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Renewables

Indonesia’s green energy outlook promising despite slow growth

30 October 2019

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Indonesia

Coal

Russia to overtake Indonesia as top exporter of thermal coal by 2040: IEA

30 October 2019

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Indonesia

Singapore — Russia is expected to overtake Indonesia as the biggest exporter of coal by 2040, as the Southeast Asian country’s thermal coal production stagnates, the International Energy Agency said Wednesday.

In the report, IEA Southeast Asia Energy Outlook, released at the Singapore International Energy Week 2019, the agency said that with stagnating investment in coal mines in the 2020s, Indonesia will likely see its output decrease through 2030.

Indonesia is the world’s largest thermal coal exporter and accounts for almost 90% of Southeast Asia’s coal production, IEA said in its report.

The IEA stated that in its outlook scenario, Indonesia’s exports are likely to decline from 350 million mt of coal equivalent presently to 210 million mt of coal equivalent in 2040.

The outlook scenario is based on present day policy framework, the report noted.

“A growing share of production is destined to serve increasing domestic demand, while output declines by 14%,” it said.

However, the report highlighted that Indonesian suppliers might also respond rapidly to price signals from international markets and ramp up production and exports when seaborne prices become more attractive.

ROBUST DEMAND

The report noted that with the volume of coal traded in the world projected to stay broadly flat up to 2040, Australia and Russia are well-positioned to increase exports to offset the reduced role of Indonesia, which serves Asian markets predominantly.

“By 2040, Indonesia is overtaken by Russia in terms of export volumes,” the report said.

Russia, the world’s third largest coal exporter, aims to boost coal exports to Asia amid falling demand in Europe.

The country’s thermal coal production is set to grow by more than 100 million mt to 550 million mt by 2035, as the country looks to invest in new coal infrastructure and focus increasingly on the growing Asia-Pacific region.

According to the September edition of Australia’s Resource and Energy Quarterly, Russia’s thermal coal exports grew by 9.1% to 173 million mt in 2018 and have continued to grow in 2019, although at a slower pace.

While the trend for global coal demand is expected to stay flat, the IEA report highlighted that Southeast Asian demand for coal is robust, doubling to nearly 400 million mt of coal equivalent by 2040 at an annual average growth rate of 3%.

“Based on today’s policies and plans, coal is set to retain a strong position in the region’s electricity generation mix,” it said.

“Over the projection period, strong demand increases in Southeast Asia (excluding Indonesia) outpaces production growth and imports increase to some 170 million mt of coal equivalent by 2040.”

The Singapore International Energy Week, organized annually by the Singapore Energy Market Authority, is held from October 29 to November 1.

Electricity/Power Grid

New LED lights to brighten Yangon streets

30 October 2019

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Myanmar

The Yangon Electricity Supply Corporation (YESC) will be solely responsible for maintaining all streetlights in the region and will change the current lights to more efficient LED ones, Daw Nilar Kyaw, Minister for Electricity, Industry, Transport and Communication, said on September 26.

The announcement came as a response from Daw Thet Htar New Win, Member of Parliament for Thaketa township at the Yangon Hluttaw.

“We would like to make these changes in other townships, but start with Thaketa. Our plan is to replace the old lights and install the new LED lights throughout the city. We have transferred moneys from the YCDC budget to YESC to help fund the plan,’ Daw Nilar Kyaw said.

Last year YCDC set aside money for electricity, and upgrades to the streets and roads, but that left less of the available budget for street lighting.

She said the Yangon Region government is implementing the plan on the main roads, and hopes to complete the initiative by the end of the financial year.

LED stands for “light emitting diode”, and differ from older incandescent bulbs in that they produce light when a current flows through the diode. In LED lights the light source is built into the main fixture, meaning that the light source doesn’t need to be replaced as often.

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The older-style concrete electricity polls, with street lights attached.

