economic consequences

Bolivia: Al déficit del diesel se suma la escasez de gasolina

Failure to meet gasoline demand in the country, the solution is to import the fuel to ensure supply, adding to the purchase of diesel and used abroad for the domestic market.

"We have a deficit" in particular gasoline grades, the recognized national marketing manager, Gary Medrano, indicating that this is missing an approximate volume of about 7 million liters for the following months.

India: Power, fuel constraints hit cement production

Power supply and coal availability problems have hit cement production capacities and supply, which has helped keep prices stable. Though installed capacity has increased, consumption has matched the growth, contrary to expectations, say manufacturers.

According to a leading manufacturer in the South, the power shortage in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh has impacted production from large and small mills. Particularly, mini cement plants, which do not have captive power facilities, have been the worst affected. Industry estimates that at least about 3 million tonnes (mt) of production has been lost due to the power shortage in recent months. Large mills that expected to have additional production capacity are yet to get power supply.

Nigeria: Kwara Accuses PHCN over Power Station

The Kwara State government has raised alarm over what it called the deliberate attempts by the Power Holdings Company of Nigeria (PHCN) to frustrate the State’s efforts in ensuring regular power supply from the Ganmo Power Sub-station.

Government’s attention was drawn to the recent drop in power supply in the state owing to the shortfall in megawatts evacuated from Ganmo Power sub-station by the PHCN.

Pakistan: PEPCO announces six to eight hours loadshedding

The Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) on Thursday announced loadshedding of six hours for urban areas and eight hours for rural areas till March 31.

A Pepco spokesperson said the Indus River System Authority (Irsa), in consultation with the provinces, decided to drastically reduce water releases from the Tarbela and Mangla reservoirs during the leftover period.

Pakistan: Villagers protest ‘ undue ’ loadshedding

People from five suburban villages of the provincial capital Thursday staged a protest demonstration against what they termed step-motherly attitude of Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) towards their areas and demanded immediate end to ‘undue’ loadshedding.

Coming from Mashokhel, Balarzai, Mushtarzai, Mera and Shaikhan villages, the people alleged that there was an unannounced 24-hour loadshedding in the areas, which was unjustified and unacceptable.

Pakistan: LESCO resumes unscheduled load shedding throughout city

The Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) has started unscheduled load shedding of six to eight hours daily, sources in the company told Daily Times on Thursday.

They said the Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) had been facing a 3,000-megawatt (MW) shortage. They said the company’s hydroelectric power generation capacity had decreased, adding that as a result LESCO was also facing a shortage of 600MW. “The independent power producers (IPPs) and other thermal power generation plants are working at maximum capacity,” they added. They said the government was, however, in debt to the IPPs and oil companies, adding that the power shortage would reach upwards of 4,500MW if the Finance Ministry did not clear its dues.

Vietnam: Manque éventuel d' électricité pour la saison sèche

According to EVN, this alarming situation is due "to an inadequate gas supply, the recurrent shortcomings of generators, modification of the plan regular supply of gas through the gas-oil group of Vietnam (Petro Vietnam)." "If this situation continues, the lack of electricity will be inevitable by July," said EVN.

Vietnam: Japan, Vietnam Warming To Nuclear Power Deal

The Hanoi government announced earlier this year that it would start building two nuclear power plants, each with two 1,000-megawatt reactors, around 2013-15. The two plants are expected to begin power generation by 2020 to help relieve the country’s severe electricity shortage. Vietnam's fast-growing economy has resulted in a power deficit that is estimated to hit 64 billion kilowatt hours in 2020; without measures to address the problem, according to domestic media sources, a further widening of the supply gap to 120 billion kWh will take place by 2030 amid rapid industrialization.

India: Power Ministry may miss coal import target

The Government is likely to miss its coal import target of 20 million tonnes in the current financial year, sources said.
The Ministry of Power had set a target of importing 20 million tonnes of coal in 2008-09, as many of the country's power plants were running short of the fuel.

So far, it has imported only 11 million tonnes and is not expected to import any more in 2008-09.

Many of the coal-based power projects of state-owned NTPC are reeling under acute fuel shortage, and due to this power generation in many areas has suffered. The company incurred losses worth Rs 90 crore due to coal shortage at its various plants.

Nepal: Students protest in Putalisadak against load-shedding

Students took out a rally in Putalisadak against ongoing extensive power cuts. Gathering at the Shankar Dev Campus in Putalisadak, the students marched ahead from the college, said traffic police. The protesting students announced that the rally would assemble at Putalisadak chowk and disrupt vehicular movement in the area for an hour. The Nepal Electricity Authority has enforced a load-shedding schedule of 14 hours a day on average, effective from January 23.

Pakistan: National Refinery also ceases fuel supply to Pepco

The National Refinery Limited (NRL) on Saturday dropped another bombshell on the Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) when it stopped the supply of furnace oil to thermal power stations of the state-owned company, a senior official in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources told The News.

A day before, the Attock Petroleum had ceased fuel supply to Pepco.The decision of two refineries will deprive the government thermal powerhouses of 85,000 to 90,000 tonnes of furnace oil per month.

Pakistan: APTMA to overcome energy crisis

Senior Vice Chairman of All Pakistan Textiles Mills Association (APTMA) Khawaja Anees Ahmed has expressed grave concern over awful load shedding and demanded of the government to take urgent measures to overcome the energy deficit as it is severely affecting the economy. In a statement issued here, Anees said that huge load shedding was hitting the industrial production hard.

He said that hundreds of industrial units have been closed due to energy shortage but government is showing no interest to overcome the energy crisis. He said that textile industry has more than 60 share in country’s exports, 27 in industrial value addition and 38 in employment sector but energy deficit pushed this large sector to the wall. He said that exporters are unable to meet their export orders, therefore, the government should wakeup and take steps on urgent basis to salvage the industrial sector.

Philippines: LPG shortage to last till March, P5/kg price hike looms

The Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketing Association on Monday said prices of LPG could go up by P5 per kilogram as suppliers continue to experience tightness in LPG supply.

LPGMA president Arnel Ty said more than 30 percent of small LPG retailers have been severely affected by the LPG shortage. He said the delivery of 15 metric tons of LPG on Sunday would only last for four days.

Ty said the LPG supply shortage could last until March of this year after major LPG suppliers failed to place advance orders for cooking gas from international suppliers.

Russia: Peak Oil Production in Russia Suggests Worldwide Supplies on the Brink

Russian oil production decreased for the first time in 10 years according to Vedomosti, a Russian newspaper. The decrease was only 0.7%, while exports were reduced more dramatically year over year, down 6.2%.

The fall in Russian production may be a major turning point in worldwide crude oil production. While OPEC nations like top producer Saudi Arabia get the attention of most speculators, it is important to note that Russia is the second largest crude oil producer and exporter in the world. In fact, by itself, Russia almost matches the total exports of the third, fourth and fifth top exporting nations combined (Norway, Iran and the United Arab Emirates).

Tajikistan: Tajiks face electricity rationing in capital city

Energy officials in electricity-starved Tajikistan say strict rationing of power supplies may soon be introduced in the capital city, Dushanbe.

Deputy Energy Minister Pulodov Muhiddin said Monday that limits on power consumption have been tightened to compensate for a shortfall caused by the suspension of electricity supplies from Turkmenistan.