The Indonesian Renewable Energy Society (METI) reports that Indonesia has development potential with 312 geothermal fields. Of these, only 70 fields have become Geothermal Working Areas (WKP). The rest can be developed into renewable energy projects. Surya Darma, the Chairman of METI, sees the exploration drilling program by the government for the working areas as a good step to attract investors.
However, according to him it is not easy for the government to explore all 312 fields. Therefore, private involvement is necessary. “We would be happier if there is certainty about the resources of those working areas when they will be tendered and there is no exploration risk.” he said in Jakarta this week.
He explained, beyond using geothermal government drilling programs, development is difficult due to the limited ability of the government for further support. Moreover, the government has a direct assignment program to work on WKP. The company that gets the assignment can do a study on the WKP and can submit an offer if interested. However, he considered that the government’s efforts to boost WKP exploration through the assignment program were not yet optimal.
He also considered, the assignment scheme made the developer bear all the risks of drilling. In fact, in the Philippines, all the risks were borne by the government and then then the company could develop the resource. “When the risk is taken by the government, and the project then handed over to the private sector – even without incentives – things look different,” he said.
Moreover, according to him the developer may not necessarily get the results of the drilling in the WKP, despite bearing all the risks. Investors need around US$ 10 million to drill one well, with three wells per project things add up.
Surya Darma hopes that there is a leader in the government that is specifically focused in dealing with renewable energy development. The person would have to be able to overcome various problems, especially related to the development of new renewable energy. “That is what drives the existence of a deputy minister who takes care of that matter,” he said.
A botanical garden in Thailand is trying to give a boost to the hydrogen microgrid concept, an approach that is still nascent.
The 600-acre Nongooch Tropical Botanical Gardens in Pattaya set up a demontration microgrid in early October to show that hydrogen can act as an energy storage solution for local grids, one that doesn’t require fossil fuels, according to Kampon Tansacha, the scientific research center’s owner.
Nongooch partnered on the project with Enapter, a manufacturer of modular hydrogen systems using AEM electrolysis, with offices in Thailand, Germany and Italy.
Nongooch’s hydrogen microgrid isn’t the first Enapter has installed. In collaboration with Electricite de France and hydrogen power systems specialists Powidian, Enapter deployed an off-grid microgrid that has been operating since 2017 at the Cirque de Mafate caldera on Reunion Island, a French overseas territory in the southern Indian Ocean. Dubbed SAGES (Smart Autonomous Green Energy System), it provides 10-days of energy storage capacity, does not use any fossil fuels and provides electricity to several houses, a school, a workshop and medical dispensary, said Enapter co-founder Vaitea Cowan.
Enapter also deployed a hydrogen microgrid for Phi Suea House in Thailand, a system that has been running since 2014. The system provides 35 hours of energy storage, Cowan said.
In addition, the company is working with the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand to develop a fully functional microgrid that will double as an educational vehicle to illustrate a pathway to sustainable energy. The microgrid will include software capable of managing and optimizing loads and overall system performance.
Hydrogen microgrid tech at early stage
All told, microgrids based on Enapter’s hydrogen electrolyzers have been installed in 29 countries for a variety of use cases. Those use cases include achieving energy independence in remote areas, solar-hydrogen residential storage, back-up power for telecommunication towers during grid outages, and integration in hydrogen-intensive industries, Cowan said.
Enapter isn’t in the business of developing microgrids per se, Cowan pointed out. “We, however, understand that green hydrogen microgrids are at a very early stage, and a growing number of integrators and microgrid planners are looking for alternatives to diesel generators. They are eager to learn about the potential of hydrogen for scalable and clean, long-term energy storage. That is why we arranged this demo and invited international participants. We hope to enable our partners and customers to develop their own microgrids,” she said in an interview with Microgrid Knowledge.
