above ground factors

Ethiopia: Ethiopia to hand out 4.5 mln energy-saving bulbs

Ethiopia said on Wednesday it will distribute 4.5 million free energy-saving light bulbs in response to a worsening power shortage that is crippling businesses and slashing export revenues.

Ethiopia started rationing power in March and major towns are now without electricity every second day.

India: Eye on sky to escape power cuts

Rain relief on Wednesday evening was greeted with a round of power cuts as CESC kept its fingers crossed about demand dipping with the Celsius slide.

There were phased power cuts in large parts of south, north and central Calcutta, as well as Howrah.

Nepal: Loadshedding hours to increase

The power outage time in the capital will be increased from Wednesaday as the power generation at the Kulekhani Hydro Power Project will be halted for maintenance work.

The repair work is taking place after 24 years.

The major portion of the electricity supplied to the Valley is generated from the Kulekhani. According to the project officials, the power generation will be halted for around two weeks.

Phillipines: Power deficit seen in Cebu by September

Power stakeholders in Cebu are bracing for what is likely a power deficit this September as several power plants are expected to temporarily shut down due to regular maintenance.

“By September, power supply in Cebu will be on a big shortage as many power plants will be closed for maintenance in preparation for a surge in demand (for power) this December,” Jesus Alcordo, president of power consortium Cebu Energy Development Corp. said.

Saudi Arabia: Power rationed amid Saudi electricity shortage

Power chiefs in a Saudi Arabian city have begun rationing electricity to businesses to avoid a major blackout as demand soars in the summer.

The Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) sent out letters to factories and businesses in the Industrial City in south Jeddah last week to inform them that power would be cut everyday from 1-4pm.

Uganda: Power crisis fears as Kiira deal expires

THE Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) wants a further extension of the Kiira thermal power plant in Jinja contract to avert a return of the 12-hour load-shedding.

The current contract for the 50 mega watts (MW) power plant is expiring at the end of this month after an earlier six months extension requested by the Government and the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company (UETCL) last December.

Zambia: Zambia copper mines hit by national power blackout

A nationwide power blackout has forced Zambian copper mines to trim output and shut down machinery, and authorities are importing power from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), officials said on Tuesday.

Zambia, Africa's top copper producer, was plunged into darkness on Monday night after a key transformer on the national power grid was gutted by fire prompting the state power utility Zesco Ltd., to immediately start importing power from the DRC.

Zambia: Zambia without power for two days

Zambian power firm ZESCO on Tuesday said it was working around the clock to restore electricity as the country experienced nationwide blackouts.

The country has been without power since Monday night when the entire Leopard sub station, which is Zambia's main power supply collapsed.

ZESCO spokesman Lucy Zimba said "We are yet to ascertain what caused the collapse in the entire system."

Zimba said the whole country was without power. About 1,400 mega watts had been lost so far, she said.

"We are working on normalising the situation and soon some power will be restored," she added.

Two weeks ago Zambia was plunged into darkness after ZESCO shut off two of its six generators at the Kafue Gorge hydropower station after dead weed blocked the facility's water inlet, resulting in a reduced flow of water.

Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe Faces More Power Cuts Due to Debt

Zimbabwe's perennial power crisis could worsen, if neighbors from whom the country imports power carry out their threats to cut off the supply for non-payment.

Zimbabwe does not have the capacity to meet its power needs. So it makes up for the deficit by importing from its neighbors. But because of the chronic shortage of foreign currency, the country has fallen $57 million behind on its payments for imported power. Now, state media reports the suppliers are threatening to stop supply until they are paid.