(EnergyAsia, September 13, Thursday) —- The Bangladeshi government wants to import electricity generated by hydropower plants in Myanmar. Bangladeshi officials are sounding out potential investors to invest in such projects in Myanmar. They have begun talks with multilateral donors such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank for funding. Another party that could...

(EnergyAsia, September 13) — South Korean researchers are aiming to develop an improved and cheaper solar cell for the mass market by 2012. A new plastic developed by the researchers promises to improve the efficiency of converting solar power into electricity by some 15%. The researchers cooperated with the Center for Polymers and Organic Solids...

(EnergyAsia, September 13, Thursday) — Malaysia’s government has boosted its target to produce electricity from renewable energy sources by 66% by 2010. The government aims to achieve its target of producing 500 megawatts (MW) of electricity through renewable sources via state utility Tenaga Nasional. Malaysia has over 400 palm oil mills that could sell electricity...

(EnergyAsia, September 13, Thursday) — Global wind power generation capacity increased by over 15,200 megawatts (MW) or nearly 26% last year, said US-based World Watch Institute. The new capacity helped displace 43 million tons of carbon dioxide that would have been emitted by the equivalent of 7,200 MW of coal-fired power plants. The amount of...

(EnergyAsia, September 13, Thursday) — The UN Development Programme (UNDP) has teamed up with the governments of Nepal and Norway to finance the construction of a mini-hydro project in Nepal. The US$3.8 million project will produce some 400 kilowatt (KW) of electricity. It will help supply electricity to about 3,100 households in the Dolakha and...

(EnergyAsia, September 12, Wednesday) — Australian energy major AGL wants wind, solar and other renewable energy sources to account for 20% of the country’s energy mix by 2020. This is a necessary target if Australia is serious about cutting greenhouse gas emissions, said AGL chief executive Paul Anthony. Australia’s political parties are reviewing their renewable...

(EnergyAsia, September 12, Wednesday) — Myanmar’s government plans to produce and export biodiesel from the jatropha crop, said U Soe Myint, director general of the energy planning department. Speaking in Singapore, he said the government aims to have some 2.8 million hectares of the oil-bearing crop under cultivation within 12 months. That would be sufficient...

(EnergyAsia, September 12, Wednesday) — British and Swedish firm have shown interest in developing biofuels projects in Indonesia, according to local officials. They said BP and partner D1Oil have set aside some US$160 million for the development of biofuels projects in countries such and Indonesia and India. Earlier, Jakarta signed a preliminary deal with Swedish...

(EnergyAsia, September 12, Wednesday) — Singapore’s JEP Precision Engineering Pte Ltd (JEP) said it has signed an agreement worth S$20 million with Norway’s Aker Kvaerner, a leading global provider of engineering and construction services, technology products and integrated solutions. JEP will supply value-added precision engineering services to Aker Kvaerner’s specialised drilling riser product called the...

(EnergyAsia, September 12, Wednesday) — As part of its effort to reduce fossil fuels use and greenhouse gas emissions, the Japanese government plans to install solar panels on 300 of its buildings by 2012. The panels would generate 10 million kilowatt hours (KWh) of electricity, enough to power up some 2,500 homes. Overall, there are...

(EnergyAsia, September 12, Wednesday) — China has affirmed its desire to protect the environment and reduce pollution despite the pressure to keep its economy growing at a rapid rate to meet the needs of its 1.3 billion population. Premier Wen Jiabao said his government has set ambitious goals on energy efficiency and conservation. It has...

(EnergyAsia, September 12, Wednesday) — China’s government is planning to launch a new seven-billion-yuan clean green energy fund. (US$1=7.56 yuan). The fund will help finance innovative projects to promote energy conservation projects like efficient light bulbs and biogas plants as China seeks to curb its increasing energy consumption and cut back on the use of...

(EnergyAsia, September 12, Wednesday) — Showa Shell Solar KK, a 100% subsidiary of Japan’s Showa Shell Sekiyu KK, said it is investing 15 billion yen to build its second CIS photovoltaic (PV) module factory after completing its first plant last October. Construction of the 60MW factory will start in the next few months with completion...

