(EnergyAsia, October 9, Friday) — Solarfun Power said it has signed a letter of intent with the government of Hohhot City, the capital city of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in China, to develop two solar projects with a total capacity of 600MW. In support of these two projects, Solarfun said it will construct a...
(EnergyAsia, October 9, Friday) — Australia’s AGL Energy Limited said it will earn A$88 million from selling its 132.3 MW Hallett 4 wind farm to the Energy Infrastructure Investments (EII) consortium, made up of Japan’s Marubeni Corp (39.9%), Osaka Gas (39.9%) and Australia’s APA Group (20.2%). (US$1=A$1.13). The development fees will be recognised progressively on...
(EnergyAsia, October 9, Friday) — Home to some of the world’s fastest growing economies, Asia is also leading the world in the number of registered clean development mechanisms (CDM) projects. The region accounts for 74% of the 1,785 projects registered by the UNFCCC, taking a share of more than 80% CERs issued to date. Renewables Report...
(EnergyAsia, October 8, Thursday) — A South Korean consortium said it will invest 200-billion won to build an algae bioethanol plant in the southern coastal city of Yeosu by 2013. (US$1=1,165 won). Kumho Petrochemical Co, the South Jeolla provincial government and a local biotechnology firm will jointly build the 100,000-ton-per-year plant to spearhead the country’s...
(EnergyAsia, October 8, Thursday) — Norway’s REC Systems said it is co-operating with Zeco Systems to launch the first solar charging Electric Vehicle (EV) station in Singapore. Located at the Singapore Polytechnic, Zeco’s partner facility, Solar Greenlots, is an expansion of its open-source charging stations for EVs launched by Zeco in March 2009. While existing...
(EnergyAsia, October 8, Thursday) — Evergreen Solar Inc, a Nasdaq-listed manufacturer of String Ribbon™ solar power products, said it has appointed Henry Ng as the general manager for its Asian operations. Mr Ng was previously the general manager of the Suntech Power Holding Co Ltd factory in Wuxi, China – a position he held since...
(EnergyAsia, October 8, Thursday) — Showa Shell Sekiyu KK, Japan’s fifth-biggest oil company, said it plans to invest US$1.1 billion in a new thin-film solar cell plant in an attempt to boost revenues from its solar energy business. The plant, the company’s third solar cell facility, is expected to start operating by the second half...
(EnergyAsia, October 8, Thursday) — State-run Indian firms Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) and Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) said they will invest 20 billion rupees in a joint venture by next March to build a 250 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic production plant. (US$1=48 rupee). The two companies said they will initially be equal shareholders, but...
(EnergyAsia, October 8, Thursday) — US-listed VIASPACE Inc said a 30MW biomass power plant in Wangkiu near Harbin city in China will soon be fuelled by its specially cultivated giant king grass. The plant, owned by DP CleanTech, currently uses corn straw gathered from farms within a 50-km radius. VIASPACE CEO Carl Kukkonen who recently...
(EnergyAsia, October 8, Thursday) — Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Investment and Development Co Ltd (SSTEC) said it is working with leading Singapore transport organisations to lay the foundation for a comprehensive and effective green transport system in the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City in northern China. The green transport system which features public transport system and electric and...
(EnergyAsia, October 8, Thursday) — GT Solar International Inc, a Nasdaq-listed provider of specialised production equipment, process technology and turnkey manufacturing services for the solar power industry, said it has opened its new Asia headquarters in Shanghai, China. GT Solar said the new facility will make it easier to supply products, spare parts and service...
(EnergyAsia, October 7, Wednesday) — US GE said it has signed an agreement with South Korea’s NURI Telecom Ltd to build an advanced smart grid infrastructure in that country. South Korea is embarking on several smart grid initiatives including the development of a road map and a pilot project on Jeju Island. “GE recognises the...
