Its a complex issue but as always the propagandists from IK are going to blame it on NS. Just the way propaganda works. You are asking ALL the common sense based right questions. But IK's people don't have the brain power to ask these questions or they ignore it. So at the end, everything becomes NS's fault, irrespective of the tremendous amounts of progress he's brought to Pakistan in just mere three years.
This is the FUNDAMENTAL difference between a successful India and a backwards Pakistan, which is finally moving towards advancement. In India, no matter how much people hate their rulers, they work as a team for INDIA. In Pakistan, no matter how much anyone work or don't work, everyone just blindly supports their own politician, often leaving their country behind and putting their personal preferences above the country's and so is the case here.
This equipment was ordered many years ago. Zardari, whenever in power, directly or indirectly, has a "special tax" aka, the bribe, that has to be paid even at a much lower level like $ 1-2 million dollar worth of imports like little parts (he's that cheap)!!! So if you as an importer or as a manufacturer don't give it, he'll have your stuff sealed and disappeared off the port. And that's what happened to the machinery.
Now the Chinese company involved waited and waited and then decided to leave and took a loss due to labor costs, and all. NS came into the power, reviewed the project, read the initial feasibility and re-did the assessments on the project.
As you are in the industry too I think (we had that salary discussion one time), so you would know how project assessments are. They conducted all those re-assessments and realized they'd have to pay more fees for the Chinese to re-engage as they took a loss waiting for the machinery and left in Zardari's time.
Since the machinery made it to Pakistan's port, it was left at the port in extremely bad weather and humid conditions and no one knew that the parts inside some of the generators and other sensitive control units had gone bad (corrosion and oxidation of parts, metal inside the generator and other machines).
So knowing that the project was a quick one to implement and would provide very quick electricity that can help the country's industry (this power plant is close to a LOT of industry and manufacturing in Pakistan), and that every Watt of energy available quickly was needed to enable businesses to run (Specially Textile for GSP plus), the government decided to swallow the bitter pill and implement the project, FULLY DISCLOSING the facts that the project cost has gone way up as the work was already behind, the Chinese had to be re-engaged and the entire team needed to be assembled and all, as the last time around the Chinese sat there for months waiting for party and had back dated dues to the government of Pakistan.
So after disclosing the cost factor, and knowing the quick implementation of this project through re-assessment done by professionals (as well as Audits from Transparency international, etc), the decision was made to continue on with the project due to its strategic nature and quick electric production capability, albeit more expensive (not uncommon in these situations), but providing a huge lift to the industry which was needed to produce for Textile to support European GSP Plus orders (in billions), which would've easily negate the higher cost factor if the project became functional right away.
The machinery was released and shipped and installed on priority basis. It started to work and it worked at its FULL capacity for a week (as outlined in the project's re-assessment, to produce 420+ MW's), before breaking down. Now the troubleshooting starts. Due to years long wait and these machines sitting on the port without usage, the 3 year manufacturer's warranty had run out.
Thinking the generator issues are no different than what's in other power plants, the Pakistani engineers, through tech support from the Chinese, tried to fix the issues. Obviously, it took them a while, then parts ordering to China and getting shipments and all and then parts of the plant started to produce electricity again in sub-capacity. But, by now, there was consistent issues, resulting in the newer turbines being totally down.
That's when the manufacturer was re-engaged and they sent their engineers, which again took weeks to inspect the equipment and then provide detailed assessment on corrosion and associated damage. Some parts were ordered and many parts weren't even available as these aren't groceries that the parts are available at your local wholesale stores.
The Chinese now suggested to give them the project, and let them bring their own labor who is used to working these machines and a new contract is either being signed or has already been signed. Under which, they'll replace parts and overhaul these generators to whatever extent needed. But the cost obviously goes further up. And that it would be faster to use all Chinese engineers used to implement these plants across the globe, then using newly trained Pakistani engineers as time and money was of essence.
There have been a few hundred people (professionals with decades of experience in power generation) involved with this massive project from the Pakistani side, including project and program managers, the power plants management and all. Plus, not all 100 projects go well. If 75% of the project Pakistan got going on, go online on time, starting 2018, Pakistan will start to show a different face to the world. A much more advanced one than say just three years ago.
Irrespective of other stuff, I don't understand how its ALL NS's fault, just like my Dog having a diarrhea is somehow NS's fault too, if you ask an IK followers.
Man, look how much effort I put in for you. My hands hurt with so much typing. But I am glad the full story is out for people's reference, once and for all!!!
Thank you for showing your REAL face like your leader IK!!! Calling others family, mother and sisters out in disrespectful manner seems to be you guys logic. That's why you've turned off half the Pakistan from ever voting for IK. No one likes anyone's families being disrespected when the actual issue is a factual issue needing facts!!! It is a medical fact that people who have issues in managing relationships aren't loyal. I can prove it and any doctor on here can prove it too. If you don't have the facts, don't insult others, you don't have to respond you know.
@Slav Defence @Irfan Baloch @Oscar : guys......read above. Is this why people come here so they can make demeaning and derogatory remarks about others family members when we are in the middle of a fact base discussion??? I think this member should be banned to be frank.
. Here goes, I am putting on my Engineering hat on, I didn't think you'd want this much technical details. But here:
