ISLAMABAD (Lord Media): Pakistan is facing a widening gap between electricity demand and supply due to reduced hydropower generation and unavailability of LNG. Load shedding of three to four hours is occurring during peak hours.

Sources indicate that daytime electricity demand ranges from 10,000 to 12,000 megawatts, while at night it rises to 16,000 megawatts.

The reduction in water discharge by IRSA has lowered hydropower’s share from 7,000 megawatts to 4,000 megawatts. Meanwhile, increasing demand is causing difficulties in supplying local gas to power plants.

Pakistan’s LNG-based power plants with a capacity of 6,000 megawatts are non-operational, and the government is reluctant to run expensive fuel plants due to potential fuel cost increases.

Sources expect additional LNG cargoes from Qatar this week, which may help bridge the electricity demand-supply gap.