nationalization

Argentina: Otro fin de semana con poco combustible en las estaciones

At 7 and 66 the picture is repeated. "Since we have no diesel on Thursday. It's a disaster. Deliveries are irregular, the truck comes when it wants and leave us the liters they want," said Julia, an employee of the dispenser of Spain Square, and assured us that "not only are clients inconvenienced by this situation, we do not benefit at all. "

Belize: Belizeans warned of possible power blackouts

The electricity company in Belize has warned that it will be forced into rotating blackouts across the island within weeks if it is not granted the 25 per cent rate increase it has asked for.

Bolivia: Gobierno instruye militarizar fronteras del país para frenar a los contrabandistas

The Executive instructed the Armed Forces (FFA), starting on Wednesday or Thursday of next week, to militarize all avenues, rivers and borders of the national territory to prevent the smuggling of fuel, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), and food staples.

China: Coal shortages spark into power production

COAL shortages have forced 39 power plants in China to halt generation with 6.37 gigawatts of capacity affected, as fuel inventories further decline, the industry watchdog said.

Among the most affected provinces, Hebei only has 5.1 days worth of consumption and Hunan 3.4 days, the State Electricity Regulatory Commission said. Anhui has slightly recovered with 3.7 days of supply. The government's warning level for coal inventories is seven days.

Ethiopia: Blackouts, drought put Ethiopians in distress

Ethiopia's business community and the public in general would be better prepared to carry on with their daily activities if there were regular official reports on electricity availability in the country, the weekly Capital newspaper stated.

Expressing public irritation over the now commonplace outages here, the paper suggested that businesses deserve a compensation for the losses incurred due to power shortage.

Guinea-Bissau: Bissau menacée de manquer d'eau et d'électricité dans six jours

The capital of Guinea-Bissau, Bissau, will be threatened by lack of water and electricity in six days for lack of money for the purchase of fuel feeding the central provision of electric power, said a press release the Company's water and electricity (EAGB) published Saturday.

India: ‘Uranium shortage serious issue’

Reiterating their total opposition to the India-U.S. civilian nuclear cooperation, the Left parties on Friday said their discussions with the government were still going on.

“At the last meeting of the UPA-Left joint committee on the nuclear deal, we were told that there is a shortage of uranium and reactors were working at 50 per cent of their level of production,” Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat told reporters here.

India: Communists protest against water and electricity shortage in Bihar

Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) activists disrupted traffic and set up road blockages with the help of burnt tyres and water containers in protest against the Bihar Government’s inability to end the shortage of water and electricity across the state.

Mexico: Mexico State Oil Company Says April Production Drop Is Biggest in 12 Years

Petroleos Mexicanos, the state-owned oil company, said April crude production fell the most in more than 12 years as output at its largest field declined faster than the company forecast.

Crude oil production fell 13 percent to 2.767 million barrels a day in April, Mexico City-based Pemex, as the company is known, said today on its Web site. Output a year earlier was 3.182 million barrels a day. The decline was the largest since October 1995, when output fell 29 percent.

Nepal: PM promises Rs 1 billion to cash strapped NOC to ease fuel supply

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has promised that the government would issue another Rs 1 billion in loans to Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) to ease its mounting debts and help it import more fuel to normalise fuel supply in the country faced with a resurgence of its shortage.

Nicaragua: Nicaraguan leader threatens to nationalize Spanish electricity provider

Nicaragua's government accuses Fenosa of breaching its concession agreement by failing to invest enough to improve infrastructure in the energy-starved country.

"Every day there are power blackouts," said Ortega. "These are actions of economic sabotage."

Pakistan: Power conservation in factories opposed

The provinces have warned that there may be massive cuts in daily-wage employment in several industries if the government tries to reduce the duration or change the hours of electricity supply to industrial zones under its new 90-day energy conservation plan to be implemented from next month.

Bangladesh: Erratic power cuts reshape lifestyle

“Everyone hurry up, let's start dinner. The load shedding is going to start in 20 minutes,” Fatema Mannan, a resident of Rupnagar in Mirpur, called out to her family members.

