(EnergyAsia, April 14, Monday) — Swicorp Joussour Company, a Saudi Arabia-based company, said it is teaming up with another Saudi firm, Chemical Development Company (CDC), and Norway’s NorSun to invest in a polysilicon plant in the industrial city of Jubail. NorSun will initially own half the company, with Swicorp Joussour and CDC holding the rest....

(EnergyAsia, April 14, Monday) — Florida, US-based China Nuvo Solar Energy Inc said it will be developing a low-cost solar cell based on the thin-film CIGS technology in collaboration with partner Pioneer Materials Inc (PMI) at its pilot production facility in Chengdu, China. Nuvo said that using the copper indium gallium selenium (CIGS) technology, it...

(EnergyAsia, April 14, Monday) — Japan’s Mitsubishi Electric Corp plans to invest US$70 million to boost the production of solar cells to meet surging world demand. The company said it aims to raise capacity to 500 megawatt (MW) by 2013 from 150 MW now. Sharp Corp and Sanyo, two other leading Japanese players, are also...

(EnergyAsia, April 14, Monday) — New Zealand Wind Energy Association (NZWEA) said wind energy is becoming an important part of the country’s energy mix. At a recent wind energy conference in Wellington, local and international experts hailed the arrival of wind energy at a time of record oil, gas and coal prices on the world...

(EnergyAsia, April 14, Monday) — IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and Guizhou Kaiyang Xinglong Hydropower Co Ltd have agreed to work on reducing carbon dioxide emissions in China by tapping carbon credits from two small run-of-river hydropower projects. The credits will be made available through the Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto...

(EnergyAsia, April 11, Friday) — EOC Limited, a leading Asian operator of offshore construction and production vessels, has reported a 318% rise in net profit to US$12.4 million for the half-year ended February 29. Group turnover rose nine-fold to US$56.8 million thanks largely to the addition of two new heavy lift vessels, the Lewek Chancellor...

(EnergyAsia, April 11, Friday) — Germany’s Q-Cells and Solar Tec are investing in solar cell manufacturing facilities in Malaysia after deciding against building in neighbouring Singapore. Q-Cells, one of the world’s largest producers of photovoltaic (PV) modules, is building a RM1 billion plant in northern Malaysia to produce thin film modules. (US$1=RM3.15). The company reportedly...

(EnergyAsia, April 11, Friday) — China’s environmental authorities are delaying their approval for a massive refining-petrochemicals joint venture in the Pearl River Delta between Kuwait Petroleum and Sinopec Corp. The proposal for the $5 billion project has been awaiting approval for at least two months as proponents and critics argue over its likely impact on...

(EnergyAsia, April 11, Friday) — The Thai government is considering building a national strategic reserve to stockpile palm oil to ensure supplies for food and biodiesel production. A reserve would help avoid a repeat of the severe palm oil shortages experienced earlier this year after Thailand introduced a mandatory 2% biodiesel blend. The Energy Ministry,...

(EnergyAsia, April 11, Friday) — Thailand has signed a deal for a joint venture to develop a hydropower project with Laos. The project, sited in the Baankum barrage, is located on the Mekong River between Khong Chiam district in Ubon Ratchathani in north-eastern Thailand, and Champasak at the south western tip of Laos. The two...

(EnergyAsia, April 11, Friday) — US-based Shaw Group Inc said that the nuclear division of its power group has been awarded a contract from Shandong Electric Power Engineering Consulting Institute (SDEPCI) to provide engineering service support for the Haiyang nuclear power station turbine island in China. The power station will be constructed in Shandong province...

(EnergyAsia, April 11, Friday) — New Zealand can potentially meet its entire energy requirement by planting biomass forests, a new study has found. Specially planted ‘energy’ forests which could be set up over 25 years would supply the country’s future demand for transport fuel and heat, thereby avoiding any negative impact on agriculture for food...

(EnergyAsia, April 11, Friday) — Japanese oil refiners have set a target to use biofuels to replace 500,000 kilolitres of petroleum fuels by 2013. Until 2010, they are aiming to displace the use of 210,000 kilolitres of petroleum fuel.    However, to reach the 2013 target the government must ensure that the country is importing sufficient...

(EnergyAsia, April 11, Friday) — Japan’s Mitsubishi Electric said it recently installed photovoltaic (PV) modules in the new administrative headquarters of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Autonomous Region, located in the Italian city of Udine. The photovoltaic installation, built in conjunction with Copetti Impianti, a company based in Gemona del Friuli which specialises in the renewable energy...

(EnergyAsia, April 10, Thursday) — Chinese power generator Huadian Corp said it has concluded a deal to buy up to 142 wind turbines from China South Locomotive and Rolling Stock Industry (Group) Corp for $200 million. Huadian will install the first 20 turbines to produce around 36 megawatts (MW) at a wind farm in Hunan...

(EnergyAsia, April 10, Thursday) — Trina Solar said it has signed an agreement with GT Solar Incorporated to purchase $49 million worth of primary converter and reactor systems for its planned polysilicon production project. (US$1=7 yuan) The purchase price will be paid in instalments over a period of 12 to 18 months. The agreement was...

(EnergyAsia, April 10, Thursday) — Nasdaq-listed Spire Corporation, a global solar company providing turnkey solar factories and capital equipment to manufacture photovoltaic modules worldwide, said it has won a contract in China for a combined solar module and solar cell facility. The order includes a 25-megawatt (MW) module factory and an adjacent 25MW solar cell...

(EnergyAsia, April 10, Thursday) — Singapore’s KS Energy Services, a services provider to the oil, gas and petrochemical industries, and its wholly owned subsidiary, Atlantic Oilfield Services Ltd, said that they collaborated to recently secure a $130 million contract to rent out a 300-feet cantilever drilling jackup rig on a time charter. (US$1=S$1.38). The ‘KS...

(EnergyAsia, April 10, Thursday) — The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has downgraded its industry profit expectations for 2008 to US$4.5 billion based on global economic growth slowing to 2.6% and an average annualised Brent crude oil price of US$86 per barrel. At an average annual price of US$86 per barrel for Brent, fuel represents...

(EnergyAsia, April 10, Thursday) — A Chinese subsidiary of Chevron Corporation has announced the official opening of an office in Dazhou to support Chevron’s Chuandongbei natural gas operations in the Sichuan province in southwest China. The Chuandongbei natural gas development covers nearly 2,000 square kilometers and is located in the Xuanhan and Wanyuan counties of...

(EnergyAsia, April 10, Thursday) — Threatened by job losses and higher fuel prices, oil workers are holding up plans by the Lanka Indian Oil Company (LIOC) to expand in Sri Lanka’s domestic market. Following a threat to cripple nationwide fuel distribution, the government last month agreed to meet representatives from the petroleum unions who suspect...

(EnergyAsia, April 10, Thursday) — GT Solar Incorporated, the solar equipment and turnkey manufacturing solutions provider and subsidiary of GT Solar International, said it has secured a $200 million contract to supply South Korea’s DC Chemical Co Ltd (DCC) with chemical vapour deposition polysilicon reactors for use at its facility in Gunsan. GT Solar said...