Page 5 - Electricity

US extends sanctions waiver allowing Iraq to buy electricity from Iran

The Biden administration has extended by four months a sanctions waiver that will allow Iraq to continue to purchase electricity from Iran and give Iran limited access to the proceeds to buy humanitarian goods. Secretary of State Antony Blinken signed the 120-day waiver extension and it was transmitted to Congress on Tuesday, US officials said. The move is likely to draw criticism from Iran hawks on Capitol Hill and elsewhere who believe the extension will reward Iran at a time when it is coming under increasing pressure to end its support for proxy groups, including Hamas, that are destabilising the Middle East. There is roughly USD 10 billion in Iraqi payments for Iranian electricity currently being held in escrow accounts in Iraq, and the waiver will allow Baghdad to maintain its energy imports without fear of US penalties for violating sanctions on Iran. It will also keep in place a provision included in the last 120-day waiver under which portions of the electricity proceeds

India's industrial production growth decelerates to 5.8% in September

The factory output growth measured in terms of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) had grown by 3.3 per cent in September 2022

Amid increased consumption in India, IEX's electricity volume up 21%

According to the data for October published by GRID-India, the country's energy consumption jumped 22 per cent to 139 billion units as compared to that in 2022

Prez denies assent to Delhi Electricity Reforms (Amendment) Bill: Speaker

The Delhi Electricity Reforms (Amendment) Bill 2022 passed by the Delhi Assembly, which sought to raise the retirement age of Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) members and chairman from 65 years to 70, has been denied approval by the President, authorities said on Friday. The tenure of the chairman and the members of DERC is five years or attaining the age of 65, whichever is earlier. "The Bill was not approved by the president and returned back," Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel told PTI. No immediate comment was available from the president's office on the issue. When asked about it, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said he was not apprised of the matter. "I will get it checked," Kejriwal said in a press conference. Official sources said the Bill was returned by the President because the Electricity Act is a central law and it was beyond the jurisdiction of the Delhi Assembly to legislate on it. The legislation was brought to avoid any possible delay in ..

Pakistan: Parts of Karachi hit by power outage following heavy rains

Several areas of the city plunged into darkness due to the tripping of K-Electric's extra high tension (EHT) transmission line after the rainfall

Gaza power authority warns that electricity will run out within hours

Gaza's power authority says its sole power plant will fun out of fuel within hours, leaving the territory without electricity after Israel cut off supplies. Israel said it would cut off all electricity to the territory after Hamas' bloody rampage over the weekend. All of Gaza's crossings are closed, making it impossible to bring in fuel for the power plant or the generators on which residents and hospitals have long relied. The power authority said Wednesday that the plant would shut down in the afternoon.

As BYD seeks India expansion, its executives find it tough to get visas

BYD is far from being an outlier, as several Chinese companies from various sectors have faced challenges in getting visas for travel to India

Tripura to buy 80MW additional power for Durga Puja: Power Minister

Tripura is planning to buy 80MW additional power to ensure uninterrupted electricity during Durga Puja, Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath has said. This year, the state's power demand is expected to be around 380MW during the Durga Puja days, Nath said after a review meeting here on Friday. In 2021, the state's peak hour demand during Durga Puja, the state's biggest festival, was 327MW, which rose to 332MW in 2022, he said. "Like previous years, Tripura State Electricity Corporation Ltd (TSECL) has taken steps to provide uninterrupted power during Durga Puja. We expect the demand to be around 380MW this year during the festival days," he said. "The state currently has 300MW power. TSECL will arrange an additional 80MW to meet the requirement during Durga Puja,' he added. He hinted at cutting down power sales to Bangladesh to ensure adequate power supply during the festival days. At present, the state sells 100MW power to the neighbouring country daily. Nath appealed to the Puja organ

Electricity tariff in Pakistan to be increased by PKR 3.28 per unit

Protests were held across Pakistan against the rise in the power tariff and the inclusion of excessive taxes in the electricity bills

