Latest news with #FESCO
Business Recorder
25-04-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
FESCO crackdown against power pilferers in full swing
FAISALABAD: On the special directives of the government, Ministry of Energy (Power Division) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) FESCO Engr Muhammad Aamer, a massive crackdown against electricity thieves is underway in eight districts of the Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (FESCO) region. During this special operation against electricity theft in six operation circles of FESCO region, 45 more electricity thieves were caught and more than 62,000 detection units and a fine of more than 1.993 million have been imposed on them. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
23-04-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
FESCO to conduct training for its officers
FAISALABAD: Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (FESCO) has decided to provide training to FESCO officers regarding 'FESCO Officers Management and Leadership Development Programme' under the National Electric City and Performance Agreement. Executive Engineers (XENs), Superintending Engineers (SEs), Deputy Directors and Additional Directors will participate in the training. According to details, FESCO administration has decided to conduct Management and Leadership Development training for FESCO officers from experts from the Professional Development Center of the National University of Science and Technology (NUST). This training will be held on April 26-27 and May 9-10. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
22-04-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Consumers seek uniform power tariff
Listen to article Electricity consumers have urged the government to introduce a uniform power tariff structure by eliminating peak and off-peak hour rates. They argue that this change would encourage higher electricity usage and better reflect the current energy landscape, which no longer suffers from load shedding due to an increased power generation capacity. The peak and off-peak system was originally implemented to manage electricity shortages during times of low installed capacity. Under this system, consumers were charged higher rates during peak hours to discourage consumption during those periods. However, during a public hearing conducted by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) on the Multi-Year Tariff (MYT) proposal for Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (FESCO) for FY2025-26, intervenors stated that the country now has surplus power and such differential pricing is no longer necessary. They pointed out that with no immediate electricity shortages, the time has come to introduce a flat, uniform tariff that would promote consistent electricity use and potentially aid economic productivity. Additionally, it was pointed out that the pattern of peak demand has shifted significantly due to the increasing contribution of solar energy through net metering. Previously, off-peak hours occurred in the evening, but now, with solar penetration, off-peak periods have moved to as late as 1AM, when consumer usage has seen a sharp rise. This shift further questions the relevance of the current peak and off-peak rate design. Meanwhile, NEPRA's notice outlined that FESCO has requested significant changes in its cost structure. One of the most notable requests is a sharp increase in the Power Purchase Price (PPP), which the company proposed at Rs389.053 billion. This contributes heavily to the total Revenue Requirement, which FESCO seeks to raise to Rs505.432 billion, up dramatically from the current Rs80.003 billion. If approved, this would result in a steep rise in the average consumer tarifffrom Rs5.37/kilowatt-hour (kWh) to Rs33.76/kWh. FESCO is also requesting an increase in Operation and Maintenance (O&M) costs from Rs34 billion to Rs44 billion, and a net margin boost from Rs54 billion to Rs64 billion. The company has reported transmission and distribution (T&D) losses at 8%. During the hearing, NEPRA addressed several critical issues, including whether the proposed adjustments align with the MYT framework, and whether the requested PPP and T&D losses are justified. It also questioned if limiting investment beyond allowed amounts should be applied at the end of the control period rather than annually. Further queries included whether the tariff schedule should follow a cost-of-service basis, if fixed charge mechanisms need revision to recover revenue, and whether current rate designs reflect the changing demand pattern. The application of late payment surcharges and adherence to regulatory guidelines were also under review.
Russia Today
22-04-2025
- Business
- Russia Today
Russian company to launch sea route to West Africa
Russia is set to launch a direct shipping route from Novorossiysk on the Black Sea to Nigeria's largest port city of Lagos in order to deepen trade with West Africa, TASS and Interfax have reported. According to Interfax, the initiative, spearheaded by A7 Holding – a company established by Andrey Severilov, former co-owner of Russian shipping firm FESCO – will begin operations in mid-June. Two chartered container ships, each with a capacity of 700 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), will reportedly operate on the route. 'With the assistance of the Russian trade mission in Nigeria, we are implementing a project to establish a direct shipping line,' Severilov told the outlet on Friday. He announced future plans to extend services to Senegal. Maxim Petrov, Russia's trade representative in Nigeria, confirmed the project in an interview with TASS published on Monday. Petrov said the Novorossiysk-Lagos corridor will also improve the export of agricultural products and equipment from Russia to Mali, as well as the import of cotton from the landlocked state. 'Malian business is showing high demand for Russian agricultural products, equipment, and transport,' he was quoted as saying following a Russian delegation's visit to Mali. 'A significant increase in trade turnover with Mali is also possible due to the start of commercial deliveries of Malian cotton to Russia; the total harvest of the crop in Mali exceeds 650 thousand tons per year,' Petrov added. Russia's trade with African countries has surged in recent years. Earlier this month, Moscow's food safety authority, Rosselkhoznadzor, reported a record level of wheat supplies to the continent in the first quarter of 2025, with deliveries to Nigeria increasing fourfold to 210,000 tons. Last December, FESCO launched a container route from Novorossiysk to Kenya's main port, Mombasa, with a shipment of Kenyan tea. According to the company, which is owned by the state energy corporation Rosatom, Russia aims to use the route to export building materials, fertilizers, metals, plastics, wood, and paper products, as well as import tea, coffee, nuts, and other agricultural commodities. In December 2023, the first ship began service on a new route connecting Egypt's El Dekheila port to Novorossiysk. In February, Georgy Muradov, the permanent representative of Crimea to the president of Russia, told African Initiative news agency that the region intends to establish direct trade links with Africa, which requires the establishment of sea routes.
