Pakistan Faces Power Shortfall as 3 LNG Shipments Remain Stranded Near Strait of Hormuz

At least three liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes destined for Pakistan are currently stranded in the Persian Gulf amid continued disruption around the Strait of Hormuz, according to vessel-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg, raising concerns over worsening electricity shortages as temperatures rise.

Pakistan has been without LNG shipments for more than a month since the closure of the key shipping route, increasing the risk of extended power outages across the country, according to officials familiar with the situation.

Power Minister Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari said last week that load-shedding during peak hours would continue until LNG supplies resume, after Qatar declared force majeure on deliveries linked to the disruption in regional shipping.

Pakistan is also in talks with Qatar to secure four additional LNG cargoes, though their delivery remains uncertain if shipping through the strait does not normalize.

The supply shock has already forced authorities to increase reliance on furnace-oil-based generation and to delay maintenance at nuclear plants to keep the electricity supply stable, according to officials.

Leghari said the country is currently facing a power shortfall of around 3,400 megawatts due to reduced hydropower output as lower rainfall and weaker irrigation demand have limited reservoir releases.

Electricity generation from LNG-fired plants, which have an installed capacity of about 6,000 megawatts, has dropped to roughly 500 megawatts because of gas shortages.

Hydropower output has also fallen to about 1,600 megawatts, nearly half of the level recorded in the same period last year, he said. In some areas, load management has reached up to six to seven hours daily.

Globally, uncertainty around energy shipping routes has persisted despite a temporary ceasefire linked to the Iran conflict. The truce, due to run until Tuesday, came under renewed pressure after the United States seized an Iranian cargo vessel and Tehran’s senior military leadership warned of possible retaliation, raising further risks for tanker traffic through the Gulf.

Any prolonged disruption to LNG flows through the Strait of Hormuz could deepen Pakistan’s fuel shortages and complicate efforts to stabilize electricity supply ahead of peak summer demand, officials said.