Tawanai

As reported by WSJ, India is poised for a big increase in its civilian nuclear capabilities.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday stressed the importance of nuclear energy in bridging the country’s yawning energy gap, as Indian and international companies line up to enter a market opened by last year’s U.S.-India nuclear deal.

Addressing a function in New Delhi to honor Mohamed ElBaradei, director-general of International Atomic Energy Agency, Mr. Singh said India is geared up for a major expansion of its nuclear program “in which international cooperation will be an important component.”

“Nuclear energy is vital to meeting our energy and developmental needs, particularly those of large, developing countries like India,” Mr. Singh said.

Of India’s total installed generating capacity of 152,000 megawatts, nuclear energy makes up some 2.7% of that capacity, or 4,100 megawatts, says India’s ministry of power. India currently has 17 nuclear power plants and is building an additional six.

The global Nuclear Suppliers Group in 2008 lifted its ban on selling nuclear fuel to India, and, as a result, nuclear power is expected to rise to 40,000 megawatts of installed generating capacity by 2020.

The lifting of the ban was part of the negotiations undertaken by the U.S. and India to reach a new deal on the transfer of civilian nuclear technology. The deal, signed in October 2008, ended a 34-year U.S. moratorium on nuclear trade with India following India’s first nuclear tests in 1974.

These developments have opened the door for overseas companies such as GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy, Westinghouse Electric Co. and Areva SA to sell reactor technology and fuel to India at a time when the country is fast increasing its power-generation capacity to meet a huge gap in supply and demand. (GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy is a joint venture between General Electric Co. and Hitachi Ltd.)

Mr. Singh said at a conference in New Delhi on Tuesday that the Indian government’s nuclear strategy could potentially yield 470,000 megawatts of power by the year 2050. “This will sharply reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and will be a major contribution to global efforts to combat climate change,” he said .

On Wednesday, India’s Hindustan Construction Co. and Amec PLC, a U.K.-based engineering and project-management company, signed an initial agreement for taking on nuclear power projects in India. The venture with AMEC will focus on consulting services and subcontracting operations, said Vinayak Deshpande, president of Hindustan Construction. He said the company expects to eventually employ as many as 500 engineers.

Also, “we expect six nuclear reactors to come up for bidding in the next 15 months, and we hope to get a sizable portion of orders from these projects,” Mr. Deshpande added.

Indian engineering and construction companies such as Larsen & Toubro Ltd. and Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. also are eager to tap into nuclear power projects.

Clean Technology, Consumers, Electricity, Energy, Nuclear, power India

Prime Minister of Pakistan has expressed confidence that Thar Coal reserves will be an important source for resolving energy crisis. “Thar Coal has reserves of over 185 billion tons; besides electricity. It will also be a source of diesel and help reduce POL import bill”, the Prime Minister said in a policy statement on energy crisis in the Senate on Friday.

This important natural resource has been completely ignored during the last 62 years and the nation was deprived of an opportunity to develop it, he said. He said that the present government has constituted Thar Energy Development Board (TEDB) for one-window operation for investors, with Chief Minister of Sindh as its chairman.

coal, Pakistan, power

Mobile base station electricity costs could rise by nearly 55% over the next five years unless operators address network inefficiencies and reduce reliance on non-renewable energy resources, according to a new report from Juniper Research. Its author, Dr Windsor Holden, said: “Operators in Africa and Asia who continue to rely on diesel for off-grid generators will find margins increasingly squeezed as their networks expand and diesel prices rise. We believe that unless a transition to generators powered by renewable energy is effected, then many such networks may no longer be financially viable within a few years.”

Other findings from the green base stations research include:

• Base stations are responsible for more than 70% of CO₂ emissions in the mobile use phase
• Operators should increasingly seek to utilise feederless sites and distributed site architecture as means of reducing inefficiency
• Adopting measures suggested under the transformational model will enable operators to reduce base station CO₂ emissions by up to 30%

Cellular News reports.

Electricity, power base station, telecom

According to the agreement, a company called ” Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company” will be incorporated with initial sufficient capital to complete the detailed feasibility study for Thar coal power project in Sindh. The project feasibility will be completed in 18 months.

Sindh government and Engro Power Generation Limited on Tuesday signed an agreement for mining and generating 600-1000 megawatts power from Thar Coal fields on public-private-partnership basis. The agreement was signed by Aijaz Ali Khan, Secretary Mines and Mineral Development on behalf of Sindh Government and Asad Umer, CEO Engro Ltd and Khalid Mansoor, CEO Engro Power Generation.

Under the agreement Sindh Government will make 40 percent and Engro will make 60 percent investment. The project envisages 600 to 1000 MW electricity and 2 percent of the profit would be spent on the welfare of local population.

Via Business Recorder.

Investment, Pakistan, power coal

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

About two decades ago when the Central Asian republics got their independence, there was the optimism that now Pakistan can get better access to energy and oil. It has taken many painful years but it seems that now we are finally starting to see some cooperation. The recent quadrilateral summit meeting of  4 countries: Pakistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Russia on Thursday in Dushanbe, recognized the significance of strengthening mutually beneficial economic co-operation as an important component of solidifying mutual ties.

The joint statement issued after President Asif Ali Zardari, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai met here in the Tajik capital, also stressed the importance of the development and strengthening of economic and trade relations among the four countries.

They also agreed to support measures at national and international levels for promoting socio-economic rehabilitation and development of the region. The four leaders agreed to create a favourable investment climate in their countries and promote direct ties among the business communities.

The statement stressed for increase in foreign investment flows and implementation of projects in the sphere of hydropower, construction of transmission lines and development of transport infrastructure. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev recalled his meeting with President Zardari in Yekaterinburg, Russia recently and said their meeting today reflects the desire of the countries to cooperate in various fields.

“The region needs to cooperate in energy, trade, rail and transportation links,” he said. President Asif Ali Zardari on the occasion said that the meeting will help bring the regional and neighbouring countries more closer for economic co-operation and for facing future challenges jointly. “I remind the world what we do today will help the coming generations,” he added.

“I hope we can move forward together for the progress and prosperity of our coming generations.” President Zardari appreciated Tajik President for holding the meeting. “Indeed we owe debt of gratitude to Tajikistan for organising and hosting this historic gathering,” he stated.

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Energy, power cooperation, dushanbe

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.

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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

I have been hearing this claim for many months. While all these claims are being made the infrastructure is crumbling and 18 hour loadshedding continues. How can we believe such statements?

Minister for Water & Power, Raja Pervez Ashraf has reiterated again here on Thursday that load shedding would be eliminated by the end of 2009 through the combined efforts of PPIB, Pepco and other private sector investors.

He was chairing the 82nd board meeting of the Private Power & Infrastructure Board (PPIB) and reviewed the progress of private sector power projects under various stages of construction.

The Minister stated that present government has been facing many challenges since its accession to power in March 2008. The minister said that efforts were being made to add the required number of megawatts by the end of this year and for this purpose several fast and medium track power projects were under process.

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Electricity, Energy, power