Login

News Clipping

Browse the latest AEDS news in this page
Showing 9673 to 9680 of 9804
  • Renewables

Philippines’ Ayala Corp. Pivots To Renewables With Vietnam Solar Investment

25 October 2018

 – 

  • Philippines , 
  • Vietnam

Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, chairman and CEO of Ayala Corp., speaks during the Belt and Road Summit in Hong Kong on Sept. 11, 2017. (Photo: Vivek Prakash/Bloomberg)

AC Energy, a subsidiary of Philippine conglomerate Ayala Corp., has pledged to use technology to improve lives and ensure a sustainable future for all. It recently announced a deal in Vietnam to build out 80 megawatts of solar electricity generation capacity, in advance of Vietnam’s June 2019 feed-in-tariff change. This is the latest in a string of deals for AC Energy, which plans to develop 5 GW of attributable capacity by 2025, half of which will come from renewable energy, requiring an investment of around $2 billion of equity.

AC Energy is expanding beyond the Philippines, and has identified Indonesia and Vietnam as key target markets with expansion plans that will complement existing renewables projects in its home country. The company’s climate-friendly transition is aided by more favorable regional policies toward renewable energy, according to AC Energy’s website.

Earlier this year, I profiled Nguy Thi Khan, one of the founders of Vietnam’s Green Innovation and Development Centre (GreenID), who won the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize for demonstrating the viability of sustainable energy solutions for Vietnam. As a result of her work, the Vietnamese government shifted its plans to include more renewable energy in the future. Vietnam’s current feed-in-tariff of $0.095 per kilowatt hour is quite generous.

Much of the cash for AC Energy’s renewables build-out comes from ongoing sales of its coal-fired assets. It sold roughly 35% of its coal-fired capacity to AboitizPower, another Philippine power industry giant, in a deal announced on Sept. 26, for a reported $579.2 million (P31.4 billion), one of the largest regional power transactions in several years. AboitizPower is purchasing equity in two coal-fired plant partnerships, GNPower Mariveles and GNPower Dinginin. (Erramon I. Aboitiz, the chairman of AboitizPower, is a member of Asia Business Council, where I am adjunct fellow). After the sale, AC Energy retains 51% of voting shares on both assets. AC Energy’s post-sale generation mix stands at 800 megawatts of thermal energy capacity and 400 megawatts of renewables.

AC Energy President and CEO Eric T. Francia noted the need to scale up the company’s renewables if they are to meet their 2025 goal. “While we will continue to develop projects in the Philippines, a lot of that incremental growth in renewables will have to come through international expansion,” he said.

  • Renewables

PHL ‘seriously’ eyeing nuke energy–DOE chief

25 October 2018

 – 

  • Philippines

AFTER nearly 40 years, the government is now seriously considering the possibility of allowing the construction of nuclear power plants in the country.

“The Department of Energy [DOE] is studying all sources of energy to address the energy security of the future. We’re pushing nuclear and last year finished the draft on national policy on nuclear energy,” Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said on Monday at the sidelines of the Kapihan media forum at the Manila Hotel.

“We are pushing to have nuclear energy in the country because we want industry to flourish and one of the considerations the manufacturers are looking at is the cost of energy and labor.” He conceded that the Philippines has one of the highest costs of energy in Asia—ranked 16th-most expensive of 44 countries surveyed in a 2016 study by Meralco—but assured the public the Duterte administration is seriously thinking of ways to bring down the cost of electricity.

“Aside from affordability, we are also looking at the quality of energy,” Cusi added, explaining that frequent fluctuations lead to the breakdown of machinery and equipment that rely on electricity, a matter that has discouraged investors.

Cusi observed that the only reliable and affordable source of power is nuclear, and the policy option is “not necessarily to revive the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant  [BNPP],” but consider other places in the archipelago.

