K-Electric (KE) said on Friday that it may have to resort to load management during evening and night-time peak hours as an “extreme, last-resort measure”, blaming a shortage of re-gasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) caused by international supply disruptions and delayed cargoes.
KE spokesperson Imran Rana said the RLNG constraint was nationwide and was affecting power generation across the country, including KE’s own territory. Daytime supply would remain largely stable, he said.
The announcement comes as Karachi consumers reported load-shedding of one to three hours on Friday morning in areas that were previously exempt, while outage durations were also increased in areas already subject to scheduled cuts.
What K-Electric told consumers about load management
In a post on X, the spokesperson said KE was in close coordination with Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL) and the relevant authorities and was making every effort to normalise the situation as soon as possible. The company apologised to consumers for the inconvenience.
The RLNG shortage stems from delayed cargoes and disruptions in international supply, which have hit generation capacity beyond Karachi as well. Pakistan relies heavily on imported LNG for power generation, and missed or late cargoes tighten the whole system, with evening peaks hit hardest because demand surges after sunset.
What consumers should expect
KE stopped short of announcing scheduled load-shedding, describing load management only as an extreme measure “if necessitated”. In practice, however, residents in previously exempt parts of Karachi already saw outages of one to three hours on Friday morning, and longer cuts in areas already under scheduled load-shedding.
Energy sector analysts say RLNG supply constraints tend to bite at night because the national grid loses cheap generation when the sun goes down and gas-based plants are running below capacity.
Frequently asked questions
Will there be load-shedding in Karachi tonight?
KE has not announced a schedule, but it says load management during evening and night peak hours is possible as an extreme last-resort measure. Areas already experienced one to three hours of outages on Friday morning.
Why is there an RLNG shortage?
According to KE, international supply disruptions and delayed LNG cargoes have constrained supply nationwide, affecting generation across the country including KE’s territory.
What is KE doing about it?
The utility says it is in close coordination with Pakistan LNG Limited and the relevant authorities to normalise supply as soon as possible.
The original report appeared in The Express Tribune.