Enapter’s history
The roots of Enapter’s hydrogen electrolyzer and microgrid system stretch back to an off-grid home microgrid co-founders Sebastain Schmidt and his eldest son, Jan-Justus, installed to minimize the carbon footprint of the family’s home in Thailand. The hydrogen electrolyzer at its core was developed by Acta Spa, an Italian company that ran into financial troubles. Schmidt believed the technology could be improved and made economically feasible. The Schmidt family then took over Acta Spa in a share deal in October 2017.
Shortly thereafter, the Schmidts joined with Cowan, a communications specialist, to showcase, raise capital and market the off-grid hydrogen system. That led to their founding Enapter in November 2017. Since then, the company’s employee headcount has grown from 11 to 76. The company operates: Bangkok, Berlin, Pisa and St. Petersburg, according to Cowan. More recently, Enapter completed a Series A venture capital round of funding in which private investors contributed capital for Enapter for the first time. It plans to carry out a Series B round soon Cowan added.
GWEC signs three MOUs with Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore (SEAS), Binh Thuan Wind Energy Association (BWEA) and Thai Wind Energy Association (ThaiWEA) to accelerate the growth of wind energy in South East Asia, with a focus on Vietnam and Thailand
Partnerships to strengthen the deployment of wind energy by engaging all relevant stakeholders in a key region for economic growth, where the energy generation mix remains reliant on fossil fuels despite tremendous renewable energy potential
According to GWEC Market Intelligence, Vietnam and Thailand are well positioned to lead the energy transition in South East Asia, with 1GW and 800MW of onshore wind power expected to be installed over the next 5 years, respectively, if challenges such as PPA bankability, permitting and local capacity for financing are overcome.
The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) has signed a series of three MOUs with regional partners in Singapore, in order to support and accelerate the growth of wind energy in South East Asia, with a focus on Vietnam and Thailand. The agreements were signed with: Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore (SEAS); Binh Thuan Wind Energy Association (BWEA); and Thai Wind Energy Association (ThaiWEA).
Vietnam and Thailand are positioned to become leaders in the region’s energy transition, with enormous wind power potential. Vietnam is expected to install more than 1GW of onshore wind power capacity over the next five years, and has a promising offshore wind sector, according to GWEC Market Intelligence. Thailand with 1500MW projects in pipeline of onshore wind is championing the South East Asia market. While these markets have strong fundamentals for renewable energy, they still face challenges such as permitting, bankability of PPAs and local capacity for financing.
Liming Qiao, Asia Director of GWEC, said: “South East Asia will become a key growth region for renewable energy. Steady GDP growth, urbanisation and rising populations have fuelled the region’s electricity demand, which has increased by an average 6.1 per cent annually since 2000. However, fossil fuels, and particularly coal-fired generation, continue to dominate the energy generation mix, with adverse socioeconomic and health impacts. It is imperative that stakeholders across South East Asia – from governments to investors to communities – work together to advance the deployment of clean energy. We are confident that through the new cooperation with our regional partners, we can overcome challenges such as system integration and market design, in order to promote the role of wind energy in South East Asia’s sustainable development.”
Kavita Gandhi, Executive Director of SEAS, said: “Established 13 years ago, SEAS is committed towards fostering growth in the sustainable energy ecosystem across Singapore and Asia Pacific. Through our partnership with GWEC, we hope to expand our cooperation on wind power capacity building within the South East Asia region.”
Bui Van Thinh, Chairman of BWEA, said: “BWEA has been working closely with GWEC in the past two years attempting to set up a Vietnam National Wind Energy Association. With Vietnam wind development storming ahead of the ASEAN pack, the time is no better than now, to have an industry association to represent the wind industry in Vietnam. We look forward to a more comprehensive collaboration with GWEC and other regional associations to build a robust regional partnership.”
Isares Phamornniyom, Chairman of ThaiWEA, said: “While Thailand has been intensifying the role of wind power in the past few years, the industry is facing great difficulty going forward without ambitious wind target and clear permitting process. ThaiWEA is aware of this challenge and is mitigating it with our policy work that pushes for a long-term target of wind energy in the revision of the Power Development Plan 2018. We look forward to further partnerships that would support the development of wind power in this region.”
