Senate Criticises Power Division Over Delays in Privatising Key Power Plants

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ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Privatisation has strongly criticised the Power Division for failing to address key bottlenecks hindering the privatisation of major government-owned power plants. The frustration was voiced during a meeting chaired by Senator Afnan Ullah Khan, who noted that the Division had made “minimal progress” in shifting away from the outdated single-buyer model. Senator Afnan questioned how the sale of power plants could be tied to assured gas supply when reserves are already depleting. He pressed officials for clarity, particularly on the long-pending case of the…

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SNGPL Announces Winter Gas Load-Shedding Schedule for Punjab and K-P

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Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) has issued a revised winter gas load-shedding schedule for Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to manage rising domestic demand from December to February. Under the new plan, residential consumers will receive gas in three fixed intervals: 5:30 am to 8:30 am, 11:30 am to 1:00 pm, and 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Households have been advised to plan cooking and daily activities around these allotted timings. Officials clarified that industrial consumers will remain exempt from load shedding. The schedule aims to maintain equitable supply as winter…

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Pakistan Inaugurates First-Ever Solar Panel Testing Lab with Korean Support

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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has established its first testing laboratory for photovoltaic (PV) modules — a major milestone toward improving solar technology standards and boosting the renewable energy sector. The PAK-KOREA Testing Laboratory for PV Modules and Allied Equipment has been set up through a collaboration between the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). Developed under a $9.5 million KOICA grant, along with Rs185.8 million from the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), the facility will begin full-scale operations after securing ISO-17025 accreditation, including international IEC-61215…

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Pakistan to Start Selling Surplus LNG Internationally from January 1: Petroleum Minister

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Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik announced on Sunday that Pakistan will begin selling its surplus liquefied natural gas (LNG) in international markets from January 1, aiming to ease financial pressure and curb mounting losses in the gas sector. Speaking at a press conference in Lahore, the minister said Pakistan had been importing LNG from Qatar and Italy’s Eni, but reduced power sector consumption in recent months created an excess supply. As a result, the surplus gas was diverted to households, adding to circular debt and causing an estimated loss of…

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Govt Plans Utility-Scale Battery Storage to Stabilise National Grid

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ISLAMABAD: The government is advancing plans to deploy large, utility-scale Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) to stabilise the national grid, which is increasingly challenged by frequency fluctuations due to the rapid addition of intermittent renewable energy sources. In a written reply to the National Assembly on Friday, Power Minister Sardar Awais Leghari said the government is promoting private-sector investment in grid-scale BESS to manage renewable intermittency, improve demand optimisation, and enhance overall system stability. Responding to questions from MNAs, the minister also confirmed a policy shift away from imported LNG,…

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