(EnergyAsia, May 18 2010, Thursday)—The world’s three largest oil consumers, the US, China and Japan, along with India and South Korea are set to meet in Seoul next month to map out a joint strategy to deal with oil supply disruptions. The strategy by the five countries, which account for 44% of the...
(EnergyAsia, May 17 2010, Monday) — The 2010 China Pipeline Summit, supported by the International Pipeline and Offshore Contractors Association (IPLOCA), and International Gas Union and Pigging Products and Services Association, last month brought together leaders from around the world to explore methods to optimise pipeline safety, said conference organiser Noppen Shanghai Co Ltd. Held (more…)
(EnergyAsia, May 17 2010, Monday) — By Darrell Delamaide for Oilprice.com. Crude oil prices plunged nearly 4% on May 14 Friday and were off almost 20% from their 18-month high less than two weeks ago, as the euro continued to lose ground against the dollar and US oil inventories continued to build. The benchmark West (more…)
(EnergyAsia, May 17 2010, Monday) — India’s Essar Group said it has agreed to purchase the Aries coal mines in Indonesia’s East Kalimantan province, which hold an estimated base of 100 million tonnes of thermal coal and mineable reserves of 64 million tonnes. Essar did not reveal the purchase price. Located in the province’s Kutai...
(EnergyAsia, May 17 2010, Monday) — Japan’s Kyocera Corp said it will supply 9,000 solar modules for a total of 1.7 megawatts (MW) of capacity for the first stage of the Matsuyama solar power plant in Ehime Prefecture on Japan’s Shikoku Island. Planned by Shikoku Electric Power Co Inc with construction by Yonden Engineering Co...
(EnergyAsia, May 17 2010, Monday) — US investment bank JP Morgan has shut down its four-member Singapore-based Asian carbon trading and development operations and consolidating the business under recently acquired EcoSecurities. The bank has bought out carbon pioneer EcoSecurities, one of the largest investors in clean energy projects supported by the UN-run Clean Development Mechanism....
(EnergyAsia, May 17 2010, Monday) — The Russian government is seeking greater cooperation among the world’s leading natural gas producing and exporting countries to ensure that prices do not fall as sharply as they have over the past two years. Russia is interested in making the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, which is based in Qatar...
(EnergyAsia, May 17 2010, Monday) — The Chinese government has directed state energy firms to form consortia or avoid competing against each other when bidding for overseas oil and gas assets to ensure that they do not overpay or drive up prices of acquisition targets. The National Energy Administration and National Development and Reform Commission...
(EnergyAsia, May 14 2010, Friday) — Malaysia plans to identify 50 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to take part in a project to commercialise biomass technology. Ahmad Zaharudin Idrus, chairman of the Biomass Industries in Malaysia Sustainable Production (Biomas-SP) Project, said that firms with a good track record would be groomed to build capacity...
(EnergyAsia, May 14 2010, Friday) — Shipowners and operators who violate greenhouse gas emissions levels set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the shipping industry in 2012 may face fines of US$75 for each tonne of emissions above limit. The IMO said commercial vessels, which carry about 80% of the world’s goods, accounted for...
(EnergyAsia, May 14 2010, Friday) — Nasdaq-listed SunPower Corp said it began supplying Japan’s Toshiba Corp 32MW of high-efficiency solar panels from April. The panels are a vital component of Toshiba’s new residential solar offering in Japan. SunPower CEO Tom Werner said: “SunPower panels are particularly well suited to Japan’s residential market where the new...
(EnergyAsia, May 14 2010, Friday) — The Singapore government has stepped up its national drive to promote energy saving among the country’s largest consumers. Last month, three key agencies, the National Environment Agency (NEA), Energy Market Authority (EMA) and Economic Development Board (EDB), launched the Energy Efficiency National Partnership (EENP) programme to help industry improve...
(EnergyAsia, May 14 2010, Friday) — Sri Lanka’s investment promotion agency said it has approved a company’s application to invest in two mini-hydro power plants worth a total of US$8.78 million. The Board of Investment (BOI) said the investors will be given tax breaks and concessions like duty free raw material and machinery imports. The...
