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Renewables

Philippines’ MGen eyes 1GW renewables output

12 November 2018

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Philippines

It wants solar to drive this renewables output.

The power generation arm of the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), Meralco PowerGen Corp., seeks to raise its renewables output to 1,000MW or 1GW in the next two years to three years, BusinessMirror reports. It added that it wants solar power to comprise its portfolio.

MGen president Rogelio Singson said, “We want to go into more RE investments and we’re looking at solar and wind, in particular. We are looking at 500 MW to 1,000 MW of solar in the next two to three years. In wind, we’re in discussion for a wind project with 150 MW of capacity.”

MGen is looking at possible partnerships for the 150MW wind project in Luzon, which is currently not enrolled in the government’s feed-in-tariff programme.

“MGen believes solar generation will form an important part of the energy mix going forward and will be a competitive source of generation without any requirement for a subsidy,” Singson added.

Last August, MGen was in talks with multilateral lending agencies, such as the World Bank (WB), Asian Development Bank (ADB), and International Finance Corp., for a possible partnership in building merchant power plants.

Renewables

UK to assist Myanmar with renewable energy projects

12 November 2018

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Myanmar

The United Kingdom will assist Myanmar in implementing renewable-energy projects. a senior UK official said.

Douglas Barnes, director of the UK’s Department for International Trade, made the comment during a knowledge-sharing workshop for policies and regulations covering renewable-energy use and reducing carbon emissions organised by his agency in Nay Pyi Taw on Monday.

“After the workshop, the governments of the UK and Myanmar will have continuous discussions. From that relationship, policies and regulations will be drafted,” Mr Barnes said.

“When those policies are in place, Myanmar will need technologies and we will provide these technologies. UK businesses will also be invited to invest in the sector in Myanmar,” he added.

He said required technologies, workshops and training will be provided to implement renewable energy projects.

The UK has established a £15 million (K30 billion) fund which will be used until 2020 for carbon reduction, renewable energy and energy utilisations in six ASEAN member states, including Myanmar. Expenses for feasibility studies of wind and solar energy projects in Myanmar will be provided from the fund.

Countries in the region need to cooperate in carbon reduction and promotion of renewable energy, Mr Barnes explained, adding that Myanmar needs policies and regulations in place if it is to meet its carbon-reduction goals by 2030.

“Myanmar can meet its carbon reduction targets but everyone needs to cooperate for this project to be successful,” he said. UK will continue to help Myanmar and energy is one of the country’s essential needs.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Electricity and Energy (MOEE) is drafting a renewable energy law to develop the sector, U Maung Maung Kyaw, Chief Engineer from the Department of Renewable Energy and Hydropower Plants under the MOEE, said in September.

The ministry is aiming to generate 8 percent of the country’s electricity through renewable sources of energy by 2021. By 2025, the target is for 12pc of all electricity generated in Myanmar to be renewable.

The government will prioritise the development of solar energy, followed by wind energy, U Maung Maung Kyaw said.

On the solar front, the state is currently building a plant in Minbu, Magway Region, which will have the capacity to generate 170MW of electricity when it is complete in February next year. The Minbu plant is the first solar powered plant in Myanmar. Operations are expected to commence this month.

Two more solar plants are expected to be constructed “soon,” U Maung Maung Kyaw said. The plants will be built in Myingyan and Wundwin in Mandalay Region and are expected to have the capacity to generate 150MW of electricity each.

Meanwhile, an agreement has been signed for China’s Three Gorges Corporation to develop a 30MW wind power project in Chaung Thar, Ayeyarwaddy Region. It will be first such project in Myanmar. Currently, the MOEE is negotiating terms for the power purchase agreement. Development of the Chaung Thar wind power project will commence after, said U Maung Maung Kyaw.

Wind-powered projects can potentially also be developed in Chin State, Rakhine State, Ayeyarwaddy Region, Yangon Region, Shan State, Kayah State, Tanintharyi Region, Mon State and Kayin State, according to the MOEE.

Myanmar’s push to develop new sources of energy via renewable means coincides with the need to provide businesses ranging from manufacturing to banking with a reliable supply of electricity for further expansion.

