In a rare event, four solar flares simultaneously exploded from four different points across the Sun's surface. The "quadruple" solar flare might have also sent a solar storm towards Earth, which could reach our planet in the coming days, Spaceweather.

In a rare event, four solar flares simultaneously exploded from four different points across the Sun's surface. The "quadruple" solar flare might have also sent a solar storm towards Earth, which could reach our planet in the coming days, Spaceweather.com reported. According to NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, the tetrad eruption started at around 01:00 am EDT (10:30 am IST) on Tuesday (April 23). While three of the outbursts came from sunspots, one came from a magnetic filament, a large loop of plasma suspended over the solar surface between the three dark patches. The eruption sites were hundreds of miles away. The area between them covered around a third of the solar surface facing Earth. Such concurrent blasts, called sympathetic solar flares, are part of a single eruption. It occurs when massive magnetic field loops that arch above the solar surface link these sunspots or filaments with each other. When one of them erupts, the others quickly follow. ALSO READ | Voyager 1 ends 'radio silence' thanks to NASA's software repair 15 billion miles away from Earth In most cases, sympathetic flares linked two sunspots, ranging in intensity from small outbursts to X-class flares, the strongest solar flares the Sun can produce. However this time, there were twice as many flares as usual, making it a "super-sympathetic" flare. It is currently uncertain how powerful the blast was when the sunspots combined. However, due to the large area affected, there is a possibility that some of the debris could be directed towards Earth. This debris would likely be a massive cloud of plasma and radiation, called a coronal mass ejection (CME). If confirmed, the CME could hit our planet within the next few days and cause stunning auroras near the magnetic poles. It is the third sympathetic solar flare of 2024. The first occurred in January, followed by an X-class flare duo in March. According to a study conducted in 2022, sympathetic solar flares are more likely to happen during or around solar maximum, the most active phase of the Sun's approximately 11-year solar cycle. The study analysed almost 40 years of solar flare data. Some researchers think this explosive peak has already started about a year earlier than predicted. (With inputs from agencies)

Debris from rare 'super' explosion on Sun with four solar flares erupting simultaneously likely to hit Earth

Pakistan plans to quadruple its domestic coal-fired capacity to reduce power generation costs and will not build new gas-fired plants in the coming years, its energy minister told Reuters on Monday, as it seeks to ease a crippling foreign-exchange crisis.

A shortage of natural gas, which accounts for over a third of the country's power output, plunged large areas into hours of darkness last year. A surge in global prices of liquefied natural gas (LNG) after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and an onerous economic crisis had made LNG unaffordable for Pakistan.

"LNG is no longer part of the long-term plan," Pakistan Energy Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan told Reuters, adding that the country plans to increase domestic coal-fired power capacity to 10 gigawatts (GW) in the medium-term, from 2.31 GW currently.&nbsp;

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-orders-its-european-embassies-to-not-issue-visas-to-afghan-nationals-561726">Pakistan orders its European embassies to NOT issue visas to Afghan nationals</a>

Pakistan's plan to switch to coal to provide its citizens reliable electricity underscores challenges in drafting effective decarbonisation strategies, at a time when some developing countries are struggling to keep lights on.

Despite power demand increasing in 2022, Pakistan's annual LNG imports fell to the lowest levels in five years as European buyers elbowed out price-sensitive consumers.

"We have some of the world's most efficient regasified LNG-based power plants. But we don't have the gas to run them," Dastgir said in an interview.

The South Asian nation, which is battling a wrenching economic crisis and is in dire need of funds, is seeking to reduce the value of its fuel imports and protect itself from geopolitical shocks, he said.

Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves held by the central bank have fallen to $2.9 billion, barely enough to cover three weeks of imports.

"It's this question of not just being able to generate energy cheaply, but also with domestic sources, that is very important," Dastgir said.

The Shanghai Electric (601727.SS) Thar plant, a 1.32 GW capacity plant that runs on domestic coal and is funded under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), started producing power last week. The CPEC is a part of Beijing's global Belt and Road Initiative.

