Pakistan's Power Division Blames Petroleum Division for Electricity Shortages
The Power Division in Pakistan has indirectly blamed the Petroleum Division for prolonged electricity outages across the country. The Power Division attributes the situation to a shortage of Re-Gasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) required to operate three RLNG-based power plants in Punjab.
According to well-informed sources, the shortage emerged after Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL) was forced to procure RLNG from the spot market following suspension of its contracted gas supplies from Qatar due to a force majeure situation. The delayed arrival of an RLNG cargo further aggravated the fuel shortage and adversely affected electricity generation.
The Power Division said that temporary load management of around 1.5 to 3 hours was carried out during nighttime peak hours because of the unavailability of RLNG and the delayed arrival of an RLNG cargo. Electricity generation declined by around 3,600 MW due to the non-availability of RLNG.
The Power Division also expressed regret to electricity consumers over the temporary load management during nighttime hours, attributing it to the unavailability of RLNG. Officials said improvement in the electricity supply situation would depend largely on the timely arrival of RLNG cargoes and restoration of generation from the affected RLNG-fired power plants.