News Clipping Archive - Page 1109 of 1294

Renewables

Malaysia to have international institute for talents in renewable energy

9 June 2019

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Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR: Edra Power Holdings Sdn Bhd plans to set up an international institute in Malaysia to cultivate local talent in renewable energy under the aegis of its parent company, China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN).

It will be one of eight such training institutes in CGN’s active exploration for international talent training methods to support its worldwide operations.

“CGN Energy International Institute (CGNEI) is CGN’s platform for overseas clean energy. It will centre on Malaysia and spread to countries along China’s Belt and Road initiatives like Europe and America to utilise CGN Group’s 40 years of training expertise and resources, combining talent cultivation best practices of each regional companies and supporting CGN’s global clean energy development,“ said CGN University Executive Vice President Zhang Guo Qiang.

He said with the establishment of the institute in Malaysia in collaboration with Edra, CGN would play an active role in developing local talent requirement as Malaysia moved towards the realm of renewable energy.

Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin and Environment Minister Yeo Bee Yin was reported as saying recently that the country was getting ready to make a transition towards renewable energy in order to make the environment more sustainable, competitive, efficient and greener.

She said the transition would be possible after Malaysia signs the global initiative RE100 Agreement probably in January next year. RE100 is a Global Electricity Initiative that brings together influential businesses to 100% renewable electricity with the aim to accelerate change towards zero carbon grids, at the global scale.

“We will have the framework ready and announce it in a few months’ time,“ Yeo told reporters.

Zhang told Bernama that CGN’s talent cultivation initiative had grown the group to be a leader in clean energy and the expertise, skills and technical know-how would give CGNEI a head-start in local talent cultivation.

He said CGN, China’s largest and the world’s third largest nuclear power operator as well as being the world’s largest nuclear power station builder, had for the past 40 years been striving to develop clean energy and with the proposed institute in Malaysia, the group was now poised to support the development of high quality talent and clean energy in the country.

“The training centre in Malaysia will be an important regional training centre. CGNEI will invest heavily on the development of training facilities and programmes to create high quality talent pool for Edra and local communities to support Edra’s clean energy strategic development,“ Zhang added.

Edra, a subsidiary of CGN, is one of South East Asia’s leading international independent power producers with 13 power and desalination plants in Malaysia, Egypt, Bangladesh, United Arab Emirates and Pakistan.

He said this was in line with Belt and Road countries’, including Malaysia, continuous focus on clean energy.

“And with Malaysia being part of the Belt and Road countries, the programmes offered will greatly assist Malaysia’s transition towards renewable energy, increasing its expertise and technological know-how to that of global practices and requirements, at par with the requirement of the Belt and Road initiative,“ he said. — Bernama

Renewables

Solar energy equipment firm sees growing potential in Cebu

8 June 2019

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Philippines

CEBU CITY, Philippines–There remains a huge potential for solar energy in Cebu and the rest of the Philippines.

Brenda Baylon, general manager of PV2 Energie Philippines Inc., said the company decided to join this year’s Construction Show Cebu held at the Sky Hall of SM Seaside in Cebu City because they saw the potential demand in Cebu.

Baylon told CDN Digital in an interview this morning, June 8, 2019, that solar energy only comprise four percent of the country’s renewable energy mix.

Hydro accounts for the bulk of the renewable energy mix at 50 percent while geothermal accounts for 27 percent.

Baylon noted a growing interest among industries for having their own photovoltaic (PV) or solar panel energy system.

She cited several factors for this like the growing acceptance for the solar energy concept and the decline in the cost of a solar panel system.

Baylon said the price has gone down between 10 to 15 percent, when compared to the price five years ago.

“Many people wanted to see proof of concept,” she said.

Baylon cited as an example a company which had a PV system installed in its facility in Metro Manila and subsequently asked PV2 Energie to install a similar system in its facility in Lapu-Lapu City.

PV2 Energie targets industrial and commercial companies like factories and malls, with a minimum consumption of 100 kilowatts, Baylon said.

She explained that having a solar panel system without battery installed in a facility would immediately result in 20 to 30 percent savings on electricity expenses.

The investment in the system could be recovered between five to seven years depending on the power consumption, Baylon added.

The company also offers two options to companies who would like to use of solar energy. One option is for the company to invest in the system while another option will have PV2 Energie invest in the system and lease it to the company.

Baylon said they would advise potential clients if the roof of their facility would be ideal for a solar panel system. She noted that some banks now offer financing for renewable energy projects after the World Bank created a program to provide financing for renewable energy projects.

It launched Scaling Solar, a one-stop-shop for governments that want to attract private investors to build large scale solar plants, but lacks the purchasing power of bigger emerging markets.

