News Clipping Archive - Page 1192 of 1235

Electricity/Power Grid

Government to reduce fuel, gas use for electricity

29 November 2018

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Indonesia

The government is reducing the use of fuel and gas for electricity, a policy that is stipulated in a revision of the Electricity Procurement Plan (RUPTL) from 2019 to 2028, which is being discussed by the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry and state-owned electricity company PLN.

The policy is part of a wider effort to decrease the price of electricity and make power affordable even for low-income families.

PLN president director Sofyan Basir confirmed that the government had told PLN during the meeting to further evaluate the gas and fuel use for electricity, particularly when discussing the connection between economic growth and the use of energy.

“[The price] should be decreased. That is an order [made by Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan],” Sofyan said in Jakarta on Thursday as reported by kontan.co.id.

He expressed his optimism that with the reduction of gas and fuel use, the electricity tariff could be decreased as well.

Based on Ministerial Regulation No. 45/2017 on the utilization of gas for power plants, the gas wellhead price was decided at 8 percent, while the plant gate price decided at 14.5 percent of the Indonesia Crude Price (ICP) per million British thermal units (mmbtu).

“The gas and fuel powered plants would be replaced with hydropower plants and geothermal power plants to minimize costs. The cost of hydropower plants is very low, but its construction process needs time,” Sofyan added. (bbn)

Others

Grab pilots e-scooter sharing service in NUS

29 November 2018

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Singapore

Users will need to download the GrabWheels app to avail the service.

Grab’s innovation arm, Grab Ventures, has introduced an electric scooter (e-scooter) sharing service in collaboration with the National University of Singapore (NUS), an announcement revealed.

During the three-month trial which already started on 19 November, e-scooters are deployed across eight parking stations on the NUS Kent Ridge campus to offer a green transportation option for NUS staff and students. The number of parking locations will be increased progressively to 30 by the end of December 2018.

During the pilot period, riders will pay a special rate of $0.20 for every 30 minutes of use which can be paid through Grab’s e-wallet, GrabPay. All rides come inclusive of insurance coverage.

“This partnership with Grab not only provides a last-mile transportation option for NUS students and staff, but it also offers interesting research opportunities to develop innovative mobility solutions that could shape the future of urban transportation,” NUS senior vice president for campus infrastructure Yong Kwet Yew said in a statement.

Grab’s new shared active mobility app GrabWheels is also being tested for the first time in Singapore in conjunction with the trial.

To use the scooters, users will need to download the GrabWheels Beta app and link to the main app to set up the application. Riders can then go to any of the designated parking locations to get an e-scooter which they can unlock using the GrabWheels Beta app.

“Upon reach the destination, the app will direct the rider to return the e-scooter to the nearest parking location,” the parties said in a joint statement. “The rider can only end the trip and lock the e-scooter by scanning a specific QR code.”

Every evening, Grab’s operations team will collect all e-scooters, recharge them and return them to their original parking locations for use the next day.

Electricity/Power Grid

EMC Launches Electricity Procurement Portal for Singapore Businesses

29 November 2018

–

Singapore

PowerSelect’s unique live auction helps businesses secure best electricity offers in shortest possible time

SINGAPORE, Nov 23, 2018 – (ACN Newswire) – PowerSelect, a new online portal which helps Singapore businesses purchase electricity more efficiently, has enabled its first customer, Sakae Holdings, to save more than $12,000 in electricity bills over the next 12 months*. PowerSelect, which serves customers with an average monthly consumption of at least 10MWh, is the most comprehensive electricity procurement portal in Singapore to date.

Developed by EMC (Energy Market Company), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Singapore Exchange (SGX), PowerSelect offers different procurement options including a unique 15-minute live auction, houses data from the wholesale and futures electricity markets to help businesses make decisions around their electricity purchases, and is supported by a good mix and number of electricity retailers in Singapore.

SGX CEO Loh Boon Chye says, “EMC has a 15-year track record in enhancing the efficiency and transparency of Singapore’s wholesale electricity market. Tapping on this experience, SGX launched Asia’s first electricity futures market to support the liberalisation of Singapore’s power sector, providing electricity retailers with an avenue to hedge risks. I am delighted that we are now extending our services to benefit business consumers as well.”

