(EnergyAsia, June 10 2010, Thursday) — Norway’s Scatec Solar and China’s Sanhe Group have established a joint venture firm, SanSca, to partner with China’s Datang Renewable Energy Corp (DREC) build a green energy farm and solar power plants in several Chinese provinces. Scatec Solar, the Norwegian developer and supplier of PV solar parks, and Sanhe...

(EnergyAsia, June 10 2010, Thursday) — Australia’s Solco and Israel’s SolarEdge have announced a partnership agreement to supply a distributed power harvesting solution that will maximise power generation throughout a solar photovoltaic system’s lifecycle, while dramatically reducing complexities and costs. The SolarEdge power harvesting solution includes PowerBoxes, which are PV module-integrated power optimizers, solar PV...

(EnergyAsia, June 9 2010, Wednesday) — The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and DNV’s Clean Technology Centre (CTC) said they have signed a partnership agreement to initiate and promote research, development and test-bedding projects in the areas of maritime environment and clean technologies. The two organisations aim to demonstrate their commitment to Singapore’s...

(EnergyAsia, June 9 2010, Wednesday) — Robert Bosch (SEA) Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of leading global technology and services supplier, the Bosch Group, last month officially opened its environmentally-friendly state-of-the-art Southeast Asian headquarters in Singapore. The Singapore office functions as the Asia Pacific hub for several Bosch divisions, including Corporate Research and Advance Engineering, Corporate...

(EnergyAsia, June 9 2010, Wednesday) — Taiwan’s Pihsiang Machinery Mfg Co Ltd is building the country’s first electric car manufacturing plant in the Sua free trade port in the northeastern part of the island. The plant, slated for completion by the end of this year and to be operational by the first quarter of 2011,...

(EnergyAsia, June 9 2010, Wednesday) — American Superconductor Corporation, a Nasdaq-listed global power technologies company, said it and Beijing-based Sinovel Wind Group Co Ltd are expanding its strategic partnership to include additional wind turbine designs for both the onshore and offshore markets. Sinovel and AMSC’s wholly-owned AMSC Windtec™ subsidiary will design and jointly develop a...

(EnergyAsia, June 9 2010, Wednesday) — NYSE-listed AU Optronics Corp said its board of directors has agreed to establish an equal joint venture to construct and operate a US$700 millionsolar cell manufacturing facility in Malaysia with SunPower Corp., the largest manufacturer of residential and commercial solar systems in the US. AUO said it needs to...

(EnergyAsia, June 9 2010, Wednesday) — By Fawzia Sheikh for Oilprice.com. As the US edges closer to issuing a fresh round of sanctions against Iran, foreign investors so far unmoved by international pressure will end up doing business with a Revolutionary Guard that makes even local firms nervous, an analyst warns. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard...

(EnergyAsia, June 9 2010, Wednesday) — Changzhou National Hi-Tech District (CND) said it is building a new industrial park in China’s Jiangsu Province for the research and development (R&D), and production of electric passenger cars, low-speed micro-pure electric vehicles, power battery series and related industries. The park, which will comprise an industrialisation base, a technological...

(EnergyAsia, June 9 2010, Wednesday) — Nicholas Stern, author of the influential Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change, spoke recently at the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) headquarters on what the international community needs to do to make progress toward a meaningful global pact at 2010 UN climate change conference later this year in...

(EnergyAsia, June 8 2010, Tuesday) — Singapore-based companies that consume more than 15 gigawatts hours of electricity will now have to appoint energy managers to monitor power consumption and draw up efficiency improvement plans by 2013.   More than 130 companies mostly with manufacturing operations fall into this category of users, which is contained in...

(EnergyAsia, June 8 2010, Tuesday) — American Superconductor Corporation, a Nasdaq-listed global power technologies company, said it recently received a follow-on order for 30 sets of wind turbine power electronic components from South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries Co Ltd (HHI). The Korean Stock Exchange-listed company is the world’s largest shipbuilder, a global leader in turnkey...

(EnergyAsia, June 8 2010, Tuesday) — US-based Matinee Energy Inc recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) and formed a strategic alliance with South Korean firms Hyundai Heavy Industries Company Ltd and LG Electronics Inc. Matinee said it has invited Hyundai and LG to join as lead partners for a total of 240 megawatts or...

(EnergyAsia, June 8 2010, Tuesday) — Australia-listed Hunnu Coal said it has acquired a 90% interest in the Tsant Uul coal project in Mongolia. The Tsant Uul Coal Project is located in the world class South Gobi coal province, located within 50 km of the producing giant Tavan Tolgoi coking coal field in Umnugobi Province...

(EnergyAsia, June 8 2010, Tuesday) — GE said it and China Power Engineering Consulting Group Corporation (CPECC) have signed agreements with the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) to advance the deployment of “cleaner coal” technology in China,. Under the terms of the agreements, USTDA will fund a feasibility study that would support the advancement...

(EnergyAsia, June 8 2010, Tuesday) — Dutch oil and chemical logistics giant Royal Vopak is expanding its chemical storage business in China following its acquisition of a 50% stake in the Sealink Storage Company from Merit, a subsidiary of China’s industrial investment firm Lanwa Group. Sealink holds a concession from the local authorities and the...

(EnergyAsia, June 7 2010, Monday) — The Malaysian government said that all automated vehicles will have to use biofuels from the middle of next year. In a statement, the Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry said the planned shift to biofuels and diesel with a 5% processed palm oil content would be implemented in stages in...

(EnergyAsia, June 7 2010, Monday) — The Japanese government has agreed to provide Laos grants totalling 955 million yen to help encourage the use of solar power and preservation of its rainforests. (US$1=90 yen). Under the energy agreement, a solar power system will be installed at the Laos Prime Minister’s Office and at the Wattay...

(EnergyAsia, June 7 2010, Monday) — China has included the development of a smart grid system into its long-term plan to increase reliance on renewable energy sources for power generation. According to a senior official of the China Electric Power Research Institute under the State Grid Corporation, the government is planning to build a nationwide...

(EnergyAsia, June 7 2010, Monday) – US-based AEI said its wholly-owned subsidiary, AEI China Power Limited, has acquired a 67% stake in NBT (Baicheng) New Energy Development Company Ltd, which recently began building a 200MW wind farm in China’s Jilin Province. NBT has started work on the 49.5MW first phase of the project in Baicheng...

(EnergyAsia, June 7 2010, Monday) — Australia’s Victoria State is expected to qualify for funding under the Federal government’s $1.5 billion Solar Flagships Program, said Energy and Resources Minister Peter Batchelor. (US$1=A$1.2). The Australian government has announced that eight projects will be invited for consideration in the second stage of assessment for the first round...

(EnergyAsia, June 7 2010, Monday) — Australian science agency CSIRO said it has developed a new web-based smart metering system to enable households, small businesses and electricity retailers to remotely control energy use over a broadband Internet connection. The aim is to help small scale energy users cut energy use, costs and carbon emissions. CSIRO...

(EnergyAsia, June 7 2010, Friday) — Swiss mining group Xstrata said it has immediately suspended A$586 million of expenditure to develop a thermal coal mine and extend a copper mine in Australia in response to the government’s proposal to impose a 40% super tax on mining profits from 2012. The company said it was no...

(EnergyAsia, June 7 2010, Friday) — Australia is set to ride the coming boom in the thermal coal, thanks to rising global demand led by China and India, according to Deutsche Bank’s latest research. In a report, the bank said it expects thermal coal contract prices to rise 26% to US$120 a tonne by 2012,...