ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has around 5,500 megawatts of liquefied natural gas-based power generation capacity sitting idle, a Power Division spokesperson said on Tuesday, amid recurring power outages in the country.
Pakistan requires at least 400 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of LNG per month, according to officials. The country has faced up to seven hours of power outages daily following the United States-Israeli war on Iran that has disrupted energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.
While the Power Division spokesman said the country has overcome power outages, following increase in hydroelectric power from dams since April 17, it continues to face a major shortfall of gas that has rendered LNG-powered plants inoperative.
"LNG-powered power plants, with a capacity of 5,500 MWs, are not generating electricity in the country," the spokesman said in a statement on Tuesday. "As soon as LNG becomes available, all these plants will start generating electricity."
Pakistan, which relies heavily on gas for its energy needs, remains vulnerable to declining domestic production and swings in global LNG prices amid the supply disruptions related to the United States-Israeli war on Iran, which began on Feb. 28.
The South Asian country needed four LNG cargoes, each weighing 100 mmcfd, to ease prevailing power outages, an energy ministry official told Arab News on April 18, requesting anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to media.
Islamabad is reportedly seeking spot cargoes to ease the growing shortfall.
Azerbaijan’s state energy company SOCAR is ready to supply liquefied natural gas to Pakistan as soon as it receives a request from Islamabad, the company told Reuters on Tuesday.
“SOCAR is ready to provide LNG to Pakistan as soon as PLL (Pakistan LNG Limited) submits a corresponding request,” the company said in response to Reuters questions.
SOCAR did not say whether such a request had already been made, when a first delivery could take place, or whose LNG would be supplied under the agreement.
