(EnergyAsia, September 11, Thursday) — ‘Carbon Finance Asia 2008’, an event by Terrapinn, will be held at the Grand Hyatt from October 7 to 10. Under the Kyoto Protocol and other policies to combat climate change, projects that reduce emissions of greenhouse gases also generate a valuable new commodity. The sale of emission reduction units (more…)
SINGAPORE: Oxford Princeton to hold introductory course on petroleum refining from October 16 to 17
(EnergyAsia, September 10, Wednesday) — The Oxford Princeton Programme will be holding a workshop, ‘Fundamentals of Petroleum Refining – A non-technical introduction’, in Singapore from October 16 to 17. The programme is designed to introduce non-technical oil industry members to petroleum refining, refinery operations and its effect on global oil and product prices. Topics covered (more…)
ABU DHABI: England’s dcarbon8 wins Masdar zero carbon contract
(EnergyAsia, September 10, Wednesday) — London, England-based Consultant darbon8 said it has been commissioned to carry out carbon management and measurement for the new Masdar City development in Abu Dhabi, slated to be the world’s first zero-carbon, zero-waste, car-free city. To provide the most accurate measurement of the city’s carbon footprint, dcarbon8 said it is (more…)
INDIA: Upstream company ONGC launched first wind farm
(EnergyAsia, September 10, Wednesday) — Indian state upstream company ONGC has started up its first renewable energy and wind farm project near Bhuj in Gujarat state this week. Chairman and managing director R.S.Sharma launched the 50 MW turnkey project which consists of 34 wind turbine generator (WTG) units each capable of generating 1.5 MW of...
MARKETS: Report says second generation biofuels will attract significant investment in Europe
(EnergyAsia, September 10, Wednesday) — Quality not quantity will be the most considered factor when biofuels are being considered for production and use, says a new report. There will be a high premium placed on carbon savings and sustainability credentials for biofuels, making second generation biofuels an attractive investment proposition, according to ‘The European Biofuels...
SINGAPORE: Temasek sells Senoko Power to Marubeni-led consortium for S$4 billion
(EnergyAsia, September 10, Wednesday) — Singapore’s Temasek Holdings (Private) Limited said it has agreed to sell its wholly-owned subsidiary, Senoko Power Limited, to an international consortium, Lion Power Holdings Pte Limited, for a total of S$4 billion. (US$1=S$1.43). Led by Japanese trading house Marubeni Corp, Lion Power will pay S$3,650 million in cash and assume...
INDIA: DuPont begins photovoltaic solutions business
(EnergyAsia, September 10, Wednesday) — US chemicals giant DuPont said it has started up its photovoltaic solutions business in India. The service, a leading supplier to the photovoltaic industry, offers a broad and growing portfolio of innovative solutions for both crystalline silicon and thin film modules designed to help deliver clean, sustainable energy. The DuPont...
JAPAN: New plant to boost Mitsubishi Electric’s PV production capacity to 600MW by 2012
(EnergyAsia, September 10, Wednesday) — Japan’s Mitsubishi Electric Corporation said it will complete the construction of its new photovoltaic (PV) cell plant at its Nakatsugawa Works Iida factory in Nagano Prefecture by December 2009. The company is expanding its PV cell production capacity in response to rising world demand for solar power generation systems. Mitsubishi...
DUBAI: Petrofac, DPE open new training centre
(EnergyAsia, September 10, Wednesday) — UK’s oil and gas facilities service provider Petrofac said it and the Dubai Petroleum Establishment (DPE) recently opened its new state-of-the-art 1,500 square metres training centre in Dubai, the first in the emirate. The Dubai Petroleum Training Centre (DPTC), the joint agreement between Dubai’s oil company, Dubai Petroleum Establishment (DPE),...
CHINA: Yingli Green Energy subsidiary signs five-year US$50 million credit facility agreement
(EnergyAsia, September 10, Wednesday) — NYSE-listed Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited, a world leading vertically integrated photovoltaic product manufacturer, said its main subsidiary has signed a five-year credit facility agreement with DEG – Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH (DEG) and the Netherlands Development Finance Company (FMO). The European companies have agreed to lend Baoding...
CHINA: LDK Solar’s wafer production capacity reaches 1GW
(EnergyAsia, September 10, Wednesday) — China’s LDK Solar last month celebrated a milestone after its wafer plant capacity exceeded one gigawatt (GW) per year. A celebration was hosted by founding chairman and CEO Xiaofeng Peng in Xinyu city, China. “I would like to congratulate our team on their remarkable speed in expanding wafer production capacity...
TAIWAN: Motech expands polysilicon agreements with Korea’s DC Chemical
(EnergyAsia, September 9, Tuesday) — Motech Industries, the largest manufacturer of solar cells in Taiwan, said it has signed additional long-term polysilicon purchase agreements with DC Chemical, one of the leading chemical companies in Korea. Motech said DC Chemical has agreed to supply polysilicon in 2009 and also over a seven-year period from 2010 to...
