ISLAMABAD: Electricity load shedding across Pakistan has exceeded 4,500 megawatts amid reduced hydropower generation and the suspension of imported LNG supplies, sources said on Tuesday.

According to sources, the share of hydropower in the national grid has declined from around 6,200MW to nearly 5,000MW during peak hours due to reduced water releases from dams.

At the same time, the suspension of imported RLNG supplies has resulted in the shutdown of power plants with a combined generation capacity of around 6,000MW, further widening the gap between electricity demand and supply.

Sources said peak-hour electricity demand has crossed 23,500MW, while power availability in the system has fallen below 19,000MW.

The resulting shortfall has pushed load shedding beyond 4,500MW across the country, with the duration of outages increasing in various areas.

Rural areas of Islamabad are experiencing three to four hours of load shedding, sources said, adding that consumers in other parts of the country are also facing prolonged power outages.

Despite it being October, electricity demand has remained high due to persistent heat and humidity, putting additional pressure on the national power system.

The reduced hydropower output, coupled with the suspension of imported RLNG and increased demand, has created a significant generation shortfall during peak hours, sources added.