(EnergyAsia, June 12, Thursday) — Singapore’s Keppel FELS Limited said it has secured a US$385 million repeat order to build a semisubmersible drilling rig for Brazilian drilling contractor group Queiroz Galvão Óleo e Gás (QGOG). The price excludes the drilling and subsea equipment which will be supplied by QGOG. To be named Alpha Star,...

  (EnergyAsia, June 3) — Japan’s JGC and South Korean firms GS, Daelim, Hyundai and SK Engineering have won various contracts to build Kuwait’s planned 615,000 b/d grassroots refinery. The contracts are worth a total of around $9 billion. Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) said construction is due to begin within weeks, with completion of...

  (EnergyAsia, June 12, Thursday) — MWH, a Colorado, US-based provider of environmental engineering, strategic consulting and construction services, said it has been selected by the Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) to provide engineering and construction management services for the Neelum-Jhelum hydroelectric project. MWH is leading a joint venture, Neelum-Jhelum Consultants, that includes...

  (EnergyAsia, June 12, Thursday) — Chinese module manufacturer Canadian Solar (CSI) said it has signed a five-year contract to procure solar cells from Taiwanese cell manufacturer, Neo Solar Power (NSP). NSP will supply several hundred megawatts (MW) of solar cells through 2013. The total contract value exceeds $500 million. Quincy Lin, NSP chairman and...

  (EnergyAsia, June 12, Thursday) — Biofuels associations from Canada, Europe and the US have issued a joint statement in response to criticisms and comments from last week’s UN Food and Agricultural Organization summit on food in Rome, Italy. The Canadian Renewable Fuels Association (CRFA), the European Bioethanol Fuel Association (eBio), and the Renewable Fuels...

(EnergyAsia, June 11, Wednesday) — The cost of many household goods has received another boost with Down Chemical’s decision to raise the price of all of its products by up to 20% from June 1. America’s largest chemical manufacturer, with annual sales of $54 billion and 46,000 employees worldwide, said it will review business terms...

(EnergyAsia, June 11, Wednesday) — US-based Solar Power Inc (SPI) said it has agreed to supply five megawatts of its SP200 solar modules to a large unidentified Korean distributor and installer. The modules will be used as part of a 10 MW solar park currently under development north east of Seoul, Korea and will be...

(EnergyAsia, June 11, Wednesday) — Nasdaq-listed Spire Corporation, a global solar company providing turnkey solar factories and capital equipment to manufacture photovoltaic cells and modules worldwide, said it has received a contract from PLG Power Limited (PLG Group) to provide a state-of-the-art, turnkey photovoltaic module assembly line in India. PLG Power Limited is the energy...

(EnergyAsia, June 11, Wednesday) — Suntech Power said it has signed a definitive 13-year silicon wafer supply agreement with a subsidiary of Shunda Holdings Co Ltd. Shunda will supply NYSE-listed Suntech a specified annual volume of silicon wafers with a total volume of seven-gigawatts (GW) from 2008 to 2020. Suntech Power also acquired a minority...

(EnergyAsia, June 11, Wednesday) — US-based engine technology firm Rotoblock and China’s Hikom Gottell said they are planning to set up a manufacturing facility to produce advanced energy efficient and environmental machinery and equipment, including small engines, heat pumps and air-conditioning for the world markets. Earlier, Rotoblock announced an agreement to purchase controlling interest in...

(EnergyAsia, June 11, Wednesday) — US OTC-listed China Holdings Inc, a global diversified asset holdings company, and its China-focused subsidiaries has provided an update on the development of its TaiHu and Ongniute biomass power projects. China Holdings said it and wholly owned subsidiary China Power Inc have completed the fuel analysis for the 50MW TaiHu...

(EnergyAsia, June 11, Wednesday) — Finland’s Wärtsilä Corporation has opened a new office and workshop in Baku city in oil-rich Azerbaijan. The need for the new premises arose with the rapid expansion of work involved with the growing number of Wärtsilä power plants in the country and the number of vessels on the Caspian Sea...

(EnergyAsia, June 11, Wednesday) – Energy experts, policymakers, financiers and project developers from across the Asia-Pacific are calling for massive new investments in clean energy amid spiraling costs for oil and coal and the growing threat of climate change. More than 500 experts met in Manila last week to scale up investments in clean energy...

  (EnergyAsia, June 10, Tuesday) — Thai truck drivers have started idling many of their vehicles as they can no longer afford to buy increasingly costly diesel fuel. Merchandise trade in the area will be negatively affected if the strike is prolonged. About 500 members of Thailand’s Northeastern Transport Operators Association have already idled some...

  (EnergyAsia, June 10, Tuesday) — GE Energy said it has signed contracts worth more than US$500 million to supply gas turbines and generators for power plant projects owned by Saudi Electricity Company (SEC). In the first agreement, GE Energy has received a contract to supply gas turbine-generators for the 960-megawatt expansion of the Rabigh...

  (EnergyAsia, June 10, Tuesday) — A research group has predicted that energy storage will become a $41 billion industry, making it the “next” big investment focus. From the mobile phones carried by 3.3 billion people to the half a million hybrid electric vehicles sold last year, the world runs on energy storage technologies –...

  (EnergyAsia, June 10, Tuesday) — Lloyd’s Register CEO Richard Sadler said the shipping industry may be unprepared to cope with the world’s growing demand for biofuels, especially if second and third generation biofuels are successfully developed. In a recent address to shipowners, regulators, economists, engineers and the public, he said that the increase in...

  (EnergyAsia, June 10, Tuesday) — In response to rising oil prices, Sri Lankan apparel exporter MAS Holdings said it will soon begin using renewable energy for its fabric and textile production. Its first deal, MAS signed a five-year agreement to purchase between 2.5 and four million units of electricity from Nilwalabase Hydro Power Limited...

  (EnergyAsia, June 10, Tuesday) — Singapore’s Novomatrix has acquired Film Technologies Inc (FTI), a major US solar film company, for an undisclosed sum. Valued at around US$27 million in 2004, FTI is a leader in the US solar control and safety window film industry. Novomatrix, a producer of automotive window film, made the acquisition...

  (EnergyAsia, June 10, Tuesday) — Singapore witnessed the launch of Japan’s first Shariah — Islamic-compliant — index on May 26. The event organised by Daiwa Asset Management together with FTSE took place at the Fullerton Hotel in Singapore. They introduced the ‘Daiwa FTSE Shariah Japan 100’ index which included listed Japanese oil, gas, chemical...

  (EnergyAsia, June 10, Tuesday) — China Solar & Clean Energy Inc, a manufacturer and distributor of solar water heaters, renewable energy solutions, and space heating devices in China, said its net income surged 41.5% to US$400,000 for the first quarter of 2008. Sales for the quarter to March 31 rose 177.1% to $8.3 million,...

  (EnergyAsia, June 10, Tuesday) — Australian oil and gas company Santos said it has signed up with project partners to explore for coal seam gas in the Gunnedah Basin. The company has begun briefing local councils, parliamentarians and business and community groups about the planned exploration programme. Stephen Kelemen, Santos’ manager for coal seam...