The program includes a package of technical assistance, templates for documents, pre-approved financing, insurance products and guarantees that take the guesswork out of whether a solar project is viable and bankable for both governments and investors. /Irene R. Sino Cruz###

Energy Cooperation ,
Others

Japan firms keen on Philippines power investments

8 June 2019

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Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has secured the support of Japan to invest in a power plant with up to 1,000 megawatts (MW) in capacity, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said.

Cusi said President Duterte’s working visit to Japan has led to another positive development for the power sector.

This as the Japanese government, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), expressed its interest in building a power plant in the Philippines that could be deployed in 18 to 24 months.

The proposed power plant will be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and will have up to 1,000 MW in capacity, Cusi said.

In previous visits of President Duterte to Japan, Cusi invited Japanese investors to put up merchant power plants in the Philippines through the Ministry of Economy, Trade and industry (METI).

Last year, the Philippines forged a technical cooperation agreement with Japan for technical assistance aimed at improving electric infrastructure and power generation efficiency in the country.

Japan’s interest in building a power plant bodes well for the Department of Energy’s plan to fasttrack the contracting of new generating capacities for 2023-2030, Cusi said.

The energy chief also stressed the urgency of successfully fulfilling the DOE’s priority programs for 2019-2022.

“We have the next three years to help President Duterte realize his vision of helping Filipinos lead stable and comfortable lives. As we revisit the DOE’s midterm action plan, we must think, serve and formulate the appropriate policies in accordance to what will help bring accessible, reliable and affordable energy throughout the entire country,” he said.

In support of the Build Build Build program of the Duterte administration, Cusi underscored the crucial role of energy, particularly building sufficient capacity, as the key to sustaining the country’s economic growth.

In light of the Supreme Court ruling on subjecting power supply contracts to competitive selection process, the DOE said it would continue to uphold and protect the right of the Filipino people to receive the full benefits of the country’s liberalized electric power industry, as envisioned by the Electric Power Industry Reform Act.

Cusi said the missionary electrification and the attainment of 100 percent household electrification all over the Philippines continues to be the agency’s top priority in cooperation with the National Electrification Administration, National Power Corp. and the private industry players.

Read more at https://www.philstar.com/business/2019/06/08/1924519/japan-firms-keen-philippines-power-investments#otFX1LSdvX0QZi0O.99

Renewables

PNRI: Nuclear power should be in the country’s energy mix

7 June 2019

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Philippines

The chief nuclear scientist of the country stressed his position that the country should strongly consider the use of nuclear energy in producing electricity.

Dr. Carlo Arcilla, director of Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) (Chamber of Mines of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN)

Dr. Carlo Arcilla, director of Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI), made his declaration in a lecture forum organized by the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD) and the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (COMP) in Pasig City Friday.

Arcilla argued that the biggest stumbling block in the use of nuclear power is not technology but perception. For many Filipinos, the word “nuclear” is always immediately translated to an explosion.

The PNRI director posits that nuclear power is cleaner and less wasteful than coal, it is a stable resource, technologies to mitigate the risks have advanced, and it produces less carbon pollution than solar power.

He even showed that we can get more radioactivity from eating a banana, which contains radioactive potassium, than standing in front of an operating nuclear power plant.

There are more than 450 nuclear power plants actively operating in the world and most of them are in the most progressive countries.

Arcilla though is not ready to give up on coal as the primary source of baseline power.

Germany, as an example, produces fifty percent of its electricity in coal-fired power plants.

The PNRI was recently embroiled in an issue which many believe as remotely connected to nuclear power.

The PNRI was dragged into a controversy when they dipped their hands into vinegar and soy sauce testing.

In his opening, Arcilla said that nuclear science can actually serve many of the needs of consumers.

The quarterly mining lecture series is an undertaking of the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines. It is intended to stir discussions on issues very important to industry and national development.

The theme for this quarter is “Exploring the alternative sources of energy and understanding the EPIRA law.” (DCL)

Bioenergy

Japan exports waste-to-energy technology to Southeast Asia

7 June 2019

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ASEAN

Tokyo (VNA) – The Ministry of the Environment of Japan will partner with some localities and businesses in the country to assist Southeast Asian countries to build waste-to-energy facilities, as a way to export infrastructure in the environment field.

The cooperation programme is expected to help around 10 cities stand out in treating wastes and turning wastes into power by the fiscal year of 2030 in a bid to tackle air and sea pollution as well as severe electricity shortage in Southeast Asia.

Davao, Quezon, and Cebu cities in the Philippines and Hanoi in Vietnam are being considered for the programme.

In Southeast Asia, wastes of different types, including plastic waste, are mainly dumped, making pollution, especially water and sea pollution, become worse.

Japan’s waste-to-energy facilities are able to prevent such pollution by using non-polluting waste firing technology.

The Ministry of the Environment said there are around 380 such facilities across the Japan, which account for 30 percent of the total waste treatment facilities.

