supply on the Australian island through the dry months of summer and autumn following near average spring rains. Hydro Tasmania manager for energy resources, David Marshall, said hydro storage tanks had received 95% of expected rainfall for spring with storage levels rising by almost 7% from September 1. Despite long-term drought in the region, storage...

it will provide Sino-Mongolia International Railroad Systems Co Ltd (SMIRSC) the technology to enhance low-grade coal for a coal liquefaction facility in China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region. The two companies signed an agreement confirming their deal at a ceremony hosted by the US Department of Commerce in Florida. Doug Hague, President and CEO of CCTI,...

Sunergy has begun construction of a 400MW research, development and production base at the Songjiang Industrial Park in Shanghai. The new facility, together with its existing Nanjing base, will help the company enhance the technological advantages and competitiveness of its crystalline silicon solar cells. Last December, China Sunergy purchased 150 acres of land in Shanghai...

an accident at its photovoltaic (PV) module facilities in Wuxi city in China last month. The company said the accident occurred following a “malfunction of a piece of module lamination equipment”, and that the injured employees are recovering in hospital. Suntech said its safety management department swiftly implemented the appropriate measures to ensure the safety...

contracts to supply a total of 91 MW of PV modules to Germany’s IBC Solar AG, one of the world’s leading specialists in PV systems. Yingli said it is expected to supply 91 MW of PV modules from this month to December 2009. Supplies under these contracts are agreed to be made at fixed prices...

construction firm, said it has been awarded a contract by Tokuyama Corporation for the front-end engineering design (FEED) of a polycrystalline silicon plant in Malaysia. The FEED work is scheduled to be completed in the first half of 2009, with plant start-up due three years later. Chiyoda will undertake the FEED work for the 3,000-ton-per-year...

agreed to sell fully-owned subsidiary PowerSeraya Limited to Sabre Energy Industries Pte Ltd for a total of S$3.8 billion. Sabre, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysia’s leading power company, YTL Power International Berhad, will pay S$3.6 billion and assume S$201 million of adjusted net debt. The transaction is expected to be completed in early 2009. PowerSeraya...

Afghanistan under a new Energy Sector Development Investment Programme approved by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). According to the ADB, the programme, financed through a multi-tranche finance facility worth $570 million, will develop and rehabilitate power and energy facilities as well as support institutional capacity building of the power utility. Projects financed through the facility...

(IMF) has approved a three-year programme to reduce poverty and boost economic growth in the Republic of Armenia. The decision will enable the Armenian government to draw a total of $13.6 million from the IMF to implement its economic programme through 2011, starting with about US$1.9 million immediately.   The IMF said Armenia is poised...

documents outlining plans to invest $21 billion by 2017 to deepen regional economic cooperation in transport, trade facilitation, trade policy and energy in the region and their neighbours. The plans were agreed at last month’s 7th Ministerial Conference of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) programme. The signatories were ministers and senior officials representing...

its US$245 million share to invest in redeveloping the North West Shelf Cossack, Wanaea, Lambert, Hermes (CWLH) fields. The project calls for  the replacement of the existing Cossack Pioneer floating, production, storage and offtake (FPSO) vessel, selected refurbishment of existing subsea infrastructure and the existing riser turret mooring. It will also capture additional oil production...

company to convert waste gas at its Queensland state mine to energy, thus helping save up to 1.5 million tons of carbon dioxide from being released each year. GE said the mine achieved this by using its ecomaginationTM certified Jenbacher power plant at Anglo Coal’s coal mine in Moranbah North to help reduce greenhouse gas...

Econcern, said it plans to invest 863 million euro in building up 720 MW in onshore wind energy capacity in China. (US$1=0.77 euro). Econcern said it has signed agreements for three onshore wind farm projects with CNOOC New Energy, a subsidiary of China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) and for one onshore wind farm project...

major, said it has acquired all the shares of Cansolv Technologies Inc (Cansolv), a provider of technologies designed to counter air pollution. Cansolv offers technology for the control of sulphur dioxide (SO2) and other contaminants as well as a carbon dioxide (CO2) capture process for greenhouse gas reductions. Cansolv has a strong research and development...

analysts say. While reduced economic activity in the wake of the financial crisis has cut oil prices to a third of its peak of US$147 per barrel in July, the credit crunch has also hit investments in energy projects. As more projects are suspended or cancelled, future production and supply will be reduced, setting the...

been delayed by at least two years to 2010, said officials.   They blame the delay on labour and material shortages. A related project, Qatargas IV, is on schedule for 2010 start-up. Both projects are majority-owned by state oil firm Qatar Petroleum, while US energy major ConocoPhillips and London-based Shell hold stakes in Qatargas III...

market for renewable energy in the Middle East. At the recent World Future Energy Summit, Abu Dhabi showed its credentials, winning numerous international awards and attracting 300 companies to exhibit at the event. “In terms of policy and leadership, the response from the Middle East is quite revolutionary”, said Prashant Kapoor, WSP’s Director of Sustainability....

ahead of schedule for two of the final four compression stations being built for an expansion of China’s landmark West-to-East Gas Pipeline, increasing the supply of natural gas to Shanghai in time for the upcoming harsh winter season. The gas turbine-driven compressor unit at the Yanchuan compressor station started up on October 11, more than...

Greener Electronics’ shows that most consumer electronics companies have been slow to get serious about climate change. Despite much green marketing, many brands still show little engagement with the issue. Since the first edition of the ‘Greener Electronics Guide’, Greenpeace said there have been gradual improvements on toxic and e-waste issues, but only a minority...

a giant oilfield in the centre of the Caspian Sea. In 2005, Kazakh state oil company KazMunaiGas signed an agreement with China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) and China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC) to jointly develop the Darkhan field which holds an estimated 11 billion barrels of oil. However, they have failed to make progress...

stake in the country’s Kashagan oil field as part of an agreement to settle a dispute over stake holdings with Italy’s ENI and other project partners. Earlier, the Kazak government had complained against delays to the field’s start-up and massive cost overruns. Production had been expected to start in 2005, while development costs had shot...

threatening much needed investments in new energy projects. The crisis is impacting both investments in conventional oil and gas developments as well as ambitious innovative undertakings such as carbon capture and storage and other environment-friendly energy projects. Shell, for example, recently cancelled the development of a wind farm project in the UK and an oilsands...