Minister for Power Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari says Pakistan received a fresh LNG cargo a day earlier, which enabled authorities to restore uninterrupted electricity supply in the national grid
ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-May 2nd, 2026) Minister for Power Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari has announced that electricity load management across the country has been brought to an end following the arrival of liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments, stating that the power system has largely stabilised with improved fuel availability.
The minister said Pakistan received a fresh LNG cargo a day earlier, which enabled authorities to restore uninterrupted electricity supply in the national grid. He cautioned, however, that continued reliance on expensive fuels could increase financial pressure on consumers.
He has nmade these remarks while addressing a press conference.
Leghari said the LNG carrier Seapeak Magellan had berthed at the Pakistan GasPort terminal, where it began injecting re-gasified LNG (RLNG) into the system. The vessel, carrying approximately 140,000 cubic metres of LNG, arrived at the terminal operated by Pakistan GasPort Consortium Limited on Thursday morning.
He added that the shipment, arranged by TotalEnergies at a reported price of $18.40 per million British thermal units, is the first LNG cargo received after a gap of several weeks, following a US-origin supply earlier.
According to government sources, arrangements are also being made for another LNG shipment expected to arrive between May 10 and 12 to further strengthen supply stability.
The power minister explained that recent electricity disruptions were temporary and mainly triggered by a shortfall in gas supplies. He said consumers had faced load management for around 13 to 14 days, but timely corrective measures helped restore balance in the system.
Highlighting improvements in generation capacity, Leghari noted that hydropower output has increased significantly to around 6,000 megawatts, compared to nearly 1,000 megawatts earlier, which helped ease pressure on the grid. He further stated that water releases from dams are regulated based on technical requirements and provincial demand.
He also said that, in order to manage shortages, costly furnace oil and diesel-based power plants were temporarily brought into operation. However, he warned that fully relying on such fuels to eliminate outages would sharply raise electricity costs.
Clarifying misconceptions, the minister said Pakistan’s total electricity generation capacity stands at around 32,000 megawatts, not 46,000 megawatts as is sometimes believed.
Leghari expressed optimism that, with improved planning and stable fuel supply, the power system will continue to function smoothly, provided no major technical faults occur in transmission infrastructure.