In 1976, then-President Ferdinand E. Marcos ordered the building of a $2.3-billion nuclear power plant in Morong, Bataan, as the then-dictator’s bid to diversify the Philippines’s energy source. The plant was completed in 1984, but failed to produce a single watt of electricity due to strong public opposition.

Critics pointed out that the BNPP sits on an earthquake-prone fault, and said the loan-funded plant was overpriced.

It was mothballed after Marcos was ousted in 1986 and in the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

“There’s too many negatives implanted in our mind—especially the BNPP, which we were told is substandard, sitting on an earthquake fault  and would collapse—and other reasons [were given] simply to stop it from operating,” Cusi said.

He added that after 40 years, “all of our fears have been addressed. We realized that what we were told is not true, but [already] too many opportunities have been lost.”

Cusi said the apprehensions about the security of nuclear power plants have already been raised in the past, and, he stressed, it is time for the Philippines to learn from its neighbors.

“The Duterte administration is forwarding the idea to use nuclear power. Nuclear technology has advanced so much we should ride along with this new technology,” the energy chief said.

  • Renewables

Calls for removal of energy obstructions

25 October 2018

 – 

  • Vietnam
Vietnam is among those hardest-hit by climate change, but renewables investment is slow

As Vietnam strives to ensure sufficient energy sources, it has been urged by the international community to enable private investors to engage more in the country’s energy industry.

Last Wednesday, Hanoi hosted an event of high significance: the launch of the “Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius” by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The report was approved only a few days prior, and Vietnam was selected as the first country to share this important research.

According to the IPCC, the event was important for Vietnam, as the country is one of the countries in the world to be hit hardest by climate change. It also remains at a slow pace in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enabling private investors to invest heavily into renewable energy (RE) projects. It is acknowledged the country can attract more of this type of investment if it removes obstructions against investors.

Caitlin Weisen, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) country director in Vietnam, said that the country has great potential for RE. Vietnam can deploy at least 85 gigawatts (GW) of solar photovoltaic generation capacity and 21GW of wind energy generation well before 2050, showing that a low-carbon pathway is possible. The combined total technical capacity (126 GW) is an equivalence of 80 per cent of Vietnam’s total installed energy capacity by 2030 (129.5 GW).

Vietnam also boasts high potential for energy-saving of up to 7 per cent relative to business as usual, through to the year 2035. Energy efficiency (EE) measures can remove some 67 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) by 2035 as well as deliver additional environmental benefits.

“Cutting across all climate efforts is of importance to enabling the access, contribution and involvement of the private sector,” Weisen said.

A recent UNDP survey of 13 large banks, institutions, and investors show that there is at least $10 billion readily available for investment in RE and EE in Vietnam, amounting to almost 40 per cent of the total investment required by Vietnam by 2030.

“This investment is possible if the current barriers constraining such investments are addressed, especially the low price of electricity that lowers incentives for efficient use, and the existing format of power purchase agreements (PPAs) that deter investors from investing,” read a UNDP report on private funding opportunities for RE and EE investments in Vietnam, released last week.

A foreign bank representative said that it stands ready to invest $1 billion into around 10 RE projects in the country. “However, the bank’s engagement in Vietnam’s RE market is presently being prevented by PPAs that are deemed un-bankable,” the representative said.

Another bank also revealed that it has $10 billion set for RE investment loans worldwide, and would be happy to become engaged in RE investments in Vietnam. “The bank could theoretically offer up to $1 billion for Vietnam, but currently has several major concerns about the PPA framework that prevent its full engagement,” a bank source said.

A third bank also stated that if the regulatory framework was simplified it could provide $500 million annually for RE and EE in Vietnam’s state-owned enterprises through concessional loans, as well as provide another $500 million annually for project preparation. “However, Vietnam’s Law on Public Investment procedures are too long – larger projects may take several years to develop during which time procedures may change,” the bank’s spokesperson said. “Moreover, flexible credit lines related to RE/EE are effectively not allowed since most RE projects have to be approved by the prime minister, which further complicates lending.”

