Islamabad (HRNW)- Federal Minister for Energy Owais Ahmed Khan Leghari has said that Pakistan will not face significant difficulties even if there are disruptions in the global supply of LNG, as the country is increasingly relying on local energy sources.
In an interview with the British news agency Reuters, the energy minister stated that Pakistan has significantly increased electricity generation from domestic sources, reducing dependence on imported fuel. He said that currently about 74 percent of electricity in the country is generated from local sources, and the government aims to increase this figure to over 96 percent by 2034.
Owais Leghari said that the rapid growth of solar energy, nuclear power, hydropower, and local coal-based projects has helped Pakistan become more self-sufficient in the energy sector.
According to the minister, LNG currently contributes about 10 percent of Pakistan’s electricity generation, mainly used to meet evening demand and maintain grid stability.
He explained that even if LNG supply is disrupted for several months in a worst-case scenario, the country might only face one to two hours of load shedding during summer evenings, which would have minimal impact on industry and agriculture.
The energy minister added that Pakistan’s power generation capacity has now exceeded demand, partly due to new coal, LNG, and nuclear projects, along with the rapid increase in rooftop solar installations, which significantly reduce electricity demand during daytime hours.
He further said that around 55 percent of electricity in Pakistan currently comes from clean energy sources, and the government aims to increase this to over 90 percent by 2034.
According to official figures, hydropower generates about 40 terawatt hours of electricity annually, nuclear energy produces around 22 terawatt hours, while local coal contributes about 12 terawatt hours.
The minister also revealed that the capacity of rooftop solar systems in Pakistan has exceeded 20 gigawatts, helping reduce daytime electricity demand. He emphasized that future energy projects will focus more on local and clean energy sources to reduce reliance on external supplies.
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