LED street lights have a higher installation cost, but have become a more feasible alternative as technology has improved over the past decade. Some electrical engineers argue that LED lights only provide directional light, and so cannot provide an overall glow over a street or road. With good designs, however, this can be solved by aiming the lights down towards the area most needing light. A good design may also modify the problem of light pollution, and prevent glare for cars and pedestrians.

Yangon is not the most illuminated city, by any stretch of the imagination. Some lampposts and electricity poles are made from brittle concrete, and easily become damaged when cars crash into them. The announcement by the government seems like a welcome move to change things, and to brighten the streets and roads of the city.

It seems likely that, after the trial installations in Thaketa, the inner city will receive the first upgrades. Hopefully the new lights will make it safer to walk the streets in the evening and at nights, when the prospect of tripping over a wonky paving slab or hole in the pavement are all too much of a worry for many.

The Yangon Region government is also implementing a three-year electricity upgrade, which aims to deliver a more reliable supply of power to Dagon Seikkan, South Dagon and other townships outside of the municipal center.

All these upgrades are well and good, and no doubt will be welcomed by the city’s rate payers. However, without a continuous flow of electricity – throughout the year, and during the day and night – plans to light up the streets won’t be quite as impressive.

Others

GE eyes expansion in Myanmar energy, healthcare sectors

30 October 2019

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Myanmar

GE, the high-tech energy, health and aviation equipment provider, has plans to expand its reach in the Myanmar energy and healthcare sectors.

“Myanmar has huge potential in terms of revenue and orders for GE. Myanmar needs healthcare and a lot of electricity. There are good prospects in natural gas production and solar energy sector,” Mr Wouter Van Versch, President and chief executive of GE Asia Pacific, told the Myanmar Times during a visit to the company’s John F. Welch Technology Center (JFWTC) in Bangalore, India this month.

Mr Wouter added that “in the future, GE may come to Myanmar to invest in factories to support its expansion into healthcare and electricity production from natural gas.”

After US sanctions were lifted on Myanmar in 2012, GE was one of first US companies to return to the country in 2013, when it signed a contract with state-owned Myanmar National Airways to support the airline’s upgrade and expansion by providing fuel-efficient engines for six Boeing 737-800 and four Boeing 737-8MAX aircraft.

The company also provides gas turbines and supporting technology to modern power plants in Myanmar, including the US$310 million, 225-megawatt Sembcorp Myingyan gas power plant in Mandalay, which was completed this year by Singapore’s Sembcorp Industries. The plant will generate power for up to 5.3 million people and is among the largest in the country.

GE is also working with the government and private sector to develop the infrastructure and solutions needed to meet healthcare needs in the country. With only 1,056 hospitals and very few private hospitals to support the country’s growing population, healthcare services are still lacking in Myanmar, Mr Wouter said.

Currently, GE’s healthcare products and solutions in Myanmar include the Revolution ACT, a CT scanner that reduces scanning time and x-ray magnitude by up to 36 percent. It was first introduced in Myanmar in 2016 and there are around 150 units now installed in Myanmar, which is the same number as in Vietnam.

The company has also deployed its Lullaby heater, reanimation and photo-scanners, which help detect the early sign of infant mortality, in Myanmar. “Infant mortality rate is still very high in Asean countries like Myanmar and Laos. For every 1,000 new born babies, 47 do not survive,”Mr Wouter added.

Around 2,000 Lullabies have been installed in Asean and the main markets are Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Myanmar. Meanwhile, an additional 4,800 Lullaby LED PET units, which treats neonatal jaundice by reducing bilirubin in the blood, have been installed in the region, of which 1,615 units are in Myanmar.

Following the appointment of Sea Lion as a joint venture partner, GE has also contributed to the upgrading of clinical training courses for medical professionals in Myanmar and channeled up to US$7 million in education and other corporate social responsibilities in the country.

Moving forward, GE will continue to invest across the Asean region. “The region needs much more infrastructure in aviation, energy and healthcare. We can see a lot of potential. In the next 20 years, we expect spending on aircraft, energy and healthcare facilities to rise two folds compared to now,” Mr Wouter said.