The government has also promised to provide the entire country with access to power by 2030.

Oil & Gas

DOE wants moratorium on oil exploration in West Philippine Sea lifted

12 November 2018

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Philippines

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said Wednesday it is imperative for the government to lift the moratorium on exploration works in the disputed areas in the South China Sea in order for the possible joint oil and gas exploration deal with China to move forward.

The Philippines and China are negotiating for the exploration deal which Malacañang hopes will be signed during the visit to Manila later this month by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano had said the Philippines was open to a 60-40 deal, in favor of Manila, should a joint development undertaking pushes through with China.

He previously mentioned that Reed Bank or Recto Bank, which is within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ), could be a site for exploration.

The Philippines suspended exploration in the Reed Bank in 2014 as it pursued international arbitration of its maritime dispute with China.

The United Nations-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration in July 2016 invalidated Beijing’s historic claims in the resource-rich waters and spelled out the Philippines’ sovereign rights to access offshore oil and gas fields within its EEZ. China, however, refused to recognize the ruling.

“The issue of the lifting is being taken cared of by the DFA [Department of Foreign Affairs] because of the diplomatic issue. As far as the DOE is concerned, so that we can resume exploration, we need to lift that moratorium,” Cusi said at a news conference in Malacañang.

Cusi said he had discussed the DOE’s position with the DFA “but as I have said, that issue, because of the diplomatic concerns, is best answered by DFA.”

Relations between the Philippines and China have vastly improved under President Rodrigo Duterte, who sought Chinese trade and economic aid while shelving long-running territorial disputes, including the arbitral tribunal case won by Manila in July 2016.

Pending the joint exploration deal, the DOE has been pushing for the exploration of oil and gas resources in non-disputed areas under the DOE’s Philippine Conventional Energy Contracting Program (PCECP).

The DOE identified 14 pre-determined areas (PDAs) for potential petroleum exploration and development activities.

The PDAs include one area in the Cagayan Basin, three in Eastern Palawan, three in Sulu, two in Agusan-Davao, one in Cotabato, and four in Western Luzon.

“[T]hose are off-shores and on-shores and these will be made available come third week of November,” Cusi said.

The DOE said the PCECP is the revised and transparent petroleum service contract awarding mechanism that allows the government to develop and utilize indigenous petroleum resources under a service contract with qualified local and international exploration companies. —KG, GMA News

Oil & Gas

Malaysia’s oil overdependence threatens attempts to shed debt

12 November 2018

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Malaysia

Analysts see downside risks to the oil price rally even in 2019.

The Malaysian government has expressed plans to narrow their YoY budget deficit from 3.7% to 3.4% next year. However, analysts at Fitch Solutions stated that their forecasts remain at 3.7% as they dread that the country’s continued dependence on oil revenues pose risks to the government’s fiscal consolidation plan.

The government earlier proposed to fund its larger 2019 budget of MYR314.6b through dividends from national oil company, Petronas. Including regular payouts of MYR24.0bn, Petronas would be funding 17.2% of expenditures in 2019, highlighting Malaysia’s continued reliance on oil revenues.

“Staking fiscal consolidation on rising oil revenues is unlikely to be sustainable over the long term, and we are seeing downside risks to the oil price rally even in 2019, due to demand jitters amidst a softening global macroeconomic outlook,” Fitch Solutions said in a statement.

As of Q2, Malaysia’s public debt stands at RM984b which represents 70.7% of annual GDP which threatens the country’s economic growth. Domestic debt took the lion’s share of the total at 81.3%, and as a share of GDP, it was equivalent to 57.5% as of Q218, exceeding the government’s self-imposed domestic debt limit of 55% of GDP.

“Given that we are less optimistic on the government fiscal deficit reduction plans, we expect elevated debt to likely outlast the current government’s term (2018-2023),” Fitch Solutions added. “Additionally, we are forecasting real GDP growth to average 4.4% over 2019 and 2021, lower than the government’s projections of 5.0% (the middle of its forecast range of 4.5-5.5%), which will likely undermine direct tax revenue collections (income and corporate taxes) over the coming years.”

