The tender
State-owned Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL) has floated an urgent tender to buy three liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes from the spot market, with bids due on 24 April 2026 and delivery windows running from late April into mid-May. The Nation reported that the tender covers cargoes of about 140,000 cubic metres each, to be delivered on a Delivered Ex-Ship (DES) basis at Port Qasim, Karachi.
The advertisement set three delivery windows: 27–30 April, 1–7 May and 8–14 May. Bids were invited from international suppliers and were to be opened on 24 April, the same day as the deadline. According to the report, it is the first spot LNG tender floated by PLL since December 2023. PLL, a subsidiary of Government Holdings (Private) Limited, has a mandate to procure gas on the state’s behalf.
Why the gas is needed
The tender follows a warning from the Power Division that LNG supply has become critical for electricity generation. In a letter to the Petroleum Division, the Power Division asked it to arrange gas for power plants, cautioning that without LNG, loadshedding hours could increase and generation costs could rise. Temperatures have surged across the country, widening the gap between electricity demand and supply.
The Power Division had sought four cargoes and asked the Petroleum Division to secure supplies from Qatar under a long-term contract. That plan did not materialise, and PLL instead went to the spot market. The report said about 6,000 megawatts of electricity generation in Pakistan is RLNG-based, and that a failure to secure gas would force more expensive diesel-based generation, adding to the fuel charge adjustment borne by consumers. The Power Division’s minister said the previous week that the country had enough diesel but that it would cost more than Rs100 per unit.
Why it matters
The tender links Pakistan’s domestic electricity position to the wider regional war. The Nation reported that the US-Israel conflict with Iran has disrupted LNG supply from Qatar, a key source of Pakistan’s imported gas. With a first spot purchase since 2023, Islamabad is testing how quickly and at what price it can replace interrupted volumes — a question that will shape both summer loadshedding and the tariff burden on households already facing higher fuel costs. This comes against the backdrop of Pakistan’s efforts to mediate between Washington and Tehran, covered separately in KhabarWire’s report on the Islamabad talks.
What is still uncertain
The report did not say what price PLL expects to pay or which suppliers are likely to bid, and the outcome of the 24 April opening had not been announced at the editorial cutoff. It is also unclear whether the three spot cargoes will be enough to close the supply gap, given the Power Division’s earlier request for four. Whether Qatar can restore interrupted volumes — and how soon — remains open.
Sources & reporting notes
This is a summary of a published report, not eyewitness reporting. The source was reviewed on 2026-04-24.
- The Nation — "Pakistan floats tender for purchase of 3 LNG cargoes to meet rising power demand"24 April 2026 · Carries PLL's urgent spot tender for three cargoes with 27 April–14 May delivery windows, the 140,000 cubic metre size and Port Qasim DES basis, the 24 April bid deadline, the first spot tender since December 2023, the Power Division's loadshedding and cost warning, the earlier request for four cargoes and Qatar long-term option, the roughly 6,000MW of RLNG-based generation and the disruption to Qatari supply from the US-Israel war with Iran.
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