(EnergyAsia, September 12, Wednesday) — Vietnam aims to start up its first ethanol plant in 2009. The 100 million litres per year plant, a joint project between state-owned Petrosetco and Japan’s Itochu, will use cassva biomass to make ethanol. It is expected to help the country cut back on imported oil products. Planners estimate that...

(EnergyAsia, September 12, Wednesday) — Thailand’s Rayong Purifier said it has secured a 400-million baht loan to help pay its proposed 100,000-tonne-per-year biodiesel plant. (US$1 = Bhat32). The loan is to be repaid over seven years. The plant will use palm oil as feedstock and is expected to come onstream next August. Its capacity could...

(EnergyAsia, September 11, Tuesday) — Japan’s Toshiba Corp said it is participating in the new Kharassan uranium mines project in southern Kazakhstan promoted by state-owned Kazatomprom (KAP).Toshiba’s participation is in line with its policy of enhancing its nuclear energy business. The Kharassan project is being promoted by two KAP-related companies, Kyzylkum LLP and Baiken-U LLP....

(EnergyAsia, September 11, Tuesday) — Malaysia’s Bio Global Tech Sdn Bhd has announced plans to invest RM120 million in a palm oil-based biodiesel plant at Teluk Kalong near Kemaman port in the east coast state of Terengganu. (US$1=RM3.45). Construction of the plant which will also produce vitamin E, glyecrine and stearin is expected to begin...

(EnergyAsia, September 11, Tuesday) — Australia and China have signed a partnership agreement that will pave the way for the installation of low-emission coal energy technology in Beijing next year, said Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). The agreement, signed by CSIRO chief executive, Geoff Garrett, and Li Xiaopeng, the President of state-owned...

(EnergyAsia, September 11, Tuesday) — India’s northern states of Jammu and Kashmir will soon have 1,000 micro hydro power projects for increased electricity access, said Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy, Vilas Muttemwar. In a statement to the Lok Sabha, India’s lower house in Parliament, he said 967 projects have been completed so...

(EnergyAsia, September 11, Tuesday) — Dubai has launched a trial for two of its water taxis plying the city’s waterways to be powered by solar energy. If successful, the trial could pave the way for the popular taxi service to reduce the use of diesel fuel as part of Dubai’s attempt to go green. The...

(EnergyAsia, September 11, Tuesday) — Hong Kong-based Titan Petrochemicals Group Limited said its first half net earnings rose 132% to HK$152 million while revenue surged 19% to HK$7.795 billion. (US$1=HK$7.76). These figures include vessel disposal gains of HK$105million. Earnings per share rose 130% to HK3.1 cents. No interim dividend has been declared. The company said...

(EnergyAsia, September 11, Tuesday) — The China Longyuan Electric Power Group Corp has started work on two wind farms in China’s Inner Mongolia region. The China Guodian Group subsidiary began work on a 1.58 billion yuan wind farm in Baotou city last month. When completed sometime in early 2010, the facility is expected to generate...

(EnergyAsia, September 11, Tuesday) — UK-based EcoSecurities, a leader in the business of sourcing, developing and trading carbon credits from greenhouse gas emission reduction projects, has signed an emissions reduction purchase agreement (ERPA) with PLN, Indonesia’s national electricity supplier, to develop and purchase the certified emission reductions (CERs) generated from a large-scale geothermal project and...

(EnergyAsia, September 11, Tuesday) — The Shaw Group Inc said its energy and chemicals group recently won a contract to supply engineering services and proprietary equipment for the quench system at the Lotte Daesan Petrochemical Corp’s Naptha Cracking Center (NCC) Revamping Project in Korea’s Daesan city. The contract’s value was not disclosed. The project, which...

Asia Lubricants Conference 2007, September 27-28, Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, Singapore. (EnergyAsia, September 11, Tuesday) — AMEC, the UK-based project management and services company, said it has been awarded a five-year consultancy and engineering services contract by the Kuwait National Petroleum Company, covering upgrades, refurbishment and modifications on three oil refineries. The contract is worth...