group under the Power Division, with regular coordination meetings and joint projects. The ministry could further incentivize participation by offering research grants to universities that incorporate RTDS into their power systems curriculum and by requiring NGC and ISMO engineers to complete certified RTDS training programs. Such institutionalized collaboration would ensure that RTDS expertise becomes deeply embedded in Pakistan’s power sector ecosystem rather than remaining siloed in individual organizations.
Second, regulators should mandate RTDS testing for all new solar and wind projects to ensure they don’t destabilize the grid. Third, the ISMO should use RTDS to simulate market operations and grid balancing scenarios before implementing new policies. Fourth, universities should incorporate RTDS into power engineering curricula to prepare the next generation of grid operators. Finally, Pakistan should allocate dedicated funding for RTDS-based research and grid modernization projects, possibly with support from international development agencies.
Pakistan’s power sector is at a turning point, solar energy is booming, the grid is being restructured, and blackouts remain a threat. RTDS is not just a luxury but a necessity to ensure a stable, efficient, and future-proof grid. By fully utilizing RTDS, Pakistan can prevent future blackouts, integrate solar power smoothly, train better grid operators, and build a resilient electricity market. It’s time for Pakistan’s energy leaders to unlock the full potential of RTDS before the next major blackout strikes.