“If we don't start now then we will have to dine in candlelight,” she reminded her four children while arranging candles along with rice bowls and curries on the table.

China: Earthquake Hits CNPC and Exacerbates China's Diesel Shortage

The earthquake in Wenchuan, Sichuan Province has affected the operations of the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), the parent company of PetroChina. According to preliminary estimates, losses due to the earthquake reached 1.78 billion Yuan. PetroChina is now making every effort necessary to rescue wounded staff and find employees that are still missing, while ensuring the supply of oil and the safe operation of facilities in earthquake affected areas.

China: Coal shortage at China plants

Chinese power plants are running out of coal, with less than a three-day supply in some areas, the government said Tuesday, adding to China's logistical headaches following a devastating earthquake.

It is the second time in three months that Chinese power plants have run short of coal, an unintended effect of government-mandated price controls -- a throwback to communist central planning -- to shield the public from rising global energy costs.

Honduras: Importadoras combustibles Honduras dicen cancelarán inversiones

In early May, the government of President Manuel Zelaya, warned that it could take control of terminals for importing fuel in the country in the hands of private companies, amid a shortage that has affected the transport and local industry.

The warning came after more than two weeks of a shortage of diesel that has affected public transport services, garbage collection and industries.

India: Power import policy coming

With the Indo-U.S. civilian nuclear deal hanging in the balance, the government is framing a policy for importing power from neighbouring countries including Pakistan to overcome the peaking shortage, say highly placed sources.

Pakistan: IJT ‘damages’ hostels in protest over load shedding

Activists of Islami Jamiat-e-Talba (IJT) allegedly damaged the Islamia College University (ICU) hostels during a protest rally it staged against the continued power outages in the university. They also blocked the Jamrud Road.

The IJT activists gathered at the lawns of the college, and allegedly damaged the hostels while seeking alternate arrangements for power supply to borders. Oriental, Khushhal and Buttler hostels were damaged.

Pakistan: Load shedding and shortage of water

Units 1 and 6 of the Bin Qasim power plant tripped on Tuesday due to which 85 mega watts of electricity were disconnected from being supplied to the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC).

Pakistan: Saving electricity

A substantial amount of electric power can be conserved for national economic interests and for minimising loadshedding if we sacrifice some of our comforts, luxuries and non-essentials. For this national objective, I offer the following suggestions:

Pakistan: Unscheduled loadshedding irks people

The unending sufferings of Karachities started to further aggravate the situation as the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) gifted 6 to 7-hour unannounced loadshedding to the citizens to meet the 300MW shortage of electricity.

Pakistan: Candle prices shoot up

According to a survey conducted by 'The News,' two big candles are needed in a home during loadshedding hours everyday. "How could I purchase two big candles for Rs44 every day," Ramzan Anwar, a milkman, told 'The News' on Monday.

Palestine (Gaza): Electric car hits the road in fuel -starved Gaza

A Palestinian-designed electric car drew admiring stares on Tuesday from Gazans forced to use cooking oil to power their cars because of a fuel shortage.

"At first people laughed, saying it would not work, now people are begging us to convert their cars," said Fayez Amman.

Philippines: Arroyo scolds energy chief over inaccurate power assessment

Just like the rice situation, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo wants an accurate assessment of the power crisis to avoid creating panic among the public.

And for not doing this, as far as the situation in the Visayas region is concerned, Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes got a scolding from the President in Tuesday's Cabinet meeting here.

South Africa: Coal Prices May Rise If South Africa Limits Exports

Global thermal coal prices may rise if South Africa, the biggest supplier of the fuel to European electricity companies, decides to limit exports, an analyst at National Australia Bank Ltd. said.

``This is going to have a fairly significant impact as South Africa is a key exporter in the thermal coal market,'' Gerard Burg, a minerals and energy economist at National Australia Bank in Melbourne, said today by phone.

South Africa: Lights out on South Africa boom?

Quite simply, South Africa, for years a beacon of hope illuminating the continent, is facing an energy crisis which threatens to overshadow the economic achievements of the post-apartheid government.