News Clipping Archive - Page 1213 of 1320

Electricity/Power Grid

18 February 2019

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Thailand

You’ve got to give it to the Thai government. They have an acute awareness for what their automotive industry needs in order to propel it to greater heights, and this latest bit of news from Bangkok Post further reinforces this idea. It’s no secret that green cars, in their various shapes and forms, receive benefits from the Thai government in order to make them more attractive to customers as well as more appealing for manufacturers to assembly locally.

But the next step forward is the mulling of a total excise tax waiver for full electric vehicles (EVs), which could really spur their local industry as well as the market in order to make EVs more widely accepted in Thailand. The only problem is that this comes with the potential condition that manufacturers start producing their EVs three years ahead of the schedule that they had previously proposed to Thailand’s Board of Investment (BoI).

That being said, the current excise duty for EVs is a nice, low 8%, with BoI approval pushing it down to 2% for certain manufacturers. While it’s not a particularly large amount of tax to shed, the gesture of removing excise duty completely is meant to be a show of support for the fledgling EV industry in Thailand. Full EV prices are still high in many parts of the world in relation to their conventional engine brethren, and a lot of that money is due to battery costs. Thailand is pushing for more reusing and recycling of components to help bring the costs down for the end user.

At last year’s Bangkok Motor Expo, Nissan launched its signature Leaf with a price tag of 1.99 million Baht. The fully-imported Leaf has a range of 311 kilometres from its 40 kWh battery. Deliveries to the customers are only scheduled to begin from April this year. Nissan Thailand has also signed an MoU with the Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) of Thailand to ensure that Leaf owners have access to charging stations at home, at work, and on the road using an electric fee payment system

Renewables

Kalinga geothermal project in the Philippines preparing drill pad

18 February 2019

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Philippines

As part on news regarding community engagement, it is reported that exploration work has started for the Kalinga’s Geothermal Power Project in the Philippines.

The project is a consortium between private companies Aragon Power and Energy Corporation, Guidance Management Corp., and Allfirst Kalinga Ltd. Of the 11 indigenous sub-tribes only 10 have given their consent for exploration.

Attorney Catherine Gayagay Apaling, provincial officer of National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) said that the company is “on the exploration drillings, however they are in the stage of preparing the wellpad 1 and preparation of the construction of access road network,”.

A Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) was finished sometime in 2009 following a memorandum of agreement (MOA) and the start of the exploration. Prior to the MOA, she added geothermal scholarship in geology, medicine and engineering were awarded, and some graduate grantees were hired as geologists for the project.

Other provisions of the MOA include community development projects (CDP) implemented simultaneously in the community. Instead of the proponent doing community development projects, it has engaged directly with the community for its implementation.

With more than seven years of exploration period, the NCIP official added there are no reports of damage from the community’s domain.

The Geothermal project’s projected capacity is hoped to be more than 100 MW. In news earlier this year, it was confirmed as a power project of national significance, as we have been reporting before as well.

Renewables

Trina delivers modules to PetroSolar’s 20MW PV project in the Philippines

18 February 2019

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Philippines

China-based PV manufacturer Trina Solar has delivered modules to a 20.4MW solar project being developed by PetroSolar Corp in the Philippines.

Trina delivered 61,200 of its Tallmax TSM PD14A modules, manufactured at the company’s Changzhou factory in China, to the Tarlac-2 Solar Power Project (TSPP-2), which is adjacent to the already operational 50MW Tarlac-1 solar project.

PetroSolar Corp is a joint venture between the Philippines’ PetroGreen Energy Corp (PGEC), a clean energy unit of oil production firm PetroEnergy Resources Corp, and EEI Power Corp.

The project is being built on 22 hectares in Central Technopark, Tarlac City, and is due for completion by Q2 2019 with the overall Tarlac project standing at more than 70MW of capacity, making it the largest PV project in Luzon.

Solenergy Systems will provide EPC services for the project.

Trina Solar Philippines country manager Junrhey Castro said: “We are proud to have worked with PetroSolar Corp. and Solenergy Systems Inc. on this landmark project. Trina Solar is confident that our Tallmax panels will be of great competitive value to PetroSolar. We are committed to further supporting PetroSolar’s future projects with the technological and commercial advantages that Trina products offer. This collaboration is part of our long-running commitment to emerging markets in Asia Pacific. The Philippine solar industry has tremendous room for development. We will continue to further expand our commitment to support renewable energy in the Philippines.”

PetroSolar vice president Francisco Delfin Jr said: “Trina’s on-time delivery of the solar panels from their China plant to our Tarlac-2 project site testifies to their intense focus on customers’ needs. We are pleased to work with Trina Solar for the Tarlac-2 project and look forward to more cooperation with them to benefit our future solar projects and customers. The milestone and seamless delivery also owes to the support that our project has received from several government agencies dealing with our importation such as the Department of Energy, the Board of Investments, the Bureau of Customs, and the Subic Bay Management Authority. This continuing government support is critical as we complete Tarlac-2 to become the first utility-scale solar project to be commissioned in the Philippines this year.”

