‘Make in Pakistan’ colours 12th IEEEP Fair Pakistani companies have shown their resilience indicating a better future: Engr Khalid Pervez

on 25/10/2023

The 12th edition of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Pakistan (IEEEP) Fair, a showcase of innovation and collaboration in technology and engineering, will take place at Karachi Expo Center from October 3-5, 2023.
Sindh governor Kamran Tessori is likely to be the chief guest of the inauguration session of the fair, to be started at 10:30 AM. A large number of dignitaries from the engineering fraternity and the government are also expected to participate in the moot.
The information poured in so far suggests the moot is likely to be a robust one in the wake of Pakistan’s current economic scenario—a rare scene that has eclipsed every aspect of business and commerce of the country.
Probably because of this uncertain fiscal situation, an urge to pay serious attention to local manufacturing is most likely to take a driving seat in the fair which is embedded by a conference focusing on Make in Pakistan—a slogan long echoing in the nook and corner of the country but stands far from being materialized in business sector as well as the corridors of power. What this moot is to offer is also to witness any serious move in this direction.
But still, the level of participation of Pakistani companies that have committed to participate in the fair suggests surrender is no option for them and they continue to make endeavors to make roads in terms of local manufacturing of engineering products which many claim is the only recipe for the development of the country.
A manifestation of commitment to this direction is evident from the list of participants in which most of the platinum companies of the exhibition are from Pakistan. The total platinum sponsors include five companies. However, the list of sponsors includes 5 Gold, 6 Silver, and 7 Brown companies.
The exhibition spread over 3 halls with over 200 exhibitors in attendance is expected to attract over 15 thousand visitors which will include professionals from relevant sectors of the engineering sector.
The engineering and technology universities have also decided to exhibit their projects which show an effort in terms of Industry-Academia Collaboration between the industry and academia.
The second day of the moot encompasses three conferences altogether and will touch on significant aspects of the engineering industry.
Talking to Engineering Review, IEEEP Karachi Chapter chief Engr. Khalid Pervez said the response from Pakistani companies is good and investing money from their part in the current situation showed their commitment and credibility.
Pakistani companies have shown their resilience which is a major indicator for a better future as regards local manufacturing in Pakistan, he says. Engr. Pervez said they would boost Pakistani companies through such a process.
IEEEP Karachi Chapter chief said by the grace of God, they had succeeded in maintaining the value and targets of the event though they wished more but retaining them was itself a big success. This, he says will pave the way to achieve more progress in the future.
Besides Pakistani exhibitors, the fair will have a number of international companies from various countries including China, Turkey, Korea, and others.
It merits mentioning that the IEEEP had attracted considerable response in the soft launch held in September. The organizers were confident about the response that the visitors were supposed to see at the fair.

ELSEWEDY ELECTRIC’s Pakistan; A testament to Growth, Dedication & promoting make in Pakistan

on 25/10/2023

For more than eight decades, ELSEWEDY ELECTRIC Group has stood as a global leader in integrated energy solutions. Evolving into a diversified conglomerate with a formidable presence spanning 37 production facilities worldwide and employing a workforce of over 15,000 dedicated professionals, our journey has been nothing short of remarkable.
Our foray into Pakistan’s dynamic energy sector began in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, marked by a substantial investment plan. A moment of pride came as we acquired Validus Engineering Pvt Limited, formerly known as the Siemens Transformer Manufacturing Facility in Karachi. This facility carries a storied legacy of transformer manufacturing that spans over five decades, having supplied more than 700 power transformers of varying capacities to utilities within Pakistan and abroad.
Since taking over this transformer manufacturing facility, ELSEWEDY ELECTRIC has injected significant capital into enhancing infrastructure, incorporating cutting-edge machinery, deploying advanced testing equipment, and instituting comprehensive workforce training programs.
Graced by the blessings of Allah, steadfast dedication from our Pakistani & Egyptian team, and encouragement from local utilities, we take immense pride in sharing our pivotal accomplishments:
The transformation and modernization of our Power Transformer facility in Pakistan to align with the latest international manufacturing standards.
Remarkable capacity enhancements, enabling the production of transformers up to 220 kV and 250 MVA.
The successful Type Testing completion for 40MVA, 132 kV Power Transformers by a STL-accredited European Independent Laboratory. This solidifies our standing as a trusted source for high-quality transformers, catering to the domestic needs of our esteemed customers in Pakistan.
A resolute dedication to championing the “Made in Pakistan” brand through the export of Power Transformers to pivotal markets, bolstering the nation’s foreign currency reserves.
We are delighted to announce that we have already exported four power transformers (each 20 MVA) to the UAE, significantly contributing to Pakistan’s foreign exchange earnings under the “Make in Pakistan” initiative. Foreseeing further exports in the months to come, we remain committed to fueling Pakistan’s brighter future sustainably, bearing an unwavering focus on this great nation. This dedication emanates from our global group and local management alike, showcasing our resolve to excel and serve Pakistan with our extensive expertise and experience. Our persistent endeavors to enhance local value addition and explore investment opportunities in various products and components underscore our commitment to shaping the future of Pakistan’s energy landscape. Together, we aspire to illuminate a sustainable, promising future for all.

