protests

Europe: Russian gas supply to EU could be cut in row with Ukraine

Europe is at risk of a major gas shortage as Russia is preparing to cut gas supplies to Ukraine in a dispute over unpaid bills.

Europe imports about a quarter of its gas from Russia, and 80 per cent of that arrives through pipelines that cross Ukraine.

There were hopes a resolution might be reached when Ukraine's state-run gas company Naftogaz said it had paid the remainder of its $2 billion debt to Russian firm Gazprom.

Kenya: Kenyan PM blames foreign multinationals for oil shortage

Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga Tuesday accused a cartel of foreign oil multinational companies of deliberately creating an artificial shortage of the commodity to justify a new round of wildcat price hikes.

The Kenyan Premier said the country had enough fuel supplies at various locations across the country, but the oil distributors, mainly dominated by the foreign multinationals, have decided to jointly cause nationwide shortage.

Kenya: Oil marketing firms deny role in scarcity

Oil companies said yesterday they were not responsible for the fuel shortage experienced in various parts of the country.

Speaking at a consultative meeting called by the Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority in Dar es Salaam, representatives of oil firms said individual businessmen operating filling stations were to blame for the artificial shortage and the resultant price increases.

Nepal: Govt planning to add 145 MW electricity to national grid soon

A top government official has said that the government is looking to adopt some strategies to decrease load-shedding hours, which if successful will relieve the nation from the power crisis that has direly affected all spheres of public life.

Secretary at the Ministry of Water Resources Shankar Prasad Koirala on Wednesday said that the government has already taken necessary initiative to import power from India in order to decrease the load-shedding hours that is tipped to increase from the existing 12 to 16 hours a day.

Nepal: Power shortfall leads to FM stations closure in Dang, Salyan

The FM radio stations of Dang and Salyan districts filed to conduct its regular transmission starting Monday evening in the wake of government decision to increase power cut hours.

Two radio stations of Dang and two of Salyam came to a halt from last evening, while other three stations are being broadcasted partially in the district.

Nigeria: Blackouts worsen as gas, power plants shut

The Utorogun Gas Plant, operated by the Anglo-Dutch oil firm, Shell Petroleum Development Company in Ughelli, Delta State, has been shut down.

The shutdown of the facility, which supplies 244 million standard cubic feet of gas per day to the Nigerian Gas Company, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation for onward transmission to the Power Holding Company of Nigeria and other industrial consumers nationwide, has raised the fears that the nation may be thrown into total darkness during the New Year celebrations.

Pakistan: Protest against gas load-shedding in Rawalpindi

The protesters have blocked the airport road in Dhok Hafiz area here to protest load-shedding of gas in the area.

On Wednesday morning, protestors including women and children have blocked the airport road to protest the non-availability of gas in the area causing traffic jam. Police carried out baton charge and fired tear-gas shells to disperse the protestors.

Papua New Guinea: Kerosene shortage in East Sepik

Most people in East Sepik are without kerosene supplies for the new few days because of berthing space problems at the main wharf.

The main fuel distributor in East Sepik Inter Oil Wewak said the province will have to wait another two weeks for supply of kerosene.

The wharf only has space for one ship to berth and the management hopes that with the extension project on the wharf, this would cater for one more berthing space.

Uganda: Uganda Hit By Fuel Shortage ; Prices Double In 1 Wk -Officials

Supply disruptions at the Kenyan port of Mombasa have caused a fuel shortage in Uganda, sending local fuel prices skyrocketing by more than 50% in the last week, trade officials said Tuesday.

Ivan Kyayonka, chairman of Shell Uganda Ltd, a unit of Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSA), said inadequate supplies from Mombasa, which Uganda relies on heavily for the import of fuel, have caused the shortage.

Ethiopia: Ethiopia Will Suspend Power Exports to Neighbors, Reporter Says

Ethiopia will suspend electricity exports to neighboring Sudan and Djibouti while it deals with a local shortage because of delays in completing new power projects, the Reporter said.

