Tawanai

Consumers, Electricity, Energy, Pakistan load shedding

A regional Power Supply company in India said today it has started operations at the first photovoltaic solar power plant to be connected to the electric grid in India.

The 2-megawatt solar project in Jamuria, West Bengal, was built at the site of an abandoned 6-MW coal-based thermal power plant. DPSC converted its 8-acre site with the help of Green Energy Development, installing 9,000 230-watt crystalline solar modules.

Although a relatively small solar plant by global standards, the companies say the solar plant is the largest in the country. India’s government has set a goal to spend nearly $20 billion during the next 30 years to increase solar installations from almost nothing today to 20 gigawatts by 2020 (see India’s new climate plan aims to set 20 GW solar goal). Among its initiatives, The National Solar Mission is expected to offer a 10-year tax holiday and exemption from customs and excise duties on specific equipment and other project materials (see Inside cleantech India: Kal, Aaj aur Kal!).

The companies spent about Rs 34 crore ($7.1 million) to build the 2-MW solar plant, which is expected to generate 3 million units of electricity a year—enough to power 2,000 rural or 500 urban households. An equivalent-sized coal-based thermal power plant would generate 7 lakh metric tons (700,000 metric tons) of carbon dioxide emissions a day.

DPSC plans to buy the electricity for Rs 5 ($0.10) per unit to distribute to customers in the Asansol-Raniganj belt. The project, which is also set to receive government incentives of Rs 10 per unit, is expected to generate Rs 4.8 crore ($1 million) per year.4

Via CleanTech.com

Electricity, Infrastructure, Innovation, Solar

Over at Karachi Metroblog, Jamash writes about the blatant theft of electricity in urban Karachi. Of course, this is not just Karachi but happens all over Pakistan. Unless there’s a crackdown on these violations, we will keep suffering.

Jamash wonders why such violations are allowed to continue?

The city of lights is short of electricity, and the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) has been cutting off power every two hour or so for an hour. Even at night, before and at the time of Sehree or and Iftaar.

What so ever the reasons of this shortage of electricity may be stated by the authorities, one thing is for sure, the countless Kundas, Illegal electrical connections results in a huge power loss and those of us who pay the bills fair and square suffer and pay the cost of the theft.

These pictures of main Tariq Road, clearly show wiring bypassing the meters, these connections hooked in the main power lines are not only a clear evidence of power theft but also pose a danger of electrocution and short circuit which can further result in a fire.

I wonder why there illegal connections are not taken care of by the authorities.

Buildings, Electricity, Energy theft

The removal of subsidy on power tariffs may prove to be politically difficult to implement for the government of the day as the people as the consumers were already allergic to the quality of services of the utility companies as well as exorbitant electricity prices impairing economics of the small and medium business especially in the face of depressive economic activity and slowdown. In this backdrop, the planned power tariff hike of 10% in October remains the second major milestone for a sustainable resolution of inter-corporate debt. It may be mentioned that the government’s latest decision to hike petroleum product prices by 7-8% in the latest monthly price review has drawn severe criticism from all corners of the country and as well as the media and opposition alike.

However while the trade and industry and general consumers were making hue and cry over recent hike in petroleum prices, the Oil Marketing Companies, particularly Pakistan State Oil (PSO), stand to benefit from strong inventory gains and firm margins.

The latest revision in prices reflects the impact of both international prices (up 10% Mom) and weakening of the Pak Rupee (3%). While the government has fixed HSD margins at Rs1.35/litre or US$2.6/bbl (40% of total volume), margins on furnace oil (deregulated) and gasoline (4% of ex-refinery prices) should increase by 2% and 10% respectively.

Via Pakistan Observer

Consumers, Electricity, Infrastructure, Oil, Petrol

Interesting push from our goverment. Our energy minister has a tough job, I am sure!

