Year: 2022

Solar power: No need to fast-track

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Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif enjoys the reputation of a doer. He enjoys being known for doing things at speed. His current stint has not allowed him to show much speed given the firefighting jobs his government seems to be doing on a daily basis. Until a bright idea popped up. The rising energy prices that led to an import challenge made renewable energy more appealing than ever before. And right on cue – comes the “Fast Track Solar PV Initiatives 2022”. Not sure if fast-tracking is what Pakistan needs today…

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Audit shows SSGC paid Rs6.27m for club memberships, facilities

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The top management of the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) has violated a decision from its board of directors and reimbursed a multi-million-rupee club membership fee to over 25 executives. The company management had failed to honour the decision of the board of directors (BoD) of SSGC which had directed the management to immediately stop privileges including club membership facility to executives. The management made unauthorised payments of Rs6.27 million on account of club membership facilities due to the non-implementation of directives from the BoD. The auditor general of Pakistan…

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Suriname’s Oil Boom Is Far From Guaranteed

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After a swathe of oil discoveries in offshore Suriname, primarily in Block 58, since the start of January 2020 there was considerable speculation that the former Dutch colony will be the next Guyana. Since the start of 2022, a series of challenging obstacles emerged which are threatening Suriname’s nascent oil boom and its potential to become a leading petroleum producing nation in South America. Analysts originally envisaged that first oil would occur during 2025 and that Suriname will be pumping 650,000 barrels per day a mere five years later. Additional offshore discoveries outside of…

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China Starts Work On The World’s Largest Desert-Based Renewable Energy Project

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China has broken ground on a renewable energy project worth an estimated $11 billion in the province of Inner Mongolia. According to a Bloomberg report, the project will have a capacity of 16 GW and produce some 40 billion kWh of electricity to Beijing and the provinces of Tianjin and Hebei. The project will combine solar, wind, and upgraded coal power, and is set to become the largest renewable energy project in a desert region. The Kubuqi Desert, where the project will be located, is already home to a massive solar…

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UK Government Could Face Lawsuit If It Implements A Windfall Tax On Renewables

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A Cheshire wind farm developer has threatened to sue the UK government over its plans to impose a ‘windfall tax’ on renewables companies. Community Windpower – which owns 1.5 GW of UK wind generation capacity – has said it will take legal action to block the UK’s Electricity Generator Levy. The temporary tax imposes a 45 percent levy on “exceptional receipts” of more than £10m generated by selling wholseale electricity at average prices exceeding £75 per MWh. Community Windpower has instructed London law firm Mishcon de Reya in its bid…

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