(EnergyAsia, May 14 2010, Friday) — The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has issued a staff paper proposing the setting up a new green fund to invest US$100 billion a year by 2020 to help developing countries finance the costs of combating climate change. The paper’s authors, economists Hugh Bredenkamp and Catherine Pattillo, suggest that creation...
(EnergyAsia, May 14 2010, Friday) — China Hydroelectric Corporation (CHC), a developer and operator of small hydroelectric power projects, said it has completed the full acquisition of the 19MW Husahe Project in China’s Yunnan province for RMB106 million. (US$1=RMB6.82). The company said it paid a combination of cash and a seller note, all or a...
(EnergyAsia, May 14 2010, Friday) — Indonesia’s President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said his country will aim to generate 9,500 megawatts (MW) or 5% of its total energy needs from tapping geothermal power trapped beneath volcanoes. Indonesia, which has 265 volcanoes, currently generates 1,200 MW of electricity from geothermal sources out of an estimated potential...
(EnergyAsia, May 13 2010, Thursday) — New Zealand showcased its geothermal leadership at the World Geothermal Congress (WGC) 2010 held in Bali, Indonesia last month. The New Zealand Geothermal Association (NZGA) and a large delegation of scientists, engineers, consultants and investors, and major companies demonstrated a full spectrum of professional services and expertise in geothermal (more…)
(EnergyAsia, May 13 2010, Thursday) — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said its board has approved investment in a 73-megawatt solar power plant in Lopburi province in central Thailand. The plant, likely to be one of the largest solar photovoltaic projects in the world, will be central to Thailand’s efforts to generate much more of...
(EnergyAsia, May 13 2010, Thursday) — Japan’s Kyocera Corp said it will supply 9,000 solar modules for a total of 1.7 megawatts (MW) of capacity for the first stage of the Matsuyama solar power plant in Ehime Prefecture on Japan’s Shikoku Island. Planned by Shikoku Electric Power Co Inc with construction by Yonden Engineering Co...
(EnergyAsia, May 13 2010, Thursday) — A controversial hydropower project in northern Myanmar has been rocked by a series of explosions but no information on casualties or damage has been released. The hardline military regime has blamed dissident groups and separatist ethnic rebels launching the attacks. The hydroelectric project on the country’s main Irrawaddy River...
(EnergyAsia, May 13 2010, Thursday) — Japan’s Honda Motor has launched its latest electric scooter, which will initially target domestic business customers such as fast food delivery chains. The EV-neo, which uses a lithium-ion battery, can travel 30 km on a single charge and can be rapid-charged up to 80% of capacity in 20 minutes....
(EnergyAsia, May 13 2010, Thursday) — Car makers, rather than environmentalists, are prematurely promoting the production and use of expensive electric cars to take advantage of generous state subsidies even though the industry has a higher carbon dioxide footprint than the traditional auto sector, according to an industry report. The 168-page report, The Emperor’s New...
(EnergyAsia, May 13 2010, Thursday) — Industry participants believe biofuels would meet only a small portion of Australia’s demand for aviation fuel over the next 10 years. At an environmental conference hosted by US aircraft company Boeing in Sydney last month, some participants predicted that biofuels would supply less than 5% of the domestic aviation...
(EnergyAsia, May 13 2010, Thursday) — GE said its Jenbacher biogas engines will power China’s Liaoning Huishan cow farm, which when completed in September, will become world’s largest biogas project based on cow manure. The manure from the 250,000 cows at the farm in Shenyang city will be converted into biogas and is expected to...
(EnergyAsia, May 12 2010, Wednesday) — Anglo Dutch Shell last week officially announced the completion of the Shell Eastern Petrochemicals Complex (SEPC) project in Singapore, its largest petrochemicals investment to date, and its second world-scale petrochemicals project in Asia in four years after its Nanhai joint-venture in Guangdong, China. The new plant, estimated to...