PAKISTAN CABLES LAUNCHES THE HIGHEST VOLTAGE (69 KV) CCV line for MV cables in Pakistan

on 25/10/2023

Pakistan Cables launched the nation’s first highest voltage (69KV) CCV line for Medium Voltage (MV) cables through world class German technology. As the pioneer in the wires and cables industry in Pakistan, the company has a legacy of breaking barriers. In addition, Pakistan Cables has also set up a High Voltage Testing (HVT) facility at Nooriabad, which enables testing of cables at higher voltage grades.
“This is a significant milestone for the Company during its 70th year anniversary. It reflects 70 years of uncompromised dedication and setting Industry benchmarks. I am thrilled at the outcome and proud of our team, who drove the project with a lot of hard work.”, said Fahd K. Chinoy, Chief Executive Officer Pakistan Cables Ltd.
To ensure the highest quality and efficiency for Medium Voltage (MV) Cables, Pakistan Cables brings cutting edge German technology in the form of the TROESTER® MV CCV Line for the first time in Pakistan. Proven engineering excellence, the TROESTER® CCV line, is an outcome of decades of dedication in the Extrusion industry; a befitting choice for Pakistan Cables as an industry pioneer in Pakistan. The world renowned TROESTER® CCV line set up exclusively at the new Pakistan Cables Nooriabad factory is focused on manufacturing highly efficient product range of High & Medium Voltage cables possible.
The Company’s world class and highly integrated manufacturing facility at Nooriabad, boasts various sophisticated cable manufacturing technologies with rigorous quality control and assurance facilities reflected in its trusted range of product solutions, both at home and abroad.
Key Features of the new CCV line for MV Cables:
• Highest capability of 69 KV in Pakistan.
• Fast product changes matched with high production speed ensure timeliness.
• Efficient sag control system for superior accuracy.
• Fully automatic compound handling system ensuring a contamination free line, an absolute essential for superior quality product.
• In line X-ray machine for checking concentricity, thickness, ovality and overall diameter of all three layers of insulation.
• Highly skilled engineers incorporate innovative developments and experience directly in the machine components like extruders, extruder heads, CCV tubes, cable machinery and line controls.
In-line Dry Curing Process
Pakistan Cables employs in-line drying curing for all its CCV lines along with the state-of-the-art triple cross head extrusion where the conductor screen, Insulation and Insulation Screen are extruded simultaneously by means of a Triple Cross Head which has following advantages:
• Reduces micro voids and moisture content in insulation and ensures enhanced and stable breakdown strength and uniform insulation structure.
• Ensures extremely accurate layer thickness
• Ensures high purity in the frontier limit between the semi conductive layers and the insulation.
• Provides optimal fusion of the individual layers without contamination.
• Ensures a firm bond and smooth interface between each layer thus improving electrical properties.
• Prevents unforeseen damage to the conductor or insulation screen during manufacturing process.
Quality Control
• Very strict quality control during processing using SIKORA-X-RAY unit for thickness measurement in continuous mode for all extruder layers.
• Recording of trends enabled after every two seconds.
• The unit continuously scans 360o geometry of the cable and displays maximum, minimum and eccentricity of all three layers separately.
Quality Assurance
The Company’s quality policy is deeply instilled in its vision to ignite possibilities for all its stakeholders especially its customers. All manufactured products fully meet the specifications which they are designed to meet for customers in Pakistan as well as international markets.
Pakistan Cables sources its raw materials from reputed international suppliers. The most important cable constituents such as XLPE material and copper are procured from the world’s leading suppliers of cable components.
Products have already been type tested at international agencies. Several products are also type tested and certified by KEMA, Netherlands. Some products are also TUV certified. Type tests are also performed in-house on predefined regular basis to ensure and guarantee the quality of manufactured products.

