News Clipping Archive - Page 1195 of 1232

Coal

Indonesia plans to revise rules on coal contract extensions under CCOW

16 November 2018

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Indonesia

Reuters citing, an official at the ministry as saying that Indonesia’s Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry plans to revise rules on mining rights held by miners under Coal Contract of Work (CCOW). Under proposed changes, miners can apply for extensions to mining rights between five years and one year before contracts expire. Existing rules only allow miners to apply for extensions between two years and six months before contracts expire.

Mr Hufron Asrofi, head of the energy ministry’s legal bureau, said that proposed changes are governed in a revision of a presidential decree that is currently being checked by the Law and Human Rights Ministry. With the revision, extended contracts would transfer into special mining permits (IUPK)

Mr Asrofi said that “Hopefully the revision can be completed this year.”

Source : Reuters

Energy Economy

Going green with infrastructure investments

16 November 2018

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ASEAN

This picture shows workers installing a high-voltage electrical pole, part of an electricity distribution project, in the central province of Ha Tinh in Vietnam. (Hoang Dinh Nam / AFP Photo)

As a growing number of people become acutely aware of the need to protect the environment, the demand for goods and services that are sensitive to such inclinations will undoubtedly increase.

Green bonds, energy efficient buildings, solar parks, and wind farms are just some of the many initiatives that can help attain the goal of a cleaner and more sustainable environment.

Green infrastructure investment opportunities

Where there is a demand, there is an investment opportunity. Such an opportunity has presented itself in the infrastructure sector.

A 2017 report by Singaporean financial services group, DBS and the United Nations (UN) has indicated that ASEAN’s total green financing opportunities lie at US$3 trillion between 2016 and 2030. Investments in green infrastructure makes up 60 percent of this amount.

The goldmine for green infrastructure investments lies primarily in energy transmission and distribution (US$700 million), climate change and mitigation (US$400 million) and water (US$380 million). Besides that, opportunities are also aplenty in rail (US$60 million) and telecommunications (US$260 million).

The crème de la crème

What drives investment in distributed grid development is low electrification rates in the region primarily in countries like Myanmar and Cambodia where electrification rates (based on grid connectivity) is at 26 percent and 65 percent, respectively.

As these two ASEAN nations seek to improve electricity access especially to rural areas, it opens up avenues for investments upwards of US$100 million and can reach US$1 billion with an average payback time of over 15 years. Besides that, countries with existing extensive grids but want to improve transmission of electricity like Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand also offer lucrative potential for investment.

Source: Various

Water is also a crucial green infrastructure investment avenue in places like Indonesia and the Philippines as Southeast Asia’s water market is slated to grow 20 percent annually. The technology risk associated with such an investment is quite low given that technologies utilised in water treatment plants, dams and flood control waterworks are relatively established.

However, innovation in business models to help convert non-revenue generating water to revenue generating water may be necessary. Besides that, the high payback period, upwards of 15 years may impact credit risk and cause commercial financiers to shun away. However, given that most water assets are publicly owned, state concessions and grants are likely the more obvious sources of financing.

Telecommunications investments which cover civil engineering works like land and sea cables and transmission towers are also highly sought after in places like Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. The cost to build a communications tower averages between US$200,000 and US$300,000 and with the burgeoning demand for faster communications speeds (4G and above), the demand for such structures will only increase.

Private and public partnership ventures in this area will be highly leveraged as national and multilateral development banks will continue to support financing by way of debt, guarantees and equity.

Other investment opportunities

Other areas of potential green infrastructure finance like rail works and climate adaptation are also present but the investment size and commercial viability is lower than in other areas. For example, climate change proofing infrastructures at times don’t offer direct financial returns and only social and environmental benefits. Nevertheless, herein lies investment potential in terms of fulfilling a company’s corporate social responsibility portfolio.

Rail investments which represent a meagre slice of US$60 billion when compared to the US$1.8 trillion investment cake suffers a similar predicament. Besides that, the lengthy average payback period of approximately 25 years establishes a significant credit risk. Still, investments in this area cannot be fully dismissed because it is incredibly sensitive to changes in technology like electric trains and Hyperloop systems which can skyrocket its potential.

In short, there is no lack of investment opportunities in Southeast Asia when it comes to green infrastructure. As a developing region, such lucrative opportunities will only increase as more and more projects and initiatives are proposed. The astute investor will keep an eye out for such possibilities as the region continues to flesh out its potential.

Renewables

Thailand utility eyes 1GW of floating solar on hydro dams, pilots energy storage

16 November 2018

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Thailand

State-run utility Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) is planning to facilitate 1GW of hybrid floating solar-hydro projects across eight dams throughout the country.

Thepparat Theppitak, deputy governor, power plant development and renewable energy, EGAT, announced the plans at the ASEAN Solar + Storage Congress & Expo in Manila, the Philippines, organised by Leader Associates.

