Ghana: Load Shedding Underway

The uncontrollable power outages and the resultant load shedding exercise that hit the country a couple of years ago have started again. City & Business Guide investigations revealed that the power cuts started about two months ago, affecting all parts of the country.

The Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCO) and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) have on several occasions, dispelled suspicions of power rationing lately, explaining that the recent power outages were due to some technical hitches at the various ECG and GRIDCO sub-stations.

Indonesia: Fauzi to ask offices to switch off

The Jakarta governor will issue instructions to city offices to cut down on their power consumption amid the current shortage that has left Jakarta with a program of rotating blackouts for the past two months.

Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo will issue a circular instructing all buildings to reduce power use, economic affairs secretary Mara Oloan Siregar said after a meeting with PLN on Tuesday.

The move was intended to set an example for other businesses around Jakarta, Mara said.
“We’re calling on [everyone] to reduce their electricity use so the rotating blackouts can be minimized,” he said.

State electricity provider PT PLN introduced the rotating schedule of blackouts affecting different areas of Jakarta at different times after two of the company’s facilities in Cawang, East Jakarta, and Kembangan, West Jakarta, malfunctioned and were razed by fires.

Indonesia: Chaotic Traffic and Blackouts Equal to High Cost

The regulated blackouts threaten the survival of small industries. The traffic flow in Jakarta is also chaotic due to non-functioning traffic lights. Lately, 9 to 15 traffic lights are off almost everyday.

"Since Sunday, traffic lights in Jakarta take turns to stop functioning. In every area, at least one to five traffic lights aren't functioning. The cause of this is the regulated blackout, but some are out of order," said Second Police Inspector Adjutant Aritonang, the traffic surveillance camera officer (for closed circuit television/CCTV) of the Jakarta Regional Police Traffic Directorate (Ditlantas), Tuesday.

China: C China city suspends gas supply to companies amid heavy snow

Central China city Wuhan cut off natural gas supply to another 20 companies on Tuesday due to increasing energy demand amid heavy snow, adding the number of affected firms to 76.

The government of Wuhan, capital of Hubei Province, suspended natural gas supply to 56 companies and 26 taxi gas stations on Monday in an effort to ensure stable supply to local residents.

Heavy snow has blanketed the city since Sunday, pushing down the temperature to the lowest minus 10 degrees Celsius and driving up energy consumption.

China: China provinces hit by severe gas shortage - report

Central and eastern Chinese provinces faced the worst natural gas shortage in years as supplies were diverted to snowstorm-hit northern China, while producers lacked incentives to expand output because of poor margins, a state broadcaster said on Tuesday.

Gas supplies for taxis in Wuhan, capital of the central province of Hubei, were halted from Monday while 11 industrial companies in Hanzhou, capital of eastern Zhejiang province, were shut as a result of gas shortages, China National Radio said.

Ecuador: Government States that the Energy Crisis is Being Overcome

Ecuadoran Minister of Electricity and Renewable Resources, Esteban Albornoz, said Mon. that the energy crisis the country’s been facing is being overcome this week and confirmed that power rationing will be reduced "by half the hours”. After Peru’s sale of 1,200 megawatts per hour per day, the beginning of operations of two thermoelectric plants, Colombia's commitment to increase the interconnection provisions, and other measures being developed by the government, Albornoz said the effects of the crisis will be reduced. Since Nov. 5, Ecuador has been rationing power due to the drought affecting the Paute River hydroelectric plant, the nation's the most important plant.

Nigeria: Youths shut oil platform, attack boats

THE post-amnesty boost in Nigeria's oil production capacity because of the fledgling peace in the Niger Delta region is now being threatened as irate youths shut down a 25,000 barrel per day (bpd) Conoil production platform, which is six kilometres off the coast of Ilaje in Ondo State.

And as if to reinforce fears that peace may remain elusive in the region, militants yesterday attacked fish boats and local traders along the creeks of Bayelsa State and Calabar Channels I, Cross River State.

Zambia: Fuel shortage becomes desparate in Luanshya

The fuel situation in Luanshya has become desperate forcing motorists to the queue for the commodity overnight.

A check by ZANIS at all the three filling stations revealed that only one filling station had petrol while the other two had run out of the commodity.

The situation has put most motorists in panic buying with some buying in 210 litre containers for storage.

Some taxi drivers found at Chisongo service station complained that their business had been affected negatively by the shortage of fuel.