EMC has been licensed by the Energy Market Authority (EMA) to operate Singapore’s wholesale electricity market since 2003. “We understand the power business and have strong ties with industry players like electricity generators and retailers. PowerSelect was developed with the knowledge, experience and relationships that we have built over the years,” says Toh Seong Wah, CEO of EMC.

Says Mr Douglas Foo, Chairman of Sakae Holdings, “Sakae’s innovative culture means we are constantly looking for ways to improve our business model and operations. We are very pleased with the results of our electricity procurement through PowerSelect. Not only did we achieve our desired outcome of securing a better electricity package, we also saved substantial time and effort that we would otherwise have spent sourcing quotes and negotiating with electricity retailers.”

– Different electricity procurement options on PowerSelect

PowerSelect offers businesses a choice of different electricity procurement options. Businesses that wish to avoid the time-consuming process of comparing quotes can call for Live Auctions, where electricity retailers compete for their contracts within a 15-minute timeframe. The competitive and transparent bidding process helps businesses secure the best electricity offers in the shortest possible time.

Businesses with unique or special requirements can purchase electricity through Invitations to Tender. Under this method of procurement, electricity retailers prepare customised proposals for the customers’ consideration. Retailers are incentivised to put forward their best offers upfront as they have no visibility of other retailers’ proposals.

– Good mix and number of participating electricity retailers on PowerSelect

PowerSelect’s participating retailers comprise a good mix of retailers with power generation arms as well as independent retailers. As of November 2018, a total of 11 electricity retailers have come on board, which means businesses can conveniently access a wide range of offers at one go.

Sunseap Energy is one of the electricity retailers participating in PowerSelect. Frank Phuan, CEO and Executive Director of Sunseap Group, says, “EMC has an excellent track record in operating Singapore’s wholesale electricity market, and we are happy that it is extending its expertise into the retail market. Sunseap Energy is pleased to come on board PowerSelect as it provides us with another avenue to reach more customers.”

– Access to electricity price data on PowerSelect

Businesses can also access data from the spot and futures electricity markets on PowerSelect, to help them in planning and decision making. PowerSelect is the only electricity procurement portal that houses data such as wholesale and futures electricity prices, which are exclusively held by EMC and SGX.

EMC will explore the possibility of extending the portal to small electricity consumers like households in future.

Bioenergy

WTE incinerators to go on, construction under build and operate scheme

29 November 2018

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Malaysia

The government is identifying sites to build at least one waste-to-energy (WTE) incinerator in every state within the next two years and the construction contract of the facilities will be done through open tenders.

Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin (picture) said each WTE plant’s land plot will take into account the capacity and characteristics of solid waste and the distance between waste collection locations and the facility.

Zuraida said the government has received offers from private companies to construct the WTE plants, but the final decision will be made after the sites have been identified.

“Companies who would like to venture into the construction and management of the plants must first put in their capital under the build, operate and transfer (BOT) scheme.

“Many companies have shown their interests and we will grant the contracts via open tender.

“Once we have identified the locations, we will open the tender and companies with the best offers will operate these plants,” she told the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

The minister was responding to a question by MP Chan Foong Hin (Pakatan Harapan-Kota Kinabalu) who asked about the ministry’s plan on solid waste management under the “One State One Incinerator” module.

Zuraida said despite the initial plan of one incinerator for each state, states such as Johor and Perak will require more than one.

“At the moment, the plan is to have one in every state over the next two years.

“But I understand that some states like Johor and Perak will need more — perhaps one in the north and another in the south. We are looking at that as well,” she said.

The construction of these incinerators is expected to take between 18 months and two years.

Contractors under the BOT scheme will generate income from the sale of electricity and gas to cover the construction cost of the WTE plants.

The incinerators will use the waste to produce electrical energy and gas.

Presently, only Negri Sembilan is building its own incinerator and will be the first state to start a new solid waste disposal system in two years.

