Botswana: Botswana braces for power cuts
The Botswana Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources, Ponatshego Kedikilwe, has informed the nation of impending power cuts resulting from the country's inability to meet the demand for electricity. But the Minister said the shortage would improve as soon as the repair work at the Morupule Power Station in Palapye in central Botswana is completed in November 2008.
Canada (Alberta): Refinery maintenance creating diesel shortage
Refinery maintenance projects are crimping supplies and creating a shortage of diesel fuel, according to plant spokesmen.
"We have seen the demand for diesel sales go through the roof," said Jon Hamilton, a Petro-Canada spokesman. "Diesel is available but it's a lot tighter than it normally is. We are bringing product from the east and the west but it's not a gap we can fill."
Canada (Alberta): Truckers face a diesel drought
Truckers are warning their colleagues to top off their fuel tanks whenever they can because some cardlock stations around the city are running out of diesel.
"We've blown right through the projected demand for diesel," said Petro-Canada spokesman Jon Hamilton after at least two of the company's Edmonton area commercial stations ran out of the fuel yesterday.
India: Load shedding duration increased
Tamil Nadu Electricity Board has announced a six-and-a-half hour load shedding in Tiruchi region effective from Friday. The load shedding duration would be common across the region covering Tiruchi, Perambalur, Karur, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Pudukottai districts. Till now, the load shedding has been for four hours in Tiruchi city and five hours in other places. TNEB sources attributed the worsening crisis to the drastic fall in wind power generation and the increasing demand.
Nigeria: Refineries Crippled as Crises Take Toll
The twin problem of pipeline breaks and epileptic power supply are taking their toll on the nation?s refining capacity, as activities at all the nation?s refineries have been completely crippled.
The Warri and Kaduna Refineries had been shut down for about two years, after militants in the Niger Delta blew up their feeder pipeline, Chanomi Creek Pipeline.
South Africa: Save electricity or face cuts
Eskom has warned of unplanned power cuts if people fail to step up power-saving measures as the power utility embarks on its summer power maintenance period.
The maintenance programme is already in full swing in anticipation of the next winter season.
USA (Alabama): Gas shortages impact operations
An on-going gas shortage, both of regular fuel and diesel, is creating problems for county residents and local government operations as well.
"The county is out of gas," reported Cleburne County Engineer Shannon Robbins during a Cleburne County Commission work session Monday afternoon. "We're getting by and doing what we can," Robbins added.
Vietnam: Power substations consuming too much electricity
Electricity companies are using more than their allocated share of electricity, contributing to the frequent and unannounced blackouts that plague Vietnam, government officials said Wednesday.
Zambia: More load shedding coming
Zambia must brace itself for more load shedding following the break down of two power generators at Kafue Gorge and Kariba power stations.
The two generators have a combined installed capacity of 315 megawatts.