(EnergyAsia, October 5) — Chinese scientists said they have created a new kind of rapeseed with high oil content ideal for making biodiesel.   The new strain has an oil content of 54.72%, nearly two percentage points higher than the current record for rapeseed. The seed was specially developed to meet China’s growing demand for...

(EnergyAsia, October 5) — India is stepping up effort to increase electricity from neighbouring countries. The government is working to reach bilateral deals on power supplies from Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka to help overcome India’s domestic energy shortfall.   Bhutan has a potential capacity for hydropower of some 30,000 megawatt (MW). The small Himalayan...

(EnergyAsia, October 5) — India’s airlines recently raised their ticket prices in response to higher aviation fuel prices.   Domestic air travel in India has become costlier after airlines raised their fuel surcharges from Rs 650 to Rs 750 last month. (US$1=Rs46).   India’s state oil companies recently announced an additional 4% price hike for...

(EnergyAsia, October 5) — India’s plans to build a special economic zone (SEZ) for renewable energy companies have met with favourable investor response.   Vilas Muttemwar, state minister within the Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources, told local reporters that both local and foreign investors have registered their interest in the SEZ project.   The ministry,...

(EnergyAsia, October 5) — The much anticipated initial public offering of marine fuel supplier Chemoil Energy Ltd was abruptly cancelled yesterday on fears the company might not be able to raise the US$374 million it had hope for.   The company said it decided to pull out of the IPO due to considerations relating to...

(EnergyAsia, October 4) — Japan’s Sanyo Electric has launched the 195W HIT solar battery module, HIP Series and 2.7k PowerConditioner, SSI Series for small to large systems. The HIP-195N1, the newest type of195W HIT Solar module, upgraded output by an increase of 5W with a cell efficiency rate of 19.1% compared with the conventional 18.6%....

(EnergyAsia, October 4) — Indian Oil Corporation Limited said it has liquidated Rs14,500 million worth of oil bonds in the secondary market trade. (US$1Rs46).   The liquidation of these bonds, with maturity periods of six and nine years, was concluded last week.   The issue size of Rs2,500 million with a green shoe option met...

(EnergyAsia, October 4) — The Rizhao municipal government in China’s Shandong Province has awarded California, US-based EurOrient Financial Group a multi-billion-dollar contract for the commissioning of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminal in Rizhao City along with storage tanks, pipelines and gas distribution facilities. The facilities are capable of processing 1.5 million tons of...

(EnergyAsia, October 4) — Caltex said it has launched Australia’s first diesel fuel enhanced with two per cent biodiesel.   The company held a ceremony at its Newcastle terminal yesterday attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Transport and Regional Services Mark Vaile, to mark the start of a major expansion of Caltex’s supply of biofuels....

(EnergyAsia, October 4) — In a recent report, consultant Wood Mackenzie discussed the impact of inflation on oilfield development.   In ‘Cost hyperinflation: all is not lostÉ’, Wood Mackenzie compared regimes in different countries and finds that in Azerbijan, Libya, India and Angola the government assumes virtually all of the impact of the cost overrun....

(EnergyAsia, October 4) —- Australia’s New South Wales state (NSW) is looking to make compulsory the use of ethanol-blended fuel in all vehicles by 2011.   NSW Premier Morris Iemma told local reporters that a 10% blending target was on the cards.   However, before making a decision, the state government plans to commission a...

(EnergyAsia, October 4) — China’s government is set to soon issue new policy guidelines to dampen growth in the booming coal-to-liquids (CTL) chemicals sector.   The guidelines come as local authorities try to get a grip on the surge of new CTL project applications in China. The new policy measures will aim to ward off...

(EnergyAsia, October 4) — China Enersave is planning to build a biomass power plant in Changyi in Shandong province.   The company is in an advanced stage of planning for two other biomass plants in China Ð one in Long Chang county and the other in Dujiangyuan county.   All three plants have been designed...

(EnergyAsia, October 4) — Indian state authorities have cleared plans by state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) for a special economic zone near Mangalore to set up a joint refining-petrochemicals complex.   ONGC expects to invest some Rs100 billion in the SEZ but the eventual total investment could well come to Rs450 billion (US$1=Rs46)....

(EnergyAsia, October 4) — Sakhalin Energy Investment Company Ltd and Russia’s Primorsk Shipping Corporation (PRISCO) last week signed Heads of Agreements (HOA) for the five-year charters of two crude oil tankers the Sakhalin Island and Governor Farkhutdinov.   Sakhalin Energy said PRISCO was well positioned to be awarded these contracts. The company had installed a...

(EnergyAsia, October 3) — The Chinese government wants to boost the country’s services sector in an effort to curb rising energy consumption.   According to a paper released by the State Council, China can moderate its growing energy consumption by changing its industrial structure.   The services sector typically consumes much less energy and produces...

(EnergyAsia, October 3) — Singapore’s Keppel Integrated Engineering (KIE), the environmental technology and engineering arm of Keppel Corporation, said it has won an award from the Qatar government to design and build an integrated solid waste management facility in Qatar and to operate and maintain the facility for 20 years. The contracts are worth a...

(EnergyAsia, October 3) — Australian upstream company Santos said it has secured a long-term contract to supply gas to Wesfarmers Limited’s new A$138 million domestic liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in Western Australia state.   Earlier, Wesfarmers had announced it would be building a small LNG plant at Kwinana, south of Perth.   Under the...

(EnergyAsia, October 3) — A subsidiary of Thai state oil and gas company PTT has signed for a 8.32 billion baht loan from a syndicate of banks to build the country’s first phenol plant. (US$1=37 baht).   PTT Phenol Company Limited signed for the 13-year loan with the syndicate comprising Krungthai Bank PLC, Siam Commercial...

(EnergyAsia, October 3) — Standard Chartered Bank believes the price of oil will fall back to around US$40 a barrel next year as oil supply-demand “dynamics” start to correct downwards.   In a recent commentary, economist Steve Brice said the burden is on geopolitical concerns to keep oil prices high.   “This means that the...

(EnergyAsia, October 3) — For some, trading is an extreme sport. Risk-taking, especially on other people’s money, is undertaken with a “take no prisoners” approach that ends either in complete victory and the spoils of an empire or in defeat with permanent devastation.   Last month, New York-based hedge fund Amaranth Advisors became the latest...

(EnergyAsia, October 3) — Indonesia’s PT Apexindo Pratama Duta Tbk said its jack up 202 Soehanah rig has passed the launch test at PPL Shipyard Ltd (PPL) in Singapore. The event last month marked an important milestone in the construction phase of the rig signifying that it has achieved 80% completion.   Soehanah is expected...

(EnergyAsia, October 3) — Aggreko plc, the Scotland-based global provider of temporary power, temperature control and oil-free compressed air solutions, said it has agreed with General Electric Company to acquire substantially all the activities, other than those relating to large gas turbines, of GE Energy Rentals. The deal could be worth as much as US$212...

(EnergyAsia, October 3) — Finland’s W’rtsil said that it, China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) are establishing a joint venture to manufacture large, low-speed marine engines in China. CSIC will hold 50% of the joint venture, W’rtsil’ 27% and Mitsubishi 23%.   The investment will total around 75 million euros to...

(EnergyAsia, October 3) — Hong Kong-based Panva Gas Holdings Ltd has reported a first half net loss of HK$221.14 million compared with a profit of HK$128.25 million for the same period last year. Revenue rose by 29.8% over the same period to HK$ 1,243.93 million. (US$1=HK$7.76).   The company reported a basic loss per share...