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Bioenergy

Waste-to-electricity projects in big cities appeal to investors

11 January 2019

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Vietnam

In November 2018, the HCM City Department of Natural Resources and the Environment joined forces with Tasco JSC to start construction of Tasco Cu Chi, a 500 ton per day solid recycling plant.

In Hanoi, the municipal authorities approved the Soc Son waste-to-electricity (WTE) plant project with capacity of 4,000 tons per day.

With huge volume of domestic waste of up to 9,300 tons per day, HCM City has released a set of criteria for investments in waste-to-electricity projects.

The city will accept projects with the daily capacity of 1,000 tons and treatment costs of no more than $21 per ton. The technology in the projects need to be capable of treating unclassified waste, and all the equipment must be new.

Hanoi, Da Nang and Hai Phong have also called for investment from different economic sectors.

WTE technology has a lot of advantages. It reduces 90-95 percent of waste volume, takes full advantage of heat, occupies less land area, mitigates water pollution and bad odors and reduces greenhouse emissions.

The government, prioritizing usage of electricity from waste, has set a high electricity purchase price of up to 10.05 cent per kwh, which is even higher than prices from wind and solar power.

Electricity of Vietnam (EVN), the only wholesale electricity buyer, has committed to use electricity generated by waste-to-electricity plants.

In large urban areas, the volume of waste is big enough to incinerate waste to generate electricity. However, in order to use wind and solar power, EVN needs to develop transmission networks because solar power projects are located in provinces far from electricity consumption centers.

EVN prefers electricity from waste treatment plants because production can be implemented in all weather conditions.

In principle, waste-to-electricity projects are attractive to investors because they do not take too much time to take back investment capital.

Dong Minh Toan, chair and CEO of Binh Phuoc Import/Export, the investor of a project, estimates that it takes waste-to-electricity investors five years to recover investment capital instead of 10 years from wind and solar power projects.

However, waste-to-electricity projects are not reserved for all. Analysts said only 5-6 localities in Vietnam can provide enough waste to bring profits to waste-to-electricity plants. It is estimated that Vietnam will have no more than 200 MW of electricity from waste.

Bioenergy ,
Energy Cooperation

Vietnam, Japan cooperate in solid waste treatment

11 January 2019

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Vietnam

Workers sort waste at a waste treatment factory

Speaking at the first meeting of the committee in Hanoi on January 11 as part of the Vietnam-Japan Environment Week, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Vo Tuan Nhan said Japan has effectively managed solid waste, recycling it for energy generation.

However, this is a headache for Vietnam as domestic solid waste is mostly dumped in landfills, of which only about 30 percent meet sanitation standards.

The country has only some 300 incinerations, most of which are small scale, Nhan added.

He highlighted the growing cooperative ties between Vietnam and Japan in the field of environmental work through technical cooperation activities and technological transfers.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) hopes to continue cooperating with Japan to learn of its experience in solid waste management and seek suitable models.

The MoNRE called on Japanese firms to invest in waste-to-energy projects in Vietnam.

Japanese Vice Minister of the Environment Takaaiki Katsumata said the establishment in 2018 of the Vietnam-Japan joint committee on solid waste management aims to improve the public sanitation and environmental conservation system in Vietnam.

He suggested putting forth policies to establish an effective solid waste management system in Vietnam applying “Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle” (3Rs) technology.

Vietnam needs urgent solutions in waste treatment as the Vietnamese Government wants to develop the economy in harmony with environmental protection, he said, adding that with its experience, Japan is able to help Vietnam in this field. –VNA

Renewables

Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu households turn to renewables

10 January 2019

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Vietnam

HCM CITY — Renewable energy usage is becoming more common among households in the southern coastal province of Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu.

Solar energy, which has been used by families living in floating villages or rural areas not connected with the national grid, is now being used by households in urban areas.

With a large number of households using both electric power from the national grid and solar energy, Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu is among the localities in the country with a high potential for renewable energy usage.

