Founded in 2016 as the Hydropower Developers’ Working Group, MHDA is a platform where hydropower firms and related professionals are able to support talks, influence policies, and improve environmental and social management processes and governance.
As its first initiative, the MHDA has partnered up with the Ministry of Electricity and Energy to produce standardised concessions and power purchase agreements for hydropower projects.
These agreements will help regulate the rights and obligations of both developers and the government, and ensure projects will meet the accountability requirements of international lenders and comply with environmental and social standards.
“We believe the MHDA is uniquely placed to make significant contributions to the sustainable development of Myanmar’s hydropower sector,” said Vikram Kumar, IFC’s country manager for Myanmar and Thailand.
Myanmar is South East Asia’s largest thriving market for electricity. It is estimated that currently, 60 percent of the population does not have access to power. The government’s National Electrification Plan aims to electrify 7.2 million households and provides universal energy access by 2030.
With the nation’s vast untapped hydrological resources of about 95 GW and nearly 100 hydropower projects operating, being built, or in the planning stages, the hydropower sector is crucial for Myanmar’s economic growth and social development.
An example of a hydropower project which became highly controversial is Myitsone Dam project. Talks will be made on whether to resume Myitsone during the second Belt and Road Forum (April 25-27) attended by State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The hydropower project is one of seven hydropower plants planned for the upper reaches of the Ayeyarwady River as well as the Mali and N’Mai, at whose confluence the Ayeyarwady starts.
The 6000MW dam, backed by State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC, then known as China Power Investment Corporation), was supposed to send 90pc of its electricity to China’s Yunnan Province. Then-President U Thein Sein suspended work in building the US$3.6 billion dam in 2011, owing to widespread opposition within the country.
Hydropower has the capacity to aid Myanmar’s development but a balance must be struck between fulfilling the country’s energy demand and protecting local environment and communities, said Aung Zaw Naing, chair of MHDA’s executive committee. “To support that, we aim to promote health and safety standards, sustainable regulation, and strengthen compliance,” he said.
MHDA is currently looking for members, from local and foreign-owned hydropower developers, operators, EPC contractors, to vendors and industry professionals that are currently or planning to operate in Myanmar.
Thailand will host more than 70 major Asean meetings this year, with an additional 200 supporting meetings also on the cards.
Every single one of these requires large amounts of fuel to ferry participants from various capitals to Bangkok or other Thai cities, as well as electricity for the venues. It is no secret that energy efficiency at the meetings has ample room for improvement, from the use air-cooling systems to the vast piles of paper printed for attendees.
As such, Thailand’s plans for more environmentally friendly Asean meetings are applauded by many. Referred to as “green meetings”, these will highlight the commitment of the host country in six ways: Use of sustainable products, donation of used meeting equipment to local communities, reuse of conference materials, recycling of conference waste, reduction of plastic use, and reducing paper by using digital documents and electronic tools.
Singapore pioneered the use of digital and electronic tools last year with its “paperless” Asean meetings. It also developed a mobile app that contained the information and materials for each meeting. Singapore held 116 Asean meetings last year, each with an average of 50 to 100 participants. If every single participant had received a bundle of printed documents, an estimated two to four million paper sheets would have been used. Using the calculator from the Environmental Paper Network, two to four million sheets of paper equates to 250 to 500 trees being cut, or 300 to 600 million thermal units, which would generate 100 to 200 tonnes of CO2 emissions. This calculation demonstrates that shifting from conventional paper-based meetings to green meetings has a big impact on energy efficiency and CO2 emissions.
As well as chairing Asean, Thailand is also heading the Asean Energy Efficiency and Conservation Sub-sector Network in 2019. The network consists of representatives of Asean member states and is tasked with implementing programmes and activities in support of regional energy goals.
At the 33rd Asean Ministers on Energy Meeting in September 2015, member countries agreed to target a reduction in their collective energy intensity level (energy efficiency) of 20 per cent by 2020 and 30 per cent by 2025, based on 2005 levels. Last year, at the 36th Asean Energy Meeting held in Singapore, ministers announced good progress towards the target, with a 21.9 per cent reduction in energy intensity achieved in 2016, compared to 2005 levels, exceeding the Asean’s 2020 target.
That impressive progress is attributed to, among others, the success in strengthening energy management systems and certification programmes in Asean, and the enhancement of the Asean Standards Harmonisation Initiatives for Energy Efficiency platform, supported by the European Union.
