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  • Oil & Gas

Oil refinery construction pushed to 2021

27 June 2019

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  • Cambodia

Following delays, the construction of an oil refinery plant in Preah Sihanouk province has been officially pushed back and will continue in 2021, after the facility was originally expected to start operating this year.

For in depth analysis of Cambodian Business, visit Capital Cambodia
.

Hann Khieng, chairman of the Cambodian Petrochemical Company, which is investing in the oil refinery plant, said construction has reached 20 percent since its groundbreaking in 2017 that marked the start of phase one in the construction process.

“The construction process has been slow due to weather conditions and the company has decided to upgrade the standards of the facility, so we are taking the time to design new building structures,” Mr Khieng said.

..

“By now, about 20 percent of the construction has been done and the first phase of the oil refinery will [now] be [in] 2021,” he added, referring to when the construction phase will resume.

The first phase of the oil refinery plant costs about $620 million that will be built over 390 hectares of land in Preah Sihanouk province.

The facility is a joint venture between the Cambodian Petrochemical Company and the Chinese-owned CNPC Northeast Refining and Chemical Engineering.

The oil refinery plant was originally set to operate in 2019, with the company bringing in oil from the Middle East to be refined until Cambodia has its own oil to send to the refinery.

No additional investment has been made on the first phase of the project despite the delays, Mr Khieng said.

..

However, Mr Khieng said his company had talks with representatives from Singapore-based KrisEnergy over a crude oil deal.

“We had talks with KrisEnergy, but we have not reached any agreement over the crude oil for the oil refinery plant,” Mr Khieng said.

KrisEnergy, an independent upstream oil and gas company, is overseeing development in the Apsara oil field, with the company expected to drill out the first oil drop by late of this year or next year.

Figures from the Ministry of Mines and Energy show that Cambodia consumed 2.5 million tonnes of petroleum products last year, a 10 percent increase compared to 2017. Cambodia imported the products from Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

  • Coal

Indonesia’s regulatory changes set to bring more uncertainty to coal sector

27 June 2019

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  • Indonesia

Nusa Dua, Indonesia

INDONESIAN coal miners said upcoming regulatory changes are putting added pressure on their businesses amid depressed prices and rising competition from other energy sources.

The Indonesian government is in the process of amending coal mining rules to enforce implementation of a 2009 mineral law that requires miners to convert their mining permits to a licensing system upon the expiration of their current contracts.

The issue was one of the most talked about by local miners at the Coaltrans industry conference in Bali this week.

The coming change has already affected investment sentiment, an Indonesian coal miners group said, and there are fears the reluctance to invest could spread to related sectors such as power generation, even amid a push to add 35 gigawatts to the country’s power capacity and boost infrastructure investment to prop up sluggish domestic spending.

“This is a big concern for us, because coal investment is not a short-term investment,” said Hendra Sinadia, executive director of the Indonesia Coal Mining Association, on the sidelines of Coaltrans on the Indonesian island of Bali.

Among the changes the miners are worried about are the rules on how much area a miner can operate under the new permit system, Mr Sinadia said.

The 2009 mining law only allows a maximum of 15,000 hectares under a special mining licence. A government regulation now in force, though, allows the development of mining areas beyond that size when a site operator can present the government with a long-term plan of operation, he said.

Many companies are currently operating mine areas larger than 15,000 hectares, he said.

“This is not only affecting the mining sector, because this contradicts government efforts to boost investment,” Mr Sinadia said.

In the past few years, especially when the coal price dropped, foreign investment appetite had diminished, said Eviaty Jenie, a lawyer at global law firm HFW in Singapore.

“One of their considerations is the rapidly changing legal environment and its uncertainty. The nationalism principle, while generally good for Indonesia, eventually needs to be accepted by foreign investors,” Ms Jenie said.

The negative sentiment could also spread to coal-fired power plants, a much needed infrastructure for the country, according to Mr Sinadia and Ms Jenie.

New coal projects are already facing financing difficulties as global banks refuse to back projects to avoid criticism over climate change, industry participants have said.

Indonesian energy and mining resources are also waiting for President Joko Widodo to approve the terms of the new licensing system, including revisions to the tax and royalty schemes.

Energy and mineral resources ministry officials did not respond to requests for comments.

Similar rules have been implemented in the mineral resources sector and have resulted in long, drawn-out negotiations between the government and mining giants, such as Freeport-McMoRan Inc.

The few foreign investors in Indonesian mines will also be required to gradually divest their ownership in local mines until they are only holding a minority share.