The MOUs signed today:
Recognise the mutual interests of each organisation in upscaling wind energy and promoting its role in sustainable development;
Facilitate cooperation in the field of wind energy development, with a view to establishing positive policy environments and an acceleration pathway for wind power in the region, and particularly Vietnam and Thailand;
Support the development of technical activities, joint publications and other initiatives.
The MOUs were signed on the occasion of the Wind Energy Conference at the Asia Clean Energy Summit during Singapore International Energy Week, marking wind energy as one of the key transition technologies for the region. Roland Roesch, Deputy Director Innovation and Technology Center, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), served as a witness to the signing.
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Southeast Asia is accelerating plans to harness energy from the sun in coming years as the cost of generating electricity from some solar power projects has become more affordable than gas-fired plants, officials and analysts said.
The region, where power demand is expected to double by 2040, is striving to expand the share of renewable sources as developing nations seek affordable electricity while battling climate change.
Southeast Asia’s cumulative solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity could nearly triple to 35.8 gigawatt (GW) in 2024 from an estimated 12.6 GW this year, consultancy Wood Mackenzie says.
Vietnam leads the pack with a cumulative solar PV installation of 5.5 GW by this year, or 44% of the total capacity in the region, said Rishab Shrestha, Woodmac’s power and renewables analyst. This compares with 134 MW last year.
Among the encouraging signs for the solar industry was a recent auction for a 500 megawatt (MW) solar project in Malaysia of which 365 MW were bid at a price lower than the country’s average gas-powered electricity, said Yeo Bee Yin, minister of energy, science, technology, environment and climate change.
“For the first time in the history of Malaysia we have a large-scale solar energy costs that is less than gas, Yeo said at the Singapore International Energy Week.
“We now finally have an alternative energy that is cheaper than gas to replace our peak energy demand at midday.”
Malaysia has set a target to increase its renewable energy in electricity generation from current 6% to 20% by 2025, and a majority of this would be driven by solar.
The country also plans to open at least another 500 MW tender in the second quarter next year, Yeo said.
Singapore has also targeted at least 2 gigawatt (GW) peak of solar power capacity by 2030, or more than 10% of current peak electricity demand, potentially replacing natural gas which generates 95% of the country’s power now.
“This being presented by the (Singaporean) authorities is very interesting as this points toward firm political determination to go toward a low-carbon economy in a constrained world,” said Francesco La Camera, Director-General of International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
Keisuke Sadamori, the International Energy Agency (IEA) director for energy markets and security said: “There needs to be some good measures to ensure that investors feel confident that their money could be returned in a relatively reasonable period.”
Still, the mushrooming of solar PV in Vietnam has exceeded its grid capacity by 18%, Woodmac’s Shrestha said, underscoring the need for further investments across power sector.
“The approved capacity for the Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan provinces amounts to 5 GW, more than double the grid usable capacity,” he said.
Cambodia has more to fear than most nations from the impending climate crisis. A 2015 United Nations report predicted that Cambodia would be the world’s ninth-most vulnerable nation for natural disasters brought on by rising temperatures – mainly in the form of the droughts and floods that have become an all-too-common occurrence in the Kingdom, costing lives and livelihoods every year.
And even when it’s not a matter of life and death, the stakes are still high. Last dry season, Cambodia was rocked by rolling blackouts brought on by low water in the hydrodam reservoirs and higher than expected electricity demands from new developments. In total, Cambodia was short 400MW. For the countless small business owners as well as larger manufacturers driving Cambodia’s booming economy, the losses were incalculable.
Cambodia certainly seems to be betting on a bright future. In the past year, the total amount of installed solar rose to 120MW
But while the government has moved to secure a series of power purchase agreements with neighbouring countries, much of the energy generated by these negotiations will not come online for as long as five years. Instead, the Kingdom is increasingly looking at shorter-term solutions to its energy needs – ones that can power Cambodia’s development without driving further climate collapse that could haunt the nation for decades to come.