Grab raises $250 million from Hyundai and will partner on electric vehicles for Southeast Asia

12 November 2018

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ASEAN

Singapore-based Grab today announced that it has received a $250 million investment from Hyundai Motor Group, an infusion that brings its latest round of venture capital to $2.7 billion.

In addition, Grab said it will partner with Hyundai to develop electric vehicle (EV) pilot programs across the eight countries it serves in Southeast Asia.

“As the largest fleet owner of EVs in Singapore, we are excited to establish an industry partnership with Hyundai Motor Group to drive EV adoption across Southeast Asia,” said Grab president Ming Maa in a statement. “We both share a common vision on the electrification of mobility as one of the key foundations for building an environmentally sustainable and lowest-cost transportation platform.”

Grab is on a fundraising tear this year. SoftBank is reportedly preparing to pump another $500 million into the company, according to Reuters. That’s on top of $6 billion the company has already raised, including $1 billion earlier this year from Toyota. The latest round, its Series H, is expected to top $3 billion before the end of this year, the company says.

Having acquired ride-hailing rival Uber’s assets in the region earlier this year, Grab has now fully turned its attention to becoming a single destination that will eventually offer users access to just about any service they could possibly need.

In July, the company launched GrabPlatform, an open platform that will allow partners to place their service in front of the 110 million people who have downloaded the app across 235 cities. Using Grab’s API, partners can tap into the company’s logistics and payments technology to reach this wider user base in Grab’s eight territories: Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Cambodia.

As it seeks to transform the economies of these Southeast Asian countries, Grab hopes to use its deal with Hyundai to accelerate adoption of EVs.

“As home to one of the world’s fastest-growing consumer hubs, Southeast Asia is a huge emerging market for EVs,” said Dr. Youngcho Chi, Hyundai Motor Group’s chief innovation officer, in a statement. “With its unparalleled footprint across the region and an ever-expanding base of customers and merchants, Grab is an invaluable partner that will help accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles in Southeast Asia.”

The companies still start the first pilot program in Singapore next year, finding ways to encourage their drivers to migrate to electric vehicles. In addition, the partners want to work with local officials to address infrastructure issues, including rolling out more charging stations. Part of the challenge also involves funding research to address problems electric vehicles can encounter in the region’s hot and humid climates.

For its part, Hyundai says it hopes to double the number of environmentally friendly models it sells to 38 by 2025.

Renewables

Solar panel joint venture coming to K Speu

12 November 2018

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Cambodia

Solar panels are in production in Kampong Speu province. Ahmed Ouoba/AFP

The production of more than $58 million worth of 60-megawatt solar-panels has begun in Kampong Speu province after the project was approved in May by the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC), provincial governor Vy Samnang said.

Developed by Schneitec Renewable Co Ltd, the project is a joint venture between Cambodian and Chinese investors and is located on 200ha adjacent to National Road 51, in Kampong Speu’ s Oudong district.

Samnang said the company started production after submitting its environmental impact assessment (EIA) to provincial authorities.

“The first [batch] of solar panels are under production after [the company] completed its EIA report. It cleared and refilled 10 per cent of [the land allotted for] its project. [It] will attract more factories to the country, especially in Kampong Speu province,” said Samnang.

This solar panel project will increase the supply of electric power and help cut costs.

The Kingdom consumed 8.15 billion kWh of electricity over the course of last year, with 20 per cent imported from Thailand, Vietnam and Laos, said a Ministry of Mines and Energy report.

By comparison, 2016 saw 7.17 billion kWh consumed, with 22 per cent of it imported. The figures amounted to a 14 per cent rise in consumption and a one billion kWh increase in local generation.

An Electricity Authority of Cambodia report showed that last year, it supplied power to about 14,000 villages or 81 per cent of all villages in Cambodia. About 3.3 million households – or 68.5 per cent of all homes – were provided with some form of electricity.

The government’s goal is for all villages in Cambodia to have access to electricity by 2020, and for at least 90 per cent of households nationwide to be connected to the grid by 2030.

