(EnergyAsia, September 8) — US-based AES Corp has expanded its climate change and technology development (CCTD) business in Asia through the acquisition of the carbon finance team and project development pipeline of Byun & Co. of Singapore and the hiring of former EcoSecurities executive Ishani Chattopadhyay. ASE said this is part of its ongoing...
(EnergyAsia, September 8) — Foreign oil companies could soon be allowed to distribute biofuels in Indonesia, local newspapers reported. The Coordinating Ministry for the Economy said that foreign firms would soon be allowed to buy biofuels from producers and sell them to the public for transportation use. Also on the cards are new regulations...
(EnergyAsia, September 8) — Bhoruka Power, a Bangalore, India-based independent power producer, said it plans to expand into renewable energy projects. The company said it would invest some Rs5.8 billion in new renewable power projects through 2009 (US$1=Rs46). Its plans include renewable power projects with a combined capacity of 110 megawatts (MW) of hydro...
(EnergyAsia, September 8) — The Malaysian government has launched a US$200 million biotechnology fund to boost the country’s agricultural, health and biotechnology sector. Malaysia hopes to snare a share of the world’s fast growing biotechnology industry, estimated to be worth over US$1 trillion by 2015. Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the Malaysian Life...
(EnergyAsia, September 8) — Developing Asia’s strong economic expansion is expected to continue, with growth projected at 7.7% in 2006 before easing to 7.1% in 2007, according to a major ADB report released this week. “Developing Asia’s rapid growth is underpinned by strong performances by China and India, which together account for more than...
(EnergyAsia, September 8) — Advanced Holdings Ltd, a Singapore-based designer and provider of process equipment for oil, gas, petrochemical and power companies, said it has secured three petrochemical projects worth a total of S$15.28 million in the Middle East and China. (US$1=S$1.57). Two of the projects were clinched by Advanced’s recently acquired subsidiary, Control &...
(EnergyAsia, September 8) — German and US firms are preparing to invest in India’s planned special economic zone (SEZ) for the renewable energy sector. They have already made proposals to invest a total of Rs100 billion in the zone. (US$1=Rs46). However, New Delhi has as yet to confirm the precise location for the planned...
(EnergyAsia, September 8) — China risks failing to meet its ambitious 4% energy savings target this year. The central government had set the target to cut energy consumption per unit of GDP by 4% by the end of this year. However, consumption actually rose by 0.8% in the first six months of 2006, making...
(EnergyAsia, September 8) — The following is an edited version of Mr Iswaran’s speech. “APPEC continues to be one of the central events of the oil industry in Asia. This year, Platts is launching its inaugural “Top 250 Global Energy Players Awards” in conjunction with APPEC, adding further excitement to the conference and reinforcing...
(EnergyAsia, September 8) — Finland’s W’rtsil’ Corporation said it has landeded a major maintenance and supervision contract from Botas International Ltd (BIL) for the Turkish section of the 1,790 km-long Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline connecting the Caspian oilfields to shipping terminals in the Mediterranean. The three-year contract is aimed at ensuring the reliable and...
(EnergyAsia, September 7) — The Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC) has established an alternative fuels subsidiary which will build a biofuels refinery next year. PNOC-Alternative Fuels Corp (PNOC-AFC) said it has agreed to set up an 8.23-billion peso joint venture jatropha-based refinery with South Korea’s Samsung Corp. (US$1=P50). The 200,000-tonne-a-year refinery will derive its...
(EnergyAsia, September 7) — Singapore-based Wilmar International Limited, one of Asia’s largest integrated agribusiness groups, is aiming to become one of the world’s largest producers of palm biodiesel by quadrupling its biodiesel capacity from 250,000 metric tonnes per annum to 1,050,000 MT per annum in 2007. The group will increase the production capacity of...
