Power distribution companies (Discos) across Pakistan have implemented forced loadshedding after the electricity shortfall surged to nearly 4,000 MW, including a 1,100 MW shortfall in the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) alone, impacting five districts.
The situation has persisted for several days, primarily due to dense fog in the southern region, which has caused repeated tripping of power plants. Consumers have been experiencing long hours of forced loadshedding, with urban areas facing three to six hours and rural areas enduring six to 10 hours daily.
Lahore residents are facing 8-10 hours of loadshedding, disrupting business operations and daily activities. The power cuts have also caused water shortages in several areas, as tube-wells cannot function during outages, leaving residents without access to warm water during the cold weather.
As per reports, Lesco has been facing a shortfall of over 1,100 MW during peak hours. CEO Ramzan Butt said that the company had no option but to resort to loadshedding due to reduced supply from the national grid. The company is also struggling with a lack of solar power generation, as fog has impacted the performance of solar systems, which many consumers had been relying on.
On Monday evening, Lesco’s total demand for electricity was 3,241 MW, but the supply from the national grid was only 2,160 MW, resulting in a significant shortfall of almost 1,100 MW.
Additionally, hydel power generation remains minimal this winter. The electricity demand has increased by approximately 2,000 MW compared to last year, driven by extensive use of heating appliances, according to an anonymous official.
The reduction in gas supply to Lahore-based power plants and the shutdown of a unit at the Sahiwal Coal Power Plant have further strained generation capacity. As a result, Discos have been forced to implement loadshedding in Punjab, Sindh, and other provinces.
The situation has worsened in the past few days as several southern power plants went off-grid due to fog-induced tripping. The Matiari-Lahore High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission line, which supplies power to Punjab, especially Lahore, has been affected. However, officials expect improvements soon, as work is underway to restore these plants.