Island mode is the only solution for power system issues: Engr. Tanveer Jafri Combined power losses of 37 pc can be minimized; what is required is will, says head of Jafri & Associates

on 25/10/2023

Pakistan’s power woes can be addressed and of course, there is a solution to the issues connected to electricity and its tariff, says Engr. Tanveer Ahmed Jafri. ‘We as consultants have been presenting remedies for the issues at all forums.’ There is a solution available but what is required is the will, he adds.
Elaborating on the issue in an interview with Engineering Review, he says before electricity reaches our homes, there are three stages; generation, transmission, and, distribution. There is a myth that a hundred percent generation can be ensured through renewable energy. But no country in the world including the US, North America, Western Europe, Germany, or China has been able to achieve it. There are abundant renewable power projects in these countries but they are intermittent sources of energy. One cannot asses the availability of sources of wind power, solar, or hydropower. If the installed capacity of a solar project is 100 megawatts, you cannot get more than 22 percent generation of the capacity. Wind will give you 34 percent and hydro 45 percent on a yearly average generation. You cannot avail full capacity of the project. Instead, nuclear, gas, oil, and coal are considered base load projects. In Pakistan, oil and gas are imported, nuclear is available but with very low capacity, and the coal for which we reimburse equity with foreign mining investors. Thar coal is the source on which we can begin localization. However, there is a shortcoming of Thar Coal because being lignite its transportation and storage on a large scale is an issue. We are running these projects on optimal levels.
Once we had WAPDA with General Manager Thermal who was acquainted with the complete power network in Pakistan. Following the unbundling of WAPDA, we formed generation companies, DISCOs and NTDC, and down to CPPA. To regulate them, we have an organization called NEPRA. Now NPCC—part of NTDC—decides the flows for each DISCO’s in the country. Now when we generate power, we are required to transmit it and then distribute it down. For instance, if we want to transmit power to Hyderabad and the dispatch from Mangla is cheaper the cost of the transmission losses is being borne by the consumer. If we include distribution losses, the combined losses stand at 37 percent. This loss is to be minimized.
In recent years, Pakistan has witnessed power blackouts quite often because our system is linear and thus cascaded and if any fault occurs at any point, all our system comes to a shutdown.
Given this situation, the question is what should be done so that the stability of the grid is ensured and also the losses could be minimized. We have powerhouses at the load centers and more should be built there besides building rings so that they continue running in an island mode if any fault develops anywhere in the country. With this model, transmission losses would come down to almost zero or a negligible level. For instance, two coal-fired power projects, connected to the national grid may be given to K-electric which will get 900 megawatts. Since these are IPPs and work in different modes that are cheaper for NTDC, it benefits NTDC because the power acquired in this model is cheaper for the company.
In many parts of the world, large companies have a buyer that buys electricity, water gas, etc., and focuses the prices assessing the cost at the end user. This is the economic model of electricity which is successful in the world because it is consumer-centric.
Pakistan does not have a consumer-centric policy. Neither NTDC nor IPPS not staging protests or burning electric bills; the customers do it of course as they are frustrated. Is there anything to address their issue?
If someone uses a generator for a few hours or installs solar power panels, he/she will not bear transmission losses but if they get power from outside they have to pay on account of such losses. It is not necessarily because of any inefficiency, it is an inherent loss as the energy dissipates in the form of heat. These transmission losses are included in the tariff and all companies claim it in their cases with NEPRA. Likewise, Gen companies and distribution companies claim money for such losses. Therefore, if all power load centers were given supply to their respective areas or cities, these losses would be minimized and thus affect the tariff.
Would not this model create disparity in the availability of electricity in the country? Engr. Jafri says it will not create disparity. For instance, cities like Karachi which has a 20-plus population around the world have a capacity of one to one and half lakh megawatts to match the development activity of that city. We have 2 to 3 thousand megawatts in Karachi. We are energy energy-deficient country. For instance, we should have planned where to build a powerhouse to address excess power in any city for the area.
We have prepared our future power plan but unfortunately, this aspect is missing as to where the powerhouses are set up. Location is very important in the power field like it is in real estate.
Power is expensive in Pakistan no doubt and given such a landscape, does the industry approach you as to how to deal with this issue or seek any solutions?
The industry is in a state of influx as the companies are making losses because of the increase in operational costs which embeds such utilities as critical commodities.
While our industry faces issues concerning electricity, water, and gas, we have technologies to tackle them and the industry should move to get benefit from such technologies. But it is like burning the candle from both ends. If any industry has plans to get a return of 20 percent in 5 years besides dealing with many headaches. They think if they invest that money in the banks they can get such a return without any issues. They ask why they should set themselves up for so many issues of running the industry.
The people are looking for utilities for big projects like in the construction sector and they approach us for ideas. We float ideas with the investors too so that they can benefit from them. But the issue is that new technologies cannot be developed locally, they are required to be imported, and they cannot do it.
Why should not such technologies be developed locally? ‘Consumers should be offered additional benefits so that they are encouraged to buy Pakistan-made things, ‘ Engr. Jaffri says. Also, you cannot levy extra duties lest the WTO comes into action. If you sell any local solution, you will be asked if anyone has acquired it before. Then we have to show the certifications and also have to offer considerable tax rebates to make it acceptable. The buyer should be offered incentives so that even if they have any doubts about the reliability, they look at the low-cost effect.
Do you see any wider acceptability for the use of Pakistan-made products in the wake of difficulty in import because of the difficult economic situation?
The people are ready to use Pakistan-made products provided they are locally made in a real sense. We don’t have proper certification of the projects as we see in the developed world. We need that it proves our testing and trial of the projects made in Pakistan. We need an accrediting organization like CE in Pakistan which assures the buyer that the product is as per international standards.
Tell us how AI is influencing our industry as many people have been afraid of it lately.
It has helped people improve their write-ups as they are using it like a student. In industry, I don’t see much application of AI but I have seen an industry experimenting with opting for microwaves instead of laying down a cable to save cable cost. They are doing it for the first time in Pakistan. They have put data in the AI to get to know how it is possible.
Do the consultants feel threatened by ChatGpt which can be used by anyone and can make drawings?
Yes and no. Designing and drawing is a professional engineering feat; it is stamped by a professional engineer and is a norm all over the world. The rest no matter efficient people are not authorised for consultancy; they don’t have proper licenses from regulatory bodies like PEC etc. – By Mohammad Salahuddin