The family of Bùi Bộ, a resident in Bà Rịa Town, invested VNĐ70 million (more than US$3,100) to install a solar battery storage system that generates 11-17kWh of power per day.

The system supplies power for Bộ’s home lighting system and kitchen, including two freezers, one refrigerator, and electric fans.

The new solar battery storage system has helped Bộ cut his electricity bill from VNĐ900,000 to VNĐ300,000 per month.

Nguyễn Phan Sâm, a resident in Vũng Tàu City, has also cut his electricity bill by 50 per cent since a solar battery system which generates 10-12kWh of electricity was installed in his home.

The power from the system is used for his home’s lighting system, household devices such as freezers, refrigerators, electric fans and a pumping system that waters his farm and pumps water into his fishing pond.

“As the demand for electricity consumption is on the rise, I made the decision to use renewable energy,” Sâm said.

Sâm said the renewable energy system helped him cut electricity bills from VNĐ740,000 to VNĐ370,000 per month.

More shops

The rising demand has led to opening of many shops selling renewable energy equipment and devices.

Nguyễn Nguyên Vũ, manager of Vũ Sơn Mechatronics & Energy Co. Ltd., headquartered in Bà Rịa Town, said he established the company in 2013 to provide renewable energy equipment and devices to floating villages not connected with the national grid from the southern central provinces to Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu.

Since 2017, the company has concentrated its operations in southern provinces, especially in Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu, as the demand for renewable energy keeps rising.

The number of customers rose from 10 in 2013 to 80 in 2018.

To meet customers’ rising demand, Vũ Sơn’s staff have to work on the weekends, he said.

Trần Thanh Hải, deputy director of the EVN (Vietnam Electricity) Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu, said that some 130 organisations, enterprises and private homes are using renewable energy with total capacity of nearly 1,000kWp.

These include renewable energy systems operated by EVN Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu (140kWp); Côn Đảo Islands (100kWh), Sammy – Vũng Tàu (40kWp), and Eclat Fabrics Việt Nam (30kWp).

Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu has favourable conditions for renewable energy. On average, it has from 2,000 to 2,600 sunny hours per year, with radiant intensity of about 5.47kWh per square metre per day.

The Government has issued a policy to purchase electricity power generated by households using renewable energy batteries, which is awaiting approval of the Ministry of Finance and the General Taxation Bureau, Hải said. — VNS

Le Hung Vong

Electricity/Power Grid

SP Group rolls out 38 electric vehicle charging points in 19 locations

10 January 2019

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Singapore

SP Group, the giant energy provider of Singapore, has rolled out 38 electric vehicle (EV) charging points in different 19 locations around the island as part of its first wave of public charging points.

The locations are equipped with nineteen 50kW direct current (DC) charging points as well as nineteen 43kW alternating current (AC) charging points.

In the convenience of EV drivers, DC charger can fully charge a car in 30 minutes, while an AC point takes up to an hour.

Photo: Screengrab from YouTube

In a press release, the company said: “SP’s new additions will be a game-changer in improving the charging turnaround time for EV drivers in Singapore.”

The new charging points are near amenities such as food centres, making it convenient for drivers who are waiting for their vehicles to be charged, according to SP Group.

They are also located at commercial buildings, industrial sites and educational institutions islandwide, like that of at Alexandra Technopark, Hyflux Innovation Centre, Techlink and Corporation Place.

Charging cost will be based on the prevailing electricity costs. Regular adjustments will be expected by consumers.

“EV drivers can also enjoy at least 50 percent cost savings compared to typical Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles for every kilometre travelled. The cost of using SP charging points will be regularly adjusted, mainly influenced by the prevailing electricity costs in Singapore.”

Searching for the nearest available charging points, get updates on their charging sessions and make payments would not be a problem, as EV drivers can do this through the mobile app, SP Utilities.

In October last year, SP Group has announced to build 1,000 charging points, including 250 DC points by the year 2020, aiming to be the largest public EV charging in Singapore.

