![\"Two](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/129767568.jpg\" "\\"Two")
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File photo (PTI)<\/p>\n
A widening energy shock triggered by the West Asia conflict is forcing countries across Asia and beyond into emergency mode, combining a return to coal with strict fuel controls, work curbs and rationing measures. What began as a supply disruption is now spilling into daily life, from power cuts to transport limits.Disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for global oil and gas, have squeezed LNG supplies and pushed countries toward coal to plug the gap. <\/p>\n
Watch<\/p>\n
Two More Indian LPG Ships Pine Gas And Jag Vasant Transit Strait Of Hormuz Amid Iran-Israel War India is increasing coal burn to meet peak summer demand, while South Korea has relaxed limits on coal-based power.China, the world’s largest coal consumer and producer, has ramped up coal capacity in recent years to strengthen energy security and continues to rely on it despite expanding clean energy. South Korea, which has pledged to cut emissions, has temporarily lifted caps on coal power as LNG supplies tighten. Indonesia is prioritising domestic coal use over exports, tightening regional availability. Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam are also leaning more on coal-fired generation to manage shortages.The shift is a short-term fix, but it risks worsening air pollution and delaying clean energy transitions.Countries are now rolling out aggressive demand-control measures to conserve fuel:Pakistan\u27a4 Schools and colleges shut for two weeks\u27a4 Four-day working week, 50% work from home for government staff\u27a4 Fuel allocations to departments cut by half, nonessential vehicles pulled off roadsSri Lanka\u27a4 Midweek public holiday for schools, universities and non-essential workers\u27a4 QR-based National Fuel Pass returns, with strict weekly caps on fuelBangladesh\u27a4 Universities, foreign curriculum schools and coaching centres moved online\u27a4 Fuel rationing in place since March 8\u27a4 Five-hour rolling blackouts and shutdown of most fertiliser plants due to gas shortagesBhutan\u27a4 Ban on fuel sales in jerry cans to prevent hoarding\u27a4 Work from home activated, priority supply for emergency services ![\"petrol](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1774356439_986_petrol-prices.jpg\" "\\"Petrol")
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Petrol prices in different nations<\/p>\n
Philippines\u27a4 Four-day work week for government staff\u27a4 Private sector urged to shift to remote work\u27a4 Non-essential official travel bannedVietnam\u27a4 Businesses advised to adopt work from home\u27a4 Push for public transport, cycling and carpoolingMyanmar\u27a4 Odd-even vehicle scheme to cut fuel useCambodia\u27a4 Around one-third of petrol stations shut by mid-MarchLaos\u27a4 Remote work for civil servants\u27a4 Rotational shifts to reduce commutingShortages, queues and price shocksOn the ground, the strain is already visible. Bangladesh is witnessing long queues and unrest at fuel stations, with pump owners warning of a “critical point” as supply falls short of demand.Pakistan has imposed a 200% hike on high-octane fuel, while Sri Lanka has raised prices by around 25% in quick succession, reflecting the mounting import pressure.Crisis spreads beyond AsiaThe energy squeeze is no longer confined to Asia, with multiple countries imposing curbs:South Africa has adopted “controlled allocation measures” introduced as diesel shortages hit several provincesEgypt\u27a4 Early closure of malls, restaurants and government offices\u27a4 Illuminated billboards switched offKenya\u27a4 Fuel rationing enforced, exports effectively haltedNew Zealand\u27a4 Air New Zealand cancels over 1,000 flights due to jet fuel costs\u27a4 Government considers reviving ‘car-less day’ policySlovakia and Slovenia\u27a4 Fuel quotas and rationing limits imposed to maintain supplyA fragile balanceEven as some shipments continue to pass through disrupted routes, supplies are being diverted to critical sectors like fertilisers instead of power generation.Coal remains the fallback due to its availability, but experts warn the reliance could deepen long-term vulnerabilities. The current crisis is exposing how dependent Asia remains on imported energy and how quickly disruptions can ripple through economies and everyday life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"File photo (PTI) A widening energy shock triggered by the West Asia conflict is forcing countries across Asia…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":362548,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[72,163806,163805,113,163804,163808,163809,61,60,163807,163803],"class_list":["post-362547","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-economy","tag-business","tag-coal-reliance-asia","tag-countries-emergency-mode-energy","tag-economy","tag-energy-crisis-asia","tag-fuel-rationing-measures","tag-global-oil-gas-supply","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-lng-supply-disruption","tag-west-asia-conflict-energy-shock"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/362547","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=362547"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/362547\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/362548"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=362547"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=362547"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=362547"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}