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has approved over 70 new solar power projects to be put into operation before June 2019, with a total designed capacity of over 3,000 megawatts (MW).

According to pan-Asia consulting firm Dezan Shira & Associates, as of July, solar power projects with a total capacity of 12,600MW were in the pre-investment phase, while 1,430MW was in the development and feasibility phase. Around 1,000MW is under construction, while only 8MW is currently in the operating stage. Also, 748 solar roof-top projects were in operation with a total capacity of 11.55MW.

Last year the Vietnamese government issued Decree No.11/2017/QD-TTg on mechanisms for encouraging the development of solar power in Vietnam, offering a feed-in-tariff (FiT) for utility solar power plants of 9.35 US cents per kilowatt an hour (kWh) for 20 years. The FiT will be applicable for projects beginning operations before June 30, 2019, except for those in the south-central province of Ninh Thuan, which have a 2020 deadline.

Currently the FiT for wind power is set by the Vietnamese government at 7.8 US cents per kWh. However, this price will be increased to 8.5 US cents as November 1.

  • Electricity/Power Grid

Fuel-efficient cooking stoves in 22,000 households in Mandalay

25 October 2018

 – 

  • Myanmar

Some 22,000 households in Mandalay Region are using fuel-efficient stoves as part of a government effort to reduce the use of firewood and the resulting destruction of forests and mangroves, according to the Mandalay Forestry Department.

U Tint Swe, director of the department, said the stove campaign is aimed at addressing the energy shortage in rural areas of the country, such as Ayeyarwady Region and Rakhine State.

“The approach aims to be community-based, market-driven and involve key government agencies. In Mandalay, the stove campaign was first launched in Pyawbwe township before being extended to 10 other townships. Ten townships were also added in Magwe Region,” he said.

The campaign, which is being implemented by the non-governmental organisation Mercy Corps and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, will continue until 2021.

“Myanmar has the third highest rate of deforestation in the world, of which firewood use is one cause,” said U Myo Thit, another department official.

He said 82.6 percent of rural households and 25.6pc of urban households rely on firewood, which adds up to 2.5 tonnes and 1.4 tonnes a day, respectively.

U Myo Thit said Myanmar’s Forest Research Institute developed the Improved Cook Stove programme in 1986 to address the problem. The fuel-efficient stove not only saves fuel and reduces indoor air pollution but reduces firewood consumption by as much as 40pc.

Daw Win Kyaing, 50, a sales agent for the stove in Kyaung Kon village of Madaya township, said she has sold 40 clean stoves and has 20 more orders.

“The village head asked me to work as a sales agent. I buy the stove for K13,500 (US$8.52) and sell it for K17,000,” she said.

As part of its marketing strategy, Mercy Corps and the ministry helps identify villages that could benefit from the stove and conducts awareness campaigns about the importance of fuel-efficient cooking.

  • Electricity/Power Grid

Cambodia needs solar to drive down electricity prices

25 October 2018

 – 

  • Cambodia

According to the UNDP, a full economic evaluation of the costs and advantages of solar energy in the country is necessary, as Cambodia’s government is planning to expand its power system through coal and hydro.

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has issued a request for proposal to select consultancy companies for the development of a “full economical appraisal of the potentials of solar PV energy in Cambodia”.

The UNDP stresses in the document that the costs of PV have fallen 83% in ten years, and a further 70% drop is expected by 2050, adding: “The technical feasibility of solar power is further strengthened by the complementary fall in the price of battery storage, which has progressively become a solution for the variability issues inherent to modern forms of renewable energies.”

Cambodia’s power demand is met by hydro and coal, which account for 40% and 36% of the electricity supply, respectively. Another 19% is met from electricity imports. “Clearly these sources have major environmental implications and hidden costs – nationally, regionally, and globally,” the UNDP says.

Cambodia’s electricity prices are among the highest in southeast Asia, and the government seems not to have understood its grid expansion plans will worsen the situation, according to the UN department.

