By SKM
February 17, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) has called on the government to raise the 11 kV load limit for large-scale manufacturing (LSM) industries from 7.5 MW to 10 MW, warning that the current ceiling forces manufacturers into Rs500–600 million in unnecessary capital expenditure and stifles industrial growth.
In letters to Federal Minister for Power Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari and NEPRA Chairman Waseem Mukhtar, APTMA Chairman Kamran Arshad said the move would unlock stalled investments, reduce duplication of grid infrastructure, and boost export-oriented expansion—while keeping full cost recovery and grid stability safeguards intact.
Currently, industries exceeding 7.5 MW are compelled to build dedicated 132/11 kV grid stations, facing huge costs, land constraints, and lengthy approval processes—even where DISCO grids have spare capacity. APTMA calls this requirement economically inefficient and technically outdated.
“A typical 10 MW grid station costs Rs500–600 million. These funds could be better used for capacity expansion, modernization, or boosting exports,” Arshad said.
The association highlighted that advancements in High Tension Low Sag (HTLS) conductors and improved feeder designs now allow higher loads over 11 kV feeders safely, with lower losses and better reliability. This makes the 7.5 MW limit unnecessarily restrictive.
APTMA has proposed amending Clause 2.6.6 of the NEPRA Consumer Service Manual (Revised 2025), allowing supply through DISCO-owned 11 kV feeders up to 10 MW, subject to grid and feeder capacity, reconductoring if required, full cost recovery, and technical feasibility certification.
The industry body stressed that the change would slash non-productive capital expenditure, accelerate industrial expansion, reduce infrastructure duplication, improve power sector efficiency, and strengthen export competitiveness—without compromising grid stability or cost recovery. Ends
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