Energy & Power

WORLD WATCH

No Shangri-la: 5,000mw Bhutan JVs set to energise India story

A solution to India’s growing power crisis lies just across the border, in Bhutan. Realizing this, the government is moving fast to set in motion the second biggest hydro power project — the 1,095-mw Punatsangchu I.

The ministries of external affairs and power are working at getting the formalities out of the way. The project will be a joint venture between the two governments. It is part of the 5,000 mw partnership the two countries have agreed to. The plan is to import 5,000 mw of power by 2020.

The first off the block is the 1,095 mw Punatsangchu I hydro project. The government is finalising the inter-governmental agreement for it. In this connection, foreign secretary Shiv Shankar Menon met power secretary Anil Razdan on Thursday to work out the technical issues, including funding for the project. The feasibility report of the project is ready. Hydro major National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) will execute the project, which will be a joint venture between the two countries.

Cooking Gas Supply Dries up in Nepali Capital

The market has gone dry of cooking gas, the popular household fuel in Nepali capital Kathmandu Valley, as Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) and agitating cooking gas companies refuse to budge from their stance over demands lodged by the companies.

"The companies simply have no gas stock to bottle and market," Sita Ram Timilsina, a member of Nepal Liquefied Petroleum Gas Industries Association said.

According to the association, the companies' stock went dry earlier this week, as they have not imported the product since 15 days ago, as part of the strike they launched to fulfill their demands. Major demands of the companies include rise in import quota of cooking gas and rise in subsidy they are receiving to cover transportation of gas from Indian refineries to the bottling plants.

Renewable Energy to Meet 50% of Power Needs

Renewable energy, combined with efficiencies from the ‘smart use’ of energy, can deliver half of India’s primary energy needs by 2050, according to ‘Energy Revolution: A sustainable Energy Outlook for India’ report.

Commissioned by the European Renewable Energy Council (EREC) and Greenpeace, it provides a blueprint for reducing India’s carbon dioxide emissions by 4% in the next 43 years, while providing secure, affordable energy supply, maintaining steady economic development and without relying on hazardous nuclear technologies. The 100-page report has been developed by specialists from the Institute of Technical Thermodynamics at the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) and is part of their global energy outlook which offers solutions to reduce global CO2 emissions by 50% by 2050.

Petroleum Policy 2007 seen backfiring

The Petroleum Policy 2007 may backfire as it enfolds irrationally higher fee and taxes/duties for carrying out exploration activities in Pakistan. The new policy will also bar entry of the new oil and gas exploration companies since it unnecessary imposes harsh conditions like 10 years experience to apply for acquiring any field/ block to start with exploration activities.

Business Recorder learnt that the Petroleum companies' representative body Pakistan Exploration and Production Companies Association (PEPCA) and others in oil and gas business have shown serious concern over heavy taxation in the petroleum policy and they take it as a serious threat to exploration activities in Pakistan.

The questions which may haunt the policy makers is how the policy will promote exploration activities and help Pakistan get sizeable investment if it does not offer lucrative offers. High fee in the name of research/training of the ministry official may mar the new policy.

Diesel prices to go up in Sri Lanka

Diesel prices in Sri Lanka are likely to go up in the coming weeks, Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) sources revealed.

Sri Lanka government owned CPC increased the petrol prices by Rs. 7. Lanka Indian Oil Company also followed the same suit.

It is reported that the CPC is losing heavily on diesel and the small amount of hedging has not helped much to the CPC to maintain low prices.

Pakistan's electricity theft, system losses estimated at Rs 80b

Pakistan is losing Rs 80 billion annually on account of electricity theft and system losses in the power sector. Against this backdrop, experts from a workshop called upon the government to reduce power losses to greatly overcome the growing power crisis in the country.

The workshop also recommended for mandatory display of energy efficiency labels on electric equipment, subsidizing energy efficient equipment, a proper policy on energy saving devices. They also discussed introducing time of day meters for all the sectors of consumers thereby fixing higher charges for peak hours and less in off-peak use.