Best of BS Opinion: Investment for growth, a search for fairness, and more

Here is the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for today

Centre issues tender for gas-fired power to address high electricity demand

"The operation of gas-based plants is envisaged tentatively for 20 days during the crunch period, extendable by another five days based on requirement," a tender issued by a unit of state-run NTPC Ltd

With aim to provide quality electricity, Rajasthan to beef up energy infra

Power distribution companies (discoms) have appealed to electricity consumers to control their power consumption

India seeks additional natural gas volumes to boost power generation

The power ministry is advising states to expedite commissioning of all new power plants and operate gas-fired plants at full capacity, the note said

Rajasthan elections 2023: AAP makes 7 guarantees, from education to health

Kejriwal guarantees teacher welfare, job security, honorarium for police, free electricity for up to 300 units, better health services, and more to the people of Rajasthan

Rising power demand in India exposes supply fault lines in states

Coal, Hydro units fire up to meet new record high of 240 Gw

Pakistan business community on strike over inflated electricity bills

Pakistan's business community on Saturday observed a shutter-down strike across the country to protest against the inflated electricity bills and rising inflation. Rightwing Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and traders' groups gave the call for protest and they got support from lawyers. Commercial activities were halted in Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar, as well as in other cities, while public transport was largely off the main roads. In Karachi, the Tajir Action Committee (TAC) on Friday gave the government 72 hours to reduce high electricity bills and withdraw the recent hike in petrol prices. It warned that if the government failed to fulfil its demands, there would be a prolonged strike of 10 days. TAC Convener Muhammad Rizwan said there was no compulsion on anyone to join the strike. The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) supported the strike call. However, its President Mohammad Tariq Yousuf said large-scale industries were not part of the strike. Federation of Pakistan Ch

Pak caretaker govt struggling to find solution to 'electricity price shock'

Pakistan's caretaker government has already requested the power regulator to start charging another PKR 5.40 per unit quarterly tariff adjustment over six winter months

Pak caretaker PM holds emergency meeting over inflated electricity bills

Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi said that the meeting was held at the PM's office in Islamabad and it went for over two hours

Bridge & Roof bags Rs 1,590 cr EPC contracts for FGD plants in Chhattisgarh

City-based Bridge and Roof Company (India) Limited has bagged two EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) contracts valued at Rs 1,590 crore from Chhattisgarh State Power Generation Company. The contract is for the installation of FGD (Flue Gas Desulphurisation) plants at two thermal power stations (TPS). "The cumulative value of the contract is Rs 1,590 crore and we have formed a technical tie-up with ASTIC Environmental Engineering Co. Ltd of Japan for the project execution," Bridge and Roof Manger ( Business Development) Budhaditya Bose said. The projects are at the 1x500 MW Korba TPS and the 2x500 MW Marwa TPS. The two are scheduled to be completed within 30 months from the date of signing of the contracts. The scope of work includes design, engineering, supply of equipment, site execution, commissioning and testing of the entire FGD units. The FGD plants will help to reduce the sulphur content in the flue gas discharged from the power plants to meet the emission ...

Electricity usage by EVs in Maha rises to 14.44 mn units in July: MSEDCL

The power usage for electric vehicles (EVs) rose more than three-fold from 4.56 million units in September last year to 14.44 million units in July 2023, the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited said on Monday. State-run MSEDCL, also called Mahavitaran, is the nodal agency for providing charging stations for EVs, as well as other works like helping the private sector come up with such infrastructure, and assisting the government in policies regarding the sector, an official release said. Quoting MSEDCL CMD Lokesh Chandra, the release said the power usage for EVs in Maharashtra was 4.56 million units in September 2022, which rose to 6.10 million units in March and further to 14.44 million units in July this year. The sale of power for EVs took place from 3,214 public and private charging stations statewide, it said, adding that the sale of EVs in Maharashtra increased from 4,643 in 2018 to 1,89,698 in 2022 and 2,98,838 as on March 31 this year. Two-wheelers ...