Electricity loadshedding during peak night hours across Pakistan fell to between one and two hours after a sudden increase in hydropower generation and improved grid stability, the Power Division said on Sunday.

According to a statement issued by the Power Division spokesperson, higher water releases from Tarbela Dam significantly boosted electricity production, helping authorities reduce power outages despite strong nationwide demand.

Hydropower generation reached around 6,000 megawatts during peak hours on April 27 night, compared with the country’s total installed hydropower capacity of about 11,500 megawatts.

Officials said the rise in hydel generation stabilized the national grid, particularly through improved electricity flow from southern regions of the country. Enhanced grid stability also enabled additional power plants to receive local gas supplies, further increasing electricity production.

The Power Division added that system operators were able to bring an additional 100 megawatts into the grid more easily, while transmission capacity allowed nearly 500 megawatts of electricity to flow from the south to other parts of the country.

As a result, distribution companies carried out limited load management of only one to two hours during peak evening demand, marking a notable reduction in outages compared with previous weeks.

Authorities clarified that ongoing power cuts on high-loss feeders are being implemented under the government’s economic load management policy and are not directly linked to peak-hour electricity shortages.

Despite the improvement, the spokesperson noted that around 5,000 megawatts of power generation capacity remains offline due to limited availability of imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) amid challenging global market conditions.

The Power Division said electricity shortfalls during nighttime hours are expected to ease further if LNG supplies improve and water releases from reservoirs continue at elevated levels.