Pakistan government is fully supportive of all efforts for production and promotion of solar water heaters in Pakistan, said Raja Pervez Ashraf, Chairman AEDB/Minister for Water and Power, while presiding over the 19th AEDB Board meeting here on Friday. He said that the use of solar water heaters would drastically reduce gas consumption in Pakistan, besides electricity, wood, cow-dung etc were spent on water heating would also be saved. More from the Press Release:

Raja Pervez Ashraf highly praising AEDB and local entrepreneur for establishing the first-ever solar water heaters manufacturing unit in Pakistan near Islamabad directed AEDB to help create a market for the solar water heaters and take all possible steps for promoting the use of solar water heaters in the country.

He also directed AEDB to arrange meetings with the prospective investors, and to especially involve local Chambers of Commerce and Industries to chart out a course of action for attracting investments in this vital sector that would largely help in conserving the fast depleting gas and forest reservoirs and heavy foreign exchange spent on oil imports annually.

Raja Pervaiz Ashraf stressed upon the public sector organisations to immediately take lead in switching over to solar water heating system. The Federal Minister informed the Board that the Federal government would establish Northern Areas Electricity Development Company to facilitate setting up of power generation projects in the region. He said that the decision was taken by the Economic Co-ordination Committee (ECC) on a summary moved by Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas in consultation with AEDB and Ministry of Water and Power.

Read more…

Clean Technology, Electricity, Gas, Pakistan, Solar solar heaters

Advocates of a smart grid in the US envision a digital system that can make energy-saving adjustments to power flow. Several million networked meters have already been distributed in the United States. For tech folks it is fun to talk about all the intelligence and network features. But there are big questions about this new approach. Are these meters safe? Are they cost-effective? Read more at Technology Review.

But critics say that rushing to roll out this system could give rise to security problems. At a recent conference, Mike Davis, a senior security consultant at the Seattle-based research company IOActive, gave a presentation on a proof-of-concept cyber attack that could potentially allow an attacker to shut off large numbers of meters remotely. Researchers say now is the time to test the smart grid and get security right.

Consumers, Electricity smart meters

Yesterday we posted about US help for energy crisis. Now its the Chinese!

Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Lou Zhao Hui called on PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif here in Murree at his residence. Matters of Pak-China strategic relationship, bilateral issues, power crisis in Pakistan with special reference to load shedding were discussed in the meeting, said a press release issued here.

PML-N Quaid Muhammad Nawaz Sharif said that the country was facing worse crisis in the energy and power sectors for which China could be helpful by providing its expertise as well as investment in this sector. Muhammad Nawaz Sharif said that Pakistan Muslim League-N was playing its role to help out the government bringing the country out of economic, political and security crisis which, the country was facing due to the dictatorial regime of General Musharraf during which all the institutions were destroyed.

Moreover, extremism and violence was one of the results of the long years of military rule during which the Constitution was repeatedly trampled upon and the rights of the citizens violated with impunity. It was in view of these factors that he believed that the foremost task facing the country was to strengthen the institutions of democracy and ensure the rule of law.

Electricity, Energy, Fuel, Pakistan, power China

The carrots and sticks policy is in full swing. Now that Pakistan has earned some brownie points in the fight against terrorism, it might get rewarded in the area of energy. We’ll take whatever we can get!

The United States on Sunday assured Pakistan to extend full help and cooperation to resolve its energy crisis so that bilateral relations between the two countries could be further strengthened in all fields.

This was announced by Special Envoy of American President on Pakistan and Afghanistan Ambassador Richard Holbrooke while addressing a joint press conference with Foreign Minister Shah Mehmud Qureshi here at the Foreign Office following bilateral talks.

Holbrooke said: “The US understands Pakistan’s energy requirements and needs, therefore, energy-related issues will be focused more in Pak-US relations in future,” adding Pak-US relations are moving towards economic ties.

Appreciating the success in the war against terror by Pakistani forces, Holbrooke said the US would extend full assistance in the rehabilitation of the internally displaced persons of Swat, Malakand and other areas where Pakistani forces have launched operation against the militants. He said the US has been impressed by the success of Pakistani forces in the operation against the militants.

