Business
Construction begins on ‘landmark’ windfarm that will power 335,000 homes
Construction work has begun on a “landmark” wind farm in the south of Scotland that will generate enough electricity to power about 335,000 homes.
The Sanquhar II Community Wind Farm will become the UK’s fourth largest onshore wind farm when it becomes operational in August 2026, according to developers CWP Energy.
The 44-turbine farm, which is being built in Dumfries and Galloway and East Ayrshire, is set to deliver more than £800 million in local investment over its 40-year operational life.
It is also set to generate hundreds of jobs during the building phase, with the company saying “almost 50%” of the workforce will be sourced locally.
The development was paused in 2023 over “tax decisions” by the previous UK Government, but the company said it was made possible last month by the current UK Government dropping its plans for “zonal energy pricing”.
Rod Wood, director of CWP Energy, said: “Onshore wind is one of the cheapest forms of home-grown electricity, delivering consumers and businesses excellent value for money.
“We’re delighted that after nearly 10 years of careful planning, ground has been broken and the construction of Sanquhar II is now under way.
“The project brings with it an investment of an immediate £400 million into the Scottish economy, creating long-term jobs, and paying local authority rates, taxes and community benefits.
“We’re grateful to the Scottish Government for backing Sanquhar II and to the UK Government for creating confidence in the renewables sector.”
James Ian Robinson, senior sales director UK & Ireland at Vestas, which is providing the project’s EnVentus platforms and V162 turbines, described it as an “important step” towards greater UK energy security.
“Construction is now under way on what will become the UK’s fourth largest onshore wind project, and we’re honoured to contribute to this landmark development.
“Sanquhar II marks another important step toward greater energy security through home-grown power generation in the UK.
“We thank CWP Energy for their trust, having placed the order in Q1 this year, and look forward to continuing our collaboration in driving the energy transition forward.”
CWP Energy said the farm, which has been nearly 10 years in the planning, will offset some 540,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.
Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said he welcomed the development, which he said “demonstrates Scotland’s vital role in delivering the UK Government’s clean power mission”.
He went on: “Reformed national pricing will ensure the benefits of clean power are felt by communities and consumers in every part of the country, while giving businesses the stability and certainty they need to continue investing to upgrade our infrastructure to boost our national energy security, helping to create thousands of skilled jobs, and boosting the economy.”
Huw Jones, chairman of Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK, set out the positive impact the construction phase of the development will have on the local economy.
“Currently on site, we are averaging 100 personnel per day, with the expectation for this to rise to 200,” he said.
“We are utilising local contractors and suppliers where we can, and almost 50% of our workforce are from the local area, with many others utilising the accommodation facilities within the surrounding towns and villages.”
The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has approved a fresh increase in the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), raising the cost for both domestic consumers and commercial users.
According to the notification issued, the LPG price has been increased by Rs7.39 per kilogram, setting the new rate at Rs209 per kg for December. As a result, the price of a domestic LPG cylinder has risen by Rs87.21, bringing the new price to Rs2,466.10.
In November, the price of LPG stood at Rs201 per kg, while the domestic cylinder was priced at Rs2,378.89.
The latest price hike is expected to put additional pressure on households already grappling with rising living costs nationwide.
Business
Private sector data: Over 2 lakh private companies closed in 5 years; govt flags monitoring for suspicious cases – The Times of India
NEW DELHI: The government on Monday said that over the past five years, more than two lakh private companies have been closed in India.According to data provided by Minister of State for Corporate Affairs Harsh Malhotra in a written reply to the Lok Sabha, a total of 2,04,268 private companies were shut down between 2020-21 and 2024-25 due to amalgamation, conversion, dissolution or being struck off from official records under the Companies Act, 2013.Regarding the rehabilitation of employees from these closed companies, the minister said there is currently no proposal before the government, as reported by PTI. In the same period, 1,85,350 companies were officially removed from government records, including 8,648 entities struck off till July 16 this fiscal year. Companies can be removed from records if they are inactive for long periods or voluntarily after fulfilling regulatory requirements.On queries about shell companies and their potential use in money laundering, Malhotra highlighted that the term “shell company” is not defined under the Companies Act, 2013. However, he added that whenever suspicious instances are reported, they are shared with other government agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax Department for monitoring.A major push to remove inactive companies took place in 2022-23, when 82,125 companies were struck off during a strike-off drive by the corporate affairs ministry.The minister also highlighted the government’s broader policy to simplify and rationalize the tax system. “It is the stated policy of the government to gradually phase out exemptions and deductions while rationalising tax rates to create a simple, transparent, and equitable tax regime,” he said. He added that several reforms have been undertaken to promote investment and ease of doing business, including substantial reductions in corporate tax rates for existing and new domestic companies.
Pakistan’s textile exports surged to $6.4 billion during the first four months of the 2025-26 fiscal year, marking the highest trade volume for the sector in this period.
According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), value-added textile sectors were key contributors to the growth.
Knitwear exports reached $1.9 billion, while ready-made garments contributed $1.4 billion.
Significant increases were observed across several commodities: cotton yarn exports rose 7.74% to $238.9 million, and raw cotton exports jumped 100%, reaching $2.6 million from zero exports the previous year.
Other notable gains included tents, canvas, and tarpaulins, up 32.34% to $53.48 million, while ready-made garments increased 5.11% to $1.43 billion.
Exports of made-up textile articles, excluding towels and bedwear, rose 4.17%, totaling $274.75 million.
The report also mentioned that the growth in textile exports is a result of improved global demand and stability in the value of the Pakistani rupee.
OGRA Announces LPG Price Increase for December – SUCH TV
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