The first two projects, located in the Northeast, are already in the development phase, including 45MW_(AC) of contracted capacity at Sirindhorn Dam, with a commercial operation date expected in 2020. A second 24MW_(AC)project at Ubol Ratana Dam is due to come into commercial operation in 2023.

Theppitak told PV Tech that building of the first project should get underway in January next year. The plans also complement the fact that Thailand already has a hydropower plan and the country wants to have a test bed for floating PV, he added. EGAT seas a potential water surface area of 16km² across the eight dams earmarked for this first phase.

Battery storage pilots

The Thai government is also working on tests for battery energy storage with two big projects standing at 22MWh and 16MWh capacity being used for frequency regulation and to enhance system flexibility.

Moreover, Theppitak suggested that once battery costs come down far enough, EGAT will also consider having batteries at the hybrid floating solar-hydro projects.

Even though hydro complements the variable power generation of solar power, due to hydro’s fast response times, Theppitak said smooth generation can still be an issue, so EGAT is considering including batteries to fill the gap between hydro and solar generation to make it even more stabilised.

Franck Constant, president of PV developer and investor, Constant Energy, said that the announcements showed perhaps the most prominent change in the Thailand renewable energy space over the last year – the fact that a state-run utility like EGAT is starting to buy into new energy solutions like storage and floating solar.

Last year, Thailand also opened the door to energy storage through its ‘firm’ power tender. For solar and wind developers to participate, they had to add energy storage capabilities in order to smooth generation and counter the variability of power supply from these technologies. As an example, Visait Hansaward, MD of Thailand-based developer, Blue Solar, explained how his company had been selected to set up a 42MW solar project combined with 12MW/54MWh of energy storage.

Alternative power plan coming soon

Theppitak’s update on installed solar capacity put PV at 2,551MW, although other delegates said that capacity had gone well beyond 3GW already.

EGAT’s figures show 1,656MW of solar installed in the central region, 504MW in the Northern region, 390MW in the Northeast, but just 1MW in the South.

Theppitak also confirmed that Thailand’s next edition of its Alternative Energy Development Plan (AEDP) should be announced before the end of this year.

Constant said that the Minister of Energy, who had disclosed some of the AEDP material, had already made it clear that batteries will play a key role in the future of Thailand’s energy system.

For the C&I sector, Florian Bennhold, MD of Symbior Solar, said that the difference between peak and off-peak prices in Thailand are minimal, which hits revenue gain when using storage for peak shaving and he added that the regulatory framework right now does lend itself particularly well to storage. However, his firm does see special cases like C&I customers wanting energy storage specifically for backup functions as the low hanging fruit in this segment.

Yisha He, chairman of China-based firm Unisun Energy Group said that Thailand already has a huge focus on electric vehicles (EVs) and has much of the car industry manufacturing value chain in-country already, so the proliferation of EVs should also help the Southeast Asian country to see decreased battery costs for stationary storage applications quicker than many people are expecting.

Back in March, EGAT signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Hawaii Natural Energy Institute, University of Hawaii, to measure and study the ability of Thailand’s grid to integrate renewable energy.

Electricity/Power Grid

BIMP-EAGA eyed as pilot area for ASEAN energy link

16 November 2018

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Philippines

DAVAO CITY — The Mindanao-Visayas power grid interconnection project is expected to pave the way for the pilot testing of the Philippines’ link to the energy network within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The proposed ASEAN power grid is a component of the Master Plan for ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC).

“Mindanao seeks to pilot the country’s integration into the ASEAN power grid,” Romeo M. Montenegro, a deputy executive director who is in charge of power development at the Mindanao Development Authority, told BusinessWorld.

This will be undertaken through the Borneo-Mindanao Power Interconnection as proposed under the sub-grouping Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippine-East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).

Power interconnection facilities “such as submarine cable” will be set up between Mindanao and the Malaysian part of Borneo.

“Therefore, regional economic integration is not just confined to goods and services but also includes cross-border trade of electricity to achieve diversification,” Mr. Montenegro said.

Mr. Montenegro said continuing discussions on power sector issues within the BIMP-EAGA and the ASEAN, such as the Philippines’ higher rates due to the absence of energy subsidies, will eventually make the country a capable participant in the industry.

The P52-billion Mindanao-Visayas interconnection project will connect the southern to the central islands, which are already linked to Luzon.

In October, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) broke ground on both landing sites of the 92-kilometer submarine cable project — in Dapitan City on the Mindanao side, and Santander, Cebu on the Visayan end.

The project is designed to carry about 450 megawatts of power between the two grids.

