(EnergyAsia, February 5 2010, Friday) — The last decade ending 2009 has emerged as the hottest on record with the surface temperate averaging 0.54 degrees Celsius above normal, shattering the 1990s record of 0.36 degrees Celsius above normal. Also, 2009 became the fifth warmest year on record with a temperature of 0.56 degrees Celsius above...

(EnergyAsia, February 5 2010, Friday) — The article below was written by Gregory R. Copley for Oilprice.com. There is a widespread belief that the world has “ducked the strategic bullet” of global economic collapse, but this is merely the delusionary euphoria of the severely wounded patient. Severe structural damage has occurred to the key driver...

(EnergyAsia, February 5 2010, Friday) — China may have stated its intention to reduce dependence on coal and to increase the use of renewable energy for power generation, but the country is expected to remain carbon-dependent for decades to come. More than 90% of China’s electricity is now derived from coal-fired power plants. The Shenhua...

(EnergyAsia, February 5 2010, Friday) — State-owned China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC) has begun producing biodiesel at its plant in southern Hainan province. The first such project operated by the state firm, the plant has the capacity to produce 60,000 tonnes of biodiesel per year. Using oil from the jatropha crop, the plant is...

(EnergyAsia, February 5 2010, Friday) — Ten international companies have approached the Cambodian government for permission to invest in solar energy projects in the country following its removal of a 15% duty on imported building materials for solar power plants. The Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy said the companies have applied to build solar-powered...

(EnergyAsia, February 4 2010, Thursday) — A South Korean consortium has secured a major agreement to help develop solar and wind power projects to generate 2,500MW of electricity for Canada’s Ontario provincial government by 2015. The C$7-billion agreement with the consortium led by Samsung C&T Corporation and the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) will triple...

(EnergyAsia, February 4 2010, Thursday) — Singapore Exchange (SGX), Asia-Pacific’s first demutualised and integrated securities and derivatives exchange, said it will start trading its new fuel oil 380-centistoke futures contract (FO 380 Contract) on Monday, February 22. Based on the specifications of the residual marine grade 380 ISO 8217, the common bunker fuel oil supplied...

(EnergyAsia, February 4 2010, Thursday) — Strong Chinese demand for Australian coking coal has pushed up prices of the commodity, with further increases expected. Spot prices of coking coal are hovering at US$175 per tonne from US$145 a tonne in August, and research analysts said prices could rise to about US$200 a tonne sometime this...

(EnergyAsia, February 4 2010, Thursday) — The competition between China and Western countries for Africa’s oil and other natural resources is expected to benefit the continent. In Nigeria, the spectre of competition from China and impending legislation that would increase tax and royalty rates to be paid by foreign companies prompted international oil giants to...

(EnergyAsia, February 4 2010, Thursday) — American Superconductor Corporation, a NASDAQ-listed global power technologies company, said it has received an initial order for 100 sets of wind turbine core electrical components from China’s XJ Group Corporation.  The components will be deployed in 2 megawatt (MW) doubly fed induction wind turbines that were co-developed with AMSC...

(EnergyAsia, February 4 2010, Thursday) — Australia integrated energy company, Origin Energy, said it and US-based Micron Technology Inc have formed an equal joint venture to develop photovoltaic technology. Micron, a US-listed company, is one of the world’s leading providers of advanced semiconductor solutions. Micron’s president and chief operating officer, Mark Durcan, said: “As we...

(EnergyAsia, February 3 2010, Wednesday) — Taiwan’s energy industry may have to invest NT$150 billion to significantly reduce carbon emissions, according to the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI). (US$1 = NTD31.87)   The agency said Taiwan would need to make this investment to meet the International Energy Agency’s estimate that each country would have to...

(EnergyAsia, February 3 2010, Wednesday) — South Korean energy and chemical company OCI Company said it is investing one trillion won to expand the capacity of its polysilicon plant in Gunsan in North Jeolla province by 10,000 metric tons (mt) per year. When completed by December, the plant’s capacity will be boosted to 27,000 mt,...

(EnergyAsia, February 3 2010, Wednesday) — Africa’s oil output is expected to rise significantly over the next few years as new projects come on stream and one of its largest producers resolves domestic conflicts.   Some analysts believe oil production in the continent will rise by 6% by 2011, helped by Nigeria, which has been...

(EnerygAsia, February 3 2010, Wednesday) — PetroChina Company Limited, the country’s largest oil producer, is expected to import at least 700 million cubic meters of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the spot market to meet strong demand triggered by early snowfalls and low temperatures.   The imports, the first for the firm, will be significantly...

(EnergyAsia, February 3 2010, Wednesday) — Singapore needs to provide incentives to promote the use of solar power in the city-state, industry official said. One of them, Christophe Inglin, managing director of photovoltaics systems integrator Phoenix Solar, said Singapore should adopt a ‘feed-in tariff’, an incentive structure that requires electricity companies to buy renewable energy-generated...

(EnergyAsia, February 2 2010, Tuesday) — The world will need to invest US$10 trillion in renewable energy sources over the next 20 years to slow down global warming, according to a new study by the International Energy Agency. The latest estimate is 37% higher than the agency’s projection in its previous annual report on renewable...

(EnergyAsia, February 2 2010, Tuesday) — UK-based marine bunker broker and trader Bridge Oil has named Kelvin Yeo as managing director of its Singapore operations. A bachelor of commerce degree holder with double majors in accounting and finance from the University of Western Australia, Mr Yeo has over 13 years professional experience in the marine,...

(EnergyAsia, February 2 2010, Tuesday) — Indian Oil Corporation, the country’s biggest state refiner, is in talks with the state government of Uttar Pradesh to acquire 50,000 hectares of wasteland in to cultivate non-edible oil seeds such as jatropha and karanjia used for biodiesel production. IOC currently has 30,000 hectares of wasteland in Chhattisgarah and...

(EnergyAsia, February 2 2010, Tuesday) — Leading Chinese rig-builder Yantai Raffles Shipyard Ltd has delivered its first vessel for the year with the completion of a new-built Jebsens ‘Vestnes’ self-unloading bulk carrier. The handy-size vessel measures 175 meters in length and is designed for loading 30,000 tonnes of heavy materials such coal and rocks. Brian...

(EnergyAsia, February 2 2010, Tuesday) — Indian biofuel technology company PRAJ Industries Ltd said it has entered into separate cooperation agreements with Danish industrial enzymes maker Novozymes A/S and Ethiopian firms Ardent Energy Group (AEG) Ethiopia and Eco-Energy S.C. Ethiopia. With Novozymes, PRAJ said it will cooperate on developing enzymatic hydrolysis processes and enzymes in...

(EnergyAsia, February 2 2010, Tuesday) — By Dr Peter Harrop, Chairman, IDTechEx The burgeoning electric vehicle EV industry cannot be understood by simply looking at cars. The complete market value is, and will remain, about double the market for cars. The leaders such as Toyota, Honda and Nissan make electric vehicles for many applicational sectors....

(EnergyAsia, February 2 2010, Tuesday) — China’s legislature has amended the Renewable Energy Law to require power grid operators to purchase all the electricity generated by renewable energy producers. The amendment recently approved by the standing committee of the National People’s Congress also grants authority to the State Council energy department to determine the mix...