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  • Others
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.

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
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.

Read more: Shi.E.L.D. seeks opportunities in Indonesian coal transhipment market

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

© Copyright 2019 Seatrade Informa Markets. Replication or redistribution in whole or in part is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Seatrade Informa Markets.

  • Oil & Gas
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
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

  • Renewables
29 October 2019

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  • Malaysia

The car park is only the first step of Safran’s vision and commitment to go ‘green’ in Malaysia, the second step will be to fully cover the large building’s roof of the site with solar panels, allowing Safran to further replace the use of electricity from fossil fuels to renewable sources to power their internal plant operations.

“The launch of this project underscores our commitment to reduce our environmental footprint by sustainably managing our production facility in Malaysia” said Kenny Chang, Managing Director of Safran Landing Systems. “Based on high-efficiency solar modules, the outcome of the project has exceeded our expectation. Not only does our staff now benefit from cooler cars when they end their shifts but now, we also have a sizeable amount of self-generated clean electricity and increased energy savings. Our team is extremely pleased with the partnership with Cleantech Solar on this successful project. This makes our high-tech plant in Sendayan Techvalley even more sustainable.”

Raju Shukla, Founder and Executive Chairman of Cleantech Solar added that the business of solar, trust can only be built on a company’s ability to deliver over the long-term and that the successful collaboration with Safran was built on the company’s track record and the strong team that it has been able to build over the last few years in Malaysia.

  • Energy Efficiency
29 October 2019

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  • Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Green Technology Corp (GreenTech Malaysia) is calling for the private sector to increase its investments in green technology in order to ensure the country’s sustainable development.

GreenTech Malaysia acting chief executive officer Syed Ahmad Syed Mustafa said there is a need for more involvement from the private sector, especially given the fact that Malaysia has pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by 2030 in relation to the country’s 2005 gross domestic product under the Paris Agreement in 2016.

The Paris Agreement is a multilateral environmental agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and aims to strengthen the global response to climate change threats, in the context of sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty.

“We would like to encourage the private sector to invest in green investments and work together with the government. Of course, the government can set up the policy, but real investment must come from the private sector,” he told The Edge Financial Daily in an interview.

Furthermore, Syed Ahmad highlighted that corporations that do not implement sustainable practices in their businesses will be at risk of losing out in the competitive global environment.

“If you are not going green, then you will be left out. Even if you want to export products, people want to see what kind of sustainability practices do you have — the raw materials [that you are using], and the processes — whether it degrades the environment. It’s a requirement now, and it’s moving fast,” he said.

One of the main challenges to green investments within corporate Malaysia is the lack of awareness, said Syed Ahmad, especially among financial institutions. Financial institutions, he said, need to assume a bigger role in providing financing for green investments.

“Of course, they (financial institutions) will have to look at the viability of those investments — what kind of returns they can get. But then they need to be aware that without providing that kind of investments, they would probably not be sustainable themselves in the future,” he stressed.

Syed Ahmad argued that the government had, in fact, done its role in incentivising private financing for green initiatives, including institutional reforms, as well as providing tax incentives.

For instance, Syed Ahmad pointed to the Green Technology Financing Scheme (GTFS), whereby the government offers 60% government guarantee as well as a 2% per annum interest/profit rate subsidy on loans for the financing of green technology development.

“This year, we introduced GTFS 2.0, with an allocation of RM2 billion. Now, only RM1.5 billion worth of certifications have been issued, and out of that, RM1.3 billion worth of loans have been offered by the banks for these projects. So, you can see that the government has intervened. But, for me, the banks themselves need to realise and not to be dependant on government intervention in order for them to finance [these kinds of projects],” he explained.

Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change  Minister Yeo Bee Yin said in September that Malaysia would need RM33 billion worth of investments in order to achieve its target of 20% electricity generation from renewable energy (RE) sources by 2025, from the 2% recorded in 2018.

At the time, she also pointed out that the investment needed to reach the RE target — which excludes power generated from large hydropower generators of more than 100 megawatts — will not come solely from the government, but also from public-private partnerships as well as private financing.

As such, solar power is the greatest potential for Malaysia for RE, Syed Ahmad said. This, he said, is an investment opportunity for Corporate Malaysia to tap into as the government has accelerated the initiatives to increase RE generation through large-scale solar and net energy metering projects.

In fact, Malaysia is already the third largest producer of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels in the world.

When asked if the 20% RE electricity generation is realistic, Syed Ahmad said, “Although I think it is ambitious, I don’t think it cannot be achieved. It is still achievable.