Now, the progress in energy efficiency needs to be amplified with other collective efforts, which should start where the decisions are made – in Asean meetings. Thailand made a great decision in building on the example set by Singapore last year and initiating green meetings. These will help achieve regional energy efficiency targets, but they will also set an example for national policymakers as they partake in the global effort to meet pledges under the Paris Agreement.
Prime Minister Hun Sen and his delegation left the Kingdom yesterday to attend the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing where a number of assistance agreements are expected to be signed.
Mr Hun Sen was invited to attend the second Belt and Road Forum by Chinese President Xi Jinping. He is accompanied by deputy prime minister Hor Namhong, Foreign Affairs Minister Prak Sokhonn, Finance Minister Aun Pornmoniroth, Transport Minister Sun Chanthol, Agriculture Minister Veng Sakhon, Commerce Minister Pan Sorasak, Health Minister Mam Bunheng, Tourism Minister Thong Khon, and members of the Chamber of Commerce of Cambodia.
Sry Thamrong, minister attached to the Prime Minister, said at Phnom Penh International Airport that Mr Hun Sen will also receive the title of Honorary Professor of International Relations at the Beijing University.
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“The honorary title was offered after seeing his great leadership in diplomatic relations, as well as for solving a political crisis in order to restore a country torn from war,” Mr Thamrong said. “All that led to national unity and development today.”
“Samdech Techo Hun Sen is always actively supporting the Belt and Road Initiative that brought development to Cambodia,” he added. “We see this through the building of hydropower dams, roads, bridges, expressways and an airport in Siem Reap. All that we have received from Belt and Road cooperation.”
Mr Thamrong said that Mr Hun Sen will today attend the forum’s opening ceremony and deliver a speech.
Mr Hun Sen and the delegation are then expected to visit the Central Bank of China in the evening and sign agreements regarding the training of human resources and a loan concession as a partner of the BRI.
Today will end with a meeting with Li Yong, director general of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, and representatives of Unicef.
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On Saturday, Mr Hun Sen will attend the Leader’s Roundtable Session before meeting with Wang Huning, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China.
On Sunday, he will meet with Prime Minister Li Keqiang and sign “documents in order to strengthen cooperation between both countries”.
Mr Thamrong said Mr Hun Sen will then meet top Chinese business leaders who are investing in the Kingdom to propose funding for a railway company.
“He will meet with the vice chairman of Huawei, and will sign an agreement with the Ministry of Post and Telecommunication to focus on 5G technology,” he said.
Mr Thamrong added that Mr Hun Sen will meet representatives of Chinese business giant Xinqiang Goldwind Science and Technology in order to propose the creation of an industrial park to produce wind and solar-powered electricity.
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“All these things are things we need because the world now needs to use clean energy from wind and the sun because this method has no effect on the environment,” he said.
Mr Thamrong noted that China Huaneng Group, a company that manages the Lower Sesan II Dam, will manage other hydropower dam projects.
Mr Hun Sen is expected to meet Mr Xi on Monday before returning to the Kingdom.
Kin Phea, director-general of the International Relations Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, yesterday said the BRI has brought many investments.
“Cambodia expects that China will continue to develop the country’s infrastructure, which will help reduce the price of goods in Cambodia, strengthen its competitiveness and enhance the economy,” Mr Phea said.
On Tuesday, Mr Hun Sen told China’s Xinhua News that the BRI has been beneficial to the Kingdom’s development.
“The BRI has created a huge potential and opportunities for expanding and enhancing regional and international cooperation,” he said. “It is considered as the new engine of global economic growth.”
“I hope this forum will help us to continue to do what we have begun in the past in order to increase infrastructure connectivity, enhance stable development, strengthen cooperation and promote people-to-people exchange,” Mr Hun Sen added. “The Cambodian government will do its best to tap potential and benefits from the BRI to the max in order to contribute to achieving the Policy Agenda of Cambodia’s Rectangular Strategy.”
The groundbreaking event for the Dieng 2 and Patuha 2 geothermal plants was held in Dhanapala Building, Jakarta, Indonesia. The $300 million project will extend the capacity of the two GeoDipa geothermal power plants by 60 MW each. The event was attended by Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani Indrawati.
In her speech, Sri Mulyani stressed the importance of professionalism and integrity in the execution of the project. By avoiding unnecessary mark-ups in the expenses, the project can be completed within the planned budget. Sri Mulyani also expressed optimism that the project can be completed without conflict of interest and without a single cent falling to corruption.