“The government is on the verge of committing to an expansion of its hydropower program and coal plants, and this will limit the scope for solar development, and potentially lead to additional social and environmental consequences,” the document warns.

Uncertainty deters investors

The UNDP said in April 2017, Cambodian policymakers were “reluctant to promote solar, vis-á-vis coal-based power generation and hydropower”.

The UNDP finds Phnom Penh has not made clear its plans for expansion of the grid, deterring solar investors, and that the legal framework is inadequate to “regulate safety standards of solar PV products, and [incentivize] excess solar electricity generation”.

Cambodia issued new rules for the integration of solar in January. They established a framework for the installation of rooftop and large-scale systems, but failed to provide financial incentives.

Meanwhile, the country’s first solar park – a 10 MW facility built by Singapore’s Sunseap – has been connected.

Almost half of Cambodia’s population have no access to power.

  • Oil & Gas

Pan Orient Energy Corp. L53-DD1 Thailand Oil Discovery

25 October 2018

 – 

  • Thailand

CALGARY, Alberta, Oct. 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

THAILAND

Onshore Concession L53 (Pan Orient Energy (Siam) Ltd., in which Pan Orient has 50.01% ownership)

Pan Orient Energy Corp. (“Pan Orient” or the “Company”) (POE – TSXV) is pleased to announce that the L53-DD1 exploration well encountered an interpreted, combined 26 meters of net oil pay within three separate sandstone reservoirs between a true vertical depth of 960 to 1,125 meters. This interpretation was based on conventional open hole wire line logs and hydrocarbon indications observed while drilling and confirmed with post drill pressure data and oil samples brought to surface from each of the zones. The oil is estimated to be approximately 28 degree API gravity. The sandstone reservoirs are interpreted to be high quality based on wireline log interpretation and high mobility observed while acquiring the pressure data and oil samples across each zone.

Current plans are to immediately appraise the L53-DD1 discovery with the L53-DD2 well that will commence drilling within the next five days targeting the deepest two of the three reservoirs, in a position substantially up dip of the discovery well and be drilled from the same well pad. The L53-DD1 discovery will not commence production until the completion of the L53-DD2 appraisal well due to limited well pad space. During the drilling of L53-DD2, Government of Thailand approval will be sought for a 90 day production test of both wells.

L53-DD1 is a deviated exploration well drilled to a measured depth of 1,373 meters (1,323 meters true vertical depth) located in the northern most portion of the Concession L53 “exploration reserve area”, approximately 28 kilometers north of any existing producing wells within Concession L53 and approximately 5 kilometers south of the PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited operated U-Thong oil field located in the adjacent concession.

The L53-DD1 exploration well will fulfill the US$600,000 minimum annual exploration expenditure that is required to retain the approximately 214 square kilometers of “exploration reserve area”, which is all the remaining area of the original Concession 53, outside of existing four production licenses.

The go forward Concession L53 activities will include the drilling of the L53-DD2 appraisal well, applications for 90 day production tests for both L53-DD1 & L53-DD2, compilation and submission of a production license (“PL”) area application that will encompass the discovery area and generation of the technical information to be provided to the Company’s reserve evaluators for inclusion of the L53-DD1 discovery into the year-end 2018 independent reserves evaluation. Past experience has typically seen PL government approval within three to five months of submission, at which time long term (not subject to 90 day production test) production can commence. In addition, work is currently underway utilizing the L53-DD1 well results to better define the hydrocarbon potential in the immediate vicinity of the L53-DD1 oil discovery that would form the basis for any potential future exploration drilling in the area.

Pan Orient is a Calgary, Alberta based oil and gas exploration and production company with operations currently located onshore Thailand, Indonesia and in Western Canada.

