Hydel output up: Discos to keep load management at 2 hours: PD

ISLAMABAD: The Power Division on Saturday said load management remained in the limit of two hours in power Distribution Companies (DISCOs) due to increase in hydel generation despite the fact electricity demand in the country has increased. The government has opted to buy expensive spot Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) at $ 18. 880/MMBTU for supply April 27-30, 2026 to bridge electricity generation gap as with rising temperature demand is also on the rise. Petroleum Division had decided to float spot tenders for LNG following a decision taken by the National Coordination and Management Council (NCMC), aimed at restoring operations of RLNG-fired power plants with a cumulative capacity of over 5, 500 MW. These plants are currently shut down due to suspension of LNG supplies from Qatar owing to declaration of force majeure. READ ALSO: Third parties: PD allows Discos to outsource manpower “Due to the non-availability of LNG amid global conditions, power plants with a capacity of 5, 500 MW are not generating electricity. With the availability of LNG and increased water releases, the nighttime shortfall will be eliminated, ” said Power Division spokesperson. Hydropower generation increased due to higher water releases from the Tarbela Dam during nighttime. On Friday’s night’s peak hours, total hydropower generation reached 6, 000 MW. Total demand was around 18800 MW whereas generation was around 17600 MW during peak hours. The country’s total hydropower capacity stands at 11, 500 MW which has helped stabilize the national grid from the southern region, making it easier to bring an additional 100 MW to the load centre. A total of 500 MW transmission from the southern region was made possible, said the Power Division spokesperson. On Friday night, electricity distribution companies carried out load management ranging from one to two hours during peak hours and despite higher demand, load management did not exceed two hours due to increased hydropower generation. The spokesperson further stated that economic load management is being implemented on high-loss feeders in the country under the economic load management policy. On the issue of economic load management, spokesperson stated that there is no connection with load management during peak hours. Pakistan is currently facing a deficit of over 11, 000 MW of electricity due to zero supply of RLNG, along with scheduled and unscheduled outages and prolonged faults at key power plants. According to sources, local -coal fired Sahiwal plant is generating half of its total capacity due to fuel supply issues. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

Read full story on Business Recorder