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  • Bioenergy

Commerce Ministry talks up benefits of palm oil for generating power

21 April 2019

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  • Thailand

While the Thai government is promoting the use of palm oil to produce power, the latest price of the oil remains lower than the cost of producing it because the volume of output was 30% more than the expected quantity.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives will survey the real quantity of palm oil to be released onto the market to determine a solution to the problem.

Deputy Commerce Minister Chutima Bunyapraphasara says apart from being used for electricity production, the Ministry of Energy has also extracted a bio-diesel oil B20 from the palm oil.

It was found that the amount of B20 usage had increased from 10 million litres per month to 20 million litres but is still below the intended target.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives will explore palm growing areas to survey the quantity of production that will be released onto the market at this time. If the number seems likely to fall in May, the situation may improve.

The oversupply of palm oil earlier this year, despite the production area not increasing, was caused by farmers growing additional palms on existing farms instead of rubber, meaning their output grew this year though it was not included in the initial forecast.

The palm kernel product is turned into crude palm oil. It is mainly used for consumption. Some of it is processed in industrial factories and is used in the energy field. However, the use of palm oil for consumption and in the industrial sector cannot be increased anymore.

Therefore, the Ministry says, the only option is to use it to produce energy which is considered a long-term solution to the problem.

However, using palm oil as a fuel to produce power may not be such a good choice because the high cost might affect consumers and exports, as Thai exporters cannot compete with rival countries in terms of price at the present time.

  • Coal , 
  • Energy Economy

‘World Bank indirectly funding Asian coal projects’

21 April 2019

 – 

  • Indonesia

[JAKARTA] An international team of environmental and financial experts claim in a report that contrary to declarations it made in 2013, the World Bank (WB) has been indirectly funding coal mining projects in Asia.

According to the report, published this month (11 April),  the WB’s private-sector arm – the International Financial Corporation (IFC) – has been financing through intermediary banks Kaltim Prima Coal, one of the world’s largest open-pit coal mining operations, located in East Kalimantan, Indonesia.

“Now we know that the powerful industry is not only backed by political elites but also funded by foreign banks. The poor will always lose in this game”

Melky Nahar, JATAM

Authored by Mining Advocacy Network (abbreviated as JATAM), Inclusive Development International and the Bank Information Center (BIC), Europe, the report follows the release of a documentary film last 5 April entitled The Sexy Killers produced by the NGO Watchdoc. The documentary shows coal mining companies backing the election campaigns of Indonesian presidential candidates.

“Now we know that the powerful industry is not only backed by political elites but also funded by foreign banks. The poor will always lose in this game,” says Melky Nahar, who leads the JATAM campaign.

According to JATAM’s impact assessment, the project in Kalimantan dumped heavy metals into local rivers, destroyed fresh water sources, diminished crop yields and forced the Dayak Basap tribe to abandon their ancestral lands.

In 2013, then WB president Jim Yong Kim declared that his organisation would no longer fund Asia’s coal industries. But the new report finds the world’s largest organisation for leveraged loans in developing countries routing funds to Indonesian coal companies through the IFC.

The report says IFC involved two financial intermediaries to fund Kaltim Prima Coal. In January 2014, IFC bought US$186 million worth of shares in Raiffeisen Bank International, Austria, which in turn provided US$80 million credit to Bumi Resources, a company which owns 51 per cent of Kaltim Prima Coal shares.

Furthermore, according to the report, IFC financed Kaltim Prima Coal via the Axis Bank of India. The bank was found to finance Bhira Investment Limited, the owner of 30 per cent stakes in Kaltim Prima Coal.  Bhira is the subsidiary company of India’s Tata Power Company which is now developing the controversial Mundra power plant project in Gujarat, India. The project also consumes coal derived from Kaltim Prima Coal.

An IFC spokesperson denied the charges made in the report and said the investment provided to Raiffeisen Bank in 2014 was given on condition that it would go to its subsidiaries in Bosnia, Kosovo, Poland and Russia, and not Indonesia. “IFC adheres to the 2013 World Bank Group energy strategy which prevents direct financing of coal-related projects by the Group.”

In response to the findings, the IFC has unveiled a draft plan called the Green Equity Strategy designed to move its client banks away from financing coal and toward renewable energy.

“The IFC is taking welcome steps to address the harms in its financial-sector portfolio, including pledging to reduce coal exposure to zero and help its clients step away from coal. The IFC influences over US$4.5 trillion of investments in emerging markets, so these moves signal the beginning of the end for coal,” says Kate Geary, co-director of the Bank Information Center.

“BIC will be watching closely for any loopholes which allow this dirty financing to continue,” Geary adds.

