July 17 2008
China: Major power shortage foreseen in China
A major power shortage reportedly looms in China, brought on by rising coal prices and low government-controlled electricity rates.
Insufficient government-subsidized rates are especially hurting smaller power plants, which may be forced to shut down without higher rates, the Financial Times reported Wednesday.
China: China H1 coal output jumps, but shortage remains
China's coal output jumped 11 percent in the first half, but the country still faces a shortage on surging demand, and as exporters take advantage of high international prices.
The lack of coal, used for four-fifths of power output, is pushing China towards its worst summer power shortages since a crisis in 2004 that saw rolling blackouts around the country.
Ethiopia: Ethiopia hit by diesel shortage
Major towns throughout Ethiopia have been hit by a major shortage of diesel fuel, starting Thursday, July 10, 2008 this week, gas stations were congested with vehicles queuing to fill up their tanks.
Damenu Kibret, Public Relations head of the Ethiopian Petroleum Enterprise (EPE), told Capital that the shortage occurred from reduced supply at retail companies.
Relevant government officials are discussing with oil retail firms to particularly identify the main factor behind the shortage.
India: New power play
After announcing an hour-long power cut in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad on Tuesday, Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) has just realised that the move will not help to meet the shortfall. So today, MSEDCL said the one-hour power cut is not enough, Puneites will have to face two hours of load-shedding from Thursday.
India: Power cut: Irregular diesel availability makes task more difficult for IPPs
It’s been only a day since an hour's load shedding has been declared in Pune and on Wednesday, it was extended to two hours. While the shortfall is unlikely to be bridged as the monsoon season also witnesses an overhauling of the thermal power plants, making the task that much more difficult for some of the 30 companies involved in the generation of power for the city as part of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)'s Pune model is the availability of diesel in the city that at best can be termed irregular.
Pakistan: Extended load shedding leaves Lahoris in dark
Unannounced load shedding has been increased in the city and residents of most localities have to suffer because of a two-hour power shutdown after midnight – a practice forbidden by the federal minister for Water and Power.
A Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) official said that grid stations were following the directives of the National Control Centre, as no schedule for load shedding was available.
Pakistan: Another day of power outages
The Karachiites suffered another day of prolonged and recurring power cuts on Wednesday.
A source privy to power supply situation in the city said that the shortfall of electricity in meeting the overall power demand was 336 megawatts in the last 24 hours.
Paraguay: Lugo encontrará un país sin combustible
The president-elect Fernando Lugo will find a country virtually short of fuel caused by the acute shortage of diesel oil, a derivative of oil used by vehicles with diesel engines, warned Martin Heisecke, on Thursday, appointed minister for Industry and Commerce.
South Africa: Eskom Says South Africa May Face 100 Million-Ton Coal Shortage
Eskom Holdings Ltd., South Africa's state-run power utility, estimates the country may face a shortage of 100 million metric tons of coal by 2017 if the government doesn't intervene to secure supplies for local use.
``The low growth in South Africa's coal production is of very great concern and poses a serious supply risk to Eskom and South Africa,'' the Johannesburg-based company said today in its annual report.
Vietnam: Power firm reprimanded
With a power shortage forecast to continue for months, a government minister Wednesday called on the distribution monopoly Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) to lift its game and urged citizens to economize their power use.