Energy Cooperation

Russian President Putin seeks Asian energy deals, LNG investment

16 November 2018

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ASEAN

Moscow — Russian President Vladimir Putin is in Singapore where he will be hoping to secure a bigger foothold for energy supplies and LNG investment among Asia’s fastest-growing economies.

Bilateral talks between Putin’s delegation, including energy minister Alexander Novak, and delegations from some of the region’s biggest economies including Japan, South Korea and Indonesia are being held in conjunction with the Russian-ASEAN dialog and East Asian Summit.

Asia is a growing market for Russian energy, including LNG, and a potential source of investment for the world’s largest producer of resources and minerals. The Kremlin has increasingly looked to build its presence in the Asian region following the imposition of tough sanctions by the US on Russia.

In a statement released on Wednesday following a meeting between Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Novak described energy deliveries From Russia to Japan as “high and stable.”

“In the first half of 2018, there was a growth in LNG supplies to 4.7 million mt, and coal exports rose by 200,000 mt to 8.1 million mt,” Novak said.

Japanese companies hold significant stakes in the Sakhalin 1 and Sakhalin 2 projects offshore Russia’s Far East as well as Yamal LNG. “Japanese partners are looking into joining other LNG projects in Russia,” Novak said, according to the statement.

Russia and Japan have an advisory energy council, which includes three working groups covering hydrocarbons, atomic energy and energy efficiency.

Novak also took part in a meeting between Putin and South Korean President Moon Jae-In.

“From January to June 2018, oil product deliveries rose by 900,000 mt to 2.7 million mt, and LNG deliveries by 500,000 mt to 1.5 million mt, year on year. Oil and coal exports were also at a high level in the period, totaling 5.3 and 12.8 million mt respectively,” Novak said, according to a ministry statement released after the meeting.

Novak also participated in Putin’s meeting with Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

“Deliveries of Russian energy resources – oil, oil products and coal — to Thailand are stable. Considering the importance of natural gas for power generation in Thailand, and also growth in indicators of gas consumption, Russian companies are interested in organized deliveries of LNG to Thailand,” Novak said, according to the statement. Russian oil companies are also considering taking part in power generation projects in Thailand.

Following a meeting with Malaysian officials, Novak said that Russian companies want to increase energy cooperation with Malaysia.

“Our companies successfully cooperate on oil production in third countries,” Novak said. “Russian business would like to continue to increase our bilateral cooperation, this applies not only to production, but also exploration of oil and gas resources as well as oil products and LNG supplies to the local market.”

Following a meeting between Putin and Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Novak described Russia and Indonesia as natural partners in the energy sector.

He added that Zarubezhneft and Novatek are interested in joining Indonesian oil and gas projects and that Rosneft is taking part in the Tuban oil refinery project with Pertamina. Future cooperation could include hydropower, nuclear and renewable energy projects.

Renewables

Ayala invests in renewable energy firm

16 November 2018

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Philippines ,
Singapore

AC ENERGY, Inc. through its international unit has invested in Singapore-based renewable energy company The Blue Circle Pte. Ltd. through a 25% ownership acquisition as well as co-investment rights in the latter’s projects.

“It’s a platform partnership. The Blue Circle, TBC, is a regional development and operations company focused on wind.”

AC Energy Chief Executive Officer Eric T. Francia told reporters on Tuesday.

AC Energy, the energy arm of diversified conglomerate Ayala Corp., and TBC are to jointly develop, construct, own and operate the latter’s pipeline of around 1,500 megawatts (MW) of wind projects across Southeast Asia, including about 700 MW in Vietnam. TBC developed and constructed one of the first wind farms in Vietnam.

Next year, the partnership plans to develop around 100 to 200 MW of wind energy projects in Vietnam out of TBC’s project pipeline in that country, he said.

AC Energy subsidiary AC Energy International Holdings Pte. Ltd. signed the deal with TBC.

“What we like about this platform and partnership is that number one, they have the capabilities and the track record for wind, and number two, they have a very good pipeline of development projects across the region,” Mr. Francia said.

He said TBC’s principal markets are Thailand and Indonesia, although it has some developmental assets in Indonesia and Cambodia, and at a lesser magnitude, in the Philippines.

“We’re gonna begin this relationship by focusing first on Vietnam because that’s where most of the action is,” Mr. Francia said, adding that the regional neighbor has an installation deadline for renewable energy projects aiming for a feed-in tariff.

He said AC Energy has set aside $100 million of equity for these projects.

Mr. Francia said funding for the projects would come from corporate debt and the funds raised from the sell down of AC Energy’s thermal assets. He also said that the company was working with several lenders to put together the loan component to fund the projects.

He placed the cost of putting up each megawatt of wind project at $1.5-$1.6 million dollars.

AC Energy previously said it had more than $1 billion of invested and committed equity in renewable and thermal energy in the Philippines and around the region. It aims to develop five gigawatts of attributable capacity and generate at least half of energy from renewables by 2025.