And Cambodia certainly seems to be betting on a bright future. In the past year, the total amount of installed solar rose to 120MW, at least 30MW of which came in the form of rooftop solar systems. Chief among this push has been the installation of a massive 30,000 grid-tied panels from Chip Mong Insee Cement ranging from curved rooftop panels to those designed to float on water.
Cambodia is doubling down on its investment in solar power
Perhaps even more significant than this infrastructure development has been the progress towards clarifying a regulatory framework for solar generation. In January 2018, the Electricity Authority of Cambodia (EAC) enacted a set of regulations allowing consumers to install their own solar power systems. Medium- and high-voltage consumers will be able to install systems while still being connected to the national grid – provided that they generate less than 50% of the capacity they have agreed to buy from the national provider. The EAC has announced new tariffs to start in 2021 for industrial and commercial customers that set monthly peak demand charges and kWh price. This will improve the case for rooftop solar projects. As far as next steps go, a future development that could help significantly would be regulation around a feed-in-tariff – that is, a price on electricity supplied back into the grid. Here, Cambodia would be building on the success that such guarantee in other ASEAN countries including Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.
Indeed, solar power is fast taking off in the Kingdom. Last month, four solar projects with a combined capacity of 140 MW were approved by the Council of Ministers across Pursat, Battambang, Banteay Meanchey and Svay Rieng. This brings the total amount of large scale solar projects that are either built, under construction or approved to 410MW. By comparison the total generation capacity in Cambodia in 2018 was 2,208MW.
The arguments for solar power as a solution to Cambodia’s energy woes are strong. Above all is price – Cambodia’s first solar auction set an electricity price at $0.03877/kWh
– according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), a record low for Southeast Asia, and less than half the cost of coal power.
ADB office of public-private partnerships director Siddharta Shah said that the tender’s success showed the sheer power of competition.
“This is a new era for renewable energy development in Cambodia and the region, and particularly for solar power generation,” he said. “This is good news for EDC and the people of Cambodia. We believe more governments in the region will adopt auctions as a strategy to procure renewable energy generation capacity and this structure and tariff will serve as a benchmark for future projects.”
“This is a new era for renewable energy development in Cambodia and the region, and particularly for solar power generation”
And it’s not just cheaper – it’s cleaner. Renewable energy such as solar power releases no direct carbon emissions, while coal and fossil fuels contribute significantly to sulphur-oxide and nitrogen-oxide pollution linked to more than 7,000 deaths every year.
As good as clean energy is for the planet, it’s good news as well for workers. A renewables-led pathway proposed by McKinsey and Company for neighbouring Vietnam was projected to create more than twice as many jobs as the current emphasis.
And for a nation like Cambodia that has struggled to meet the energy demands of its citizens, the speed with which solar panels can be installed and scaled up makes it a quick fix for the dry-season blackouts have struck the Kingdom in past years.
Tonle Sap River Dam spillway overflowed on a rainy day. Photo: Shutterstock
Experts say that solar power can offset the dry-season limitations of the nation’s hydropower dams
Not that solar power doesn’t come with its own challenges – as you might guess, it tends to falter when the sun stops shining. Fortunately, Cambodia is in a uniquely strong position to pair its burgeoning solar power capacity with its existing hydropower infrastructure.
During the dry season, solar reigns supreme: Cambodia has almost six peak sunlight hours a day and an average solar irradiation of 5.0 kWh/m2 per day, placing it among the world’s top solar resources. When the water level runs low in dry season, solar power can run during the day, with hydropower taking over at night. Here, even more efficiencies can be made: when floating solar panels are installed directly on the reservoir, no storage is needed, as the energy from them can be fed directly into the dam’s system and on into the grid.
“Mini-grids are now one of the core solutions for closing the energy access gap… we are working with countries to mobilise public and private investment”
For remote areas without access to the national grid, renewable energy mini-grids using batteries have proved a viable option – namely, small renewable energy systems that do not need to be connected to the rest of the country. These are typically composed of a source of renewable energy – such as solar, wind, biomass or hydropower – combined with batteries, a diesel generator or both.
