kerosene shortage

Ethiopia: Ethiopia - Dark and Cold

In Ethiopia, the rainy season starts sometime in June. This year, Ethiopian cities are starting the season dark and cold. Many people are spending their after work times at various places: cafeterias, bars, restaurants, cinema halls, religious centers, and so on. They don’t have power in their homes to do whatever they used to do.

Even worse, people are spending their daytimes idle – unless they have generators to work on, or they are lucky to be on day’s ration. Many large-scale industries were forced to stop operating by order from Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo) because they consumed large amount of electric power, which the EEPCo cannot afford. Many of them indicate that they are heading straight into bankruptcy which may lead into layoffs of thousands of employees.

Honduras: Ejecutivos de Shell descartan escasez de combustible en el país

"The product (fuel) is brought from various places, in that sense, the Honduran people must be calm, because there is no shortage," said Sierra.

He explained that the shortage is a logistical problems, as a result of damage because of the sequence of earthquakes that struck the country in recent months.

India: India power plants coal stocks down 50 pct-minister

Coal stocks with power plants in India halved from normal levels to 11 million tonnes at July 6, with many thermal plants facing uncomfortable supply positions, junior power minister Bharatsinh Solanki said.

He said 31 power stations had a critical supply condition, having a coal stock of less than 7 days, and of these 10 plants were "supercritical" having a coal stock of less than 4 days.

"The coal supply position of thermal power stations in the country is not comfortable," the minister said in a written reply to parliament, adding the normal stock level was 22 million tonnes.

India: Kerosene scarcity hits rural J'singhpur

Non-availability of kerosene continues to be a cause of concern for rural inhabitants of the district. The scarcity has added to the woes of people who are already reeling under power crisis.

Sources said unscrupulous traders in nexus with Civil Supply officials have been diverting kerosene, meant for public distribution system (PDS), to black market as a result of which, PDS beneficiaries are forced to purchase it at Rs 30 to 40 a litre.

Worse, in spite of long power cuts the district administration has not increased the kerosene quota. Against the monthly 1,218 litres of kerosene requirement of 3.05 lakh ration card holders of this district, only 960 litres have been provided till now.

Nigeria: Nigeria rebels claim oil attack

Nigeria's most prominent rebel group says it has carried out an "unprecedented attack" on an oil tanker facility in Lagos state.

"The depot and loading tankers moored at the facility are currently on fire," said the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend).

It was not immediately clear whether the attack had taken place but police were investigating, reported Reuters.

Previous attacks by Mend have mostly hit the Niger Delta in the south.

Such attacks have severely cut Nigeria's oil output.

Pakistan: Protesters hurl bottles at Kaira in Lalamusa

Dozens of people were injured when police baton-charged a rally against unscheduled loadshedding on Sunday.

The protesters led by the Markazi Anjuman-e-Tajran office-bearers took out a rally from the Gurdwara School. They were chanting slogans against the Gujranwala Electric Power Company (Gepco) for conducting unscheduled loadshedding. They were also carrying placards and banners. The protesters reached GT Road after marching through different roads and blocked it by burning tyres. They also burnt tyres at Railway Road Chowk, Sabzi Mandi Chowk and Fruit Mandi Chowk. Addressing the protesters, speakers held the Musharraf government responsible for the electricity crisis.

Pakistan: Protesters hurl bottles at Kaira in Lalamusa

Protesters participating in a demonstration against load shedding in the country hurled empty plastic bottles at Federal Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira when he tried to pacify them on Sunday. Residents of Lalamusa were staging the protests to voice their concerns about the load shedding and the hike in petroleum prices, Online news agency reported.

Argentina: ¿Vacaciones sin combustibles?

In light of the suffering faced throughout the year and under a possible increase in consumption, liquid fuel dispensers are afraid of a return to super gasoline and diesel fuel shortages during the next few days. If so, there would be a serious headache not only for those who are planning to travel on Christmas or New Year, but also for those who will leave in the first half of January.

Indonesia: Kerosene a luxury item in C.Java after conversion to LPG

Due to a shortage of kerosene, mainly used for cooking, Tofik told The Jakarta Post that every day he turned away dozens of people, predominantly housewives, searching for the scarce commodity. His store has become the local site for these women to vent their frustrations about the situation, Tofik said, and he was becoming concerned about the impact the shortage was having on people's lives.

Kenya: Fuel shortage deepens

A deepening of petroleum shortage is expected next week when demand peaks with Christmas festivities, but supply remains static with the stalling of Kenya Pipeline Company’s (KPC) capacity expansion project, industry players have warned.

Petroleum marketers said hopes that supply would improve with the commissioning of KPC’s expanded pipeline late last month have waned upon realisation that work on the project is yet to be completed.

Netherlands Antilles: Parliamentarians sound off about GEBE, fuel shortage

Fuel supplier SOL, utilities company GEBE and government need to be held accountable for the prolonged power outages endured by St. Maarten residents since Friday due to fuel shortage, say Parliamentarians Erno Labega and Frans Richardson.

Expressing disbelief that GEBE had no contingency plan in place to deal with a fuel crisis like this one, Labega (Democratic Party) said that as soon as possible interruptions to the fuel supply had been ascertained, arrangements should have been made by GEBE to ensure a continuous supply of electricity to the island.

Nepal: Govt to look for ways to end load - shedding

The government has decided to go for alternative means to minimize the load-shedding as the crippling hours of outage continue to hit industrial production and makes things difficult for households.

A meeting of the Council of Ministers on Wednesday decided to take immediate and long-term steps to end load-shedding.

Pakistan: Unannounced power load - shedding continues in Karachi

Electricity load-shedding of one to one and a half hour is being carried out in the city due to 200 to 250 MW power shortage being faced by Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC).

United Kingdom: Are we powerless to avoid blackouts as 'energy crunch' looms this ...

Following hot of the heels of the credit crunch, experts are warning Britain is facing an energy crunch. If proved right the recent rise in gas and electricity prices will seem a mere head cold compared to the double pneumonia of a country plagued by blackouts.

"I'm old enough to remember the three-day week of the 1970s and my children doing their homework by candlelight," says energy expert Professor Ian Fells, who has spent the last eight years trying to convince the Government of the realities of an energy crisis. "Everyone said that situation could never happen again, but it could and it will if nothing is done.

Venezuela: Táchira sufre gran escasez de gasolina

The state of Tachira is again suffering the ravages of the shortage of gasoline, after spending nearly three months without this problem, so the inhabitants of the region have appealed to the bike in order to move from their homes to their jobs.