The first unit of K-Electric’s Bin Qasim Power Station 3 (BQPS-III) has been taken offline following a fault identified during a test conducted as part of the plant’s commissioning.

The city’s power provider said that the problem was identified during the final stage of commissioning.

Siemens AG was carrying out the testing, while it along with Harbin Electric International - the contractor’s consortium - assessed the problem. They identified that the fault was isolated to a section of the gas time.

“While the plant is still under test run, we are closely monitoring the progress and have full confidence in the team of global experts tasked to resolve this on priority.”

The company said it would take between 8-10 weeks to bring the plant back online.

“Currently, power supply to the city is as per routine schedule announced on June 30th 2022 and available on KE website,” it said.

The $650 million project is expected to provide 900MW of electricity to the city.

The power regulator, in an estimate on its website, said that it anticpated a 700MW growth in electricity needs in the next few years.