This press release contains forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is generally identifiable by the terminology used, such as “expect”, “believe”, “estimate”, “should”, “anticipate” and “potential” or other similar wording. Forward-looking information in this press release includes references, express or implied, to drilling plans in Thailand and regulatory approvals. By its very nature, the forward-looking information contained in this press release requires Pan Orient and its management to make assumptions that may not materialize or that may not be accurate. In addition, the forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond the control of Pan Orient, which could cause actual results, expectations, achievements or performance to differ materially. Although Pan Orient believes that the expectations reflected in its forward-looking information are reasonable, it can give no assurances that those expectations will prove to be correct. Pan Orient undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws.

 

  • Oil & Gas

Myanmar To Auction Off 31 New Oil And Gas Blocks

25 October 2018

 – 

  • Myanmar

On August 30 the Ministry of Electricity and Energy (MoEE) announced it would be opening fresh rounds of bidding for oil and gas blocks in the first half of next year, and there are plans to launch a tender for at least one onshore block before the end of 2018.

If all goes according to plan, the MoEE’s Department of Oil and Gas Planning will offer 18 onshore and 13 offshore blocks.

The bids are aimed at revitalising Myanmar’s energy sector, which has seen activity slowdown in recent years. The last round of exploration and production (E&P) tenders were held under the former government in 2014.

However, of the 31 blocks the MoEE intends to offer, 16 have been awarded in previous tender rounds, and the winning bidders subsequently relinquished their exploration rights. Preliminary testing was conducted on some of the blocks that were handed back by former leaseholders, which may raise doubts over their commercial viability.

A lack of E&P opportunities in recent years, along with the departure of a number of international energy companies from the local market, has been a major contributor to declining foreign direct investment (FDI). In FY 2017/18 the total value of FDI fell from $6.65bn to $5.72bn, according to the Myanmar Investment Commission.

New discovery could fuel investment appetite in offshore fields

Nonetheless, recent finds in the upstream energy segment have brought new opportunities in the country’s offshore fields to the fore.

On September 22 France-headquartered multinational energy company Total reported encouraging results from preliminary testing at the offshore Shwe Yee Htun-2 field, located approximately 100 km north-east of Pathein township. Initial appraisal of the find indicates significant natural gas reserves of commercial viability.

Further testing on the block will be carried out to determine the extent of the deposit, since gas was found in each of the five appraisal wells, officials said.

The Shwe Yee Htun-2 field is part of the larger A6 block that has estimated reserves of up to 3trn cu feet, according to a statement by Total.

Myanmar has 53 onshore and 51 offshore blocks that have been identified as having commercially extractable reserves, and activity is currently under way at 35 onshore and 38 offshore blocks.

Production-sharing contracts revised to attract international investors

Beyond offering new prospects in oil and gas, the government is also looking to lift the requirement that overseas investors partner with a local company.

“It will no longer be mandatory to join up with local firms,” Daw Khin Htay, director at the state-owned Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise, said at a press conference in mid-July. “This will instead be made voluntary in the future.”

In the past, the authorities required that oil and gas projects be joint ventures. This was in part to ensure skills and technology transfer to the domestic energy sector, in order to better equip it for future growth. However, the requirement also diluted foreign investors’ holdings and revenue.

Potential leaseholders may also be encouraged by reports that the Department of Oil and Gas Planning is reviewing the terms of production-sharing contracts. According to consultancy Wood Mackenzie, some contracts mandate that the state receive up to 94% of all revenue generated from hydrocarbons projects, which is at the upper end of the international scale. Additionally, the government does not currently share the risk in exploration and development costs.

To this end, stakeholders have called for the government to reduce its share of revenue from oil and gas projects. Although this would lower state receipts from each project, the increased flexibility of energy contracts could help to increase the investment appeal of the new blocks and future offerings. However, this restructuring has yet to actually take place.

  • Renewables

LED Expo Thailand Expands Its Panorama in the Year 2019

25 October 2018

 – 

  • Thailand

ASEAN’S largest show on LED technology & lighting solutions will transform the notion about how LED & light is perceived with LED EXPO THAILAND 2019 + LIGHT ASEAN!