The expansion of the Dieng and Patuha geothermal projects will bring Indonesia closer to the government’s target of a 23% energy mix from renewable sources.
“We hope that these two projects will be completed and ready to be operated in 2023. Geothermal power is far cheaper and environmentally friendly than coal-market-priced coal,” Riki told reporters during the ceremony.
Riki said that the construction of the Dieng and Patuha Unit 2 PLTPs is a concrete step for Geo Dipa as a BUMN and a special mission vehicle under the Indonesian Ministry of Finance to increase the target of the new renewable energy (EBT) mix by 2025.
According to him, Riki, Geo Dipa has also pocketed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with PLN for 7 units of the Dieng Patuha PLTP. Based on PPA, the price of electricity for every one megawatt (MW) is Rp 2.5 million. Meanwhile, the agreed selling electricity tariff to PLN is 8.2 cents per kilowatt-hour.
So far, the two projects have been included in the Phase II Fast Track Program (FTP) of 10 MW. PLPT Dieng – Patuha Unit 2 is also part of the 35 thousand MW electricity project mega project by the Jokowi-JK government.
In addition to working on the Dieng – Patuha Unit 2 PLTP, Riki said, Geo Dipa Energi is also building its own small scale power plant with a capacity of 10-15 MW and an organic power plant cycle ranking with the Build Operate Transer (BOT) scheme. The two independent projects are expected to be completed in 2020 and 2022
PT Gesits Tecnologies Indo (GTI) is now selling its maiden product, the electric scooter, for Rp 24.9 million (US$1,753).
“After passing through a series of research tests and the construction and production stages, we are proud to present Gesits […] which uses electric power technology,” said PT GTI CEO Harun Sjech on Thursday as quoted by kompas.com.
He said the company did not announce the on-road price of the vehicle because of different taxes, depending on the region.
Orders for the vehicle opened Thursday and deliveries would be made starting July, he said adding that customers could place orders at Hall C of Jakarta International Expo (JIExpo) during the Indonesia International Motor Show from April 25 to May 5 in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta.
Gesits was developed in collaboration with state-owned enterprises, namely construction company PT Wijaya Karya, weapon maker PT Pindad, technology company PT Len, state-owned oil and gas holding company Pertamina and state-owned electricity company PLN. (bbn)
Mondelez Philippines, the local unit of global snack giant Mondelēz International, Inc., has taken another step towards empowering people to snack right by making its operations more sustainable. The company’s manufacturing plant in Sucat, Parañaque City is now powered by 100% geothermal energy as supplied by its partner, the Energy Development Corporation’s (EDC) Bacon-Manito Geothermal Project in the Bicol region.
Mondelez Philippines is best known for providing Filipinos with their favorite snack products such as Eden cheese, Cheez Whiz, Tang powdered beverage, Oreo cookies, Toblerone, and Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate. The company aims to be a snacks leader in the country by providing consumers with the right snack, for the right moment and made the right way. The latter means setting the benchmark in being a responsible business and contributing to the community where they operate in.
Globally, the company has declared its 2020 sustainability goals, which include the 15% reduction of its absolute carbon dioxide emissions in its manufacturing worldwide by 2020. The shift of its Sucat plant to 100% renewable power is Mondelez Philippines’ contribution towards achieving this goal.
“We are proud to source our power from 100% renewable energy. Sustainability for our company is about preserving our world and its people. We all depend on just one planet. The smart and sustainable use of natural resources to reduce our environmental footprint is necessary now more than ever. This latest initiative complements our other sustainable projects in the Philippines,” shared Mondelez Philippines Plant Lead Atul Kulkarni. “We have a biomass boiler which uses biodegradable sources of fuel, a rainwater treatment facility in our plant to lessen water waste, plastic waste recycling projects, and solar power systems, which all contribute to the achievement of our sustainability goals.”
“We are honored to have a global company such as Mondelez Philippines sharing the same values as us,” EDC Head of Business Development, Marketing, and Trading Marvin Kenneth Bailon shared. “Geothermal energy, for us, is the holy grail of renewable energy. It is the only baseload renewable energy, which means it can run 24/7, without depending on the seasons. This makes it a reliable source of uninterruptible power.”
EDC, is one of the world’s largest geothermal producers and the country’s leading renewable energy company with an installed capacity of 1,471.8MW. EDC is a subsidiary of the First Gen Corporation, the country’s largest clean energy company, with a portfolio that includes natural gas, geothermal, solar, wind, and hydro.