  • Renewables

Spotlight: China-built hydropower project in Cambodia Guarantees the way home for fish

20 April 2019

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  • Cambodia

STUNG TRENG, Cambodia, April 20 (Xinhua) — In early April in Sesan District of Stung Treng Province, Cambodia, the reservoir of Lower Sesan 2 Hydropower Station was sparkling with water merging with the azure sky.

On the right bank of the dam, a clear stream flows through the woods downstream of the saddle dam. This is the nature-like fishway of the station.

The 781-million-U.S. dollars project is a joint venture among China’s Huaneng Hydrolancang International Energy holding 51 percent of the stake, Cambodia’s Royal Group owning 39 percent and Vietnamese EVN International Joint Stock Company possessing 10 percent.

The 400-megawatt dam is the largest and the seventh one built by China in Cambodia. The Lower Sesan II dam, 56.5 meters tall, covers a 36,000-hectare plot.

Yan Xiang, deputy general manager of Hydro Power Lower Sesan 2 Co. Ltd., who is in charge of the operation of the hydropower station, said: “We have always been adhering to the policy of ‘protecting in development and developing in protection’, attaching great importance to the natural and ecological environment so as to provide green energy to Cambodia and the Belt and Road cooperation.”

When talking about the fishway, engineering manager Nong Zuguan, who is responsible for the construction management of the fishway, said “We made it into a natural fishway to fit into the surrounding environment, like a natural river. This is the way the fish came home.”

For the 2,900-meter long fishway, the maximum water level difference between the upstream and downstream is 26.5 meters. While the bottom width of the fishway is 4-5 meters, rest pools are set every 800 meters to better facilitate the fish make their journey.

The construction of the fishway began in April 2017 and it had been put into use since the end of the same year.

Speaking of the intention of building a fishway, Mu Wanpeng, director of the Safety and Environmental Protection Department of the Station, said that according to the environmental impact assessment of the project, there are 34 kinds of long-distance migratory fish in the area of the project. In order to meet the needs of these migratory fish and maintain the diversity of fish in the area, the company initiated the proposal to the Cambodian government to build the fishway.

“In order to verify the effectiveness of the fishway, the company has carried out regular inspections twice a month since the operation,” Mu Wanpeng said. In addition, the company is currently planning to invite professional teams to carry out fishway observation and research projects.

Mu said that environmental protection work has always been the top priority of the project. The project has detailed regulations on atmospheric protection, production and domestic sewage treatment, soil and water conservation, etc. Fishway construction is only a part of it.

“We use underground buried sewage treatment facilities to effectively treat domestic sewage, and the treated wastewater can be recycled for gardening irrigation,” Mu said.

The office and and living area of the station is like a small garden with carpets of green grass, and diversified picturesque sceneries.

Eng Phirong, director of Stung Treng Provincial Department of Environment, said Lower Sesan II Hydropower Company has paid particular attention to environmental protection, complying with all requirements in the Environmental Impact Assessment paper.

“My colleagues and I have visited the hydropower station regularly to inspect the management of solid and liquid wastes and we found that the company has managed them very well,” he told Xinhua in a recent interview.

For the liquid waste, the firm has a reservoir to store it for treatment before releasing it into the river, Phirong said.

“We have also taken water samples at the hydropower station for a test at the Ministry of Environment’s laboratory, and found that there is nothing changed, the quality of water is good,” he said. “In sum, I can say that the company has paid high attention to environmental protection because the quality of water and air there is pretty good.”

The reservoir, like a sapphire in its natural settings, now provides green energy for Cambodia’s economic and social development. “We must protect the ecological environment of the Sesan river basin and guard the blue sky and the green river here,” said Yan.

  • Others

Malaysia ranks 8th in Asia-Pacific for environment-friendliness

19 April 2019

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  • Malaysia

PETALING JAYA: Human activities are contributing to climate change and this has affected the quality of life in some places around the world. It leads us to this question: Is Malaysia environmentally-friendly?

According to an analysis on the Greenest Countries in Asia Pacific by Singapore-based research firm ValueChampion, Japan is the greenest country, followed by Singapore. Australia and South Korea are tied for third place, and New Zealand is in fourth. Malaysia came in at number eight, out of a total of 13 countries assessed.

To determine how green a country is, seven factors or categories of impact were considered: energy, air pollution, water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, waste, forest and green spaces, and public transport.

For energy, countries were ranked by their electricity production from renewable sources (excluding hydroelectric) as a percentage of total energy production coupled with electric power transmission and distribution losses as a percentage of total output. Malaysia produced a relatively low 0.7% of total output compared to Japan with 7.8%. This led to Malaysia being placed near the bottom, in 10th place in the energy category.

