Abu Bakar Abid Jathol

Pakistan has recently installed its first ±660 kV HVDC Transmission System consisting of a 868 km long HVDC T/Line and 02 Nos. 4000 MW Converter Stations that is built, owned and operated by Pakistan Matiari – Lahore Transmission Company (PMLTC). I have been working at PMLTC since March 2020 in different roles, major concerning Operation, Testing and Maintenance of Secondary Protection & Control Systems for 500 kV EHV AC and ±660 kV HVDC system. My major responsibilities include:

• Leading & executing the comprehensive yearly maintenance plan of converter station including overhaul and testing of HVDC converter station secondary systems (HVDC and AC control & protection, Communication, Thyristor control system, Valve cooling system).
• Planning maintenance task for preventive maintenance including forecasting of spare equipment requirement, management of maintenance personal and secondary maintenance assets life cycle management.
• Inspection, risk analysis, fault identification and its rectification in HVDC control & protection system, AC filter protection, Converter transformer protection, AC Transmission Lines protection system, Thyristor control system, Valve cooling control system and Online monitoring systems.
• O&M of Control and Protection logic analysis and ViGET design software for HVDC, AC filter and Reactive Power control and protection system.
• Fault identification and rectification in IFC control bus, TDM bus, Profibus, IEC 61850 GOOSE bus implementing HVDC control, protection and inter station DC station control, reactive power control and AC filter protection via optical fibres.
• Identifying areas for improvement, applying new ideas, technical developments, guiding, mentoring and providing training to interns and new inductees while ensuring quality and consistency.

Epesol Pvt., Ltd., Pakistan is a leading contracting firm dealing with Design, Engineering, Manufacturing, Testing & Commissioning of Protection & Control system for Pakistan’s National Grid Company – National Transmission & Despatch Company (NTDC), multiple Distribution Companies, Independent Power Producers and other bulk power consumers. While working at Epesol as Protection & Control Design Engineer, my key responsibilities included:

• Development of Scope & Bill of Quantities (BOQ) / Bill of Material (BOM) for Protection, Control, Metering, Monitoring & Automation system as per client’s requirements.
• Preparing planning documents for optimal project management – Preparing plans for execution of secondary design projects for substation from approval stage to factory manufacturing and then grid interconnection and As-built.
• Preparation of technical bids for submission to client as per defined scope of works. Preparing offer for selection of Protection Relays, CT ratios etc., as per client’s requirement.
• Preparation of CT and VT sizing calculations as per the specified scope and proposed solution.
• Preparation of Protection & Control System Base Engineering – Main Single Line Diagram (SLD), Main Connection & Protection Diagram (MC&P SLD), Control & Inter-locking Schemes & Protection Trip Logic Drawing etc., as per contract’s specifications.
• Calculation of Protection Relay Settings, configuration / parametrization of Protection Relays & producing relay files for relays manufactured by renowned Manufacturers (GE, Alstom (now part of General Electric), Siemens, SEL, Schneider Electric, Hitachi Energy, ABB) used for protection of utility’s transmission and distribution network including Transmission Lines, Transformers, Shunt Reactors, Busbars, Breaker Failure etc., for 500 kV, 220 kV, 132 kV & 11 kV Levels.
• Preparation of Testing & Commissioning plans to be followed during execution of FAT and SAT.
• Preparation of Substation Automation System (SAS) Architecture / Concept Diagram and preparing offer for SAS Equipment (BCU, Ethernet Switches, Station Human Machine Interface (HMI), Engineer Workstation, SAS Software, Signals List & GPS clock receiver etc.), subject to compliance with utility specifications and IEC 61850, IEC 62439-3 PRP etc., standards.
• Preparation of Project Progress Reports, Technical Reports and allied Documentations.
• Providing on-site technical support and coordination with project teams to ensure successful delivery of substation Protection & Control Engineering Projects.
• Identifying areas for improvement, applying new ideas, technical developments, guiding, mentoring and providing training to interns and new inductees while ensuring quality and consistency.