Korean Hydropower Projects in KPK Stalled Amid Regulatory Challenges

korean hydropower projesct

ISLAMABAD: The Power Division has reportedly declined to support Korean firms developing hydropower projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), leaving multimillion-dollar investments in limbo due to their exclusion from the Indicative Generation Capacity Expansion Plan (IGCEP). Korean companies, including LSG Hydro Power Limited (LSG HPL) and Korea-South East Power Company (KOEN), have faced repeated hurdles despite making substantial progress. LSG HPL’s…

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Rapid Solar Growth Shifts Rs200 Billion Burden to Non-Solar Consumers

soalr energy

ISLAMABAD: A report by Arzachel, titled “The Distributed Divide – How Solar Expansion Affects Non-Adopting Consumers and Utility Economics,” reveals that non-solar consumers in Pakistan bore an additional Rs200 billion burden in FY 2023-24 due to the rapid adoption of solar energy. This surge has led to a Rs2 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) increase in tariffs for grid-dependent users. The report…

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IMF Gas Reforms Trigger Conflict Between Ministries

IMF Gas Reforms

ISLAMABAD: A looming deadline to disconnect gas supplies to industrial power plants by January 31, 2025, has sparked a dispute between the Finance Ministry and the Petroleum Division, exposing cracks in the $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) deal. The Petroleum Division accuses the Finance Ministry of accepting the IMF’s condition without adequately assessing its impact, warning of a potential…

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NEPRA to Hold Public Hearing on Winter Relief Package

Power project

ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has scheduled a public hearing on November 26 to consider the federal government’s proposed winter incentive package aimed at boosting electricity demand during the low-consumption months. The subsidy-neutral package, approved by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) on November 19, is set to be implemented from December 1, 2024, to February 28, 2025.…

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Consortium withdraws bid to acquire majority stake in Engro Powergen Qadirpur

ENGRO-1

A consortium comprising textile companies has withdrawn its public announcement of intention (PAI) to acquire a majority stake i.e. 68.89% of Engro Powergen Qadirpur Limited (EPQL), a subsidiary of Engro Energy Limited. The development was shared by Arif Habib Limited (AHL), manager to the offer, in a notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Friday. “This is with reference to…

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Global LNG: Asian spot LNG gains amid colder weather, stronger Europe gas prices

gas prices

SINGAPORE: Asian spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices rose this week to their highest level of the year so far, tracking gains in European gas and amid colder temperatures in both regions. The average LNG price for January delivery into northeast Asia rose to $14.60 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), industry sources estimated. “This week’s further escalations between Russia…

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COP29 Draft Rejected as Negotiators Struggle to Finalize Climate Finance Deal

COP-29-2

BAKU: Negotiators at the COP29 UN climate summit are racing against time to secure a breakthrough trillion-dollar deal to assist poorer nations in combating global warming after both developed and developing nations rejected an initial draft proposal. The summit, originally scheduled to conclude on Friday, is expected to extend into overtime as the Azerbaijani hosts scramble to revise the contentious…

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Bitcoin breaks $96,000 for first time on optimism over Trump crypto plans

bitcoin

Bitcoin’s march toward $100,000 made further ground on Thursday as investors bet a friendlier US regulatory approach to cryptocurrencies under President-elect Donald Trump will unleash a boom era for the asset class. Bitcoin prices topped $96,000 for the first time in Asia trade, touching a high just above $96,898. The cryptocurrency’s price has more than doubled this year and is up about 40 per cent in…

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US natgas prices slid 2pc on mild weather and lower demand

us natgas

NEW YORK: US natural gas futures slid about 2% on Tuesday on forecasts for mild weather and less heating demand over the next two weeks than previously expected. Front-month gas futures for December delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange fell 4.3 cents, or 1.5%, to $2.930 per million British thermal units (mmBtu) at 7:53 a.m. EST (1253 GMT). Analysts…

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