Pakistan Govt Admits Up to Seven Hours of Power Outages Amid LNG Crisis
The Pakistani government has acknowledged power outages lasting six to seven hours daily, a duration nearly three times longer than previously announced. Power Minister Awais Leghari attributed the severe load management to a 3,400MW supply shortfall caused by disrupted LNG imports due to the Middle East crisis and lower water discharges for irrigation. The country experienced unusual demand fluctuations, spiking from 9,000MW to 20,000MW within days due to weather conditions. To mitigate the crisis, the government postponed nuclear plant maintenance until July and utilized diplomatic channels to secure alternative fuel sources, though spot purchases remain unaffordable. While hydropower generation has increased slightly following higher dam discharges, most LNG-based plants remain idle. The minister emphasized that early market closures helped reduce peak demand by 1,200-1,400MW, preventing even longer outages. He assured the public that the load shedding schedule is equitable across urban and rural areas, with no daytime cuts where capacity allows. Despite transmission constraints limiting power transfer from south to north, the government highlights Pakistan's diverse energy mix as a resilience factor against international geopolitical shocks.
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Pakistan Govt Admits Up to Seven Hours of Power Outages Amid LNG Crisis
The Pakistani government has acknowledged power outages lasting six to seven hours daily, a duration nearly three times longer than previously announced. Power Minister Awais Leghari attributed the severe load management to a 3,400MW supply shortfall caused by disrupted LNG imports due to the Middle East crisis and lower water discharges for irrigation. The country experienced unusual demand fluctuations, spiking from 9,000MW to 20,000MW within days due to weather conditions. To mitigate the crisis, the government postponed nuclear plant maintenance until July and utilized diplomatic channels to secure alternative fuel sources, though spot purchases remain unaffordable. While hydropower generation has increased slightly following higher dam discharges, most LNG-based plants remain idle. The minister emphasized that early market closures helped reduce peak demand by 1,200-1,400MW, preventing even longer outages. He assured the public that the load shedding schedule is equitable across urban and rural areas, with no daytime cuts where capacity allows. Despite transmission constraints limiting power transfer from south to north, the government highlights Pakistan's diverse energy mix as a resilience factor against international geopolitical shocks.
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