Based on government statistics, Malaysia generated 42,672 tonnes of waste daily last year. The figure is expected to rise to 44,888 tonnes per day as the population increases, especially in cities.

Malaysia is already saddled with waste management problems as more landfill sites are required to cope with the rising waste.

The public had objected to the idea of the construction of incinerators, citing health and environmental concerns.

The BOT scheme will save the government millions as the WTE incinerators’ construction will be borne by the private sector.

Renewables

Luxury condominium in Melaka first to have solar panels

29 November 2018

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Malaysia

12 Energy Sdn Bhd director Jon Wong (right) briefing Chee about the solar power process at the signing ceremony in Melaka.

ECO-FRIENDLY solar panels is set to reduce electricity bills for buyers of the Admiral Residences condominium project in Melaka.

Developer Tanjung Ratna Sdn Bhd and Solar Engineering firm I2 Energy Sdn Bhd signed an agreement to install solar panels at its premier residential condominium project that is currently under construction.

Once completed, Admiral Residences will be the first luxury condominium in Malaysia equipped with solar panels on its rooftops designed to have an output capacity of a 521.40 kilowatt peak (KWP).

“Our country is blessed with plenty of sunlight, which is very suitable for the installation of the solar panels due to the high amount of sun irradiance and sun hours,” said Tanjung Ratna Sdn Bhd chief operating officer Allan Chee.

Sun irradiance is the power per unit area received from the sun in the form of electromagnetic radiation.

Chee said once the solar panels were in place, it would generate 720,300 kilowatt hour (KWH) per year or the equivalent of about RM375,996 of savings per year.

He added that energy generated from the solar panels would be used in common areas of the building, and to power up the facilities within the premises.

“This will help reduce electricity bills significantly and bring down maintenance cost as the solar panels have a lifespan of about 30 years,” he said.

Chee said as part of its effort to reduce its carbon footprint, the solar panels could reduce about 760,000kg of carbon dioxide (CO2) emission, which was equivalent to planting 760 trees a year.

“This is also the developer’s effort in providing more value to the property buyer,” he added.

Energy Cooperation ,
Oil & Gas

Sapura Energy’s NZ venture to spur cutting-edge collaborations

29 November 2018

–

Malaysia

Oil & gas giant sees technical gains from New Zealand project

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach – November 26, 2018 – Sapura Energy Bhd’s foray into New Zealand earlier this year could be the catalyst, not just for economic growth for the country, but also significant technical collaboration involving Sapura Energy, one of the biggest integrated oil & gas players in the world.

The Malaysian New Zealand Chamber of Commerce (MNZCC) acknowledged that this could be an excellent opportunity for both parties to benefit, especially in the field of technical training and skills development.

Areas that could be of interest include safety and the environment. New Zealand is already an established player in these very two critical aspects in the industry.

Chairman of MNZCC Bruce Hope feels that prominent Malaysian oil & gas players such as Sapura Energy stand to gain from New Zealand’s cutting-edge technical expertise and technology.

“New Zealand is a global leader in safety and the environment. We have pioneered the use of virtual reality (VR) in the area of technical training. We would like to see more Malaysians conduct this training in New Zealand,” said Hope.

MZNCC promotes and fosters bilateral trade, services and investment between Malaysia and New Zealand. Hope added that both countries should look forward to increased trade growth from the Sapura Energy projects in the region for the many years to come.

Sapura Energy President and Group CEO Tan Sri Shahril Shamsuddin is equally optimistic about the company’s progress into the New Zealand market.

“We are excited about our entry into New Zealand which may open up opportunities in a proven area for Sapura E&P,” said Shahril after the deal was announced earlier this year.

“This is a strategic entry for Sapura E&P and we will be working with our partners to mature potential drilling locations prior to making well commitments. The joint venture will see Sapura E&P utilising its sub-surface technical expertise to support the exploration activities within these exploration areas,” Shahril said.

In March this year, Sapura Exploration & Production (Sapura E&P) entered the New Zealand market with several offshore exploration permits within the prolific Taranaki basin in the country, with approvals from the New Zealand government.

