Pakistan’s liquefied natural gas supplies for power generation are currently unavailable under force majeure conditions, government officials said during a public hearing of the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority, highlighting fresh risks to the country’s energy supply as regional tensions disrupt global fuel flows.
Officials said LNG deliveries could not be used for electricity generation due to circumstances beyond the control of contracting parties, while reassuring regulators that imported coal supplies, primarily sourced from South Africa and Indonesia, remain unaffected.
LNG-based power plants account for more than 4,500 megawatts of generation capacity in Pakistan’s grid and are among the country’s most efficient thermal assets.
The disruption comes amid escalating tensions in the Middle East following the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran, which has drawn Gulf producers into the crisis and triggered supply uncertainties across global energy markets. Shipping disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz, a route that previously handled about one-fifth of global LNG shipments and roughly a quarter of seaborne oil trade, have added to market volatility.
Production stoppages in Qatar, a major global LNG exporter, have further tightened supply. Officials said the suspension followed a force majeure declaration earlier this month that halted shipments from facilities accounting for roughly 20% of global LNG supply.
Despite LNG shortages, authorities said alternative fuels remain available. Central Power Purchasing Agency Chief Executive Officer Rehan Akhtar told the regulator that coal-fired plants continue to receive imported fuel supplies, though logistical challenges persist at some facilities, including Sahiwal and Jamshoro.
Officials also sought to reassure consumers about near-term electricity pricing. Fuel cost adjustments for April are expected to remain broadly unchanged, as a Rs. 1.64 per unit adjustment for February consumption will replace a Rs. 1.63 per unit charge applied earlier.
Separately, policymakers are preparing a tariff package aimed at encouraging greater daytime electricity consumption, particularly during periods of higher solar generation, according to Power Planning and Monitoring Company Chief Financial Officer Naveed Qaiser.
Industrial consumers urged regulators to introduce a fixed, all-inclusive tariff framework capped at nine US cents per kilowatt-hour for at least five years to support export competitiveness and reduce pricing uncertainty.
Officials said electricity supplied from the national grid to K-Electric helped avoid a potential Rs. 4.08 per unit increase in fuel cost adjustments for February, while additional quarterly tariff revisions are expected to provide further relief.
Authorities also said the country’s power sector circular debt is projected to remain below Rs. 1.69 trillion by the end of the current fiscal year, compared with about Rs. 2.4 trillion a year earlier, reflecting improvements supported by subsidy payments and tariff reforms.
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Pakistan is a country that’s punishing people who installed solar bcz they can generate their own electricity and more so for everyone.
If anyone deserves it is pakistan for creating issues with the people