MANILA, Philippines — The Senate committee on energy opened on Thursday an inquiry into the unexpected brownouts recently experienced by several towns and cities in Luzon.
The hearing was initiated by energy committee chair Senator Sherwin Gatchalian in view of the series of yellow and red alert warnings issued by the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP).
Gatchalian said in an earlier statement that the probe will examine the Department of Energy’s (DOE) inaccurate electricity forecast for the dry season, pointing out that the agency earlier assured the public of ample power supply.
He added that the brownout experienced by residents in Luzon was “totally unacceptable.”
“Definitely, heads must roll this time. We owe it to the power consumers to give them accurate information on the power situation in the country. Mukhang na-overestimate ng DOE ang available capacity ng kuryente natin,” Gatchalian said in a statement.
The senator also asked the DOE and the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) to look into the possible “collusion” among power companies, warning against higher electricity rates and incidents of brownouts during the May elections.
Among the resource persons invited are Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) Chairperson Agnes Devanadera, National Power Corporation (NPC) President Pio Benavidez, NGCP President and chief executive officer (CEO) Anthony Almeda and National Transmission Corp. (Transco) President and CEO Melvin Matibag.
Also invited to the hearing are representatives from Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) President Oscar Reyes, Philippine Electric Plant Owners Association (PEPOA), and PCC, among other power distribution companies, stakeholders and consumer groups. /jpv
JAKARTA — Citizens of countries participating in China’s Belt and Road Initiative, or BRI, strongly prefer clean energy over the coal projects that have become Beijing’s calling card, a new survey shows.
The findings, from a multi-country survey, commissioned by environmental group E3G, were published ahead of an international forum hosted in Beijing for leaders of BRI countries. The survey is the first of its kind to gauge public opinion of foreign investment in energy in these countries.
It found that in six of them — Indonesia, Pakistan, Philippines, South Africa, Turkey and Vietnam — there was little public support for coal projects. These same countries are among the top 10 for the construction of new coal-fired power plants, many backed by Chinese developers under the BRI.
“This polling provides clear evidence that the citizens of the BRI countries prefer clean energy investment over coal,” said Nick Mabey, chief executive of E3G. “China should now work with governments, business and investors at the upcoming Belt and Road Forum to make sure these demands are met.”
China’s Belt and Road Initiative showing China in Red, the members of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in orange, and the 6 proposed corridors of the Silk Road Economic Belt, a land transportation route running from China to Southern Europe via Central Asia and the Middle East, and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, a sea route connecting the port of Shanghai to Venice, Italy, via India and Africa. Image by Lommes licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
Solar over coal
Coal projects accounted for up to 42 percent of China’s overseas investment in 2018, according to the China Global Energy Finance database. This makes China the world’s biggest investor in coal power development overseas, which threatens to scupper international climate goals.
According to the survey, the majority of respondents selected renewable energy sources when asked which type of energy they felt their country should invest in to best support its long-term development, ranging from 61 percent in Pakistan to 89 percent in Vietnam.
Solar power was the most favored by the respondents, receiving the highest share of positive responses of all energy options in the six countries. At the other end of the spectrum, coal was the least favored, with the majority of respondents feeling it should be the lowest priority, ranked even lower than nuclear in four of the six countries.
The respondents tended to associate foreign investment in coal projects with increased pollution and climate change. Some respondents also associated coal with corruption.
Conversely, they mostly linked foreign investment in wind and solar power with long-term economic development and job creation, on top of climate change mitigation and decreased air and water pollution.
Asked about their general feelings toward foreign investments in energy, more than 85 percent of those surveyed said they favored investments in renewable projects, while less than a third said they favored putting that money into coal.
Right to left, President of China Xi Jinping, President of Russia Vladimir Putin, and President of Indonesia Joko Widodo at the May 2017 Belt and Road International Forum. Image courtesy of the Russian Presidential Press and Information Office CC 4.0 license.
Emphasis on ‘green’
Those findings should serve as a wake-up call for the Chinese government, said Adhityani Putri, director of the Jakarta-based Center for Energy Research Asia (CERA).
“There’s a much more positive perception given to foreign entities if they invest in renewable projects,” she told reporters in Jakarta. “We’re hoping that’s what China is striving for as well because its government has stated they wanted to build a more positive and green reputation. They said they wanted to make the BRI greener.”