The programme will see the partnership with Japanese city of Kita Kyushu, Yokohama, and Osaka, which will provide experience in waste management and treatment.-VNA

Renewables

Thai Solar gains partner for Japan plant

7 June 2019

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Thailand

THAI Solar Energy will work with Trina Solar, the biggest supplier of photovoltaic modules, to develop a solar energy plant in Japan.

The companies yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the project and the document also aims to establish a foundation for future cooperation in Southeast Asia between Trina Solar and Thai Solar Energy, one of Thailand’s largest solar developers.

“We consider this MOU as the formal alignment of both our interests. With the size of this project, the use of the latest solar technology and the choice of such a developed market as Japan, both Thai Solar Energy and Trina Solar are showing our ambition in Asia,” said Yin Rongfang, Trina Solar’s executive vice president.

He and Thai Solar Energy chief executive Cathleen Maleenon signed the MOU at the 2019 SNEC PV Power Expo in Shanghai. Also present was Trina Solar head of research and development Chen Yi feng.

Trina Solar is one of the major exhibitors at the event.

Thai Solar Energy’s utility-scale plant in Onikobe, which is in northeastern Japan’s Miyagi prefecture, is the Thai company’s largest so far. It will use Trina Solar’s new 405W and 410W Tallmax TSM-DE15M(II) modules.

“The Tallmax modules were selected for their industry-leading output and exceptional reliability,” said Yin.

“Our modules will provide a strong return on investment for Thai Solar Energy. The developer has already partnered with us in Thailand on several other projects thanks to our good market reputation and bankability ratings.” An improvement in Trina Solar’s Tallmax module output from 370W to 415W reduces the balance of system costs by 4.5-8.5 per cent and the levelised costs of electricity (LCOE) by 2.5 per cent-4.6 per cent. This is because less construction, equipment, cabling and land are required to achieve the same total power output.

Renewables

Thailand promotes solar power production by households

7 June 2019

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Thailand

Bangkok (VNA) – The Energy Ministry of Thailand expects the solar power project for household rooftops to achieve its projection of 15,000 participants by year-end thanks to the popularity of the trend and declining investment costs in the sector, according to local media.

The number of households using solar power has increased significantly since the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) opened its household solar power scheme last month, with plans to buy electricity from individual producers of up to 100 megawatts this year at 1.68 baht per kilowatt-hour, Bangkok Post reported.

Since it started on May 24 some 1,200 households have participated in the programme.

Solar power from household sources has been gaining at impressive growth rates this year, the paper quoted Minister Energy Minister Siri Jirapongphan as saying. The energy source is going to shake the industry, he said.

According to the minister, household solar power is part of the national power development plan for 2018-37, which has revised the target for solar power portfolio over the next two decades.

The government expects the capacity of solar power will increase by 20-30 percent in the next 20 years to 15,000-20,000MW, up from 3,500MW at the end of this year, he said, adding some 10,000MW will be generated by the household rooftop scheme.

The Energy Ministry has strongly supported and promoted clean energy and technology, notably wind farms, energy storage and solar power as these sectors gain in popularity globally, Siri said. – VNA

Oil & Gas

Shell boosts Singapore’s Bukom refinery storage by around 1.3m barrels

7 June 2019

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Singapore

SHELL said on Thursday night that it has increased the storage capacity at its Singapore Bukom refinery by nearly 1.3 million barrels by building two large crude oil tanks.

By increasing storage capacity at Pulau Bukom, Shell will have greater flexibility in optimising its oil trading activities. The move is also to improve competitiveness through storage and logistics investment at its core refineries, due to expected increases in demand for oil products in the region and globally over the next two decades.

According to Shell, Singapore is its largest petrochemical production and export centre in the Asia-Pacific region. Similarly, it is also investing in storage and logistics for its other large, complex and integrated sites in Rotterdam and the US Gulf Coast.

Robin Mooldijk, executive vice-president for manufacturing at Shell, said the new facilities will allow Shell to buy more oil when market conditions are attractive.

“This project positions Shell to capture stronger margins and better manage market volatility over the coming years,” he added.

Shell built the storage tanks using an automated welding technology, reducing welding time by 60 per cent and reducing costs.

This is not the first time Shell invested in storage capacity for its Singapore petrochemical complexes. In September 2018, it penned an agreement with privately owned Oiltanking Singapore Chemical Storage (OTSC) for the lease on two more propylene storage tanks on Jurong Island. OTSC is an independent storage provider that handles petrochemical products and runs a terminal on Jurong Island.

Pulau Bukom contains the company’s largest wholly owned Shell refinery globally in terms of crude distillation capacity. It is also home to Shell’s ethylene cracker complex, which saw its production capacity expand to one million tonnes a year, up from 800,000 tonnes, on a successful upgrading in 2015.

News Clipping

THAI Solar Energy will work with Trina Solar, the biggest supplier of photovoltaic modules, to develop a solar energy plant in Japan.

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