Large-scale solar in the Philippines had been hampered in recent years by a hold up at the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), but a local media report from PhilStar today said that the Department of Energy (DoE) has endorsed another seven PV projects.

Energy Cooperation ,
Renewables

Germany helps boost renewable energy in PH, says DOE

18 February 2019

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Philippines

MANILA –The Department of Energy (DOE) has recognized the help extended by the German development agency, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ), in advancing renewable energy use in the country, for cleaner and more sustainable power.

GIZ has provided the Philippines technical and financial assistance through a three-year project called Shaping and Implementing the International Climate Regime or SupportCCC II. The project began in 2015 and culminated on Wednesday.

Energy secretary Alfonso Cusi said GIZ has played an instrumental role in boosting the deployment and use of renewable energy in the country.

“For three consecutive years, the Philippines ranked first among 125 countries in terms of energy environmental sustainability. This couldn’t have been achieved without the strong collaboration among the different Philippine government agencies, as well as technical and funding support from our international partners, like GIZ,” Cusi said.

The DOE noted that the partnership with GIZ has also helped the Philippine government manage the increasing amount of variable renewable energy, adapt power planning, facilitate capacity building for energy stakeholders, such as the grid operator and the distribution utilities on the grid integration of variable renewable energy.

Aside from these, the partnership was able to provide assessment of the state’s power planning process, policy review on Feed-in-Tariff and net-metering for renewable energy, cost-benefit analysis of the energy sector through the renewable energy country diagnostic tool, and analysis of the Negros solar situation.

SupportCCC II is a follow-through on the earlier project Support to the Climate Change Commission in implementing the National Climate Change Action Plan, which was also implemented by GIZ. (PNA)

Energy Cooperation

Vietnam, Laos boost partnership in energy development

18 February 2019

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Lao PDR ,
Vietnam

Vietnamese Deputy PM Dung lauded the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Lao Ministry of Energy and Mines for their active negotiations on an agreement on the development of hydropower projects, renewable energy and mining for signing at an earliest time.

He noted that Vietnam consistently opposes energy projects that harm the environment, and suggested that both countries should early build a mechanism to closely monitor the construction of irrigation and hydropower works in border areas.

Inthirath said he had held working sessions with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Vietnam Electricity, the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) to realise the two governments’ agreements on hydropower development in Laos, and power purchase.

Both sides reached consensus on several major projects to report to leaders for the early signing, he said.

The Lao minister committed all possible support to Lao and Vietnamese firms to cooperate together closely and effectively, especially in the fields of energy and mining.

Oil & Gas

Repsol makes Sumatran gas discovery

18 February 2019

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Indonesia

A Repsol-led consortium of businesses has announced a major gas find in Sumatra, Indonesia.

The prospect was estimated to hold in the region of over 250 million barrels of oil equivalent.

Indonesia’s upstream regulator SKK Migas confirmed a gas discovery at the Repsol-operated Sakakemang PSC onshore Central Sumatra, Indonesia last night.

Wood Mackenzie’s research director Andrew Harwood said of the find:

“Repsol’s Kali Berau Dalam-2 well re-entered after well control problems in late 2018, having targeted the Pre-Tertiary fractured basement play. Prior to drilling, the prospect was estimated to hold in the region of 1.5 tcf of gas, or over 250 million barrels of oil equivalent.

“Further appraisal will be required to determine the extent of the discovery and firm up resource estimates, with another well scheduled on the block for later this year. Wood Mackenzie estimates anything larger than 300 bcf would be considered commercial, given proximity to gas infrastructure.

“The discovery is just 25 kilometres from the Grissik gas plant, which gathers and processes production primarily from ConocoPhilips-operated Corridor PSC, before sending it to buyers in Sumatra, West Java and Singapore.

“Besides operator Repsol which holds a 45% stake in the discovery, the news is very encouraging for the other PSC partners, including PETRONAS, which farmed into the block for 45% in January 2019, and MOECO which holds 10%. ConocoPhillips and PERTAMINA will also be interested in the result, as they look for resource that could extend the life of the Corridor PSC, scheduled to expire in 2023. The Corridor PSC is a key supplier of gas to Singapore and West Java, but is expected to see declining output from 2024 – a new source of supply would also be positive news for gas buyers in these markets.

“Indonesia’s oil and gas regulator, SKK Migas, has recently upped its efforts to encourage exploration in the country as it faces dwindling output and a lack of new investment activity. The regulator has targeted the discovery of at least one new giant field (500 million barrels of oil or equivalent) by 2023. The Kali Berau Dalam discovery could be the good news Indonesia needs to kick-start its exploration sector.

“If pre-drill estimates are realised, it would be the largest discovery in Indonesia since ExxonMobil’s Cepu discovery in 2001.”

Bioenergy

Indonesian presidential hopefuls vow energy self-sufficiency through palm

18 February 2019

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Indonesia

JAKARTA: Indonesia’s two presidential candidates pledged on Sunday (Feb 17) to achieve energy self-sufficiency by boosting the use of bioenergy, particularly fuelled by palm oil, to cut costly oil imports by Southeast Asia’s biggest economy.

