Pakistan’s hydropower generation rose to 6,000 megawatts during peak hours last night, helping reduce pressure on the national grid as improved local gas supplies also supported higher electricity generation, according to the Power Division.

A spokesperson said the country’s total hydropower generation capacity stands at 11,500 megawatts, adding that the supply of additional local gas to some power plants had further improved overall generation.

The spokesperson said higher hydropower output and the availability of extra local gas helped strengthen grid stability, particularly through the southern system. This allowed another 100 megawatts to be brought into the national grid, while a total of 500 megawatts was transmitted from the south.

According to the Power Division, distribution companies carried out load management for between 25 minutes and one hour during peak hours last night. However, no load management was needed after 8pm as demand fell due to weather conditions.

The spokesperson said economic load management continued on high-loss feeders under the existing policy, clarifying that it was separate from peak-hour load management.

Despite the improvement, the Power Division said LNG shortages caused by global market conditions were still keeping power plants with a combined capacity of 5,000 megawatts offline.

The spokesperson added that the nighttime power shortfall is expected to end once LNG supplies improve and water releases increase.