(EnergyAsia, October 7 2010, Thursday) — Malaysian environmentalists are celebrating the decision by Sabah’s environment minister to support their call to halt the planned construction of a coal-fired power plant on Borneo Island. But they know the fight is far from over as the multi-billion-dollar project has the support of powerful politicians and business groups....

(EnergyAsia, October 7 2010, Thursday) – A consortium of 11 mining companies that includes heavyweights BHP Billiton Ltd, Xstrata Plc and Anglo American Plc has decided it will not bid to acquire a coal railway network which the Queensland state government is planning to offload this year. The Queensland Coal Industry Rail Group (QCIR) said...

(EnergyAsia, October 7 2010, Thursday) — Asia has overtaken Europe in coal imports from South Africa, a trend that’s bound to continue given strong demand from China and India. For the first seven months of 2010, South Africa exported 45% more coal to Asia than the same period last year while reducing shipments to Europe...

(EnergyAsia, October 7 2010, Thursday) — Hong Kong-based global commodities supplier Noble Group said it has agreed to acquire Sempra Energy Solutions (SES) from NYSE-listed Sempra Energy and The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), a unit of their RBS-Sempra Commodities joint venture for US$317 million in cash and the assumption of approximately US$265 million in...

(EnergyAsia, October 7 2010, Thursday) — Cummins Power Generation (China) Co Ltd, a unit of NYSE-listed Cummins Inc, said it recently launched a domestically made series of the Q60 generator sets, marking the company’s integration into the global supply. Its customers in China are now able to have a direct transaction, saing them time and...

(EnergyAsia, October 6 2010, Wednesday) — Nigerian and Chinese investors are teaming up to build a free trade zone and a local manufacturing base near the West African country’s main commercial city of Lagos. The Lekki free trade zone, which is targeted to start operation in November, offers potential given that it is adjacent to...

(EnergyAsia, October 6 2010, Wednesday) — As China completes the construction of several clean coal conversion projects, analysts forecast that it will have world’s largest capacity to convert coal to gas, liquids and chemicals by 2020. China already has plants with annual capacities to convert 1.68 million tons of coal to liquids and 1.7 million...

(EnergyAsia, October 6 2010, Wednesday) — A Japanese consortium comprising Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd (MHI) and Marubeni Corporation said it has secured an order for two 1,000-megawatts (MW) steam turbine and generator from a South Korean power company. It did not disclose the project’s value. The sets will be installed in Korea East-West Power’s (EWP)...

(EnergyAsia, October 6 2010, Wednesday) — The Chinese government said it has shut down more than 500 ageing coal-fired power plants with a total generating capacity of more than 11 million kilowatts in the first nine months of the year. Located across the country, the plants would have consumed 85 million tonnes of coal a...

(EnergyAsia, October 6 2010, Wednesday) — China has succeeded the US as the most attractive location in which to invest in renewable energy projects, according to Ernst & Young’s (E&Y) latest Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Indices. China entered the indices table in December 2004 and has progressed steadily to the top of E&Y’s All Renewables...

UK energy consultancy Xodus Group said it is developing new technologies to commercialise unconventional gas deposits as well as handle water disposal and post-frac fluid recycling issues in remote areas around the world. The Aberdeen-headquartered firm said it recently launched a new Wells and Subsurface division and believes there is huge potential in untapped energy...

(EnergyAsia, October 5 2010, Tuesday) — Yorkville Advisors LLC, a US-based alternative investment firm, said it has completed its 20th Standby Equity Distribution Agreement (SEDA), a proprietary equity financing, for 2010. The US$23 million transaction with an oil and gas exploration firm New Guinea Energy operating in Papua New Guinea was the Yorkville’s fourth oil...

(EnergyAsia, October 5 2010, Tuesday) – Three international companies, Adani Group and Reliance Energy of India, and Japan’s Itochu, are separately planning to build a railway in Indonesia to gain access to the country’s vast coal reserves. Adani is looking to invest a total of US$1.6 billion to build a railway and a storage terminal...

(EnergyAsia, October 5 2010, Tuesday) — 3S Swiss Solar Systems AG said its customer Malaysian Solar Resources has successfully produced highly efficient, TÜV certified crystalline solar modules through the first factory in Gambang, Malaysia. The capacity of the new 25MW production line can be doubled if required. 3S said that MSR, formerly San-Du Solar Energy,...

(EnergyAsia, October 5 2010, Tuesday) — Ukraine has invited China to help develop seven coal mines at a total cost of US$1 billion. The offer was made last month when Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych led an official delegation to China to boost political and economic ties. Yuriy Yaschenko, the Ukrainian coal industry minister, said his...

(EnergyAsia, October 5 2010, Tuesday) — Greenpeace has told investors not to finance Golden Agri-resources (GAR), the Sinar Mas Group’s palm oil arm, which plans to expand into Liberia. Citing the findings of two independent auditors, the environmental group has repeatedly accused the Singapore-listed company of illegally clearing its country’s forests and peatlands. Greenpeace has...

(EnergyAsia, October 5 2010, Tuesday) — The International Energy Agency has expressed concern over the high dependence and growing use of coal as an energy source in China and India. In separate speeches at the Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs in the US and the Paris Motor Show in France last month,...

(EnergyAsia, October 5 2010, Tuesday) — Japan’s Honda Motors has launched a zero-emission electric scooter as the automotive industry’s green strategy expands from cars to bikes and scooters. Honda’s EV-neo scooter — the equivalent of a 50 cc petrol-powered bike — is said to be quieter too, emitting a calm whirring sound as opposed to...

(EnergyAsia, October 5 2010, Tuesday) — The Australian government and Centennial Coal shareholders have approved the company’s takeover by Thailand’s largest coal miner, Banpu, for US$2.1 billion. “Banpu Minerals Singapore, a subsidiary of Banpu Public Company Ltd, has received unconditional approval from the Australian treasurer for its off-market takeover bid for Centennial,” said the Thai...

(EnergyAsia, October 4 2010, Monday) — Mitsubishi Electric Corporation said it has installed a 191-kilowatt (kW) photovoltaic (PV) system, which has begun operation at the Nabeya-ueno waterworks in Japan’s fourth largest city, Nagoya. Owned and operated by the Nagoya City Waterworks and Sewerage Bureau, the plant is the city’s oldest water treatment facility and the...

(EnergyAsia, October 4 2010, Monday) — Japan’s Mitsui & Co Ltd said it has signed a “comprehensive business alliance” with Shenhua Group Corporation Limited, a leading Chinese energy enterprise and coal producer. The alliance will aim to increase the coal trade between the two countries, joint development of coal mines in other countries, their collaboration...

(EnergyAsia, October 4 2010, Monday) —- Not content with being the world’s biggest coal producer and consumer, China is setting a new unwanted claim to having the world’s longest traffic jams, caused largely by long lines of coal trucks along its highways outside Beijing. In a warning of things to come, at least three monster...

(EnergyAsia, October 4 2010, Monday) — China’s state-owned integrated oil companies, Sinopec, has agreed to pay US$7.1 billion for a 40% stake in the Brazilian subsidiary of Spanish oil firm Repsol. The deal will value the joint venture at more than US$17.77 billion while Repsol Brasil’s assets are worth more than US$10.66 billion. The company...

(EnergyAsia, October 4 2010, Monday) — The following is an extract from a recent report entitled, “Dry Bulk Shipping Outlook: Iron Ore and Coal,” by Norwegian bank DnB NOR. China is by far the world’s largest producer of coal. In 2008, the country produced 68.7% of the total world production, measured in tonnes. By this...