'Not in our control': Pakistan faces 7-hour blackout as Iran war chokes energy supplies
Power Minister Awais Leghari on Thursday confirmed six to seven hours of daily load management, nearly three times higher than the government's earlier publicly announced commitment. He also issued an apology to the public, blaming the crisis on LNG supply disruptions caused by the Middle East war and lower hydropower generation .
"If the public is facing any inconveniences due to us not providing electricity at night and during peak hours, I am directly answerable and apologise," Leghari told a press conference in Islamabad. "But the circumstances are such that they are not in our control."
3,400MW shortfall triggers extended cutsThe minister said the country is facing a shortfall of around 3,400 megawatts due to reduced hydropower output and a sharp drop in LNG-based generation.
"Every 500-600MW shortfall translates into one hour of load management," Leghari explained, confirming that the government has been forced to implement six to seven hours of average load management across the country.
He asserted that the load management schedule was applied "without any discrimination between urban and rural areas" and that there was no load management during daytime off-peak hours.
Pakistan's LNG-fired plants, with about 6,000 MW capacity, are producing only around 500 MW due to gas shortages. Qatar's force majeure declaration stemming from the Iran war has disrupted LNG imports, leaving the country scrambling for alternatives.
Hydropower output has also fallen to about 1,600 MW, roughly half of last April's level, due to reduced water releases from Mangla and Tarbela dams.
Demand spikes from 9,000MW to 20,000MWThe minister said the country witnessed unusual fluctuations in demand this month due to weather conditions, with minimum demand of 9,000MW on April 9 and a peak of 20,000MW just six days later, on April 15.
He explained that power demand beyond 16,500MW required load management. "A shortfall occurs when demand goes beyond 16,500MW after consuming every fuel resource — imported coal, local coal, nuclear, hydropower and solar power. In the absence of gas, the country has no other fuel to fulfil its requirements."
He also clarified that Karachi and Hyderabad power supply areas faced no additional cuts, except for routine economic load management by K-Electric in high-loss areas.
Nuclear maintenance postponedThe minister said the government had even postponed maintenance of nuclear power plants for several weeks, with no scheduled shutdowns until July. All available resources, including diplomatic channels, had been mobilised to secure alternative fuel supplies.
Fuel cost impactLeghari said the positive fuel cost adjustment next month would be around Rs1.3 per unit, compared to Rs1.8 per unit two months ago. Without load management, he warned, fuel costs would have risen significantly with full utilisation of furnace oil and diesel-based plants.
The minister said the situation would slightly improve in a day as dam discharges had been increased by 15,000 cusecs to 25,000 cusecs, which would help enhance hydropower generation.
He appealed to consumers to conserve power to help the country navigate the international crisis.
"If the public is facing any inconveniences due to us not providing electricity at night and during peak hours, I am directly answerable and apologise," Leghari told a press conference in Islamabad. "But the circumstances are such that they are not in our control."
3,400MW shortfall triggers extended cutsThe minister said the country is facing a shortfall of around 3,400 megawatts due to reduced hydropower output and a sharp drop in LNG-based generation.
"Every 500-600MW shortfall translates into one hour of load management," Leghari explained, confirming that the government has been forced to implement six to seven hours of average load management across the country.
He asserted that the load management schedule was applied "without any discrimination between urban and rural areas" and that there was no load management during daytime off-peak hours.
Pakistan's LNG-fired plants, with about 6,000 MW capacity, are producing only around 500 MW due to gas shortages. Qatar's force majeure declaration stemming from the Iran war has disrupted LNG imports, leaving the country scrambling for alternatives.
Hydropower output has also fallen to about 1,600 MW, roughly half of last April's level, due to reduced water releases from Mangla and Tarbela dams.
Demand spikes from 9,000MW to 20,000MWThe minister said the country witnessed unusual fluctuations in demand this month due to weather conditions, with minimum demand of 9,000MW on April 9 and a peak of 20,000MW just six days later, on April 15.
He explained that power demand beyond 16,500MW required load management. "A shortfall occurs when demand goes beyond 16,500MW after consuming every fuel resource — imported coal, local coal, nuclear, hydropower and solar power. In the absence of gas, the country has no other fuel to fulfil its requirements."
He also clarified that Karachi and Hyderabad power supply areas faced no additional cuts, except for routine economic load management by K-Electric in high-loss areas.
Nuclear maintenance postponedThe minister said the government had even postponed maintenance of nuclear power plants for several weeks, with no scheduled shutdowns until July. All available resources, including diplomatic channels, had been mobilised to secure alternative fuel supplies.
Fuel cost impactLeghari said the positive fuel cost adjustment next month would be around Rs1.3 per unit, compared to Rs1.8 per unit two months ago. Without load management, he warned, fuel costs would have risen significantly with full utilisation of furnace oil and diesel-based plants.
The minister said the situation would slightly improve in a day as dam discharges had been increased by 15,000 cusecs to 25,000 cusecs, which would help enhance hydropower generation.
He appealed to consumers to conserve power to help the country navigate the international crisis.
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