“We need the private sector. Due to some priorities, the government has a limited budget on this. We need the private sector — which has the funds, actually — to come in and support this agenda.

“When we first started, there wasn’t much take-up [on solar technology] because the cost of the solar PV was too high. Now, because of the various programmes we have conducted, we have managed to benefit from economies of scale and people are getting more aware. There are producers in the market, and there are people investing in it.

“[Now] you can see the rise in production of electricity from solar. So the trend is there and I see that there are a lot of opportunities for solar to go further,” he said.

  • Bioenergy
29 October 2019

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  • ASEAN

The recent advent of a circular economy highlights the importance of anaerobic digestion and biogas. Anaerobic digestion is a process where large organic matter is broken down into small molecules in the absence of oxygen. During this process, biogas is produced, which consists of 60-70 per cent methane and 30-35 per cent carbon dioxide, with the remainder being traces of hydrogen sulphide. Among the many bioenergy options available, the uniqueness of biogas lies in the fact that it can be produced not only from energy crops, but also organic waste matter.

Indonesia and Malaysia are two of the main palm oil producers in the world and supply nearly 90 per cent of all global oil palm demand. Research conducted by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) projected that palm oil production in Indonesia would increase 124-197 per cent over the years 2010 to 2030.

Lately, the European Union’s plan to phase out the use of palm oil by 2030 has brought the sustainability of the oil palm industry into the limelight. However, what has been less covered is the enormous energy and carbon reduction potential of the biomass side products produced by the oil palm industry, one of which is palm oil mill effluent (POME).

POME is a perfect feedstock for anaerobic digestion as one tonne of POME generates 28 cubic metres of biogas. Indonesia and Malaysia produce about 95 million and 60 million tonnes, respectively, of POME during palm oil processing each year, which translates into a huge biogas opportunity for the region. By 2016, 54 palm oil mill owners had adopted digester technologies while the other 38 used covered lagoon systems to capture biogas in Malaysia. The biogas captured in Malaysia palm oil industry is generally used for renewable electricity generation, especially since the feed-in tariff for biogas was revised in 2014.

Other than power generation, biogas can be upgraded to biomethane and used as vehicle fuel or even injected into the natural gas grid as renewable gas. In Malaysia, the Energy Commission introduced a Third Party Access system in 2017 that allows third party to have access to and utilise gas facilities such as pipelines. This opens up the possibility for the integration of renewable gas into the national gas supply system in the future under terms and conditions.

Aside from POME, animal manure and other organic waste can also act as feedstock for biogas production. A study conducted by Oklahoma State University, the Institut Teknologi Nasional in Indonesia and other collaborators estimated that the annual electricity potential of biogas from cattle, pig and poultry waste in Indonesia amounted to 80 TWh, which is more than sufficient to replace diesel fuel in the power sector by 2030. A similar study by the Universiti Tenaga Nasional in 2016 gave an estimate of 10 TWh from animal manure and 5 TWh from POME in Malaysia by 2020, which represents about 15 per cent of natural gas replacement used in the power sector. According to the Sustainable Energy Development Authority (SEDA) of Malaysia, the current installed capacity of electricity feed-in from biogas in Malaysia is 220.86 MW, which generates just 1.7 TWh per year. Such a huge potential gap is drawing attention from energy giants such as Engie to look to investing in the Indonesia and Malaysia biogas markets.

Unlike other renewable sources, such as solar, wind and hydropower, biogas relies on a feedstock supply that is stable and can form the basis for predictable commercial scale production. However, the cost of biogas feedstock varies. POME can be sourced at zero cost, while animal manure has an opportunity cost, not to mention also the logistical constraint of feedstock transportation. Furthermore, when biogas is upgraded to biomethane to increase its value, it lacks cost-competitiveness compared to fossil fuels. The only exception is when biogas is used for power generation, with a feed-in-tariff. These factors continue to discourage long-term investment in the industry.

Even though biogas from anaerobic digestion was commercialised more than 10 years ago in Southeast Asia, a new approach is needed to promote the industry by engaging large industrial players to create partnerships to establish a specialised value chain for scaling-up. Government support has a vital role to play, in terms of mandates, policies and regulations, if the biogas industry is to grow and mature in the region. One good practice to study is the Green Gas Initiative in Europe. This is a joint commitment among the gas transmission system operators of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland to “green” the gas grid through biomethane integration.

It is undeniable that biogas possesses enormous potential in Southeast Asia, especially given that the tropical climate provides the perfect conditions for anaerobic digestion. Harnessing the benefits of biogas while preventing harmful greenhouse gases from escaping into the atmosphere could also contribute to countries’ Nationally Determined Contribution goals as pledged under the Paris Agreement. Doesn’t that make biogas the best epitome of killing two birds with one stone?