Renewables

SMA to supply inverters to 50MW solar plant in Myanmar

12 November 2018

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Myanmar

SMA Solar Technology is to deliver equipment including inverters to a 50MW solar project in Minbu, Myanmar.

The German firm will supply its Power Station 2000SC, a turnkey system solution equipped with two Sunny Central 1000SC-XT inverters and a medium voltage solution for the grid connection.

The plant, 500km northwest from Yangon, will go into operation in spring of 2019, supplying power for the equivalent of 20,000 Myanmar households.

“In the northern region of Myanmar where the PV project is located, the performance of the inverter capacity under extremely high temperatures is of fundamental importance. Our Sunny Central inverters can address the demand with full nominal power in continuous operation at ambient temperature up to 40 °C”, said John Susa, EVP of SMA Sales North America and APAC.

“Minbu Solar Park is the first large scale solar project in Myanmar, we need to work with reliable partners to ensure its success in performance,” said Ray Liu, Director of New Energy Department at EPC provider CTIEC (China Triumph International Engineering Group Co., Ltd.). “We know that SMA has the global experience and reliability which is necessary to minimize the risks, we chose SMA’s system technology because we were impressed by its product testing procedure and high degree of design flexibility. SMA also made a vital contribution to deliver the products within a tight construction schedule.”

Renewables

PMFTC opens $3.1-million solar-power plant in Batangas

12 November 2018

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Philippines

PHILIP Morris Fortune Tobacco Corp. (PMFTC), a joint venture between Philip Morris Philippines Manufacturing Inc. and Fortune Tobacco Corp., on Tuesday inaugurated its $3.1-million solar-power plant inside its 25-hectare manufacturing facility at the First Philippine Industrial Park in Tanauan City, Batangas.

PMFTC tapped Spectrum, the renewable-energy unit of Manila Electric Co., in putting up the former’s 2.5-megawatt (MW) ground-mounted own-use solar plant. With the installation, PMFTC Inc. has become the third affiliate of Philip Morris International (PMI) in Asia to have its own solar- power plant, next to Pakistan and Indonesia.

PMI manager for environment Carlos Sanchez said the solar-power facility’s capacity “will cover 10 percent of the actual needs of the factory.”

“This is just the first phase and we are watching. We want to see, test how the production works. But it’s really easy to expand. We have space to do it. We want to make sure we invested in the right one,” Sanchez said when asked if there is a plan to expand the ground-mounted own-use solar-power facility.

This is also Spectrum’s single-largest project, said Spectrum commercial services head Robet Marlon Pereja, who added that the company has so far installed a total of 10 MW.

“It depends on PMFTC. I’m very confident the plant will achieve and even surpass the expected results. I think there’s room for expansion. This is a very large plant,” said Pereja when asked if there are discussions with PMFTC to expand the facility soon.

The solar facility can withstand a Category 5 typhoon and 8-magnitude earthquake. The electricity produced through this process is considered clean energy that does not create any additional carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

“The new solar-energy project also hopes to achieve PMI’s target of at least 40-percent reduction in its carbon footprint across its whole value chain by 2030. With the Batangas factory now partially powered by solar energy, the initiative is expected to reduce more than 2,000 tons of CO2 annually,” PMFTC operations director Joao Brigido said.

The solar plant was constructed in support of the Philippine government’s Renewable Energy Roadmap 2017-2040 that seeks to establish at least 20,000 MW of renewable-energy sources by 2040.

PMFTC external affairs director Varinia Elero-Tinga said the company hopes to contribute to the Philippine Government’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 70 percent by 2030 through this project.

Since the inauguration of the Batangas factory in 2003, PMI has grown its investments in the Philippines to include the renovation and rehabilitation of the PMFTC Inc. Marikina manufacturing facility, the establishment of a PMI regional leaf warehouse in Subic and the construction of a leaf-facility and buying station in Claveria, Misamis Oriental.

PMI is a leading international tobacco company, with a diverse work force of around 81,000 people. It manufactures six of the world’s top international 15 brands, spanning more than 180 markets.

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