Ethiopia’s state-run electricity utility, which produces between 700 and 800 megawatts of electricity, faces a 100- megawatt shortfall due to growing demand and delays in the construction of new hydropower dams, the Addis Ababa-based newspaper said, citing Energy Minister Alemayehu Tegenu.

Guinea: Une pénurie de carburant sévit dans les provinces intérieures de la Guinée

The interior provinces of Guinea are hamstrung by a shortage of fuel following the events following the death of President Lansana Conté, thus limiting the movement of populations of these countries, APA learned Monday from a good source.

Indonesia: Balikpapan in Short of Kerosene

Hundreds of residents in East Kalimantan city of Balikpapan stand in line to get a limited amount of kerosene as fuel shortage remained to partly cripple the city. Fuel shortage problems mounts in most cities in the country whenever government set new fuel prices.

Residenst queued at all kerosene distributors in the city, some of which were out of stock by midday.

India: Tamil Nadu proposes two-day power holiday

The state is facing a shortage of 2,000-2,500 Mw.

The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) has proposed a compulsory two-day power holiday for both heavy and light industries due to the ongoing power crisis in the state.

State electricity minister Arcot N Veerasamy, who met industry representatives on Monday, asked them to take up compulsory holidays for two days in a week.

Kenya: Fuel shortage persists

The current fuel shortage persisted in several towns across the country despite assurances by Kenya Pipeline Company that it has been pumping oil to meet the demand of the oil marketers.

In Naivasha town and its environs, 99 petrol stations ran out of fuel forcing motorists to go out of the town to get the rare commodity.

Nepal: Protests in the capital as load - shedding woes get worse

There were protests at different parts of the capital valley on Monday as the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) extended the daily power cuts to 12 hours, adding two more hours, effective from today. The protests caused traffic snarls in busy roads for several hours in the morning.
A man leads a group of protesters, blocking vehicular movement at Naxal, Kathmandu, demanding that the government find a quick solution to load-shedding, on Monday, Dec 29 08. Local residents of Naxal and surrounding areas participated in the protest as the Nepal Electricity Authority extended the load-shedding to 12 hours a day from today.

Students in various campuses including Trichandra Campus at Ghantaghar, Ratna Rajya Campus at Pradarsani Marg and Pashupati Campus, Chabahil, staged demonstrations in front of their campuses in the morning, demanding the government take quick measures to end load-shedding.

Netherlands Antilles: GEBE upgrade leaves residents in the dark

Just about a week after residents and businesses had to contend with load-shedding due to a fuel shortage, another spate of power outages held the island in its grip on Sunday. This time the cause was said to be a valve malfunction.

According to utilities company GEBE, a scheduled power plant project led to ?some load-shedding? Sunday after a valve malfunction caused a delay in the preparations for the new generators that will come on line at the end of next year.

Pakistan: Motorists go off road because of fuel shortage

The fuel scarcity has deepened in the City as most of the filling stations went out of stock on Monday, multiplying the miseries of the motorists particularly the motorcyclists. The market forces are expecting that the situation will aggravate further in the days to come.
Taking advantage of the situation, the fuel outlets having some stock have resorted to overcharging to mint extra money. Long queues of motorcyclists were witnessed at some fuel outlets where petrol was being sold at Rs 80 to Rs 90 per litre.

Pakistan: 6000 industries being affected by unabated load shedding

The daily 18 to 20 hours long load shedding of electricity was badly affecting the working of more than 6000 small and big sized industrial units in export-oriented Sialkot, here, and this critical situation was rendering the hundreds of the daily waged labourers and industrial workers job less.
President Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) Hassan Ali Bhatti stated this while talking to the newsmen here. Vice President Farooq Mayer was also present on this occasion.

Uganda: Fuel shortage persists

THE scarcity of fuel has persisted in Kampala, according to a survey by The New Vision.

Pump attendants at Petro, Shell, Total, Caltex and Engen filling stations within the city centre yesterday reported petrol shortages. However, some filling stations had petrol.