December 23 2008

Afghanistan: Kabul continue to face load - shedding till next summer

Kabul Residents say only high ranking Afghan government officials have 24 hour electricity. According to these residents, majority of people in Kabul don’t have at least one hour electricity on daily bases.

But officials in the Ministry of Energy and Water say the load-shedding is because of the drought and shortage of fuel for producing power.

Australia: Stations brace for Christmas fuel shortages

Brisbane and Gold Coast service station operators are bracing themselves for further fuel shortages on Christmas Eve.

Caltex retailers at Carindale, Camp Hill, Capalaba, Eagle Farm, Kingston, Jindalee and Bribie Island are all concerned their tanks could run dry on Christmas Eve despite receiving emergency supplies this morning.

"It's a nightmare," one Brisbane franchisee, who asked not to be named, told brisbanetimes.com.au. "I don't think we will have enough stock to keep our doors open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day."

Bolivia: Crece escasez de combustibles , superintendente Aruquipa dice que hay normalidad

Increasingly observed are frequent long queues of dozens of vehicles in the capital cities of departments and provinces in search of supplies of gasoline and diesel, while the superintendent of hydrocarbons, Guillermo Aruquipa, assures that supplies are normal.

Santa Cruz, Beni and Oruro are some of the departments where there is a disruption of diesel, petrol and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), the latter energy for household use.

Iraq: Iraq says power grid not fully restored until 2011

Iraq's power grid is not expected to be fully restored until 2011 -- eight years after the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein -- the electricity ministry said on Tuesday.

"Citizens will (by 2011) have electricity for 24 hours a day with no cuts," minister Karim Wahid was quoted as saying in a report issued a day after Japan opened its 118-million-dollar Samawa plant in the southern Muthanna province.

The country's power installations were bombed, looted and sabotaged during and after the 2003 invasion, leaving many residents with as little as four hours of electricity a day.

Kyrgyzstan: Electricity blackouts cost Kyrgyzstan KGS 60bln or 6 percent of GDP growth

Electricity blackouts cost Kyrgyzstan about 60 billion soms or 6 percent out of GDP growth, the Minister of Economic Development and Trade Akylbek Japarov said Tuesday at the session of economy, budget and finances committee of parliament.

Pakistan: Load shedding to increase to 8 hours per day in cities

Due to reduction in hydel power generation from 7,000MW to only 2,000MW, load shedding in major cities will increase to eight hours daily and could exceed 10 hours in rural areas, official sources told Daily Times on Monday.

Federal Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervez Ashraf chaired a meeting to discuss power generation and demand in the country. The meeting was informed the closure of canals in Punjab and Sindh was the main reason behind the low hydel generation.

Uganda: Fuel shortage to persist

Fuel shortage is to persist over the Christmas season, energy minister Daudi Migereko warned yesterday.

The public should, therefore, use fuel sparingly, he advised. In the meantime, Migereko added, the Government would continue negotiating with Nairobi to have fuel depots in Kenya open for longer hours so that Ugandan transporters can work 24 hours.

Ukraine: Russia warns Europe it could face gas shortages

Britain was given a sharp reminder of the dangers to its energy supplies today when Gazprom warned western Europe could be hit by gas shortages. The Russian gas provider said a long-running row with Ukraine could disrupt supplies to Europe this winter.

The fears were raised just 24 hours before Russia hosts a meeting of the world's major gas suppliers to set up an Opec-style production cartel that could also push up the price of energy in the UK and elsewhere.

Venezuela: Evalúa el Ministerio de Energía venta de combustible en el Táchira

Many do not understand the situation with fuel in the state, especially the tourists who come from the Norte de Santander department to make purchases are surprised to learn about the reality on the sale of gasoline, whose purchase is limited to only 3 mil bolívares per vehicle.

They joined relatives who have come from other regions of the country to spend the Christmas and New Year in the region.. All repeat that the problem is presented by smuggling gasoline to Colombia, a reality that is on the international bridge, Simón Bolívar.