Sapura E&P is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sapura Energy. It signed farm-in agreements with OMV New Zealand and Mitsui E&P Australia for five offshore permits. The deal includes offshore exploration permits PEP 57075, PEP 51906, PEP 60091, PEP 60092 and PEP 60093.

All of the offshore exploration permits are located in shallow water within the prolific oil and gas region of the Taranaki basin, with total discovered volumes of more than 2.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent to date.

The deal will provide Sapura Energy with access to a footprint of more than 8900 square kilometres. The participating interests of PEP 57075 and PEP 51906 are held by Sapura E&P (30%) and OMV (70%) while participating interests of PEP 60091, PEP 60092 and PEP 60093 are held by Sapura E&P (30%), OMV New Zealand Limited (40%) and Mitsui (30%). All five exploration permits will be operated by OMV.

Bioenergy

Work begins on waste-to-energy plant in HCM City

29 November 2018

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Vietnam

HCM City (VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City began the construction of a solid waste treatment and recycling factory with capacity able to be raised to meet the demand in Cu Chi district on November 22.

The plant, located at the Tay Bac solid waste treatment complex, is invested with nearly 1 trillion VND (42.8 million USD) and scheduled to become operational in the next two years.

It is designed to handle 500 tonnes of waste per day, and the capacity will be able to increase to meet the city’s waste treatment demand.

Chau Phuoc Minh, a representative of the investor – Tasco JSC, said the waste-to-energy plant will be equipped with modern technologies to produce high-quality organic fertilizer from organic waste and non-baked bricks from ash. It will also make use of landfill leachate to produce electricity.

The factory’s design will also be favourable for local residents to visit and examine its activities, he added.

Asko Ojaniemi, a Finnish waste treatment expert, said environmental organisations of Finland will give advice and technical support to help the plant succeed in turning waste into materials for making different products.

According to the HCM City Department of Natural Resources and Environment, more than 9,000 tonnes of solid waste are discharged in the city each day, with 76 percent buried, 14.7 percent recycled and 9.3 percent burned.

The city is calling for investment in waste treatment, especially waste-to-energy technologies, so as to reduce the rate of buried waste to 50 percent by 2020 and 20 percent by 2050.-VNA

Electricity/Power Grid

TEPCO invests in Coc San hydro project, Vietnam

29 November 2018

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Vietnam

Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. (TEPCO) is looking to increase the efficiency of the 29.7MW Coc San Hydropower Plant in Vietnam after acquiring a 36.38% stake in project operator Viet Hydro Pte Ltd, the majority shareholder of Lao Cai Renewable Energy Joint Stock Company.

The company acquired the shares from InfraCo Asia Development Pte. Ltd. (InfraCo Asia), a company of the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG).

TEPCO has been working to turn renewable energy into one of its primary energy sources to increase the company’s corporate value. As part of this strategy, TEPCO is newly pursuing the development of hydropower overseas and offshore wind power both in Japan and overseas. The company aims eventually to develop a total capacity of 2000-3000MW.

Coc San Hydropower Plant has been operating stably since launching commercial operations in April 2016, supported by a 20-year power purchase agreement with Northern Power Corporation, a power distributing subsidiary of Vietnam Electricity. Going forward, TEPCO said it expects to leverage its knowhow and experience from Japan to strengthen Coc San’s profitability through increased efficiency.

“As a respected international organization looking to grow its footprint in the renewable energy space, TEPCO is well-suited to build and expand upon InfraCo Asia’s role in the Coc San project,” said InfraCo Asia CEO, Allard Nooy. “InfraCo Asia invested in the project early on with the aims of creating strong development impact and serving as a catalyst for private sector investment, for both the Coc San project and Vietnam’s renewable energy sector. TEPCO’s acquisition of InfraCo Asia’s shareholding provides strong validation for the promise of clean, renewable power in Vietnam, and serves as a benchmark for other private sector players who are considering investing in the country. We would like to thank the TEPCO team for their efforts, and we look forward to more fruitful collaborations in the future.”

TEPCO said it will continue exploring opportunities to participate in other hydropower projects, mainly in Southeast Asia, and develop its overseas business by partnering with companies in Japan and overseas.

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