SA’s coal exporters face a shrinking market

As Thungela Resources’ CEO attempts to talk up the future of the Anglo American coal spin-off, SA’s second-largest coal export destination is planning to bring coal imports to an end. Thungela CEO July Ndlovu recently stated that a “just transition” for developing nations requires the continued operation of existing coal-fired power plants to avoid economic damage. However, even in the…

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U.S. energy secretary sets expectations for greener LNG production

The days of promoting liquefied natural gas as “freedom gas” or “molecules of freedom” have ended at the U.S. Department of Energy. During a visit to Houston, U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said the Biden administration would rather promote and sell a cleaner version of the superchilled fuel. The statement marks a policy shift from the Trump administration, which…

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Offshore Wind Power Connected To China’s Grid Tops 10 Mln Kilowatts

The installed capacity of offshore wind power connected to China’s grid network reached 10.42 million kilowatts by the end of April, according to the country’s National Energy Administration (NEA). China has made outstanding achievements in developing offshore wind power in recent years, the NEA said. In the first four months of 2021, the offshore wind power generation totaled 9.94 billion kilowatt-hours, NEA…

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Putin is betting coal still has a future

European governments are drawing up plans to phase out coal, U.S. coal-fired power plants are being shuttered as prices of clean energy plummet, and new Asian projects are being scrapped as lenders back away from the dirtiest fossil fuel. And Russia? President Vladimir Putin’s government is spending more than $10 billion on railroad upgrades that will help boost exports of…

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Webinar on water, food security: Degradation of ecosystems due to deforestation, over-exploitation of natural resources

Islamabad: The experts speaking at the webinar on Saturday opined that the core reasons for the degradation of ecosystems they cited were the unchecked deforestation, use of land change and overexploitation of natural resources including subsurface water. Aquifers are depleting casing severe threat to water security as we have already reached below the required water per capita. The unsustainable adaptation…

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What NEPRA can do?

There has been some confusion or even controversy over Nepra’s role and responsibilities. It is a regulator, yes, but what it should be doing. Should it restrict itself to issuing tariffs or should it be doing much more. There are extreme views on it. One is minimal being restricted to tariff and the other being total sectoral control. One of…

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Potential priorities of new energy minister

We have a new minister for energy. He is young and appears dynamic, therefore, there is every reason for pinning high hopes on him. Our energy supply chain substantially lacks the required agility. Failure to maintain a consistent exploration and production (E&P) programme, gradual exodus of E&P multinational companies (MNCs) and resultant compulsive spending of 35% of the annual budget…

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Mega consortium gets rights to develop riverfront phase-1

A mega consortium of more than 10 firms led by a known group of companies has succeeded in getting development rights of the phase-1 (Sapphire Bay) of the country’s first mega riverfront development venture in Lahore — Ravi Riverfront Urban Development Project worth billions of dollars. The Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA) — the project owner/client — will announce the…

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Pakistan begs China for power debt forgiveness

Pakistan’s debt problems are escalating as liabilities due on China-funded energy projects established under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) surpass $31 billion and Beijing declines to restructure $3 billion in liabilities coming due that Islamabad possibly won’t pay. The debt load, owed largely for the building of independent power producers (IPPs) on take-or-pay power generation contracts, is substantially more than…

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