July 7 2008
Bahrain: Blackout ordeal
HUNDREDS of families in Sanad, suffering from a power cut for two days, say they have been left in the dark over the progress of work for electricity to return.
They claim that their calls to the Electricity and Water Authority (EWA) hotline sometimes went unanswered.
On other occasions, they say that operators were "giving excuses" such as the maintenance team was already working in the area and that the problem would be resolved in 30 minutes.
Benin: L’économie béninoise au ralenti, faute de carburant
Several sectors of Benin's economy for some time face shortages of fuel, affecting the country, some industrial units are simply paralyzed by the phenomenon, APA found in Cotonou.
China: Guangdong extends power subsidy to ease shortage
Guangdong, one of the Chinese regions facing a serious power crunch this summer, started subsidising generators last January by allowing them to charge higher-than-normal on-grid tariffs to cope with the soaring cost of fuel oil.
Power plants have complained that the government subsidy has come too slow and is still too small to make up for the heady growth of fuel oil prices, and have for months been forced to slash imported fuel oil in favour of relatively cheaper domestic substitutes.
China: Chalco Suspends Aluminum Smelter in Shanxi on Power
Aluminum Corp. of China Ltd., the nation's biggest producer of the metal, is halting production at a venture in the northern province of Shanxi because of a power shortage.
The provincial government ordered smelters to cut output to ensure power supply for farming, Wang Suomin, a manager at the Shanxi Huaze Aluminum & Power Co. venture, said by phone today. The venture has an annual capacity of 280,000 metric tons.
Fiji: Rotuma schools close due to fuel shortage
Almost all schools in Rotuma remain closed as schools around the country enter into another school week.
The schools have been closed for more than two weeks - due to a shortage of fuel for the generators to pump water from the reservoir.
Indonesia: Tangerang to lose billions of rupiah over electricity blackouts
Two weeks of rotating power blackouts planned to begin this week will cause one of the country's top industrial cities, Tangerang, to suffer hefty losses in potential revenue as factories cease operations, a business association says.
The secretary of Indonesia Employers Association (APINDO) for Tangerang, Juanda Usman, said the blackouts would force firms to limit orders and send workers home.
Malawi: Fuel shortage hits Lilongwe
As Malawians celebrated Independence Day, vehicles were stranded in most parts of the country with acute petrol shortage.
Capital City, Lilongwe was most hit with the shortage with vehicles cueing at pump stations as fears for further hike of the prices were raised.
Malaysia: Scores Of Fishing Boats Grounded Due To Diesel Shortage
Scores of fishing boats here have been grounded since three days ago due to a diesel shortage.
The boat operators and crew were seen hanging around at the fishing base while waiting for the subsidised diesel to arrive.
Mexcio: Pemex Cantarell Output Drops Most Since 1995 on Spending Limits
Crude output from Mexico's Cantarell, the world's third-largest oil field, is falling at the fastest pace in 12 years as investment limits keep state-owned Petroleos Mexicanos from fully exploiting deposits and finding new ones.
Mexico: Supplies of diesel fuel remain low in Tijuana
Gasoline stations in Tijuana spent most of yesterday without diesel, forcing truck drivers to continue to hunt for the fuel across the region.
The stations that did receive a shipment yesterday from Pemex, Mexico's national oil company, continued to ration the amount they were selling and their supply was exhausted within a few hours.
Pakistan: Government unlikely to overcome power deficit
There would be no let up for loadshedding-stricken citizens even next year despite tall claims of the government to resolve the power deficits by December 2009, as like its predecessors, the incumbent regime is also being guilty of mismatching demand-supply projections.
The government?s claim to overcome torturous long hours loadshedding by next year is based upon ?flawed strategy? as the incumbent regime can reach nearer to bridge the existing gap of over 3,535MW only if there is negative growth in the electricity demand in the current fiscal, it is learnt.
Paraguay: PETROPAR ADMITE ESCASEZ DE GASOIL
The state company Petroleos Paraguayos (Petropar) today admitted the shortage of fuel in the country, mainly diesel, but promised that the provision is to regularize thanks to a contract signed with Petroleos de Venezuela.
Togo: La crise énergétique va s’achever en 2010 au Togo
The direction of the Electrical Energy Company of Togo (CEET) annonced on Friday, July 4 at a press conference on the energy crisis. This situation will be normalised in 2010, the date on which the CEET will have sufficient capacity to meet the needs of the population.