Photo: Screengrab from YouTube

Mr. Wong Kim Yin, group chief executive officer of SP Group, said: “Our nation-wide public charging network offers EV drivers fast charging, with greater convenience and a seamless experience through our digital solution, at cost-competitive rates. This will encourage wider adoption of green mobility in Singapore, and enable drivers to save cost,”

The Singapore Polytechnic charging point will also serve as an education and research platform for students taking up engineering program.

As of end-November last year, Land Transport Authority has recorded 357 petrol-electric plug-in cars, 466 pure electric ones. Also, there are 102 registered pure electric taxis running around the island.

Statistics have risen up compared to 2017 when there were 206 petrol-electric plug-in cars and 314 pure electric cars only.

For the moment SP Group will compete with an edge with the existing EV charge network, Greenlots, which currently has 55 public charging stations at 39 locations, all AC chargers with a maximum 7.3kW charge rate but no DC chargers.

Other charge networks, however, are not opened to the public or are available for customers only.

BlueSG, the EV car-sharing service, has more than 531 charging stations at 135 locations but are currently not open to the public. Offering it to the public will be in the first quarter of 2019.

Hyundai distributor Komoco Motors on Alexandra Road has a charger exclusive for their customers only.

The news caught the attention of some netizens, who are into cars, as they have posted their opinions regarding battery life.

Photo: Screengrab from Facebook

One netizen has even pointed out his future nostalgia to the fate of engine-powered cars:

Photo: Screengrab from Facebook

But another online user began to echo some politics underneath this.

Photo: Screengrab from Facebook

Energy Efficiency ,
Others

Cleanergy powers all Net Group buildings in BGC

10 January 2019

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Philippines

MANILA — AboitizPower’s Cleanergy is now providing all seven buildings of The Net Group (TNG) with clean and renewable energy.

AboitizPower and TNG signed a power supply contract on Thursday, in which the former will supply a total of 13.5 megawatts (MW) to TNG’s seven office buildings.

These TNG buildings include Net Park, Net Lima, Net Plaza, Net Quad, Net Cube, Net Square, and Net One Center, all of which are located in Bonifacio Global City (BGC).

AboitizPower Energy Trading and Sales First Vice President Sandro Aboitiz said this is the third contract between AboitizPower and TNG.

The partnership of AboitizPower and TNG began with only five TNG buildings requiring 10MW of clean and renewable energy. It added two megawatts in its second contract, and hiked its requirement to 13.5 MW.

“We are honored to have been chosen anew by one of the country’s most sustainable organizations, TNG. This inspires us even more to continue growing our balanced mix of renewable and thermal assets. Of our 50 power plants, 32 make up our Cleanergy portfolio of hydro, geothermal, and solar facilities,” said Aboitiz.

Moreover, AboitizPower Chief Operating Officer Emmanuel Rubio said the company is optimistic with the renewable energy market in the country.

“Renewable energy will going to be competitive in the next three to four years,” said Rubio. (PNA)

Oil & Gas

5% of gas stations prematurely implemented excise tax hike: DOE

10 January 2019

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Philippines

MANILA — The Department of Energy (DOE) said 444 retail stations or around 5 percent of all gas stations in the country have prematurely implemented the second tranche of excise tax under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law.

In a press briefing Thursday, DOE Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella said the department will issue show-cause orders to these 444 oil stations asking them to explain why they implemented the tax increase so early.

He said they expected the implementation of the tax hike to start between January 15 to February 1 of this year, with the minimum requirement for crude oil inventory at 15 days for imports and 30 days for those processed by refineries.

DOE-Oil Industry Management Bureau Director Rino Abad said the agency has issued around 30 show-cause orders to these oil stations that implemented the oil excise tax hike.

Fuentebella said the DOE will validate the reports and inspect these 444 retail outlets.

There are around 8,600 stations nationwide.

The DOE required all oil firms to submit their daily, monthly, and annual inventory reports ending December 31, 2018 for the agency to identify the old stocks in the market.

“Based on these reports, DOE conducts validation and inspection. Validation is looking at the documents. Inspection is total inspection of quality and quantity, to look the compliance of stations,” Fuentebella said.

