(EnergyAsia, October 14, Wednesday) — Japan’s Mitsubishi Electric Corp said it will introduce two photovoltaic (PV) inverters to the North American market, starting with the 100kW model this month, and the 250kW model in April 2011. It will become the first Japanese manufacturer to enter the North American large-scale PV inverter market. Highly efficient PV...

(EnergyAsia, October 14, Wednesday) — Smart Grid Australia (SGA) has welcomed the implementation report for the national A$100 million “Smart Grid, Smart City” programme, describing it as the first step in implementing a smart grid framework for Australia. (US$1=A$1.1). SGA chairman Charles Popple said the programme will boost the development of the local smart grid...

(EnergyAsia, October 14, Wednesday) — Concern over China’s construction of mega dams along the Mekong River is rising as the projects could affect or even disrupt water supplies to its Southeast Asian neighbours. According to a joint report released in May by the UN Environment Programme and the Asian Institute of Technology, China’s plan for...

(EnergyAsia, October 14, Wednesday) — When Manila was battling the most severe flooding in 40 years last month, climate change negotiators met in Bangkok in hopes of advancing a climate change deal. City leaders and their national counterparts on the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiating teams met to discuss the importance of...

(EnergyAsia, October 13, Tuesday) — China’s rush to embrace alternative forms of  energy will not reduce the country’s CO2 emission problems because it will still rely on coal-based power for the bulk of its electricity for the next 40 years or more, said an Australian expert on carbon capture.   Peter Cook, CEO of CO2CRC,...

(EnergyAsia, October 13, Tuesday) — China has set an ambitious long-term plan to build 50 eco-cities using northern port city Tianjin as the pioneer and model for development, said government officials. Tianjin Mayor Huang Xingguo said its equal joint venture project with Singapore to turn a 30-sq km plot of barren land into an environmentally-friendly...

(EnergyAsia, October 13, Tuesday) — Most of the palm oil blended into diesel sold to British motorists was grown from land that used to support rainforests, said the Renewable Fuels Agency, a UK government-funded watchdog that monitors biofuel supplies.   Out of 123 million litres of palm oil that 12 companies supplied to filling stations...

(EnergyAsia, October 13, Tuesday) — Domestic coal supply to Vietnam’s power sector is expected to fall short of requirements in 2013 by 9.2 million tonnes and 25.51 million tonnes by 2015, said state-owned Vietnam National Coal and Minerals Group (Vinacomin).   Thus, coal-dependent power generating firms will likely be forced to turn to imports to...

(EnergyAsia, October 13, Tuesday) — Denmark’s Vestas Wind Systems said it has received an order for 60 units of its V82-1.65 MW wind turbine model for a project in Theni in India’s Tamil Nadu state. The order was placed by Hong Kong’s CLP, a long-time Vestas customer which also owns and operates wind farms in...

(EnergyAsia, October 13, Tuesday) — Singapore-based Asiatic Group (Holdings) Ltd said its wholly-owned subsidiary, Colben Energy (Singapore) Pte Ltd, has agreed to take a 30%-stake in a joint venture company to develop a RM150 million biomass power plant in Malaysia. (US$1=RM3.39). Asiatic said it expects to invest about RM10 million in Maju Intan Biomass Energy...

(EnergyAsia, October 13, Tuesday) — The following is a statement released by Noeleen Heyzer, UN Under-Secretary-General and ESCAP executive secretary on the recent spate of natural disasters to hit various parts of Asia.   “It is almost unprecedented for any region to experience so many disasters over such a short period of time. Since September...

(EnergyAsia, October 13, Tuesday) — The following is an edited version of the World Shipping Council (WSC)’s policy paper on the liner shipping industry and carbon emissions. It was signed by Christopher L. Koch, the WSC’s President and CEO. “Governments, industries, and consumers around the world are responding to concerns about the effect of carbon...

(EnergyAsia, October 12, Monday) — Swiber Holdings Limited, a Singapore-based offshore oil and gas services provider, said state industrial landlord JTC Corporation has extended the lease for private lot A7131 at 23 Tuas Crescent to October 31, 2021. The 2.4-hectare land is currently occupied by the group’s shipyard, Kreuz Shipbuilding & Engineering Pte Ltd (KSE)....

(EnergyAsia, October 12, Monday) — The Australian Solar Institute Company (ASI) has been formally established as a public company controlled by the Federal government, said the Minister for Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson. The ASI is a $100 million commitment by the Australian government to support solar thermal and solar photovoltaic research and development.  Speaking...

(EnergyAsia, October 12, Monday) — Owing to its location in the pacific ring of fire with over 130 active volcanoes, Indonesia has a reserve of nearly 27,000 MW of geothermal power. Despite having the highest geothermal reserves in the world, Indonesia has, so far utilised only four percent of its potential, said consultant Frost &...

(EnergyAsia, October 12, Monday) — Hong Kong-based CLP Group has announced it will develop its sixth Indian wind farm in Theni in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. The 99 MW project will boost CLP India’s portfolio of committed wind energy investments to approximately 450MW, making CLP one of the largest wind energy developers in...

(EnergyAsia, October 12, Monday) — Japan’s electronics giant Panasonic Corp said it has developed a 1.5kWh battery module from 18650-type lithium-ion battery cells that are widely used in laptop computers to provide energy storage solutions for a wide range of applications including powering electric vehicles. Measuring 18 mm in diameter x 65 mm in length,...

(EnergyAsia, October 12, Monday) — China’s southwestern Yunnan province plans to build 30 wind power plants to meet the growing electricity demand of its largely rural population. The energy bureau of the Yunnan Development and Reform Commission has approved plans for the projects which will have a total installed capacity of 2,822 MW. The bureau...

(EnergyAsia, October 12, Monday) — UN officials have conceded that talks in the run-up to the historic climate change conference in Copenhagen, Denmark in December have made little progress on matters related to finance and mid-term targets. The penultimate negotiating session wrapped up last week in Bangkok, Thailand with progress made on what should constitute...

(EnergyAsia, October 9, Friday) — California, US-based startup SG Biofuels claims it has developed an economically viable strain of jatropha after building a library of genetic material of the crop from sources around the world. The company said its jatropha crop can produce oil at US$1.50 per gallon at a commercial scale before refining, and...

(EnergyAsia, October 9, Friday) — Japanese firms Itochu Corp and JGC, together with a Filipino group, will build a US$100 million ethanol plant in Isabela in northern Philippines. The sugarcane-based plant, which will be the largest ethanol plant in the country, will have a capacity to produce 54 million litres of ethanol per year when...

(EnergyAsia, October 9, Friday) — NYSE-listed Murphy Oil Corp said it has begun producing natural gas fields in Blocks SK 309 and SK 311 off the coast of Malaysia’s Sarawak state. Natural gas produced from the phased development of the fields will be supplied to the Petronas LNG Complex in Bintulu city. Murphy Sarawak Oil...

(EnergyAsia, October 9, Friday) — International Finance Corp, the investment arm of the World Bank, has suspended investments in palm oil businesses pending a review of its involvement in the controversial sector. The goal of the review is to develop a strategy that would define the basis and manner by which the organisation supports the...

(EnergyAsia, October 9, Friday) — The number of attacks in the South China Sea hit a five-year high of 10 so far this year or more than the previous record of 9 in 2005. Pirates boarded the ships in nine of the 10 incidents while one was an attempted boarding. In the Strait of Malacca...