Pakistan: KESC admits to daily load shedding of three hours

The Karachi Electricity Supply Company (KESC) has admitted to daily load shedding of three hours.

As per details, a joint meeting of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Karachi Coordination Committee and the KESC was held on Sunday at the Chief Minister’s (CM) House with Sindh CM Syed Qaim Ali Shah in chair. Federal Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervez Ashraf also attended the meeting.

Briefing the meeting, KESC CEO Tabish Gauhar said the utility was carrying out load shedding for three hours everyday, adding that there was also no load shedding on holidays as well as in the industrial areas and important healthcare centres.

China: China's gas shortage to give a small boost to gasoline

A gas shortage that has hit central and eastern Chinese provinces will give a small boost to gasoline sales by China's oil duopoly, as slower gas supplies force taxis to gas stations, industry officials said on Thursday.

But as taxis burning the clean fuel are heavily concentrated in one region -- the southwestern province of Sichuan and Chongqing municipality -- the impact on China's gasoline balance will be marginal. China is Asia's leading gasoline seller.

Indonesia: President blames PLN monopoly for power blackouts

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono blamed Tuesday the state utility firm PT PLN monopoly for the power shortages across the archipelago.

"It is wrong if PLN is not able *to meet the huge power demand*," the President said at the State Palace before a meeting to discuss the national power shortages.

"PLN wants to do everything alone. Give others a chance with the right regulations and policies . I also want that PLN turns into a great company, *with business* involving trillions of rupiah.

"*But PLN* has to show good management," he said.

Nepal: NOC draws flak for fuel shortage

Petrol pumps in the Kathmandu Valley are running dry for the past few days amid the UML-led coalition’s nod to Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) to hike petroleum products’ prices.

Around 70 per cent fuel outlets have run out of their supplies. While the rest — run by Nepal Police, Nepali Army and Sajha — has limited stock.

There is a scramble among consumers to fill their vehicles’ tanks as the fuel shortage — a periodic occurrence — threatens to snowball into a major crisis in the next few days. Manoj Karki is one of the harried commuters, whose daily schedule has been thrown out of gear owing to the scarcity. “I don’t have a drop of petrol in my two-wheeler. I’m expected to be at work by 10am. It’s already 9:56am now,” complained Karki, who works at a travel agency in Thamel.

USA (Iowa): Propane Shortage Reaching Critical Levels

The list of troubles for area farmers is growing. First came the rains, now there's no fuel. People who sell and transport liquid propane or “LP” gas say this is the worst shortage they've ever seen.

When the corn is wet farmers need to dry it, they do that by running "corn dryers" on liquid propane.

Propane experts say there are plenty of supplies; it's getting it here to Iowa that's the problem.

Zambia: Zambia may shut sole refinery,rely on fuel imports

Zambia relies on the Indeni refinery to supply fuel to the copper mines, the country's economic lifeblood, and also to run other industry and for consumption by motorists.

Zambia has been experiencing acute fuel shortages in recent weeks, after the collapse of a key refinery component at the Indeni refinery. The shortages threaten to reverse the economic gains made by Africa's largest copper producer.

The government said last week the country had imported 100 million litres of diesel and 60 million litres of petrol since early November to make up for disrupted output at Indeni.

Indeni, when working at full capacity, gets through 90,000 tonnes of crude oil every 45 days, according to company data.