Electricity/Power Grid ,
Renewables

Electric surge to require flexible power systems: IEA

16 November 2018

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Vietnam

PARIS — Demand for electricity is set to explode in the next two decades, which could be good news for the environment but a challenge for governments and power companies, the IEA said Tuesday.

“The electricity sector is experiencing its most dramatic transformation since its creation more than a century ago,” said the International Energy Agency in an annual energy outlook that focused on electricity.

The IEA forecast that energy demand would be more than 25 per cent greater by 2040, owing in large part to expanding activity in India.

Global demand for electricity is expected to surge by around 60 per cent, at which point it would account for about one quarter of the total, from 19 per cent at present, while coal and oil diminish in importance.

Developing economies will need 90 per cent more electricity, for vehicles in China and air conditioning in hotter climates, said the report. Rich countries were also tipped to require more power for electrically based transit systems.

To provide the extra power, the use of wind turbines and solar panels would grow substantially, said the report.

All renewable sources including hydro-electric are to account for 70 per cent of the increased output.

Political support and advances in technology meant that the cost of electricity produced by renewable sources had fallen, and that of solar energy was expected to decline further by more than 40 per cent over the 20-year period.

Meanwhile, the share of electricity produced by coal should drop to about one quarter of the total from roughly 40 per cent today.

Renewables are thus tipped to follow an inverse curve and take coal’s place.

Natural gas at 20 per cent and nuclear energy at 10 per cent are to remain essentially stable.

Flexibility

While the increase in renewable energy should benefit the environment, it will nonetheless also pose a challenge, not least because such sources depend on the availability of sun or wind.

“With higher variability in supplies, power systems will need to make flexibility the cornerstone of future electricity markets in order to keep the lights on,” the IEA said.

“Many countries in Europe, as well as Mexico, India and China, are set to require a degree of flexibility that has never been seen before at such large scale,” it added.

Governments and power companies will have to invest more than US$2 trillion a year in new supplies, reform energy markets, improve connections between grids, and pursue technology such as “smart meters” and improved batteries, the report said.

The IEA also imagined a scenario under which an even bigger push towards electricity occurs, with demand leaping by 90 per cent instead of 60 per cent by 2040.

That would be an increase roughly equivalent to twice the current demand for electricity in the United States.

With half of all vehicles operating on electricity, local air quality should improve noticeably, it noted. — AFP

Oil & Gas

Vietnam’s Ca Tam oil field to start production Jan 15 – sources

16 November 2018

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Vietnam

HANOI, Nov 13 (Reuters) – Vietsovpetro, a Vietnam-Russia oil joint venture, will start crude oil production at the Ca Tam field offshore southern Vietnam from Jan. 15, three sources with knowledge of the matter said on Tuesday.

Ca Tam is the first new field to be brought into production in Vietnam in years after a 2014 plunge in oil prices slashed exploration. The start-up is significant as declining production from the country’s key fields has left it struggling to maintain oil and gas output.

Production from Ca Tam, jointly developed by Vietsovpetro, PetroVietnam Exploration Production Corp (PVEP) and Bitexco Group, is forecast to be between 20,000 and 25,000 barrels per day, one of the sources told Reuters.

The field in block 09-3/12, 160 km (100 miles) southeast of Vietnam, will be hooked up to the facilities in the nearby block 09-1, which houses the country’s largest oil field Bach Ho, Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) said last month.

“The project will benefit its developers and create jobs for other firms in the local oil and gas industry, especially at the current difficult time,” PetroVietnam said.

Readul Islam, a research analyst at Rystad Energy in Singapore said: “We could expect an initial few months of peak production, before production stabilizes to plateau rates between 15,000-20,000 bpd perhaps throughout 2020, at which point it could be making up an estimated 15-20 percent of the Bach Ho heavy grade.”

“Being a relatively small field, volumes from Ca Tam could already start declining from 2021,” Islam said.

Vietnam’s crude oil output is expected to fall by 10 percent a year through to 2025, PetroVietnam said last month. . Output in 2018 was expected to fall 14.7 percent to 11.3 million metric tonnes, the government said in March.

The quality of the new crude from Ca Tam could be heavier than the current Bach Ho heavy grade as PetroVietnam’s trading arm PV Oil has offered a heavier grade of Bach Ho in term tenders, traders said.

PV Oil offered 30,000 barrels per day of a heavier Bach Ho crude, with an API gravity of 28-35 degrees, for loading between April and June versus 20,000 bpd of Bach Ho heavy, with an API of 33-35, in the first three months of 2019.

The company has also offered 10,000 bpd of light Bach Ho crude with an API of 38-40 for loading in the first half of 2019. (Reporting by Khanh Vu and Florence Tan; editing by Richard Pullin).

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