With passing years, LED Expo Thailand has evolved much to touch new heights, offering limitless business opportunities, the organisers have decided to add another feather to the cap by introducing a new chapter, labeled as Light ASEAN in the 7th edition of the unrivalled exhibition.

The 2018 edition of the event witnessed the presence of 243 exhibitors from 12 countries showcasing their products to 12,347 visitors from 47 countries along with 656 business meetings, establishing a multitude of new trade partnerships. Also, the Thailand LED Summit was attended by 938 delegates & iLight Connect International Summit was attended by 100 delegates. The 2019 edition is expected to welcome 250+ exhibitors catering to the sourcing needs of more than 15,000 visitors from all across the world.

The global LED lighting market is set for swift expansion and is expected to reach USD 54.28 billion by 2022; growing at a CAGR of around 13% between 2017 and 2022. Thailand’s LED lighting market accounts for 12% of the total lighting market share with a projected growth rate of CAGR 30% during 2015- 2020.

LED Expo Thailand aims to support and speed up this upswing by providing a dynamic hub for LED/lighting companies, mainly from Southeast Asian countries, to congregate, promote and partner with neighboring LED markets at a niche level.

So, the new Show, christened as LED Expo + Light ASEAN, aimed at bringing forth innovations in the world of illumination on varied fronts based on the rapidly changing applications of lights and lighting products integrated with smart technology & entertainment, etc.

This is beside showcasing LED technology & products, encompassing solar products, LED signages, LED technology for agriculture, etc., thereby adding newer possibilities offering more to explore businesses for both – exhibitors and visitors alike.

LED Expo + Light ASEAN welcomes visitors from varied business spheres including government agencies and state enterprises; architects; lighting industry professionals, industrial estate and manufacturing companies, hotels and resorts to explore the use of LED for various applications in commercial usage.

Whether you are looking to generate new sales leads or aiming to maintain relationships with existing clients, seek local partners, developing new business in key markets is always challenging. With LED Expo Thailand + Light ASEAN 2019, you will be able to maximize your businesses by gaining access to ASEAN markets.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS


This zone highlights high performance Solar LED products, services and technology for housing, commercial and industrial sectors


A special pavilion for new technologies that would bring forth smart lighting innovation for factory, building & street displaying latest innovations & system applications as how technology can play part in making smart cities


It is a conference on LED lighting product & technology steered by the committee of experts. The topics will cover the trends in LED lighting technology, lighting standard, government support policies and design solution


A platform to facilitate the display of innovative and trending LED signage with applications in retail, hospitality and government sectors


A specific zone highlighting high performance PCB technology, products, services and technology

About The Organisers:

MEX Exhibitions Pvt. Ltd.
MEX Exhibitions Pvt. Ltd. is an international exhibition company with a strong presence of over four decades in the advertising industry, over 20 years in publishing & 16 years in exhibitions. The company has produced more than 100 market-leading trade exhibitions for various segments in addition to publishing various magazines & advertising trade directories of repute. Successful exhibitions are conducted all over India, Dubai, Singapore, Thailand and now in Africa.

IMPACT Exhibition Management Co., Ltd.
IMPACT Exhibition Management Co., Ltd. is the leading exhibition organiser in Thailand. IMPACT organises and manages professional trade and public exhibitions, conferences, meetings and trainings, working hand-in-hand with international trade associations, organisers and corporations across a broad spectrum of industries.

IMPACT creates effective market platforms and offers a comprehensive range of turnkey event management solutions ranging from market research, exhibition and visitor promotion and sales, advertising and promotion, public relations, operation to on-site logistic management for exhibitions and conferences of all sizes and industries. It also specialises in business matching programs.

First12081209121012111212Last

ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) is an intergovernmental organisation within ASEAN structure that represents the 10 ASEAN Member States’ (AMS) interests in the energy sector.

Quick Links
About us
Social Media
Facebook Linkedin Youtube Instagram
Copyright © 2024 ASEAN Centre for Energy. All rights reserved

User Dashboard

Back To ACE

User Dashboard