“It’s like letting me build a house and then asking me to leave after that,” said a foreign investor who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.  REUTERS

  • Renewables

Business groups ask Duterte to review franchise of solar power firm owned by Legarda’s son

26 June 2019

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  • Philippines

The country’s major business groups are asking President Rodrigo Duterte to review the legislative franchise of Solar Para sa Bayan Corp. (SPSBC), saying that it grants the solar power generation firm of outgoing Senator Loren Legarda’s son “undue competitive edge.”

In a statement on Wednesday, five business groups said the franchise of SPSBC, owned by Legarda’s son Leandro Leviste, will “put at a disadvantage other renewable energy companies” in the country.

“The grant of the franchise may defeat [Duterte’s] objective of levelling the playing field in the renewable energy sector, and could prejudice power consumers,” they said.

The groups also said that SPSBC’s franchise may have been “approved without sufficient deliberation to thresh out fundamental constitutional, legal and economic issues.”

They said Duterte should let the Cabinet’s economic cluster review SPSBC’s franchise before he acts on it.

The statement was issued by the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines, the Makati Business Club, the Management Association of the Philippines, the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines, Inc., and the Women’s Business Council Philippines.

Manila Electric Co. had also opposed the grant of a franchise to SPSBC.

The bill granting SPSBC a 25-year franchise cleared the Senate last month, while it hurdled the House in December 2018.

Under the law, Congress has the power to grant franchises to companies providing public services such as utilities and media.

Solar Para Sa Bayan promotes itself as a social enterprise looking to provide cheap electricity to Filipino households, particularly in areas which remain without access to power, through renewable energy sources.

Unlike existing utility firms with separate power generation and distribution companies, the Leviste-led electricity provider will take on the construction, installation, establishment of connections, as well as the operation and maintenance of “distributable” energy resources via a microgrid system. This is also different from the current practice that puts power firms on the wholesale electricity spot market, where the rates are set through daily trading.

  • Oil & Gas

Lloyds Energy looking to build power plants in PH

26 June 2019

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  • Philippines

Lloyds Energy, a Dubai-based company focused on the liquefied natural gas business, is looking at building power plants in the Philippines that run on that fossil fuel, according to Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi.

Cusi yesterday told reporters the plan was for a merchant plant—a generator that would sell electricity through the spot market instead of a contracted buyer—with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts to 1,200 MW.

“It (Lloyds Energy’s plan) is a welcome development as such a (power plant) will help augment our electricity supply as soon as possible,” the energy chief said.

The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines has put the Luzon power grid under red alert — when the day’s estimated peak demand may surpass available generating capacity — 14 times so far this year.

To pursue its plan for LNG-fired plants in the Philippines, Lloyds Energy has signed a memorandum of understanding with state firm Philippine National Oil Co.

Specifically, the MOU committed the two companies “to explore cooperative ways for the development of LNG facilities and natural gas generation plants and other related activities in Limay, Bataan, as well as Bauan and Mabini in Batangas —where PNOC has landholdings.

Also, the agreement gives Lloyds Energy and PNOC rights to explore the viability of oil importation and storage.

Lloyds Energy was one of several entities—both foreign and local—that submitted to the PNOC proposals for a joint venture on an LNG terminal in Batangas.

PNOC announced acceptance of Lloyds Energy’s proposal, but the state firm later announced that it had changed its mind and rejected all such proposals as it would conduct an open tender instead.

That also did not prosper as, eventually, PNOC partnered with Phoenix Petroleum Philippines Inc. and Chinese firm CNOOC Gas and Power Group Co. Ltd. for a 10-percent stake in Phoenix’s and CNOOC’s own planned LNG project.

  • Others

DoST to build ship powered by renewables

26 June 2019

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  • Philippines

The Department of Science and Technology (DoST) is working on the construction of a hybrid trimaran, a ship designed to generate power from ocean waves, which is expected to be delivered in 2020.

Rachel Habana, senior science research specialist at DoST-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research, and
Development (PCIEERD) said the hybrid trimaran was invented by Engineer Jonathan Salvador, owner of the Metallica Marine Consultancy,
Fabrication and Service, in partnership with the Aklan State University.

The PCIEERD conducts Science and Technology initiatives for Maritime Transport.

“The water-energy double action hydraulic pumps were integrated in the outrigger. Designed with dual power source, the energy can harness from ocean waves,” Habana said in an interview at the sidelines of the 6th Philippines Marine 2019 International Maritime Exhibition.

“The ship can carry 150 passengers, 4 vans and 20 motorcycles, and has 200-plus gross tonnage (GT). It can be used for inter-island operation to service the growing traffic in Western Visayas, particularly Cebu, Romblon [and] Mindoro,” Salvador said.

The ship, which is being constructed at Metallica Marine’s shipyard is estimated to cost P90 million.

The project was started in April 2018 and is expected to be completed in March 2020.

