(EnergyAsia, July 9, Wednesday) — The Thai government wants renewables to account for 10% of the country’s energy mix by 2011, up from the previous target of 8%. To reach this new goal, Thailand is working to replace electricity and heating power generation by using alternative energy sources such as by biomass, biogas, solar cells,...

(EnergyAsia, July 9, Wednesday) — Singapore-based renewable energy company Pure Power said it is increasing its research and development activities into lignocellulosics by setting up a “brains trust” to capitalise on its significant expertise in this field. Lignocellulosics is the science governing the conversion of plant biomass to biofuels and other bioproducts. Pure Power gained...

(EnergyAsia, July 9, Wednesday) — The government of Australia’s Queensland state said the Curtis LNG project has been declared “significant”, a move which triggers environmental impact assessment under state and Federal government legislation. The project is an alliance between Australia’s Queensland Gas Company Limited and the BG Group plc of the UK. The companies are...

(EnergyAsia, July 9, Wednesday) — US-based AES Corp has announced a substantial increase in its China-based wind power operations through two new agreements with Guohua Energy Investment Co Ltd, one of the country’s largest wind power developers. AES said it has acquired a 49% stake in the Guohua Hulunbeier wind farm in Inner Mongolia, which...

blocked coal supply to a power plant at Eraring, which they charge is Australia’s most polluting coal-fired power plant. They said the action to combat climate change was timed to coincide with the delivery of the Draft Climate Change Review by the Australian government’s climate change advisor Professor Ross Garnaut. “We have to stop fuelling...

marine services provider in the offshore oil and gas industry, said its Oslo, Norway-listed associate, EOC Limited, is on schedule to take delivery of its first floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel. The converted 127,540-deadweight tonne ‘Lewek Arunothai’ will enhance the group’s fleet capability and has enabled EOC to land its largest charter contract...

build two coal-to-liquids (CTL) projects in Shaanxi province and in the northwestern region of Ningxia. Each project will have the capacity to produce 80,000 b/d of oil products such as naphtha liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), jet fuel and diesel. Both plants could come onstream as early as 2016. Sasol is the world’s largest producer of...

been hoarding oil products at the expense of consumers who are bearing the brunt of the country’s widespread fuel shortages. Instead, the company, along with domestic rival PetroChina, said they have been working to expand production, cut exports and increase imports to help alleviate China’s worsening fuel supply crisis. Sinopec and other Chinese refiners have...

to help key sectors cope with sharply higher fuel prices. (US$1=RMB6.86). Taxi and bus operators along with companies in the fishery and forestry sectors will receive around RMB12 billion while grain producers will received the remaining RMB7.8 billion. Last month, the government surprised everyone by sharply raising domestic fuel prices after having earlier rejected the...

its small hydropower sector to meet the country’s growing energy demand, said a leading energy adviser. Prof V.K. Damodaran, an energy consultant with the UN Industrial Development Organisation Mission, said India needs to follow China’s example and its strategy in building up small hydropower plants to supply its energy demand. China is encouraging the development...

and subsidies to encourage homeowners to instal and use solar power systems. The measures are aimed at cutting by half the cost of the installation of a typical household solar power system. A basic system now costs over 2.3 million yen. (US$1=105 yen). The incentives will be a boon for Japanese solar components makers such...

(MW) biomass power plant at Sungai Bidut in the eastern state of Sarawak. The RM36m plant is part of the state’s strategy to boost power generation using biomass as a feedstock. (US$1 = RM3.27).   Sarawak has vast resources of wood and oil palm residues it can use as power feedstock....

state gas major Gazprom has reiterated his view that the crude oil price will rise to $250 a barrel next year from $145 now.   Alexei Miller raised eyebrows early in June when he first predicted $250 oil, and repeated it last Thursday, placing him well ahead of many analysts who see oil in the...

cleared by SGX AsiaClear nearly tripled to US$3.8 billion in the first half of 2008 from US$1.3 billion in the same period last year. Singapore Exchange Limited (SGX), which owns SGX AsiaClear, said the number of trading counterparty accounts grew 86% to 221 as at end-June 2008, from 119 a year ago. The number of...

(EnergyAsia, July 7, Monday) — Pakistan’s Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources has called for reducing the number of oil refinery depots in the country to 11 from 29 now. The ministry said the move could enable the government to save around Rs1.8 billion per year, primarily due to freight savings. (US$1=Rs68). The proposal calls...

(EnergyAsia, July 7, Monday) — Qatar Islamic Bank (QISB) said it may help raise funds for a US$5 billion oil refinery and petrochemicals project in Malaysia. A little known Malaysian company Gulf Petroleum Ltd has proposed to build a 150,000 b/d refinery linked to a petrochemical plant in Malaysia’s northern state of Perak. Gulf Petroleum...

(EnergyAsia, July 7, Monday) — China’s energy demand growth is unlikely to be significantly slowed down by last month’s surprise hike in domestic fuel and electricity prices. On June 20, the government increased the price of gasoline by RMB1,000 per tonne to RMB6,980. (US$1=RMB6.86). Diesel prices also went up by RMB1,000 tonne to RMB6,520, while...

(EnergyAsia, July 7, Monday) — Refiners BP and Caltex have increased their diesel supplies to Western Australia state to help consumers there deal with a severe gas supply shortfall. A mini supply crisis has erupted following last month’s explosion at a major offshore gas facility operated by Apache Energy on Varanus Island. Prime Minister Kevin...

(EnergyAsia, July 7, Monday) — Keppel Shipyard Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore’s Keppel Corporation, said it is on track to deliver a floating production storage operating (FPSO) vessel, Lewek Arunothai, to EOC Limited for a Southeast Asian client.  The 725,000-barrel unit was is the first FPSO that Keppel Shipyard has converted for Singapore-based...

(EnergyAsia, July 7, Monday) — On the basis of US crude futures, world oil prices have risen by more than 40% in the first half of 2008, closing above US$141 a barrel on the last day of June. Progressively, the impact of US$100 oil, first breached on January 2, has started to hurt consumers and...

(EnergyAsia, July 7, Monday) — Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and a non-government organisation, The Climate Group, recently launched a new climate report at the G8 Leaders’ Summit in Japan. The report, “Breaking the Climate Deadlock:  A Global Deal for Our Low Carbon Future,” was presented to Japanese Prime Minister Fukuda. Mr Blair said...

(EnergyAsia, July 7, Monday) — Swedish firm SEKAB BioFuels & Chemicals has claimed to be the first company in the world to supply verifiable sustainable ethanol. Its ethanol from Brazilian sugarcane satisfies all stringent environmental, climate and social standards of production, said executive vice president Anders Fredriksson. SEKAB said it and “progressive Brazilian producers” have...

(EnergyAsia, July 7, Monday) — Australia’s Origin Energy Limited said it is rejecting an unsolicited takeover offer from UK’s BG Group plc. (US$1=A$1.03). The company will recommend shareholders to reject BG’s improved bid of A$15.50 cash per share as undervaluing its assets. (US$1=A$1.03). In rejecting BG’s offer on May 30, Origin said its board took...