NEA declares Punjab reps, kicks off membership drive

on 25/10/2023

National Engineers Association (NEA) has begun organizing itself in Punjab and has appointed its representatives in 15 districts of the province.
With announcing its representatives, the organization has also started its membership campaign in the province.
In this connection, the association organized a meeting at the offices of the Pakistan Engineering Congress (PEC), Lahore.
Syed Abdul Qadir Shah Chairman National Engineers Association chaired the moot which was attended by Engr. Najam Waheed, President, Pakistan Engineering Congress, Engr. Iftikhar Ahmed, Engr. Syed Jawad Hussain Shah, Engr. Amjad Saeed, Engr. Amanat Bhatti and others.
Syed Abdul Qadir Shah briefed the moot of achievements so far and the future plans of NEA. He said young engineers can play a vital role in the development of the country and to encourage them they have started membership campaign all over Pakistan so that young engineers are gotten in the loop and trained.
Also, Engr. Shah distributed certificates among district representatives of NEA for Lahore, Engr. Ateeq Ur Rehman, Nankana Sahib, Engr. Ghulam Jillani, Sheikhupura, Engr, Ehtisham, Gujrat, Engr. Ali Anees Deputy Representative, Shahiwal, Engr. Irtaza Shahid, Narowal, Engr. Waheed Aftab, Bahawalnagar, Engr. Imran Mushtaq, Rahim Yar Khan, Engr. Mehmood, Multan, Engr. Mirza Zohaib, Kasur, Engr. Mohsin Azam, Lahore, Engr. Ali Zahid Deputy Representative.
Moreover, Engr. Zeeshan has been made Media Coordinator for Lahore Division and Ch Ahsan Divisional Coordinator NEWA Lahore.
District Representative Rawalpindi Engr. Jehanzaub SDO and District representative Gujrat Engr. Iqbal Hussain Shah SDO has already been notified by Engr. Syed Abdul Qadir Shah and Engr. Mukhtiar A. Sheikh at Marriott Islamabad besides representatives of Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Faisalabad, Sadiqabad.