The Salvador-owned Metallica shipyard can build up to four ships, as it has a capacity of 3,000 GT.

“There’s hydraulic pump that will convert it to energy, from mechanical to electrical. The big energy consumption of a ship is air-conditioning. They can shut down the generator and it will be taken over by the renewable energy,” Salvador explained.

With financial help from the DoST, Metallica and the Aklan State University were able to develop a hybrid ship, which will be patented under the name of the inventor Engineer Salvador and the Aklan State University.

  • Bioenergy , 
  • Energy Cooperation

PetChem, Plastic Energy explore possibility of setting up plant to recycle plastics waste

26 June 2019

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  • Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR (June 26): Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd (PetChem), the petrochemical arm of Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas), is collaborating with Plastic Energy Ltd, a chemical recycling company, to address plastics waste that cannot be recycled by conventional means in Malaysia.

The two inked a memorandum of understanding on Tuesday to jointly perform a feasibility study to establish a facility to convert plastics waste into tacoil, which is Plastic Energy’s optimal feedstock to create recycled virgin-quality plastics from low quality, mixed plastics waste that are otherwise destined for incineration or landfill.

“Depending on the outcome of the study, PetChem and Plastic Energy may consider building a commercial plant in Malaysia,” read a joint statement from the companies today.

“Once materialised, PetChem will be the first petrochemical company in Southeast Asia to invest in a chemical recycling project which converts mixed plastics waste into virgin quality polymer,” it added.

Under the collaboration, PetChem will use tacoil produced by Plastic Energy for polymer production in its petrochemical complex in Pengerang Integrated Complex and obtain circular polymer certification from the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification, a globally applicable certification system that ensures compliance with ecological and social sustainability requirements, greenhouse gas emission savings and traceability throughout the supply chain.

The statement also noted that Plastic Energy, which has two commercial plants in Seville and Almeria, Spain, has successfully commercialised patented thermochemical conversion technology to convert end-of-life, contaminated plastics and plastics that are hardly recyclable for conventional processes into usable feedstock.

PetChem Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Datuk Sazali Hamzah said the partnership with Plastic Energy is in line with PetChem’s purpose towards becoming a progressive energy and solutions partner that enriches lives for a sustainable future.

“As a responsible business entity, we have embedded our sustainability agenda within our operations as a critical driver for business growth and in creating value for our stakeholders. We believe in balancing our business goals against sustainability development obligations.

“As a responsible corporate citizen, PetChem has recently established a dedicated team to pursue an active role in the implementation of the New Plastic Economy initiative in addressing issues arising from plastics waste and provide a sustainable solution for environmental preservation,” Sazali added.

Malaysia, said Plastic Energy’s founder and chief executive officer Carlos Monreal, has shown that it is serious about tackling the challenge of plastics waste.

“We are excited to be part of the solution, and to collaborate with PetChem in changing the paradigm and turning plastics waste into a valuable resource, thereby contributing to the creation of a circular economy. Working together can help reduce plastics pollution, which is becoming a vital objective for world governments and companies,” Monreal added.

  • Renewables

Rajiv: No question of political will, govt on track with renewable energy targets – Nation

26 June 2019

 – 

  • Malaysia

PETALING JAYA: There is no question over political will of the government in its effort to promote the uptake of renewable energy (RE), says Sustainable Energy Development Authority (Seda) board member Rajiv Rishyakaran.

His statement was in response to economist Prof Dr Jomo Kwame Sundaram’s comment that there was a lack for political commitment to push for a swift implementation of the RE agenda.

Jomo said that the enforcement of alternative energy appeared to be lagging.

“Malaysia is on the right trajectory to achieve its RE targets,” Rajiv said in a statement on Wednesday (June 26).

The Bukit Gasing state assemblyman said the government had shown its commitment in pushing to increase the uptake of renewable energy (RE) from 2% in 2018 to 20% by 2025 with the implementation of a progressive solar policy.

He said this target was significantly higher than the 13% by 2030 target set by the previous administration.

Rajiv said the Net Energy Metering policy, where excess electricity generated by rooftop solar installations was injected back to the grid to offset the intake from TNB on a one-to-one basis, made the installation of rooftop solar far more attractive.

“This is arguably the most progressive solar policy in South-East Asia,” he added.

He said the government had also liberalised the right for solar energy companies to not only supply and install solar panels, but also to just sell solar energy directly to the consumer.

“With this groundbreaking policy, customers are no longer bound to TNB as their only supplier of electricity but have 34 other options,” he said.

This, on top of RE financing incentives like the Green Investment Tax Allowance and Green technology Financing Scheme (GTFS) 2.0, made RE cheaper and more accessible to both consumers and private sectors, he added.