In addition to the coal-fired plants, Pakistan also plans to boost its solar, hydro and nuclear power fleet, Dastgir said, without elaborating.

If the proposed plants are constructed, it could also widen the gap between Pakistan's power demand and installed power generation capacity, potentially forcing the country to idle plants.

WATCH | Pakistan desperate for IMF bailout

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The maximum power demand met by Pakistan during the year ended June 2022 was 28.25 GW, more than 35% lower than power generation capacity of 43.77 GW.

It was not immediately clear how Pakistan will finance the proposed coal fleet, but Dastgir said setting up new plants will depend on "investor interest," which he expects to increase when newly commissioned coal-fired plants are proved viable.

Financial institutions in China and Japan, which are among the biggest financiers of coal units in developing countries, have been backing out of funding fossil-fuel projects in recent years amid pressure from activists and Western governments.&nbsp;

You can&nbsp;now write for wionews.com&nbsp;and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

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Pakistan plans to quadruple its domestic coal-fired capacity to reduce power generation costs and will not build new gas-fired plants in the coming years, its energy minister told Reuters on Monday, as it seeks to ease a crippling foreign-exchange crisis.

Pakistan plans to quadruple its domestic coal-fired capacity to reduce power generation costs and will not build new gas-fired plants in the coming years, its energy minister told Reuters on Monday, as it seeks to ease a crippling foreign-exchange crisis. A shortage of natural gas, which accounts for over a third of the country's power output, plunged large areas into hours of darkness last year. A surge in global prices of liquefied natural gas (LNG) after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and an onerous economic crisis had made LNG unaffordable for Pakistan. "LNG is no longer part of the long-term plan," Pakistan Energy Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan told Reuters, adding that the country plans to increase domestic coal-fired power capacity to 10 gigawatts (GW) in the medium-term, from 2.31 GW currently. ALSO READ | Pakistan orders its European embassies to NOT issue visas to Afghan nationals Pakistan's plan to switch to coal to provide its citizens reliable electricity underscores challenges in drafting effective decarbonisation strategies, at a time when some developing countries are struggling to keep lights on. Despite power demand increasing in 2022, Pakistan's annual LNG imports fell to the lowest levels in five years as European buyers elbowed out price-sensitive consumers. "We have some of the world's most efficient regasified LNG-based power plants. But we don't have the gas to run them," Dastgir said in an interview. The South Asian nation, which is battling a wrenching economic crisis and is in dire need of funds, is seeking to reduce the value of its fuel imports and protect itself from geopolitical shocks, he said. Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves held by the central bank have fallen to $2.9 billion, barely enough to cover three weeks of imports. "It's this question of not just being able to generate energy cheaply, but also with domestic sources, that is very important," Dastgir said. The Shanghai Electric (601727.SS) Thar plant, a 1.32 GW capacity plant that runs on domestic coal and is funded under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), started producing power last week. The CPEC is a part of Beijing's global Belt and Road Initiative. In addition to the coal-fired plants, Pakistan also plans to boost its solar, hydro and nuclear power fleet, Dastgir said, without elaborating. If the proposed plants are constructed, it could also widen the gap between Pakistan's power demand and installed power generation capacity, potentially forcing the country to idle plants. WATCH | Pakistan desperate for IMF bailout The maximum power demand met by Pakistan during the year ended June 2022 was 28.25 GW, more than 35% lower than power generation capacity of 43.77 GW. It was not immediately clear how Pakistan will finance the proposed coal fleet, but Dastgir said setting up new plants will depend on "investor interest," which he expects to increase when newly commissioned coal-fired plants are proved viable. Financial institutions in China and Japan, which are among the biggest financiers of coal units in developing countries, have been backing out of funding fossil-fuel projects in recent years amid pressure from activists and Western governments. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Pakistan plans to quadruple domestic coal-fired power, move away from gas

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