Egypt Proposes Unified Arab Emergency Oil and Gas Purchase Mechanism

Oil-Gas

CAIRO: Egypt has put forward five new initiatives aimed at strengthening Arab energy security, including the creation of a unified mechanism for coordinated emergency purchases of oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG), the petroleum ministry said on Sunday. The proposals were presented by Egyptian Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi during a ministerial meeting of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) held in Kuwait. Among the key initiatives is the development of a comprehensive Arab energy interconnection map to enhance regional integration and improve the reliability…

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‘Paralysis’ at ISGS Brings Strategic Energy Projects to a Standstill

Power

ISLAMABAD: Inter State Gas Systems Pvt. Ltd. (ISGS), Pakistan’s flagship entity mandated to implement major cross-border energy projects, has been pushed into virtual paralysis due to what officials describe as “gross interference” by its own board of directors, stalling multibillion-dollar strategic gas initiatives despite years of public spending and effort. According to senior officials familiar with internal assessments, ISGS has failed to make progress on key national projects assigned to it by the Petroleum Division. Once responsible for advancing the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline and the Iran-Pakistan (IP) pipeline, the…

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Govt Rejects Third-Party Validation Proposal for Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project

Neelum-Jhelum

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has rejected a proposal by the Ministry of Water Resources to conduct third-party validation of the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project (NJHPP), citing the existence of an already constituted inquiry commission to probe the project’s massive cost overruns and poor performance. The decision was taken during a meeting of the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) held on Friday under the chairmanship of Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal. The forum argued that an additional validation exercise was unnecessary as an inquiry commission was already…

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Solar Boom Brings Major Economic and Climate Gains for Pakistan, Study Finds

soalr energy

KARACHI: Pakistan’s citizen-led solar energy surge is delivering significant economic, social and environmental benefits, according to a new study titled “The Many Dividends of Solar Rush in Pakistan.” The study highlights that large-scale adoption of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems is reducing reliance on fossil fuels, easing pressure on the national grid, mobilising private investment, creating jobs and cutting carbon emissions at scale. Launched on Friday by Renewables First, the study notes that distributed solar has emerged as one of Pakistan’s most effective climate mitigation tools, particularly as the country faces…

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Oil Dealers Reject Government Offer, Demand 8% Margin; Warn of Nationwide Fuel Pump Shutdown

petrol-price

KARACHI: The Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) has rejected the dealers’ margin proposed by the government and demanded that it be increased to 8%, warning of a nationwide shutdown of fuel pumps if the demand is not met. Addressing a press conference on Friday, PPDA Chairman Abdul Sami Khan said petroleum dealers could not continue operations on the existing margin of 3.12%, describing it as financially unviable. He said the association had formally conveyed its demand for an 8% margin to the government. The PPDA has given the government a…

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