Month: June 2021

The European Union is considering tightening rules that determine whether wood-burning energy can be classed as renewable and count towards green goals, according to a draft document seen by Reuters. The EU’s executive Commission will next month propose a package of policies to slash planet-warming emissions, including fuel tax changes and reforms to its carbon market. All are designed to meet the EU’s target to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030, from 1990 levels. The package will also include an overhaul of EU renewable energy rules, which decide…

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The revised draft of Indicative Generation Capacity Expansion Plan (IGCEP) 2021-30 prepared by NTDC (National Transmission Dispatch Company) invited criticism for violating the grid code and criteria under the NEPRA Act which says future projects will be made keeping in view the least cost generation, location and capacity. However, NTDC made its own 5-6 criteria to adjust 25-30 unjustified projects in the plan. One of NTDC’s board members stunned all power sector stakeholders, including the provinces, when he acknowledged that it had made 5-6 criteria to adjust the projects in…

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K-Electric (KE), Karachi’s electricity provider and Easypaisa, Pakistan’s leading provider of digital financial services have partnered together to extend a convenient and hassle-free bill payment solution for the power utility’s customers. The partnership with Easypaisa offers 5% cashback (up to PKR 100) to new Easypaisa customers on their first KE bill payment. Through this partnership, KE is encouraging customers to use digital modes of payments from the comfort of their homes. Furthermore, Easypaisa’s extensive agent network of 170,000 + registered agents spread across the country will also facilitate customers, especially…

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Inefficiency and mismanagement in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) business has burdened Pakistani consumers, who are forced to pay an extra billions of rupees. In a recent deal, Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL) put an additional burden of around Rs30 billion by rejecting an offer of the Azerbaijan state firm, Socar, and from one of the Gulf-based producers that were submitted earlier this year. PLL recently floated bids for nine LNG cargoes at the highest price of over $10 per mmbtu, which accounts for 16-17% of Brent crude. Moreover, it refused…

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The Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCOE) is likely to approve a plan to free liquefied natural gas (LNG)-based power plants from the economic merit order in a bid to ease pressure on a gas utility’s pipeline network, but the move will put an additional burden on gas consumers. The CCOE has already exempted the LNG-based power plants from 66% guaranteed off take of LNG, triggering financial trouble for gas utility Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and the power plants. As the power sector is not willing to take LNG…

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