Much of that expansion will be supported within the JFWTC, where some 5,300 scientists and engineers are now working at developing new technologies in the medical energy and transportation industries. This includes intelligent machines which can offer real-time solutions, Mr Wouter said. – Translated

Others

Prayut ‘to take responsibility’ for mine closure

29 October 2019

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Thailand

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha says he will “take responsibility” for the dispute with an Australian company involving a gold mine he shut down three years ago, but has yet to make the decision.

At the cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Energy Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit reported the progress of the arbitration between Kingsgate Consolidated and Thailand that began in late 2017.

The Chatree mine in Phichit and Phetchabun provinces, operated by the Kingsgate subsidiary Akara Resources Plc, was ordered to suspend production in late 2016 on grounds that its activities were harmful to the environment and area residents’ health.

The order was made by Gen Prayut under Section 44 of the interim constitution, which grants him unlimited executive powers with impunity after the 2014 military coup.

Kingsgate has consistently disputed the findings of reports that its activities resulted in toxic leaks that affected groundwater and local paddy fields.

Kingsgate has since entered into an arbitration process with Thailand under the Thailand-Australia Free Trade Agreement (Tafta). The company said the government’s order was unlawful under the trade pact and caused substantial damages.

On Tuesday, the Energy Ministry proposed four options to the cabinet: (1) paying Akara Resources to shut it down; (2) complying with Akara’s demands to avoid paying; (3) waiting for the ruling of the arbitrator and abiding by it; and (4) partially paying the damages and then allowing the mine to reopen.

Some ministers did not agree with the last option, viewing if the government had already shut down the mine, it would be inappropriate to allow it to reopen.

While the meeting was discussing the issue, Gen Prayut said he needed time to think. “I can’t decide now but I’ll bear all the responsibility,” he said.

Interior Minister Anupong Paochinda said Thailand should wait for the ruling while Finance Minister Somkid Jatusripitak made no comments.

Kingsgate prepares for legal challenge to mine closure

Chatree was Thailand’s biggest gold mine, employing almost 1,000 workers. The open-cut mine began production in 2001. Its concession was due to run until 2028.

Since Gen Prayut used his special power to shut it down, a question followed who should pay the damages, believed to be 36 billion baht, should the arbitrator decide in Kingsgate’s favour.

They link the Chatree case with the status of Gen Prayut as “state official”. In their view, if Gen Prayut is a state official, the Thai government must pay the Australian company. But if he is not, Gen Prayut should pay the claims out of his own pocket.

The status of Gen Prayut was questioned before he became the prime minister after the March 24 election. The charter says a prime minister must not be a “state official”. Some people believed Gen Prayut was a state official because he received salaries from the state and asked the Constitutional Court to rule.

The court decided Gen Prayut was not a state official. As the holder of the sovereign power at the time, he was not a state official and was qualified to be prime minister.

Cholnan Srikaew, a Pheu Thai MP for Nan province, said in Parliament this month the Opposition would review the 2020 budget bill thor

Coal

Shi.E.L.D. sees transhipment growth in Vietnam on rising coal imports

29 October 2019

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Vietnam

Vietnam’s increasing coal import volumes and shallow draft at bulk ports are fueling demand growth for the transhipment sector, according to transshipment logistics firm Shi.E.L.D. Services.

“We see great opportunities in Vietnam as manufacturing and industrial economy continues to growth, demand for coal for power stations will continue to increase,” said Corrado Cuccurullo, ceo of Shi.E.L.D.

Vietnam’s coal imports rose 108% from January to July this year, compared to the same period in 2018. For the first seven months this year, 23m tonnes of coal worth $2.17bn were imported into Vietnam, according to the country’s general department of customs.

Coal imported during the first seven months exceeded the amount imported during all of 2018 by about 57,000 tonnes.

In addition, given the draught restrictions in many of the ports in Vietnam, there will be strong demand for experienced transhipper operators, Cuccurullo said.

