Tawanai

Here’s a useful article about KESC,Via Nation

Over the years, I have written at least ten ST articles on the power crisis, which has gripped Karachi and the nation for the last 12 years. In the articles, I have narrated how a group of concerned citizens had filed a Public Interest Litigation in the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 98 against PTC, KWSB and KESC, for failing to provide the services for which they were established.

Since then, I have continued to follow the twisted and crooked trail of KESC and have interacted with most of MDs, senior managers and engineers of the organization, including the late Shahid Hamid and Frank Scherschmidt and have yet to find a suitable or appropriate explanation for its failure.

In October last year, I had thought that I had finally reached the end of the trail, when the KESC had announced a massive increase in its tariffs. There was a huge hue and cry from all quarters of the country, including industrialists, commercial and domestic consumers.

Violent protests, burning of tires and attacks on KESC complaint centers were witnessed all over the country and emergency meetings were held at FPCCI, KCCI and SITE Association. Chest thumping, fiery speeches were made and ultimatums and threats of closing down industry were given by the business leaders, if the electricity tariffs were not reduced within three days.

Read more…

Consumers, Electricity, Energy, Infrastructure, Pakistan, power KESC

Electricity supply across the city lies in shatters as circuit breakers started tripping with first drops of rain. At least two bridges in Karachi have washed away. Karachi has rarely seen this level of rain. KESC has been struggling with power shortage and with the storm the situation has worsened to a whole new level. The rain also impacted phone and telecom. Sadly there were many deaths as well.

Electricity, Energy, power flood, rain

Another blow for the electricity consumers. Not only people have to deal with the shortage but also with the conitnuous price increases. Press reports that the Ministry of Water and Power has formally announced an increase in power tariff up to 24 percent in three phases. The first phase is scheduled to commence on October 1, 2009. “Power tariff will be raised by 8-10 percent from October 1, 2009, followed by 5-6 percent from January 1, 2010, and by 5-6 percent from April, 2010,” said a spokesman of Water and Power Ministry, at an informal meeting here on Saturday.

Via Business Recorder.

He said that the government had intended to increase tariff by 17.5 percent but the teams of the World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB) calculated the resource gap of Rs 122 billion, out of which Rs 55 billion was targeted to be provided as power sector subsidy. Total billing of Pepco is about Rs 428 billion, annually.

According to him, the cost of power per unit is Rs 8.25, whereas the government is selling it at Rs 5.45. The government did not implement differential tariff mechanism due to political considerations, saying: “we will eventually move towards differential tariff”.

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Consumers, Electricity

According to International Association of Natural Gas Vehicles, as of December 2008, Pakistan has the world’s highest number of vehicles running on compressed Natural Gas (CNG). The number is 2 million. Pakistan also has the World’s highest numer of CNG refuelling stations. i.e. 2600 . This growth has been phenomenal noting that CNG as a fuel was made available in Pakistan, only in 1992.

Via Pakistaniat

Why Pakistan has got so many vehicles running on CNG? I believe, main reason is because gasoline (Petrol) prices in Pakistan are among the highest in the region as well as natural gas is found abundant and locally in Pakistan.

The use of CNG in vehicles brings an added blessing that it is much less polluting than regular gasoline (petrol). The emissions coming out of CNG vehicles consists of water vapors and carbon monoxide (CO). The CO content in CNG exhaust is also 90% less than CO found in gasoline (petrol) exhausts.

In Pakistan, car companies are now offering vehicles which come factory-fitted with CNG kits. These vehicles sell for a premium of approx 30000 rupees (US$ 375) as compared to gasoline (petrol) vehicles.

With Pakistan going full ahead with making CNG as the primary fuel source for transport, one concern is that Pakistan is depleting its Natural Gas reserves faster than ever before.

Cars, Clean Technology, Energy, Gas CNG

Pakistan wants to start importing 1 million to 2 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) per year from Qatar in six months, Minister of Investment told Reuters on Monday. Qatar is the world’s largest exporter of LNG and Pakistan needs gas to feed power plants and alleviate chronic shortages of electricity. The two countries have held talks for LNG supply, Waqar Ahmed Khan said.

A Qatari official confirmed talks had taken place but were at a very early stage. “We hope to sign the deal soon,” Khan said. “They agreed during the talks to sell Pakistan one to two million tonnes per year, but there is no deal yet.” LNG is a gas super-chilled to liquid form for export in specially designed tankers.

Pakistan is building a pipeline to receive the gas, and wants to lease a vessel that can convert the LNG back to gas offshore before pumping it into the grid, Khan said. “We are now in negotiations with the companies that own these ships,” Khan said.

Gas, Infrastructure

What crisis you might ask could be brewing in the renewable and green energy sector? After all, it is seemingly the hottest investment sector in the capital. The U.S. cap-and-trade program will cost $22 billion annually, or about $175 per household, by 2020, including:

Investment of $190 billion in new clean energy technologies and energy efficiency, including energy efficiency and renewable energy ($90 billion in new investments by 2025), carbon capture and sequestration ($60 billion), electric and other advanced technology vehicles ($20 billion), and basic scientific research and development ($20 billion). Mandates new energy-saving standards for buildings, appliances, and industry. Reduces carbon emissions from major U.S. sources by 17 percent by 2020 and over 80 percent by 2050 compared to 2005 levels. Complementary measures in the legislation, such as investments in preventing tropical deforestation, will achieve significant additional reductions in carbon emissions.

Yet the simple fact is that for renewables to survive long term, they must be able to compete with fossil fuels, primarily natural gas and coal economically without government assistance. Estimates of the potential contribution to US energy supply of renewables vary from 10 per cent to 20 per cent in 20 years. These targets remain just that, targets on paper.

Via PR – Solar Plaza

Energy

Via Cisco website

Cisco today announced Smart Connected Buildings  as its latest emerging technology, a key component in delivering on its vision for Smart+Connected Communities, one of 30 key market adjacencies the company has identified.   Smart+Connected Communities addresses the growing need for sustainable energy to meet the demand of increasingly urbanized populations by providing a network-enabled blueprint for successful smart cities of the future that run on networked information.  The solution builds on Cisco’s networked sustainability platform to further utilize the network to increase energy efficiency, create new tools for ‘energy-aware’ city management, and enable economic opportunity and quality of life gains for citizens.

Buildings, Clean Technology, Energy, Innovation, IT

Daily Wireless writes about a new wireless sensor for use in buildings.

Clean Technology, Conservation, Innovation

What do you think about this new campaign from PEPCO?

Conservation, Consumers, Electricity, Energy