Ricardo Puliti, a senior director of energy and extractives at the World Bank, said that these self-contained systems were ideal for nations such as Cambodia that still fell short of providing equal access to energy regardless of location.
“Mini-grids are now one of the core solutions for closing the energy access gap… we are working with countries to actively mobilise public and private investment,” he said.
Cambodia’s enormous Lower Sesan II dam project in the northern province of Steung Treng. Photo: Ly Lay / AFP
While Cambodia’s recent foray into wind and solar power to shore up its long-running reliance on hydropower dams is promising, there is no single solution to the challenges brought on by a warming world. Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis energy finance analyst told the ASEAN Post that renewable energy solutions were giving government’s across the region the power to take their energy needs into their own hands.
“Solar, wind, run-of-river hydro, geothermal, biogas, and storage are competitive, viable domestic options that can be combined to create a cheaper, more diverse and secure energy system,” she said.
ABOUT 79 percent of Filipinos have signified their support for nuclear power as another source of energy for the Philippines, according to a survey commissioned by the Department of Energy (DoE).
The agency had tapped research company Social Weather Stations for the conduct of a nationwide survey to gauge public opinion on adopting a nuclear energy program.
The survey aimed to determine who the strongest endorser of the idea for the Philippines to go nuclear would be, as well as the reaction of the people to items in the survey concerning nuclear energy.
The DoE survey, with a sample size of 4,250 respondents, covered thousands of respondents from all regions of the Philippines.
In a speech, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi reported that 79 percent of Filipinos favor nuclear power.
“Sinasabi sa survey (The survey revealed that) 79 percent would follow or would believe the decision of the President. Pinakamalaking (The biggest) endorser [of] nuclear [energy] would be President [Rodrigo] Duterte,” Cusi said during the hand-over ceremony for the Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
“The only problem is that [they] do not want to have a nuclear power plant in [their] own backyard,” he added, referring to the respondents.
The Energy department has adopted a technology-neutral approach to tap all available energy resources, including nuclear, to ensure uninterrupted, secure, reliable, sustainable and affordable electricity across the archipelago.
The DoE, through the Nuclear Energy Program Implementing Organization (Nepio), crafted and submitted the proposed national policy, as well as executive order on the adoption of nuclear energy.
On Wednesday, the Energy department received the Official Phase 1 Mission Report of the INIR Mission.
The report contains the IAEA’s initial findings on the country’s existing good practices, improvements undertaken, as well as the agency’s recommendations and suggestions for the DoE- Nepio’s preparation of the Integrated Work Plan.
The work plan will answer all IAEA concerns should the government decide to pursue the utilization of nuclear power as a potential source of energy for the country.
The IAEA conducts such activities to assist its member states in evaluating the status of the 19 infrastructure requirements for the development of a national infrastructure for nuclear power.
These requirements are national position, nuclear safety, management, funding and financing, legal framework, safeguards, radiation protection, regulatory framework, electrical grid, human resource development, stakeholder involvement, site and supporting facilities, environmental protection, emergency planning, nuclear security, nuclear fuel cycle, radioactive waste management, and industrial involvement and procurement.
KUCHING: Even before Malaysia’s flying car has lifted off, a news report yesterday said an automobile project has been launched in Peninsular Malaysia to develop an electric car that could be powered by water.
Malay-daily Berita Harian reported that the prototype of the electric car, which is integrated with hydrogen fuel cells that uses water as an alternative power source, could be produced by year’s end.
The project under the Hydrogen Integrated Electric Race Car Programme (HyPER) is being developed by NanoMalaysia Bhd, Handal Energy Solutions Sdn Bhd, Pulsar UAV Sdn Bhd (Pulsar), MNA Energy Sdn Bhd (MNA Energy) and Wheelspin Motorsports, in collaboration with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM).
