Pakistan Saves Big By Using Imported Gas for Power Generation: Report
Pakistan has saved close to $2bn-$3bn in the last few years by replacing furnace oil and diesel with regasified LNG (RLNG) for power generation, The News reported July 3.
About 1-1.2bn ft3/d of RLNG is being injected into the Pakistani economy, a government official told the newspaper. The south Asian nation started importing LNG in 2015 with commissioning of FSRU Exquisite, located at Port Qasim near Karachi. It has received 10.4mn metric tons of LNG since it started operations, of which 7.8mn mt came from Qatar. It has storage capacity of 150,900 m3, a peak regasification rate of 745mn ft3/d (7.7bn m3/yr). Last year, Pakistan commissioned its second FSRU, also located at Port Qasim.
The official told The News that Pakistan is currently producing 20 GW of power, out of which 7-8 GW is being generating using natural gas.
Recently a government official told The Express Tribune that Pakistan is planning to source more LNG through long-term government-to-government deals.