Pakistan has installed as much as 45 GW of solar

Pakistan has installed as much as 45 GW of solar power over the past few years, informing Qatar, an import ship of LNG gas, that it will not be able to buy the expected 26-year purchase

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GAVINE MOONEY (Australian energy expert)

Imported LNG volumes are shifting elsewhere as a result of Pakistan’s surge in solar power, which has led to a sharp drop in domestic gas demand.
This is a large-scale ‘demand destruction’ phenomenon.
Pakistan is asking Qatar to return 24 LNG cargoes contracted in 2026 to international markets, citing no more gas needed. It has surplus LNG in its supply chain.
Why? It’s because of the surge in solar power.
Pakistan has imported about 45 GW of solar panels in recent years, roughly equivalent to the total capacity of the country’s electricity grid. Currently, Pakistan’s share of solar power has reached levels similar to those of Australia and Chile.
What will be the result? A significant drop in gas demand. Gas demand has dropped sharply in both the electricity and industry sectors, and in some areas it has fallen by as much as 40 to 70%.
And it’s not just Pakistan. The same pattern is playing out across Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe as solar outpaces LNG everywhere.
As a source of power, solar power overwhelms LNG.

Solar is:
✅ It’s cheaper
✅ Installation (deployment) is faster
✅ Local procurement is possible

Across Asia and Europe, projects combining solar and battery are already cheaper than running gas plants with imported LNG. And unlike LNG, which takes five to 10 years from investment to actual supply, solar power can be built in less than a year.
In addition, there is the issue of “energy security.” For three-quarters of the world’s countries that rely on imports of fossil fuels, electrification offers a clear path to energy independence.
The trend of the times is changing.