SOUTH KOREA: Firm plans solar power unit on disputed Dokdo islands
(EnergyAsia, September 9, Tuesday) — An affiliate of Korea Electric Power Corp plans to build a 2.5-billion-won solar power plant on the Dokdo islands which are the subject of a territorial dispute with Japan. (US$1 = Won1,107). The move is aimed at bolstering South Korea’s ownership claims on the Dokdo islands. However, it could simply...
CHINA: Shanxi province starts up first wind power project
(EnergyAsia, September 9, Tuesday) — China’s Shanxi province has started up the first batch of generators powering a 75,000-kilowatt (KW) wind farm project, the first in the coal-rich province. Shanxi International Electricity Group invested 750-million yuan in the project, which comprises 60 wind power generators. (US$1=6.85 yuan). The province’s Wutai and Luliang mountains and northwestern...
NEW ZEALAND: Contact Energy files application for Waitahora wind farm
(EnergyAsia, September 9, Tuesday) — New Zealand’s Contact Energy said it has filed resource consent applications with the Tararua District Council for its proposed 177-megawatt (MW) Waitahora wind farm located south-east of Dannevirke town. Located on part of the Puketoi Range in the North Island, the wind farm will consist of up to 65 turbines...
PHILIPPINES: Investors wary the government is backtracking on energy-sector reforms
(EnergyAsia, September 9, Tuesday) — The Philippine Independent Power Producers Association Inc said investors in the energy sector are growing wary that the government is backtracking on energy-sector reforms. Speaking to the American Chamber of Commerce recently, Philippines Department of Trade and Industry Undersecretary Elmer Hernandez credited the energy sector for leading a 270% (more…)
MALAYSIA: Power windfall tax may be channelled to renewables
(EnergyAsia, September 9, Tuesday) — The Malaysian government plans to allocate part of the RM500 million windfall tax collected from independent power producers (IPPs) through June 2009 to develop the country’s renewables energy sector. (US$1=RM3.4). IPPS have to pay a 30% windfall tax on returns exceeding 9% from July 1. Energy, Water and Communications Minister...
INDIA: Orissa state to build 10 new hydro-electric plants
(EnergyAsia, September 9, Tuesday) — India’s Orissa state is planning to build 10 new hydro-electric power stations with a combined capacity of 1,500 megawatts (MW). The government has started talks with National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC) to form a joint venture to implement the projects, which are expected to cost Rs80 billion. (US$1 = Rs44)....
PAKISTAN: President Arroyo launched 10-MW biomass power plant in Camarines Sur province
(EnergyAsia, September 9, Tuesday) — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last week launched the construction of a 10-MW biomass power plant in Libmanan municipality in Camarines Sur province in northern Philippines. Using agricultural wastes such as rice husks and coconut shells as fuel, the 1.125 billion peso plant will help meet the power needs of local residents...
CHINA: HKE, CECIC invest in wind farms in Gansu province
(EnergyAsia, September 9, Tuesday) — HKC (Holdings) Limited said the subsidiaries of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Hong Kong Energy (Holdings) Limited (HKE Holdings), last week signed a framework agreement and a capital contribution agreement with China Energy Conservation Investment Corporation (CECIC) to invest in a 200MW wind power project in Changma in China’s Gansu province. HKE...
AUSTRALIA: North West Shelf LNG train 5 facility starts up
(EnergyAsia, September 9, Tuesday) — The North West Shelf Venture’s Train 5 onshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility at the Karratha Gas Plant in Western Australia has started operations, said co-owner Chevron Australia Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of US major Chevron Corp. The US$2.1 billion train has started producing LNG, and is expected to (more…)
CANADA: Currency slumped on oil price weakness
US dollar as oil and gas prices receded from recent record levels. Oil has fallen to as low as US$106 per barrel in early September after reaching a record level of more than $147 in early July. The Canadian dollar, known as the loonie, recorded its largest weekly decline since 1971, falling to a recent...
INDONESIA: New oil and gas chief hopes to boost oil and gas production
at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry in July, is hoping to boost the country’s flagging oil and gas production by focusing on its marginal fields and coalbed methane resources, and reorganising the country’s notoriously inefficient and corrupt energy bureaucracy. Ms Legowo was appointed to her post after Energy Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro had fired her...
SINGAPORE: Jurong Technologies to mass produce energy-saving light bulbs
has entered into a joint venture with a European partner to design, develop and manufacture a wide range of energy-saving compact fluorescent (CFL) light bulbs for the European and American markets. The joint venture vehicle, IsunU Pte Ltd, will leverage on Jurong Technologies’ core competencies in electronics manufacturing services (EMS) and IsunU’s research and development...
Singapore: Oxford Princeton’s ‘The Chemicals Shipping Market – Chartering and Operations’ Oct 13-15
(EnergyAsia, September 8, Monday) — ‘The Chemicals Shipping Market – Chartering and Operations’, a workshop organised by the Oxford Princeton Programme, will be held in Singapore from October 13 to 15. Shipping is a vital part of the supply chain in the chemical sector. It is a key element in the profitability, trade, marketing and (more…)