Indonesia, the world’s biggest palm oil producer, has been pushing for all diesel fuel used in the country to contain biodiesel to boost palm consumption, slash fuel imports, and narrow a yawning current account gap.

In a televised election debate, President Joko Widodo said if he won a second term the government planned to implement a B100 programme, referring to fuel made entirely from palm oil, after last year making it mandatory to use biodiesel containing 20 per cent bio-content (B20).

“We hope 30 per cent of total palm production will go to biofuel. The plan is clear, so we will not rely on imported oil,” Widodo said, adding that Indonesia’s crude palm oil production had reached 46 million tonnes a year.

Agreeing on the importance of bioenergy for self-sufficiency, his opponent Prabowo Subianto said if elected he would also “boost the use of palm oil, palm sugar, cassava and ethanol from sugar (cane)”.

The challenger did not elaborate on his bioenergy plan, but his campaign team has proposed using millions of hectares of degraded land to cultivate palm sugar to produce energy.

Widodo’s government has previously said it would offer incentives for developers of B100, which the net oil importer hopes can replace fuel imports within three years.

Indonesia’s state energy company PT Pertamina has signed an agreement with Italian oil company Eni to develop a refinery in Indonesia that would produce fuel completely derived from crude palm oil (CPO).

Oil imports have contributed to Indonesia’s widening current account deficit and the volatility of the rupiah currency. The government claimed that its biodiesel programme would save billions of dollars in diesel fuel imports.

Although retired general Prabowo agreed with Widodo on several points during the debate, he said Indonesia’s “land and water, and the resources within” must be controlled by the government.

“We are of the view that the government must be present in detail, thoroughly, firmly and actively to correct inequalities in wealth,” he said.

The challenger said the proportion of small farmers’ holdings in the country’s palm plantations should also be larger. Smallholders currently account for roughly 40 per cent of Indonesia’s 12 million hectares of palm oil plantations.

Both candidates expressed support for greater control of Indonesian natural resources.

President Widodo hightlighted Pertamina’s takeover of stewardship of major oil and gas blocks from foreign operators, and an agreement for a state company to purchase a 51 per cent stake in the giant Grasberg copper mine from Freeport McMoRan.

‘NOISE, SMOKE WAS FIREWORKS’

Earlier, Indonesian police said a suspected explosion outside the venue of the live presidential debate in the capital Jakarta was caused by fireworks.

Police officials said a loud noise was heard and thick grey smoke was seen immediately after in the area, where dozens of supporters of Widodo and Prabowo had gathered. There were no immediate reports of casualties or injuries.

“It was fireworks. We are still working on it,” national police spokesman Dedi Prasetyo told Reuters.

Unverified videos circulating on social media showed people running away from thick smoke in a parking lot and several police officers cordoning off an area near the hotel.

Indonesia is set to go to the polls on Apr 17.

Renewables

Singapore business school launches Southeast Asia’s first sustainability major

17 February 2019

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Singapore

A Singapore business school has launched Southeast Asia’s first major on sustainability.

The new course at Singapore Management University (SMU) aims to grow and promote the understanding of sustainability in Southeast Asia, a region with social and environmental issues ranging from deforestation and plastic pollution to overtourism and migrant labour.

The major takes three to four years to complete and will arm students with knowledge of sustainable practices and how to apply it in business.

“

Many companies consider a sustainability strategy necessary to be competitive today and in the future.

Professor Gerard George, dean, SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business

The curriculum will cover topics such as what businesses can do to reduce their negative impact on communities and the environment.

Modules include sustainable finance, social entrepreneurship, economic development in Asia, development, underdevelopment and poverty, and sustainability and marketing. Compulsory modules include sustainability management and governance.

One condition for the course is that is done concurrently with another chosen first major. The course will be available to SMU students from this year onwards.

According to professor Gerard George, dean of SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business, “Increasingly, businesses have embraced sustainability as part of their strategic goals. Many companies consider a sustainability strategy necessary to be competitive today and in the future.”

The course is backed by Southeast Asia’s largest bank, DBS, which plans to commit more than $1 million in funding to sustainability research, scholarships and fellowships.

The bank’s Singapore country head, Shee Tse Koon, said sponsoring the course aligned with DBS’ legacy as the country’s development bank.

“Our hope is that this partnership will cultivate a thriving pool of talent and businesses that will help us [Singapore] become a world-class centre of sustainable development excellence,” he said.

The announcement comes in a busy period for DBS’ sustainability activity. Last year, the bank launched the Recycle More, Waste Less campaign in a bid to reduce the use of plastics in Singapore, and awarded CapitaLand a $300 million sustainability-linked loan to promote sustainable practices.

DBS is the only Asia bank to commit to using only renewable energy to power its operations and was the first to launch a climate policy. But the bank continues to face criticism from environmental groups for funding coal-fired power stations in the region.

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