Summary Government ends loadshedding after LNG arrival, but warns expensive fuel use may increase electricity costs despite improved generation and stabilised supply nationwide.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The government has announced the end of electricity loadshedding following the arrival of fresh liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies, while cautioning that reliance on expensive fuel could increase the financial burden on consumers.
Minister for Power Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari said the restoration of LNG supplies had enabled authorities to stabilise electricity generation and resume normal power distribution across the country.
He was referring to the LNG carrier Seapeak Magellan, which docked at the Pakistan GasPort terminal and began injecting re-gasified LNG (RLNG) into the national grid. The shipment, arranged by TotalEnergies, carried approximately 140,000 cubic metres of LNG.
The minister expressed confidence that, barring any technical faults in transmission lines, consumers should not face further outages. However, he acknowledged that the government had to rely on costly LNG after gas supplies from Qatar were disrupted due to ongoing regional conflict.
Leghari noted that loadshedding over the past two weeks was primarily caused by gas shortages, describing it as a temporary challenge that has now been addressed through timely intervention.
Highlighting improvements in the power sector, he said hydropower generation had surged to around 6,000 megawatts from nearly 1,000 megawatts earlier, helping stabilise supply. Total electricity generation currently stands at approximately 32,000 megawatts.
He added that, in addition to LNG, the government also utilised furnace oil and diesel-based power plants to bridge the shortfall. However, he warned that completely eliminating outages through such expensive fuels would significantly raise electricity tariffs.
The minister emphasised that the government would continue efforts to protect consumers from excessive costs while ensuring uninterrupted electricity supply.
Officials are also working to secure another LNG shipment expected between May 10 and 12 to maintain stability in the energy system.