As for air pollution, Malaysia’s average particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration in 2018 for country and capital city were 18 and 19.3 respectively, placing it in sixth position in this category. Australia and New Zealand each recorded less than half of the PM2.5 concentration of Malaysia.

On water pollution, the study used the World Economic Forum’s estimates of the percentage of a country’s population that is exposed to unsafe drinking water. Malaysia took the seventh spot with 10.7% exposure while Australia has the least water pollution exposure, with a low 2.2%.

Moving on to greenhouse gases, the study focused on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in particular. Two forms of statistics were utilised to better reflect the ranking between very populous and very rich countries — CO2 emissions (metric tons per capita) and CO2 emissions per unit of GDP (PPP) (kg/CO2/2010 USD) which saw Malaysia emerge in 10th place for air pollution while the Philippines seems to have the best air in the region.

In terms of waste, Malaysia generated about 0.198 kilograms of plastic waste per person per day which puts the country nearly at the bottom of the ladder in 11th place in the waste category. India leads the pack here with just 0.010 kilograms of plastic waste per person per day.

Malaysia however, did well in the green spaces category which covers two aspects: forest area (% of land area) and green spaces per person (m2/person). Malaysia scored highly in this regard, coming in second with 67.6% and 43.9 m2/person just below New Zealand.

To gauge public transportation, the World Economic Forum’s “Effectiveness of Train Services” scores were used as a proxy to measure this. On a scale of 1 to 7, Malaysia obtained a respectable 5.2. The leader of this category was of course Japan which scored a 6.6.

The average scores from all seven categories led to Malaysia being placed eighth overall, out of the 13 Asia-Pacific countries. It is certainly not a remarkable score. Simply put, we still have a long way to go in changing our ways to generate less impact on the environment.

  • Renewables

Singapore’s DBS Bank Shifts Financing To Renewable Energy Projects

19 April 2019

 – 

  • Singapore

Singapore’s DBS Bank has announced plans to stop financing coal-powered plants as it looks to support the country’s ramping up renewable energy projects. The bank is the second in the city-state to drop coal energy initiatives.

According to the Straits Times, DBS said it will continue to honor existing partnerships but will no longer finance new projects that leverage on coal power. The bank followed suit after OCBC Bank first said the latest Vietnamese deals will be it’s last in coal-powered partnerships.

DBS Bank said on Thursday that the decision was made after it studied the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) SR15. The bank also reviewed the World Energy Outlook 2018 that came with a Sustainable Development Scenario (SDS) for renewable energy projects.

Despite its willingness to shift away from coal power, DBS Bank acknowledged that the transition period will take time before a full-blown adoption of a system that only finances renewable energy programs.

Singapore has been stepping up efforts in its commitment to curb the negative effects of climate change. Aside from its banks announcing that it will no longer provide funding for coal-powered projects, the city-state also has a goal of reducing its total carbon emissions in the next decade.

The city-state has pledged to reduce its overall Emissions Intensity figures by 36 percent by the year 2030. For many countries, this ultimate goal is ambitious but some analysts believe that it is achievable as Singapore’s banks and other industries continue to support the initiative.

As part of its efforts to mitigate climate change, Singapore is aiming to transition to solar power. While it recognizes the challenges that come with its goals such as urban density and land constraints, the city-state said it will continue to tap into alternative methods such as cutting support for coal-powered plants.

In Singapore’s Climate Action Plan, a wide array of sectors in the economy are expected to increase renewable energy use as well as develop low-carbon technologies. The government said it is hoping to obtain support from its allies in this regard.

Earlier this month, Singaporean solar energy system developer, Sunseap Group, signed a green loan of $50 million in compliance with the Loan Market Association (LMA) and the Asia-Pacific Loan Market Association (APLMA) standards.

The green loan is aimed at establishing rooftop solar projects in the city-state that should benefit over 20 domestic and international industrial firms. Among the industries that could benefit from solar projects are transportation, technology, and education.

  • Others , 
  • Renewables

BCPG finalises solar roof system plans

19 April 2019

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  • Thailand

BCPG’s solar roof system is scheduled to be installed at SC Asset’s residential projects in the fourth quarter.

BCPG, the renewable power arm of Bangchak Corporation, has completed an agreement with property developer SC Asset to design, install and manage a solar roof system with blockchain technology for local residential projects.

BCPG plans to launch Sun Share in the fourth quarter of 2019, with SC Asset’s Neighborhood Bangkadi, a townhouse and single-detached house project in Pathum Thani, serving as the pilot project for this plan.

The Neighborhood Bangkadi consists of seven residential projects with 1,800 units. SC Asset has already developed two projects.

Sun Share allows houses to sell their surplus power from the solar roof system via blockchain technology within the communities.

Bandit Sapianchai, BCPG’s president, said the company will install solar panels for houses and sport buildings, developing blockchain technology to optimise power management at residential projects.

