protests

Bangladesh: 44.5MW power plant remains idle in CEPZ

A 44.5 megawatt private power plant installed inside the Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) to reduce its dependence on the Power Development Board (PDB) for power supply remains inoperative simply for lack of gas supply.

Officials said the power plant, scheduled to go into operation in August 2008, remained idle for the last eight months as the gas supply could not be ensured as per the plan due to the growing gas crisis in the country.

Pakistan: Power shortfall to reach 2500MW in three months: Ashraf

Federal water and power minister Raja Pervez Ashraf has said that the power shortfall would reach from 1650MW to 2500MW in the next three months and increase in water reservoirs was needed to overcome the power crises.

The country is facing shortfall of 1650 megawatt while production is 11992 megawatt, he said this while taking to media men outside the Parliament house on Friday.

Pakistan: Angry mobs ransack HESCO office to protest against power outages

The HESCO authorities are reportedly continuing prolonged load-shedding in Shahdadpur and its adjoining towns and villages. The load-shedding has not only caused water shortage but has also adversely affected the business and social activities in the area. The unabated load-shedding has also sparked several protests but the HESCO officials have turned a blind eye. The traders and businessmen are also facing financial losses because of running generators the whole day. Due to power outages, important medical tests of patients could not be carried out at the labs.

India: No electricity, no vote: UP villagers

Peeved at shortage of electric power and other civic amenities, residents of Banthara, a village in Uttar Pradesh, have decided to boycott upcoming parliamentary polls.

They have also resolved not let any politician or party representatives enter their village.

New Zealand: Doubt Maui upgrade will produce more gas

The giant offshore Taranaki Maui gas field is expected to keep producing past 2020, but industry sources say it would be surprising if that meant more gas will come on to the market.

A $60 million upgrade is expected to extend the life of New Zealand's largest gas field beyond 2020, according to industry sources in Taranaki, though the field's operator declined to comment.

Maui has remaining reserves of about 300 petajoules of gas, but there is uncertainty about how much will be recovered at the late stages of the field's life.

Pakistan: Load - shedding duration widens with summer heating up

Load-shedding duration all across the country is widening with the rising of mercury, as the big cities/towns are beset with 8 hours of power outage, while the villages being pestered with 14 hours of prolonged power outage.

The country presently facing a shortfall of 2,500 megawatt, which is being met by resorting to continued announced/unannounced load-shedding in Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, Sialkot, Rawalpindi and all big/small cities.

Pakistan: Lights out for some to accommodate others

Cities with small populations are having to cope with more than their share of power outages – as the Pakistan Electric Power Supply Company (PEPCO) is following a load shedding schedule of 10-to-14 hours in such areas to ensure the smooth power supply to major cities such as Lahore.

PEPCO sources told Daily Times on Sunday that the company had decided to reduce the quota for all distribution companies in cities with small populations.

Vietnam: Electricity production rises, but shortfalls still loom in dry season

Electricity output in the first quarter was up 4.03 per cent year-on- year at 18.6 billion kWh, according to the Electricity Regulation Agency of Viet Nam.

The State-owned Electricity of Viet Nam (EVN) Group supplied 65.1 per cent of the total output.

The Viet Nam Oil and Gas Group (Petro Vietnam) was second with 11.8 per cent, and several build-operate-transfer projects followed with 9.3 per cent.