(EnergyAsia, September 7) — Foster Wheeler Ltd said its UK subsidiary, Foster Wheeler Energy Limited, has been awarded a contract by India’s upstream company ONGC to provide technology consultancy services for a planned new petrochemicals complex at Dahej, in India’s Gujarat state. The terms of the contract were not disclosed, but the project was included...
(EnergyAsia, September 7) — The Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange has announced that it will launch the Fujairah 380 CST High Sulphur Fuel Oil (HSFO) futures contract on October 30. Fuel Oil will be the sixth futures product to be traded on the exchange. The exchange went live last November trading in gold futures...
(EnergyAsia, September 7) — Adelaide city has won the award of Australia’s first solar city under the Federal government’s A$75 million Solar Cities initiative. (US$1=A$1.33). A city consortium is working with industry, businesses and the local community to rethink the way they produce and use energy. The consortium leaders include Origin Energy, BP Solar,...
(EnergyAsia, September 7) — Japan’s Mitsubishi Electric Corporation said it will introduce high output lead-free solder photovoltaic (PV) modules for the overseas market from October 1. Using larger size solar cells, the six new models will be capable of high output, with one model the first capable of a maximum output of 185W. The modules...
(EnergyAsia, September 7) — Moser Baer India Limited (MBI), a leading global technology manufacturing company, said it is investing US$17 million in Moser Baer Photo Voltaic Limited (MBPV), its wholly owned subsidiary in the high growth global photovoltaic industry. The investment will be made in a phased manner, providing further impetus to MBPV’s technology and...
(EnergyAsia, September 7) — Thai refiner Bangchak Petroleum Plc said it is planning to produce biodiesel from used cooking oil for sale at five of its Bangkok outlets under a pilot programme. The fuel will be sold for 12 baht per kg. More outlets would offer the fuel if the programme proves successful. The company...
(EnergyAsia, September 7) — Australia’s windpower company Wind Hydrogen Limited (WHL) plans to raise A$5.4 million through a IPO sale of 12 million shares at an issue price of 45 cents per share. (US$1=A$1.33). The funds raised will be used to increase the value of the company’s wind farm projects by commencing pre-construction activities on...
(EnergyAsia, September 7) — Indian engineering and construction company Punj Lloyd (PLL) said it has secured a contract to build the storage and terminal facilities for Indian Oil Corporation’s naphtha cracker project at Panipat in Haryana state. The contract has come through Indian Oil Tanking Ltd, where Punj Lloyd is the nominated sub-contractor. Punj...
(EnergyAsia, September 6) — The Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative (Inec) in a northern Philippines province said its wind farm project in Bangui has started generating savings for its members. Romillas Pascual, Inec’s general manager, said its member services department will issue details to show how they have saved from using wind-generated electricity by buying power...
(EnergyAsia, September 6) — India’s Sterling Infotech Group (SIG) is diversifying into the renewable energy business with an acquisition of 40% of the paid-up share capital of Finland-based WinWinD, a pioneer in the manufacture of wind turbines. WinWinD, a technology leader in the wind energy space, supplies one and three Megawatt wind turbines based...
(EnergyAsia, September 6) — India’s Essar group has announced plans to build an oil refinery of between 16 to 20 million tonnes capacity in Jamnagar city in India’s Gujarat state. The proposed Rs150 billion plant is located in a new special economic zone being built in the city. (US$1=Rs46). Essar is also commissioning a...
(EnergyAsia, September 6) — The biggest biodiesel plant in Shanghai city, with an annual capacity of 100,000 tons, is on course to start up late next year. The plant in Shanghai Zhangjiang Hightech Park in Pudong will use animal fats and crops to produce biodiesel for local consumption. It will be among several plants now...
(EnergyAsia, September 6) — Two of Bangladesh’s fuel distribution associations began an indefinite strike yesterday to protest against insufficient supply of fuel from depots. The Bangladesh Fuel Distributors’ Association and the Oil Distributors and Tank Lorry Association (BTOA) blamed the government and state Bangladesh Petroleum Corp (BPC) for failing to ensure adequate supply of fuel....