BCPG will start installation in the third quarter, he said.

Residents can buy and sell electricity automatically via the blockchain platform, no installation fee is required.

“The Sun Share project will promote a circular economy framework because every power generator will be used and exchanged without any surplus or spare output,” said Mr Bundit.

Nuttaphong Kunakornwong, chief executive of SC Asset, said residents gain two direct benefits: savings on their monthly power bills from using solar panels and trading electricity via blockchain shared electric ledger, which has a cheaper power fee per unit.

“If residents do not use power during the daytime or when they are not at home, they can sell the surplus to their neighbours and sport complexes that do consume power in the daytime,” said Mr Nuttaphong.

In addition, SC Asset and BCPG will further develop blockchain to link with SC Asset’s Baan Rue Jai mobile app to facilitate residents in the future.

“We expect electricity from solar panels at our projects will not be wasted or lost because we plan to create a green framework that is low-cost and low-carbon for sustainability,” he said.

Pichai Chunhavajira, BCPG’s chairman, said it is conducting a feasibility study to develop a wind power farm with a capacity of 600 megawatts overseas.

The study is expected to be completed by September, he said.

BCPG sets a long-term target for wind power to reach 1,000MW across Asia-Pacific within five years, up from 60MW.

The company is focusing more on wind and biomass because they have longer hours of power generation than solar.

BCPG has 571MW of renewable power on hand across Asia-Pacific, of which 381MW is in operation and 190MW is under development.

  • Renewables

Thai power firm chose Pöyry for wind farm project

19 April 2019

 – 

  • Thailand

Pöyry, Finland’s international consulting and engineering firm, has revealed it was awared by B. Grimm Power Company, Thailand’s power producers, to work in B. Grimm Power’s latest renewable energy project, the 16MW Bo Thong Wind Farm, located in Mukdahan province, Thailand.

As stated in Pöyry’s press release on April 10, 2019, the work included EPC bid evaluation and negotiations, energy yield assessments, project management, design review, and site monitoring during construction and commissioning.

The purpose of B. Grimm Power’s latest project was to add 635MW equity capacity to its existing 1,082 MW equity capacity by the end of year 2021 and when the project is completed, B. Grimm Power’s equity capacity will increse at least 70% in the next two years.

Bo Thong project was expected to be substantially completed before September 2020 which is when commercial operation date (COD) is scheduled.

Esa Holttinen, Pöyry’s Business Director, highlighted the benefit that this project could provide to people involving in industrial sector as well as local sector.

“Typically located in less developed rural areas, wind farm projects not only benefit the energy sector development, but also contribute to achieve broader rural development goals, including the upgrade of local infrastructure, security, and electrical supply capability.

“Apart from that, such projects also create local job opportunities and spur additional income in the community, overall positively impacting the locality’s quality of life,” he added.

Pöyry has been collaborating with B. Grimm Power for over past 8 years since 2010 and Bo Thong project is the 13th owner’s engineering construction assignment that Pöyry has handled for B. Grimm Power.

  • Energy Efficiency

Local fuel prices increase by K140-K200 per liter in over four months

19 April 2019

 – 

  • Myanmar

Local fuel prices have continued to increase by K140 to K200 per liter over the past four months as global oil prices reach about US$64 per barrel although Myanmar Kyat against dollar sees little fluctuation with the current value of just over K1,500, according to local filling stations.

On April 18 in local market, maximum prices were K990 for one liter of diesel (K4,500 per gallon), K1,000 for one liter of premium diesel (K4,546 per gallon), K860 for one liter of 92 Ron octane (K3,910 per gallon) and K930 for one liter of 95 Ron octane (K4,228 per gallon). In comparison with the prices on January 3 this year, prices of one liter of diesel have increased by K140 (16.47 percent), one liter of premium diesel by K145 (16.95 percent), one liter of 92 Ron octane by K190 (28.35 percent) and one liter of 95 Ron octane by K200 (27.39 percent).

Since the second week of October in 2017, oil prices per barrel had significantly increased with US$49 in early August, US$51 in early October,  US$55 in early November, US$58 in early December, US$61 in early January this year, US$64 in early February, US$68 in late April, US$72 on May 21, and US$74 on July 10. The price decreased to US$69 on August 7 and US$65 on August 20. But it increased again to US$67 on September 10, US$70 on September 21 and US$76 on October 3. The price decreased to around US$42 on December 24, and reached around US$45 on December 27. However, prices gradually increased again with US$54 on January 21, US$57 on February 22, US$60.23 on March 20 and US$64.05 on April 16.

When dollar price against Myanmar Kyat and global oil prices increased in four months from June to October 2018, local fuel prices increased by over 21 percent.

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