“These policies have not only been attractive to the private sector, but even local governments in Johor, Penang and Selangor have actively pursued solar installations,” he said.

Rajiv said in addition to opening the space for private and individual investment in solar, the Energy Commission has also expanded the Large Scale Solar scheme by another 500MW.

“As a testament to the openness of this tender process, over 700 companies have purchased the tender documents and are in the midst of preparing their submissions,” he added.

  • Renewables

Pre-assembled concept proposed for 10 GW Northern Territory PV project

26 June 2019

 – 

  • Singapore

Ambitious plans have been announced for a 15,000 hectare solar array near Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory. If built, the 10 GW solar farm will join the ranks of the world’s biggest solar parks and be coupled with a massive battery of an unspecified capacity.

The project plans to export electricity to both Darwin and Singapore. According to David Griffin, managing director of Singapore-based project proponent Sun Cable, the project’s transmission capacity will stand at 2.5 GW. Power will be transported via 3,800-km high voltage direct current submarine cables and cover 20% of Singapore’s power demand.

“The project will be multi terminal, including a voltage source converter tap in to Darwin. Darwin will also be the first customer to be connected,” Griffin told pv magazine Australia. “There is some nuance to the supply of electricity to Singapore that we are not able to provide detail on at the moment.”

Indeed, the project is at a very early stage with environmental approval applications still in the works. While final approvals could take time given its massive size and the number of stakeholders involved, Sun Cable is looking to submit the application next year.

Asked about the financing structure behind the project, Griffin said this is yet to be determined. “Financial close target date is 2023,” he said. It has been revealed, however, that the project comes with a price tag of $20 billion.

Sun Cable has set a timeline to start construction in 2023 with commercial operations kicking off in 2027. The project is set to employ local business and personnel and create thousands of jobs in both construction and manufacturing.

The company has confirmed its solar partner will be Sydney-based pre-fabricated solar array developer manufacturer 5B. “The solar technology will be a new variant of 5B Pty Ltd prefabricated Maverick solar farm technology,” Griffin said.

Solar concertina

5B’s solution is Maverick, a pre-fabricated, re-deployable solar array – in which modules come preassembled onto concrete blocks which replace conventional mounting structures. A single Maverick is a ground-mounted DC solar array block of 32 or 40 PV modules, which can be made with any standard framed 60 or 72-cell PV module. With modules oriented in a concertina shape at a 10 degree tilt and electrically configured, each Maverick weighs about three tonnes. When deployed, one block is five metres wide and 16 metres long (32 modules) or 20 metres long (40 modules).

Thus far, the company has no project bigger than 2 MW in its portfolio, according to its website. However, to illustrate its solution, 5B states it has deployed 2.1 MWp, or a total of 62 Mavericks, in only 25 days with a team of three people. By reducing the manual-labour required for solar module installation, the 5 B solution looks well suited to remote areas – such as Barkley.

Government backing

The 10 GW solar farm in the Barkley region will be the company’s first and only PV project, although the team has a history in wind and solar farm development in Australia and South Africa. Namely, Griffin has been engaged in developing utility-scale solar and wind projects through his own development companies and during his time as General Manager of ASX-listed renewables developer Infigen Energy. He is also listed as investor and director of 5B.

While many aspects still need to come together, the Northern Territory government support is not lacking. Michael Gunner, NT’s chief minister, said he is a strong supporter of the project. “There is no better place in the world to lead the renewable revolution than the Northern Territory,” he said. “We have the guaranteed cloud free days, the land, and a government with the vision, plan and will to make it happen.”

The proposal was unveiled just days following the release of the 10 GW Vision for the Northern Territory by climate change think-tank Beyond Zero Emissions. Calculating with the region’s unlimited potential to generate solar power, the new report raises awareness of the potential jobs and revenue opportunities for Territorians in a zero-carbon economy by 2030.

Gigawatt appetite 

The Barkley region project announcement is not the only gigawatt project in Australia’s pipeline. A sod turning ceremony at a project boasting 1.5 GW of solar PV and 500 MWh of energy storage 100 kilometers north of Brisbane was held in February, while another massive project was waved through in Queensland two years earlier, when Singapore-based Equis Energy secured approval to begin constructing the 1 GW Wandoan South Solar Projects.

Australia’s other GW renewable energy projects are still awaiting a regulatory nod – a 4 GW renewable energy hub for New South Wales proposed by Energy Estate and MirusWind. In WA, the 11 GW Asian Renewable Energy Hub is being proposed to export power to Southeast Asia via subsea cables and supply big miners and green hydrogen projects in the Pilbara region – the project being put forward by a consortium comprising Vestas, Intercontinental Energy, CWP Energy Asia and Macquarie Group.

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