The various projects under the BRI — through which China is investing in infrastructure spanning the breadth of Asia, through Africa and up to Europe — have frequently been criticized for their environmental impact.
In Indonesia, this includes a high-speed rail line that the government in Jakarta has now shelved due to a lack of proper environmental impact studies and conflicts with local zoning plans. State-owned Bank of China and Sinohydro have also been roundly criticized for a massive hydropower dam project in Sumatra that threatens the only known habitat of the world’s rarest great ape, the Tapanuli orangutan.
Amid these and other concerns, China has promised greener and more sustainable projects. During the first Belt and Road summit, in 2017, President Xi Jinping proposed establishing “an international coalition for green development,” supporting initiatives to help countries adapt to the impacts of climate change, and boosting science cooperation.
A draft communiqué of the second Belt and Road Summit, running from April 25 to 27, states that the 37 world leaders expected to attend will agree to project financing that respects global debt goals and promotes green growth. The word “green” appears in the draft seven times; it wasn’t mentioned at all in the official communiqué from two years ago.
“We underline the importance of promoting green development,” the draft reads. “We encourage the development of green finance including the issuance of green bonds as well as development of green technology.”
But activists say they’re concerned that the use of the word amounts to nothing more than lip service, and that China will continue investing heavily in coal and other projects that don’t merit a “green” label.
Participants at the Belt and Road International Forum in May, 2017 posing in Beijing, China. The BRI has the backing of dozens of nations that encompass billions of people. Image courtesy of the Russian Presidential Press and Information Office CC 4.0 license.
Indonesia still pitching for coal investment
China’s green pledge looks to be put to the test during the summit, where the Indonesian delegation plans to present to investors a list of 28 projects, worth a combined $91.1 billion. They include four coal-fired power plant projects, with total generating capacity of 2,100 megawatts. Also on the list are seaports, industrial estates, smelters and tourism zones.
The Indonesian government says it expects to clinch deals for at least three of the projects. It has also drawn up criteria that it expects any Chinese investors to comply with, including the use of environmentally friendly technologies.
“We will not accept any second-class technology that will have a negative impact on the environment,” said Luhut Pandjaitan, the coordinating minister for maritime affairs, who also oversees the coal and energy sectors in Indonesia.
Despite this measure, activists have called on the Indonesian government to scrub the coal projects from the list, citing grave environmental concerns.
Mardan Pius Ginting, coordinator of the NGO Action for Ecology and Emancipation of the People (AEER), said building more coal-fired power plants would make it extremely difficult for Indonesia to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and meet its target of reducing 29 percent of its emissions by 2030 compared to business-as-usual levels.
He added the four proposed coal projects were problematic in other ways. One of them, the 700-megawatt expansion of an existing plant in Bali, has faced fierce opposition from local fishing communities. The current plant was financed with $700 million in loans from state-owned China Development Bank, and has been accused of wreaking havoc on the local ecosystem since it began operating in 2015. Locals have complained of coal waste residue being dumped on both the land and in the sea, and say the dust and fumes from the plant have triggered a spate of health problems.
The government’s search for investors to expand the plant, say activists, will result in increased pollution; the pumping of hot water into the sea, where it damages the delicate marine ecosystem; and a rise in coal-barge traffic, threatening the area’s reefs.
Pius said the three other proposed coal projects, all in Indonesian Borneo, were also of concern because they were mine-mouth plants, which meant that large swaths of forest would have to be cleared to accommodate them near existing coal mines.
Pius said projects with such big environmental concerns had no place on Indonesia’s investor pitch list, especially given that China itself was shutting down its coal plants and mines amid mounting concerns over air, water and soil pollution, and shifting to renewables. China currently leads the world in mass production of solar panels and other clean energy technologies.
“At a time when coal is no longer competitive in China, Indonesia shouldn’t offer up investments for coal plants that have been abandoned by China itself,” Pius said. “The key is for the Indonesian government to not propose [coal projects]. If there’s no pitch, then China won’t invest in them.”
Conversely, he said, “When there’s an offer, of course China will take it.”
“With China’s economy slowing down, of course they’re going to find ways to boost their economy and absorb their labors,” he added.
CERA’s Adhityani said China should use its leadership in clean energy to invest in renewable power projects in Indonesia.
“Why are there no big-scale solar projects, or more daring renewable projects in strategic locations?” she said. “This is important because China’s investments can trigger change and grow our renewable industry.”
