143,000 tonnes this year, up 50% from 2007. For the first eight months of 2008, exports had already exceeded last year’s full-year shipments of 95,000 tonnes. Producers have widened their margins as costs for palm-oil feedstock are way below breakeven cost of around RM3,000 per tonne. (US$1= RM3.5). However, towards the end of the year,...
The company has struggled to operate the 122,500-tonne-per-year plant, Australia’s largest, in the face of high palm oil feedstock costs, prompting investors to withdraw funding. The plant is unlikely to be sold quickly due to tough market conditions and Australia’s unclear policies towards biodiesel. NFAL is a joint venture between Natural Fuel and Babcock &...
wind power project in the country’s western Gujarat state. The project will cost an estimated Rs250 million. (US$1=Rs46). The company is also looking at developing two wind power projects in Maharashtra and Rajasthan states, with a combined capacity of over 23 MW. Other Indian energy firms, including Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), NTPC, Nuclear...
around the world for years to come, analysts said. Netherlands-based Rabobank has placed the funding shortfall at over 21-billion euro. (US$1 = Euro0.73). Renewables have become increasingly viable in recent years as oil and gas prices soared and governments broadened incentives and subsidies for the sector. However, with the sudden and worsening credit crunch, banks...
promotion of solar energy projects. As a first step, the Bureau of Energy under the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) said it plans to invite Chinese government officials to a renewable energy conference next year. Taiwan’s solar firms have already been actively investing in China and are planning expansions to their projects on the mainland....
The fuel which contains a 5% ethanol blend is made at a plant in Vietnam’s northern Phu Tho province. The facility mixes ethanol imported from Brazil with home-grown sugarcane and cassava. PetroVietnam plans to build a second ethanol plant with an annual capacity of 100,000 cubic metres as it works to broaden its offering of...
petroleum gas (LPG) depot in Long Thanh district in the country’s southern province of Dong Nai. The 215-billion-dong project at the Go Dau A industrial Park will have the capacity to store 6,000 tonnes of LPG. (US$1=16,715 dong). The 10-hectare project includes a port that can serve LPG vessels of up to 50,000 tonnes. Southern...
expected to involve over 150 countries. FAO celebrates World Food Day each year on October 16 to coincide with its founding anniversary in 1945. Alexander Mueller, FAO assistant director-general (Natural Resources Management and Environment Department), said: “Global warming is already underway and adaptation strategies are now a matter of urgency, especially for the most vulnerable...
wind farm in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, its fourth in the country. CLP said the Andhra Lake project, involving 142 wind turbines of 800KW capacity each, will be its largest wind project undertaken to date. The project will increase CLP’s renewable energy portfolio to more than 1,000 equity MW. Subsidiary CLP Wind Farms...
the food and financial crisis by 11% to US$38.2 billion in fiscal 2008. It also reported increased support for jobs creation. The bank said commitments in the fiscal year ending June 30 came in the form of loans, grants, equity investments and guarantees to assist people and private businesses in its member countries, with Africa...
efficiency (EE) projects and programmes in developing countries by 87% in the past fiscal year. Total RE and EE commitments for the year ended June 30 reached nearly $2.7 billion.energy efficiency, $476 million for wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, and hydropower projects that will produce up to 10 MW per facility, and $1.007 billion for hydropower...
(EnergyAsia, October 13, Monday) — Singapore’s energy and utilities provider Tuas Power said its new green consultancy services will help companies improve the energy efficiency and operating cost of their buildings through better design. Companies using the services will be able to secure a Green Mark Gold rating awarded by the Building and Construction Authority (more…)
leading energy technologies company, said it has signed a multi-million-dollar contract to provide wind turbine designs to China’s XJ Group Corporation. AMSC said its wholly owned AMSC Windtec™ subsidiary will provide XJ Group with designs for its WT2000df, a 2 megawatt (MW) doubly fed induction wind turbine. In addition to the upfront fee, AMSC...
another contract to supply China’s HeBei Jing Long I/E Trade Co Ltd high tech wire saws to support its plant expansion plan. The contract volume amounts to more than 30 million Swiss franc. (US$1=1.14 CHF). Meyer said it will deliver the wire saws in the second half of 2009. HeBei Jing Long I/E Trade Co...
Bangladesh with a $165 million loan facility to help boost the country’s infrastructure investments. The ‘Public-Private Infrastructure Development Facility’ aims to increase private sector investments of up to $600 million to finance 15 to 20 projects, which are mostly energy-related. This would add 900MW to Bangladesh’s power generation capacity and will provide electricity to more...
preserve world food security, protect poor farmers, promote broad-based rural development and ensure environmental sustainability, said the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO). In the latest edition of its annual flagship publication ‘The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) 2008’, the FAO said biofuels production based on agricultural commodities increased more than threefold from 2000 to...
World Bank Group, said it has signed a $100 million loan agreement with SN Aboitiz Power-Benguet Inc (SNAPB), the joint venture company between Philippines’ Aboitiz Power Corporation (AP) and Norway’s SN Power Invest AS, to help rehabilitate two hydroelectric plants. The project will boost electricity output in the Benguet province of Luzon island in the...
partners to develop and commercialise solar energy products for homes. In one alliance, Neety will be working with Chinese firm CNPV, a developer and manufacturer of solar energy modules. It is also working with Linuo Group, which focuses on solar, thermal and photovoltaic products. The Ahmedabad-based company, a division of Neety International, aims to...
contribute a quarter of the $1.5 billion cost needed to fund two hydropower projects in Nepal. The Arun-III and the Upper Karnali projects will generate a combined 702 megawatts (MW) of power, helping to ease Nepal’s power supply problems. Two Indian firms have won engineering contracts to build the two projects. ...
environment is worried that the country’s biofuels programme will do more harm than good for the environment. Commissioner Jan Wright has also expressed concerns about the impact of biofuels production on food prices. Biofuels have been widely blamed for triggering food shortages and price surges. Under the country’s biofuels mandate, oil firms have to sell...
increase its investment into the energy and resources sectors. The move is spearheaded by Martin Dee, the new head of Temasek’s international division. Before joining Temasek, Dee was with investment bank Morgan Stanely’s Houston office. Apart from conventional oil and gas resources, Temasek will also focus on alternative energy investments. So far, natural resources only...
(EnergyAsia, October 10, Friday) — The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said the world economy is experiencing a major downturn in the face of the most dangerous financial shock in mature markets since the 1930s, and called for strong and coordinated actions to avoid worse-case scenarios. In its latest World Economic Outlook (WEO), the agency projects (more…)
preliminary agreement with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) to appraise and develop Jarn Yaphour and Ramhan oil and gas fields in Abu Dhabi. Oxy will operate both fields and hold a 100% interest in newly created concessions. The Jarn Yaphour field is located onshore near the capital city of Abu Dhabi. Development activities at...
administration, has mothballed the country’s biggest biodiesel plant in Darwin. The plant is to be sold off while its 15 employees are expected to be laid off as a result of Natural Fuels Australia’s mounting financial problems. The plant, an equal joint venture with Babcock and Brown Environmental Investments, has the capacity to produce 122,500...
recently agreed to be bought over by China’s Sinopec International Petroleum Exploration and Production Corporation (SIPC) for C$31.50 per share in cash. (US$1=C$1.10). The offer represented a substantial premium to both the recent and historical trading prices of Tanganyika’s shares. The acquisition will be funded through SIPC’s internal resources and is not conditional upon any...