(EnergyAsia, October 7, Wednesday) — New orders for 16 surveyed key contractors to the upstream oil and gas industry declined 52% in the first half of 2009 compared to the same period last year, said consulting firm ODS-Petrodata. Whereas some contractors have landed major orders over the last few months, securing work in the near...
(EnergyAsia, October 7, Wednesday) — American Superconductor Corp (AMSC), a Nasdaq-listed energy technology company, said it has formed a new division to serve South Korea’s growing wind energy and power grid markets. Headquartered in Busan, AMSC Korea will provide local applications engineering, sales, business development and field service support for its customers which include LS...
(EnergyAsia, October 7, Wednesday) — The biofuels industry in the US is collapsing under the weight of new economic realities ranging from lower oil prices to delayed implementation of fuel blending mandates. According to the National Biodiesl Board, two-thirds of domestic biodiesel production capacity is now sitting idle. Dozens of biodiesel plants have stopped operations...
(EnergyAsia, October 7, Wednesday) — BP said it has sold off its wind business in India to independent power producer Green Infra Limited to focus on developing its portfolio in the US. Green Infra Limited paid 4.622 billion rupees to acquire BP Energy India Private Limited (BPEIPL), which owns and operates three wind farms in...
(EnergyAsia, October 7, Wednesday) — China’s installed hydropower capacity is expected to rise to 300,000 megawatts (MW) by 2020 from 172,000 MW at the end of last year, said Water Resources Minister Chen Lei. He said that hydropower would play a more important role in China’s strategy for energy security and fighting climate change. China...
(EnergyAsia, October 7, Wednesday) —Australia’s Licella Pty Ltd said it has developed a technology to transform waste materials such as timber residues or sawdust into biofuels through a process called lignocellulosics. Licella, which has a large-scale biomass plant just north of Sydney in Somersby, said it was successful in its recent bid for A$2.3 million...
(EnergyAsia, October 7, Wednesday) — China’s A-Power Energy Generation Systems said it has won a US$90.5 million contract to develop a 49.5 megawatt wind farm in Inner Mongolia. A-Power will supply Urat-based Jihe Orient Wind Energy the wind turbines, towers and foundations of the project as well as oversee the construction, subcontracting and installation. The...
(EnergyAsia, October 6, Tuesday) — The Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) will lead a group of 11 local key photovoltaic (PV) suppliers, including the world’s top solar cell makers, to the Middle East from October 30 to November 10. The trade mission will introduce the latest PV products and solar technology to prospective customers...
(EnergyAsia, October 6, Tuesday)–Mobile base station electricity costs could rise by nearly 55% over the next five years unless operators address network inefficiencies and reduce reliance on non-renewable energy resources, according to a new report from Juniper Research. The green base stations report utilised scenario-based models to derive estimates of base station power consumption, CO2...
(EnergyAsia, October 6, Tuesday) — Australian upstream company Santos said it has proposed a low emissions target as a policy platform for South Australia state and the use of natural gas to help reduce carbon emissions from power generation. Santos CEO David Knox wants the state’s power sector to produce average emissions of no more...
(EnergyAsia, October 6, Tuesday) — Singapore-based technology company Neftech Pte Ltd said it has assigned to Singapore Shipping Corporation Ltd (SSC) exclusive rights to market its proprietary cavitation energy-saving technology to 10 shipping lines. The technology improves energy efficiency and reduces greenhouse gas emissions through the fuel emulsification process where water is added to heavy...
(EnergyAsia, October 6, Tuesday) — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said it is extending $780 million to Pakistan through a multitranche financing facility for priority energy efficiency projects that will secure the country’s growing energy needs and reduce its reliance on costly, polluting fossil fuels. The $1.18 billion “Energy Efficiency Investment Program” underpins Pakistan’s first...
(EnergyAsia, October 6, Tuesday) — A consortium comprising Moser Baer India Limited and Germany’s SunEnergy GMBH said it has won an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to develop a one-megawatt solar project in Chandrapur in Maharashtra state. The contract was awarded by Mahagenco, a power generation company owned by the Maharashtra government, after a...