Argentina: Falta gasoil y podría aumentar el precio de la nafta en la región
Some warn that oil prices will rise agaiin. Within this framework, managers of service stations in the region complained about shortages of diesel and the lack of fuel truck dispatchers. The voices of customers are also being felt: "We are already accustomed and resigned to increases not only in the fuel, but also on most products, there is no other thing to do other than putting your hand in my pocket and pay" people complain.
Botswana: Rapid economic growth propels power shortage
Rapid economic growth and electricity demands have precipitated severe power shortage in Southern African, says University of Botswana lecturer, Dr Oboetswe Motsamai.
Presenting a paper on Cost-effective and environmentally-friendly energy systems for industries at the just ended Botswana Institution of Engineers workshop in Gaborone last week, Dr Motsamai said South Africa's Eskom, which had been supplying excess power to neighbouring countries, particularly Botswana had shutdown some of the thermal plants due to aging.
Dr Motsamai said Botswana had been receiving 75 per cent of the total power demand from South Africa. Excess cheap power sold to Botswana dropped drastically in 2007 and that was not only a challenge for Botswana Power Corporation, but power consumers as well especially major companies.
Dr Motsamai said as a temporary solution, the two countries affected by the power shortage resorted to power shedding mechanisms and since the load shedding was not coordinated properly, it did more harm than good.The major diamond mining company and copper nickel mine in Botswana lost millions of Pula while small industries were not sparred. He said many businesses resorted to generators which caused both environmental and noise pollution.
India: Coal shortages curb India's Sept power output-govt
Coal shortages restricted growth in India's overall power generation to an annual 7.5 percent in September, power regulator Central Electricity Authority said on Tuesday.
Generation would have grown 9.8 percent had enough coal been available at plants of NTPC Ltd, it said in a statement.
India has 10 percent of the world's coal reserves, the biggest after the United States, Russia and China, but imports have grown rapidly from almost zero five years ago to an estimated 70 million tonnes in the current fiscal year.
The share of coal-fired plants in India's generation capacity will rise to 57 percent by March 2012 from the current 53.3 percent or 80,284 megawatts.
India produced nearly 63.57 billion kilowatt hours last month, up from 59.12 billion kilowatt hours a year ago, it said.
Nigeria: Shell Nigerian onshore oil output heavily down
Royal Dutch Shell's (RDSa.L) onshore oil output in Nigeria has been heavily curtailed by violence, the company's chief executive said on Tuesday.
"We have a huge proportion of our onshore production shut in at this stage," Peter Vosel told reporters. "I think we are now at 120,000 barrels per day and we used to be close to 300,000. These are Shell's share (production)."
