ISLAMABAD: Pakistan sharply reduced power outages overnight after a surge in hydropower generation, driven by a significant increase in water releases from dams, the Power Division said Friday, offering temporary relief to consumers amid an ongoing energy shortfall.
Hydropower output jumped by 2,300 megawatts, rising from 1,800 MW to 4,100 MW, after water discharge was ramped up to 30,000 cusecs, compared with just 8,000 cusecs in previous nights, according to a Power Division spokesperson.
The increase helped cut load management duration from 6–7 hours to around 2.5–3 hours, while also enabling the transmission of an additional 400 MW from southern regions and improving grid stability in central parts of the country.
Officials said the gains could be sustained or even improved as water demand for agricultural use rises, potentially boosting hydropower generation further in the coming days.
Despite the improvement, authorities acknowledged a persistent supply gap driven largely by constrained liquefied natural gas (LNG) availability. Owing to disruptions linked to the regional situation in the Gulf, most LNG-fired plants, with a combined capacity of 6,000 MW, are operating at minimal levels, producing only about 500 MW.
Hydropower generation, meanwhile, remains below last year’s levels, averaging 1,600 MW in April compared to 3,200 MW a year earlier. To bridge the gap, the government has ramped up expensive furnace oil-based generation, though a shortfall of around 3,400 MW still persists.
As per the government’s estimates, every 500–600 MW deficit translates into roughly one hour of load shedding. This explains the earlier outages of up to seven hours.
Demand has also been volatile, swinging from a low of 9,000 MW earlier this month to 20,000 MW on April 15, adding strain to the system. While due to low demand of water due to rains, the hydro generation remained times low.
The government expressed optimism that improved LNG supply and higher hydropower output would eliminate load management in the near term, while urging consumers to conserve electricity, particularly during nighttime hours.