He said: “The US is a close friend of democratic Pakistan and it has been proved by the President Obama’s administration in last six months with more interaction with the Pakistani government.”

Holbrooke said on the energy issue, he had been discussing it with the Congress and other officials and he will also visit Karachi to have further discussion with Pakistani officials to resolve it without any further delay for the benefit of the people of Pakistan.

Electricity, Infrastructure, Investment, Pakistan, power

The gap between electricity demand and supply widened to 3,226MW on Tuesday subjecting the citizens to long load shedding hours in the hot and humid weather and taking all sectors of economy closer to disaster. In its daily power situation report, Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) said that it could generate only 13,734MW electricity against the demand of 17,000MW.

Business Recorder adds:

Pepco continues to reiterate that the load shedding will significantly and gradually come down after increase in water releases from Mangla dam and addition of electricity from new power plants after 2nd week of current month. However, the electric supply company did not list the new power plants that it would commission after 15th of August to mitigate miseries of the citizens.

Exporters of various goods/products told Business Recorder that they were loosing their export contracts and paying heavy penalties to the banks for not fulfilling their commitments to export goods on time due to loading shedding and slow productivity of industrial units.

They said all the industrial units and cottage industries are daily closed for long hours resulting into delay and increased cost of products. “In business and trade, timely delivery of goods and fulfilment of commitment are ally important,” they added.

The Textile industry sources say that the textile productivity has come down by 50 percent due to the unscheduled and long load shedding of electricity. “The textile sector is presently exposed to tough competition and reached the brink of disaster as a result of forced loading shedding of electricity” they added.

Consumers, Electricity, Energy, Environment

Dawn has a good article on the politics of the pipelines.

Islamabad has little to show for its efforts to secure energy sources over the years, apart from signing numerous memorandums of understanding.

As far back as 1993, an MOU was signed to construct the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project that India later wanted to join. It envisaged a 2,670km land pipeline with a 3,620 mmcfd gas transmission capacity.

A year later, an MoU was signed to bring gas from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan. In 2002 an agreement envisaging a pipeline over 1,271km up to Multan was also signed. It enjoyed US support, but continuing turmoil in Afghanistan, coupled with Turkmenistan’s inability to provide convincing proof of its gas reserves, is preventing progress. Then there is the Qatar-Pakistan pipeline under consideration since April 1992.

Many experts are convinced that it is only the IPI project that is technically viable and economically attractive. But US opposition has prevented any concrete movement on it. In the past year or so, India has lost some of its ardour for it, partly because of the US civilian nuclear deal and partly because of the high price demanded by Iran.

The Pakistani leadership claims to be committed to it, pointing to the presence of Presidents Zardari and Ahmadinejad at the signing ceremony of the gas sale agreement earlier on.

However, a recent controversy is causing concern. The petroleum adviser has resigned a couple of weeks after his startling disclosure that two countries, one western and the other in the Middle East, were applying pressure on Pakistan to abandon the project.

This had come as a rude shock to those who were reminded that the Indian petroleum minister Mani Shankar Aiyar had been eased out soon after his public defence of the project. No less significant was a news report that the country’s premier intelligence agency had expressed its reservations with the project, suggesting that Pakistan look for other options. Now we hear that the entire issue may be placed before parliament where it could be lost in debate for years.

Have we succumbed to external pressure and abandoned the only ‘doable gas pipeline project? The nation deserves to know. In the meanwhile, the world’s major powers are engaged in a frantic search to secure assured sources of energy by building transmission lines to move gas from the energy-rich Gulf and Central Asia to energy-starved Europe.

The latest to be launched is the Nabucco project, for which many of Europe’s statesmen gathered in Ankara last month. They were joined by US special envoy on Eurasian energy issues, Richard Morningstar, who some 10 years earlier had been instrumental in getting everyone on board the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline project despite Russia’s opposition.

Electricity, Energy, Infrastructure, Pakistan