The DOE official noted that all the finished goods that came out from refineries and depots at the start of the year were already slapped with higher excise tax. (PNA)

Coal

National Coal and Mineral Industries Group urged to make breakthroughs in 2019

9 January 2019

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Vietnam

NDO – Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung has asked the Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin) to step up measures to ensure the adequate supply of coal for production, while paying attention to environmental protection.

The government official was speaking at a conference in Hanoi on January 9, held to sum up the group’s operation in 2018 and deploy the 2019 tasks.

Praising the achievements gained by Vinacomin last year, the deputy PM stated that the mining company must ensure sufficient coal under its contracts with consumers, while playing a key role in offering adequate coal supply for the country’s socio-economic activities in 2019.

In addition, the group needs to create breakthroughs in coal quality by investing in technology and production innovation, boosting mechanisation in production, and protecting the environment.

Deputy PM Trinh Dinh Dung speaks at the conference. (Photo: VGP)

At the conference, Dang Thanh Hai, General Director of Vinacomin, said that his group’s main business targets in 2019 are to produce 40 million tonnes of coal and consume 42 million tonnes, netting a revenue of VND128 trillion and setting the average salary for its employees at VND11.3 million/person/month.

Last year, Vinacomin’s coal output reached 36.95 million tonnes, equivalent to 104% of the set plan and to 105% compared to that of 2017. Consumption in 2018 reached 40.5 million tonnes, up 4 million tonnes compared to the set plan and by 5 million tonnes compared to the 2017 statistic.

Regarding alumina production, the group produced and consumed a combined 1.31 million tonnes, an increase of over 170,000 tonnes compared to 2017. Alumina export turnover reached US$520 million.

For electricity production, its electricity output reached 9.4 billion kWh, equal to 100% of the annual plan.

Bioenergy

New possible solutions to Vietnam’s waste problems

9 January 2019

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Vietnam

HCM City (VNS/VNA) – Closed-loop organic waste processing technology and de-centralised waste processing are possible solutions for Vietnam’s organic waste problems, experts said at a discussion panel earlier this week.

Huynh Kim Tuoc, Director of the Saigon Innovation Hub (SIHUB), said that de-centralised waste processing, in which waste would be processed on a smaller scale spread out over the city, would be less polluting than centralised facilities, which exist in fewer areas with larger volumes of waste.

Ichiro Hatayama, Chairman of the MILAI Group, a Japanese technology research and development company, said the city currently has two waste burial sites where waste is transported, and the vehicles used to transport the waste produce a large amount of carbon dioxide (CO2).

SIHUB is working with MILAI Group to transfer the group’s 6R-MOT, an organic waste processing technology, to Vietnamese partners.

The technology can turn waste to energy more efficiently than traditional power generation from burning waste (which is high in moisture and requires oil for burning).

With 6R-MOT technology, electric vehicles would be used to transport waste. The waste would then be dried, carbonised and gasified to be used by gas engines to generate power, Hatayama said.

The electricity would be used to charge the vehicles, forming a closed loop with no CO2 emissions, he said, adding that fertilisers can also be created through the process.

The technology also offers greater flexibility by allowing a wide range of productivity ranges (from 100 kilos to 25 tonnes per machine every day), and can be used in a wide variety of locations in rural or urban areas.

According to SIHUB, waste from food accounts for 83 percent to 88.9 percent of solid waste in the city.

The city has 26 waste collection facilities where waste is transported for pre-processing before being taken to treatment facilities.

Vietnam spends around 2 trillion VND (86 million USD) for waste transporting and processing annually.

More than 8,000 tonnes of waste are treated per day in HCM City. Much of it is buried, which takes a long time to process and causes pollution.

Organic waste is also processed into compost fertilisers and biogas, which also takes up a lot of space and a long time to process.

The city is offering favourable policies such as lower land rentals and subsidised interest to encourage firms to invest in waste-to-energy treatment facilities.-VNS/VNA

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