“We have successfully managed extremely complex logistics projects and handled a full range of dry bulk materials – coal, bauxite, iron ore, sulphur to name a few in Indonesia and around the world, overcoming logistic restrictions and creating value for our clients,” he added.

Apart from Vietnam, Shi.E.L.D. is also seeing new opportunities in Indonesia’s coal transhipment business, as the company looks to expand in the Southeast Asia region.

Milan-headquartered Shi.E.L.D., a spin-off of Coeclerici Logistics, operates in the offshore logistics sector for dry bulk materials and technical vessel and crew management.

Posted 29 October 2019

Oil & Gas

Work on LNG storage facility begins in Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu

29 October 2019

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Vietnam

BÀ RỊA-VŨNG TÀU — Construction of the Thị Vải liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage facility began in the southern province of Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu on Monday.

Financed by PV Gas, a subsidiary of the national oil and gas group PetroVietnam, the facility will cost an estimated US$285 million in the first phase.

Phase one is slated for completion in 2022 with a designed capacity of one million tonnes. The second phase to double the capacity scheduled for completion the following year.

The LNG storage facility is part of a series of gas and power projects that includes Nhơn Trạch 3 and Nhơn Trạch 4 gas-fired power plants in the Thị Vải-Nhơn Trạch area, said PV Gas General Director Dương Mạnh Sơn.

Sơn said this facility and the two Nhơn Trạch power plants will help ensure gas and electricity demand for the south-eastern key economic zone.

Once completed, the facility can receive LNG shipping vessels with a capacity of up to 85,000 tonnes and provide 1.4 billion cubic metres of gas for the two power plants and other industrial customers.

In his speech at the ground-breaking ceremony, National Assembly Vice Chairman Uông Chu Lưu praised on the project, saying it is not only significant to PV Gas but also an important milestone in the implementation of the national energy development strategy.

Also at the ceremony, a credit financing agreement for the project was signed between PV Gas and domestic and foreign banks, under which the foreign loan is $80 million while the domestic loan is VNĐ2.1 trillion ($90.1 million). — VNS

Read more at http://vietnamnews.vn/economy/537584/work-on-lng-storage-facility-begins-in-ba-ria-vung-tau.html#emDOHgUGEvwFzG40.99

Coal

Technologies crucial to curbing emissions from coal combustion: workshop

29 October 2019

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Vietnam

HÀ NỘI — The 14th Multi-Pollutant Emissions from Coal Workshop, held in Hà Nội on Monday, gathered international experts, scientists and policy makers, who stressed the significance of advanced technologies to control mercury and multi-pollutant emissions from coal combustion.

At the event, organised by the Clean Coal Centre under the International Energy Agency (IEA) in collaboration with the Hà Nội University of Natural Resources and Environment, they shared scientific research and management experience to outline strategies to branch out technology to reduce pollutants from coal utilities.

According to Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Võ Tuấn Nhân, coal burning for power generation results in emissions of particulates, sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), mercury and heavy metals, among others, which have a critical impact on the environment and human health.

While other regions are promoting the use of ‘green’ energy, Asia is still dependent on coal to meet energy demand, he said, adding Asia is mining and burning three quarters of the world’s coal.

In recent years, Asian nations have worked to boost the production of renewable energy. However, their efforts are insufficient, especially when coal-generated electricity is playing an important role to ensure energy security in countries like Việt Nam, Thailand and Indonesia.

Đặng Hà Sơn from the Centre for Energy and Green Growth Research said Việt Nam has increased imports of bituminous coal to meet demand for industrial activities and power generation.

The country should apply advanced measures to use energy in an effective way, and it is necessary for State-owned agencies to carry out meticulous studies to lay down standards to curb sulfur and mercury emissions from industrial plants, he said.

Meanwhile, Lesley Sloss, a representative from the Clean Coal Centre, said there are many technologies to reduce pollutants from coal burning, and management of mercury can be done by using clean coal. — VNS

Read more at http://vietnamnews.vn/environment/537568/technologies-crucial-to-curbing-emissions-from-coal-combustion-workshop.html#BHsWS0uxL0buwLHA.99

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