(EnergyAsia, October 15, Thursday) — NYSE-listed AES Corp said it has started commercial operations of a new 49.5 MW wind farm in Hebei province in China. The Huanghua I plant came on-line last month, with Huanghua II due to follow on in the first half of 2010. The Hebei Provincial Power Company will purchase all...

(EnergyAsia, October 14, Wesnesday) — Hong Kong-based CLP Group, one of the largest investor-owned power businesses in Asia, said it will be developing a 99 MW wind farm, in Theni in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. With its sixth Indian wind farm, CLP said its portfolio of wind energy investments will grow to...

(EnergyAsia, October 14, Wednesday) — A long-delayed proposal to build a A$120 million wind farm on the fringe of Adelaide has been revived, thanks to the Australian government’s new renewable energy target. (US$1=A$1.10). The New Zealand-based TrustPower said it has conducted work on the Myponga-Sellicks Hill wind farm in preparation for better market conditions in...

(EnergyAsia, October 14, Wednesday) — American Superconductor Corporation (AMSC), a Nasdaq-listed energy technology company, said it has signed a contract to supply China’s Sinovel Wind Corporation Limited core electrical components worth more than $100 million to be utilised in Sinovel’s three megawatt (MW) wind turbines, known as the SL3000. AMSC said it expects to begin...

(EnergyAsia, October 14, Wednesday) — Suntech Power said it has completed and connected to the national grid the first 10 MW utility-scale solar power project in China. Located in Shizuishan in the Ningxia Autonomous Region, the 10MW ground mount solar system is the first phase of a 50MW solar plant that is targeted for completion...

(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...