Govt Rushes For Fresh LNG Cargo As Load Shedding Continues

Pakistan has issued a new invitation for international suppliers to bid for a short-term delivery of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to help alleviate ongoing electricity blackouts, particularly affecting the power generation sector. State-owned Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL) launched the emergency tender on Sunday, offering 140,000 cubic meters of LNG to arrive at Port Qasim between September 4 and September 8, 2026.

The tender, issued on August 30, requires bids to be submitted by September 1, with technical and commercial proposals due at specified times. PLL aims to award the contract on the same day, with bids remaining valid until 10 p.m. The cargo must be delivered within a five-day window starting September 4, with a tolerance of plus or minus 5 percent.

Suppliers must have a track record of delivering at least eight LNG cargoes in the past 24 months and provide a $300,000 bid bond, along with an unconditional performance guarantee equal to 10 percent of the total contract value. This comes after the government admitted to power outages last week, attributing them partly to a shortage of LNG required for electricity generation.