The Ministry of Finance may allocate Rs330 billion for power subsidies, which are equal to 60% of the next fiscal year’s estimated needs, sowing the seed for additional Rs220 billion circular debt from the very first day of the new fiscal year. Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin also threw his weight behind a proposal of giving subsidised gas and electricity to…
Read MoreYear: 2021
Pipeline capacities for LNG terminal sponsors ordered
ISLAMABAD: The Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) on Thursday directed the Sui gas companies — SNGPL and SSGCL — to immediately allocate pipeline capacities to the sponsors of two upcoming terminal of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for them to proceed with the final investment decision (FID) and financial closure. In a joint letter written to the managing directors of…
Read MoreCircular debt—myth and reality
We all know that the main reason for the forced increase in base power tariff is the “tsunami” of expensive and excess power capacity contracted by the previous PML government on “take or pay” basis that has hit the sector hard. The previous government also did not pass on any tariff increase in its last years and left that burden…
Read MorePakistan’s long term-nuclear energy programme
Energy plays a vital role in the development of a country. A country’s progress is also estimated by its energy demand and consumption. At present Pakistan has an installed generation capacity of about 37,500MW. The minimum total demand is about 24,000MW whereas the maximum total demand in summers is enhanced to nearly 29,000MW. The country’s transmission and distribution capacity, however,…
Read MoreCPEC — facts and fog
Last week, in “CPEC: Understanding the Behemoth — Facts and Myth”, we covered the conceptual framework of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). This week, we continue to discuss the ‘eight core areas’ of the agreed CPEC architecture. CPEC has strong focus on social development, population welfare and poverty alleviation along its command areas… unlike any other programme of the International…
Read MoreFertiliser industry asks govt to rationalise GST, release Rs57bln refunds
Fertiliser industry has urged the federal government to clear its pending refunds of Rs57 billion and provide relief to the sector in its upcoming budget by rationalising general sales tax (GST) for ease of doing business.https://1d9e23587209037635570b7739e57643.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html The industry also demanded for rationalising of input-output adjustment formula of the GST. Presently, fertiliser manufacturers are paying input at 5-17 percent of GST…
Read MoreAsia Braces For Expensive LNG This Summer
Economic recovery and a rebound in liquefied natural gas demand in the world’s largest LNG importing region, Asia, are set to keep spot regional LNG prices around current levels of $10 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) for most of the summer, which could be the highest price for this time of the year in seven years. Despite concerns about…
Read MoreCoal Hits A Three-Year High Despite China Trying To Control Prices
The unexpected coal-price revival has sparked a recovery in the share prices of Australian coal mining companies which have been able to find markets to replace China. Whitehaven Coal which had seen its share price on the Australian stock market weaken for much of the past 12-months has enjoyed a 25% share price rise over the past two weeks. Copper,…
Read MoreA ‘100% renewables’ target might not mean what you think it means. An energy expert explains
Is 100% renewables realistic? Achieving 100% renewables is one way of eliminating emissions from the electricity sector. It’s commonly interpreted to mean all electricity must be generated from renewable sources. These sources usually include solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal, and exclude nuclear energy and fossil fuels with carbon capture and storage. But this is a very difficult feat for individual…
Read MoreBleeding discos’ aren’t stepchildren
The electricity distribution sector did make some progress last year (FY20) despite being hit by the pandemic. It bled Rs218 billion in lieu of T&D and recovery losses, continuing with decades old rich tradition. The loss was bettered by Rs8 billion from last year. The distribution companies’ collective transmission and distribution (T&D) losses have stood like a rock in all…
Read More