Dr Rachel Hoo is a Research Fellow from the Energy Studies Institute at the National University of Singapore (NUS). Disclaimer: The views expressed in this commentary are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of the Energy Studies Institute at NUS.

  • Coal
29 October 2019

 – 

  • Philippines

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has come under fire for referring to a newly-opened coal-fired power plant as “clean”, raising concerns about the country’s focus on renewable energy in the face of its increasing energy needs.

The 500-megawatt (MW) coal-fired power plant in Mauban, Quezon, will provide additional energy supply to the Luzon grid and boost Duterte’s Build, Build, Build infrastructure program according to the Presidential Communications Operations Office.

The US$1.1 billion plant – third in the central island of Luzon and 21st nationwide – is operated by San Buenaventura Power Ltd. Co. (SBPL), a joint venture between the Philippines’ Meralco PowerGen Corporation (MGen) and Thailand’s EGCO Group.

MGen claims the plant uses high efficiency, low emission (HELE) coal technology that allows it to operate at increasingly high temperatures and pressures to reach higher efficiencies while significantly reducing harmful emissions – making it the first in the country to do so.

“To our friends in the private sector, I ask you to follow the lead of San Buenaventura power by investing in the generation of clean energy,” Duterte said on 16 October at the switch-on celebration of the plant.

Duterte’s comments on clean coal and his call for more investors flies in the face of his State of the Nation Address on 22 July, during which he said he recognised the need to ensure the sustainability and availability of resources and the development of alternative ones.

“In this regard, I trust that Secretary Cusi (Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi) shall fast-track also the development of renewable energy sources, and reduce dependence on the traditional energy sources such as coal,” he told Congress.

WHY-FOSSIL-FUELS-ARE-HARD-TO-KILL-IN-SEA
Source: International Energy Agency (IEA)

No such thing as ‘clean coal’

Greenpeace has derided the president for his views, saying that coal has long been recognised as the dirtiest and most carbon intensive form of fuel for energy generation.

Noting how in many parts of the world, countries are closing down and have stopped building coal plants, Greenpeace also pointed out the global trend of investors pulling out of coal financing.

“Greenpeace strongly denounces the Philippine government’s backward pro-coal policies. Coal is not clean, not cheap, and not sustainable,” said Greenpeace campaigner Khevin Yu.

“It is unfortunate that another coal plant has been inaugurated in the country, by no less than the President who seems to have been misled or misinformed by the coal industry and its ridiculous myth of ‘clean coal’,” added Yu.

Yu’s comments are nothing new, and environmentalists across the world are wary about ‘clean coal’.

Last year, NGOs warned that the European Union’s (EU) move away from polluting coal power and towards renewable energy could be at risk due to a focus on unworkable and unproven “clean coal” technologies.

“There is no such thing as ‘clean coal’ – so how comes this myth continues to hijack efforts to move Europe beyond coal?” said Darek Urbaniak, Senior Energy Policy Officer at the WWF European Policy Office.

Meanwhile Tim Buckley, the director of energy finance studies at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, told an international magazine in a recent interview that the spread of “clean coal” propaganda has hindered renewable energy sources.

“There is no such thing as clean coal. It’s the coal industry’s PR stunt,” said Buckley.

Energy demand

Clean or not, it will be hard to move away from coal in the Philippines.

The country’s energy sector is heavily dependent on the cheap source of energy, and coal made up 48 percent of total power generation in 2016 according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) – which expects coal consumption in the Philippines to increase fivefold from 2018 to 2040.

These numbers are reflective of the general picture in ASEAN, where coal is expected to continue playing a prominent part in power generation.

Southeast Asia’s energy demands are expected to increase by 60 percent in 2040 according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), and coal will constitute 40 percent of this growth.

Meanwhile, a report by global energy consultants Wood Mackenzie in September stressed that coal will continue to be ASEAN’s dominant fuel source in power generation, peaking at 2027 before slowing down and accounting for 36 percent of the region’s energy generation mix in 2040.

The report noted how Southeast Asia will have to invest an average of US$17 billion annually in power capacity, with coal set to account for most of this investment before being overtaken by spending on gas-fired generation. By 2034, investments in solar and wind power plants should surpass that of gas power plants.

But with millions of Filipinos already affected by climate change and worsening natural disasters, whether the Philippines – as with the rest of ASEAN – can afford to wait any longer in shifting away from coal remains to be seen.

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