NanoMalaysia was incorporated in 2011 as a company limited by guarantee under the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry for the commercialisation of nanotechnology.
Its chief operating officer Mohamad Hafiz Zolkipli told Berita Harian in Kuala Lumpur that under the 11th Malaysia Plan, they had invested RM500,000 in the programme.
“We expect the car to be ready by year’s end. It is expected to enter the next testing phase followed by its marketing to gain investors by early next year.
“Potentially, this car can be developed within five years as we noticed that other countries have started this initiative. Therefore, there is no reason for Malaysia to be left out,” he said in an interview.
Mohamad Hafiz explained that the car was essentially electric-powered as the main power source was stored in ultra-capacitors using nano graphite technology and lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries.
As such, he said consumers in the city had easy access to the power supply to charge the car in just a few minutes, while the fuel cell was used to generate additional power or more torque during acceleration.
“In situations where the car cannot be charged or there is no access to electricity, consumers can turn to hydrogen for its main power source as it is fueled by water.
“Usually other fuel cells require the supply of hydrogen made available, but HyPER is developed through its own ability to generate hydrogen using a mixture of water and other chemical catalysts,” he said.
Meanwhile, the prototype of the much anticipated Malaysian flying car is expected to be launched by the end of the year, Entrepreneur Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof told the recent Parliament sitting.
He said the project was led by the private sector and spons
It is one of the fastest growing and dynamic regions in the world. A global trade hub and a strong example of the benefits of regional cooperation, Southeast Asia promises to emerge as one the most successful economic development stories of the 21st century. To fulfill its full potential however, the region should turn decisively to renewables to meet rising energy demand.
IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera will reinforce the importance of a low-carbon energy path in Southeast Asia at the Singapore International Energy Week 2019 (SIEW) this week. With energy consumption expected to double by 2040 meeting rising demands with secure, affordable and clean supply may be one of the most important priorities the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), face today.
In a keynote address at SIEW IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera will outline a pathway to prosperity bolstered by low-carbon technologies. With the event taking place under the theme of “Accelerating Energy Transformation” the Director General’s opening keynote highlighted that renewables are the only way to meet rising demand whilst reducing emissions, noting that the transformation can be done cost-effectively and with significant benefits to ASEAN.
The Director-General will point to recent auctions in the region that have seen bids below the cost of generating power from gas and that would, until just a few days ago, have made global records. Noting global trends that have seen renewables move from what was once a luxury just a decade ago, to now being seen as the lowest-cost source of new power generation in a growing number of contexts. IRENA believes renewables will compete with any fossil fuel in Southeast Asia by 2025.
In an op-ed published ahead of SIEW Mr. La Camera addressed the notion of cheap coal. He said that powering growth with fossil fuels – particularly coal – is unlikely to be the least cost option if externalities such as health and the consequences of climate change are factored in to economic projections. This is against a backdrop of the Asian Development Bank’s forecast that Southeast Asia’s GDP could shrink by 11 per cent by the end of the century due to climate change. In this context, the Director-General points out, coal is almost certainly not the least expensive power generation option.
Beyond the Director-General’s keynote speeches a new IRENA report on the decarbonisation of shipping will be presented at the Global Maritime Forum. The report, entitled: “Navigating the way to a renewable future: Solutions to decarbonise shipping“, explores the impact of maritime shipping on CO2 emissions, characterises the shipping sector and identifies various clean energy solutions with the potential to reduce the sector’s carbon footprint. International shipping represents around 9 per cent of the global emissions associated with the transport sector, thus making the reduction of maritime emissions key to achieving climate goals.
To the ministers, business leaders and leading industry officials of Southeast Asia, the Agency’s message is that it’s possible to accelerate the speed of transformation and to meet climate and sustainable development goals, with renewables. Long-term policy decisions and a significant increase in investment flows should align with the region’s stated goal to scale up the share of renewables in primary energy to 23 per cent of by 2025. In its going commitment to ASEAN energy transformation, IRENA stands ready to support.
