News Clipping Archive - Page 1251 of 1324

Renewables

3 January 2019

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Vietnam

The National Load Dispatch Centre under the Electricity of Viet Nam (EVN) has just announced it is considering reducing the volume of electricity transmitted from all solar plants into the national grid to deal with overloaded transmission lines.

The move would force all solar power plants to reduce their production below capacity, causing significant damage to investors, said Nguyen Duc Cuong, director of the centre.

The transmission line overloads are due to the rush with which investors moved to back solar projects, precluding synchronous planning and suitable renewable energy development policies, Cuong said.

Electric transmission systems in Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan are overloaded because they were not designed to handle the large number of solar plants located in the two central provinces, he said.

The central region is not one of the biggest electricity consumers in the country. The power sources must be connected to 220 KV and 500 KV grids to transmit electricity to far-away places.

According to the amended National Power Development Master Plan VII (for 2011-30) that was approved in 2016, the country’s power production from all resources will reach a total capacity of 60,000 MW in 2020, 96,500 MW in 2025 and 129,500 MW in 2030, with an average growth rate of 6,000-7,000 MW per year. However, the proposed solar power capacity is just 850 MW in 2020, about 4,000 MW in 2025 and about 12,000 MW in 2030, reported Nguoi Lao Dong (Worker) newspaper.

At present, Viet Nam has 332 power plants in operation and under construction with a total estimated capacity of 26,900 MW. The country’s solar plants are mainly located in Binh Thuan and Ninh Thuan provinces in central Viet Nam, Cuong said.

According to the centre, purchase negotiations are ongoing for 749.63 MW of solar power from plants in Binh Thuan and 1,732.82 MW from plants in Ninh Thuan.

The market has seen a wave of investment into solar power plants since the decision to set the purchase price of solar power at 9.35 US cents/KWh from April 2017.

Tran Viet Ngai, chairman of the Viet Nam Energy Association, said that because the country has already exploited nearly all of its hydropower resources, the development of renewable energy sources such and wind and solar power is essential.

While solar energy is widely available, Ngai said work must be done to use it effectively. Without well-planned investment schemes and operating mechanisms, solar power will merely destabilise the electrical system and could lead to grid collapses.

Solar power plants only work when the sun is shining and storage batteries are functioning properly. For large-scale projects, the system works for three to five hours; however, Ngai cautioned that advanced storage systems are very expensive.

Meanwhile, adding thousands of MW from solar power plants to the national grid requires suitable load dispatch plans in case the solar plants stop generating energy.

This is a complicated process because solar power plants, localities and the electricity sector must work together to build the dispatch plans, Ngai said.

The rapid development of solar and wind power plants has reduced the country’s reliance on power from resources that cause pollution.

However, Ngai said developing too many solar projects at the same time in certain places could lead to higher strain on the electrical grid, necessitating the construction of more transmission grids and transformer stations. Of course, these investment costs will be calculated into electricity prices.

Nguyen Duc Cuong said investment could not be executed too quickly because it takes a lot of time to plan projects, arrange investment capital and get investment licences.

To accelerate the construction of transmission lines, Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh has asked the Government to allow the use of capital from private investors to develop some transmission stations and grids for solar and wind power plants. After construction, the investors will hand the facilities over to the electricity industry to manage and operate them. –– VNS

Oil & Gas

Energy recommends lifting of ban on West Philippine Sea exploration

3 January 2019

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Philippines

The Energy Department officially recommended to the Department of Foreign Affairs the lifting of the moratorium on oil and gas exploration in the West Philippine Sea amid the enhanced relations between China and the Philippines, officials said.

Energy Resource Development Bureau director Ismael Ocampo said the recommendation was submitted to the DFA, on the request of PXP Energy Corp. through Forum Energy Ltd. to lift the force majeure imposed on Service Contract 72 or the Recto Bank.

“Our main concern is energy security,” Energy Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella said, adding the move was in line with the government’s thrust to explore for more indigenous sources of energy.

Fuentebella said the Philippines was left behind by its Southeast Asian neighbors in the area of oil and gas drilling.

PXP sent the letter of request to the DoE last month requesting the lifting of the force majeure in the wake of the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the governments of the Philippines and China for the cooperation over the West Philippine Sea.

“We see the lifting of the force majeure as a positive development for our SC 72 block and for the country in general,” Forum Energy country representative Daniel Stephen Carlos said earlier.

Forum Energy, where PXP holds a direct and indirect interest of 78.98 percent, has a 70-percent participating interest in SC 72 located in Northwest Palawan, through wholly-owned subsidiary Forum GSEC. PXP has a total economic interest of 53.1 percent in SC 72.

PXP is an upstream oil and gas company incorporated in the Philippines whose shares are listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange. The company, directly and indirectly, owns oil and gas exploration and production assets in the Philippines, and indirectly owns an exploration asset located in offshore Peru.

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi earlier advised PXP Energy to apply for the lifting of the moratorium on its service contracts amid the recent breakthrough in negotiation between the Philippines and China.

Cusi also expressed keen interest to immediately meet with his Chinese counterpart to draw up the framework of the oil and gas cooperation over West Philippine Sea or South China Sea.

“I have already expressed my intention to meet, my Chinese counterpart. I have sent my message already that I want to meet immediately,” Cusi said.

The Philippines and China agreed to cooperate on oil and gas development, as a part of the deals forged during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping in November.

“The MOU is to explore a solution. I don’t want more delays, so I gave notice to meet already,” Cusi said,

He said the notice was directed to China but coursed through the Department of Foreign Affairs.

“To China through DFA, I am ready. I want to meet immediately, anytime, anywhere. I am not passive, I’m saying let’s meet already,” Cusi said.

Energy assistant secretary Gerardo Erquiza said DoE advised DFA as a “matter of protocol.”

“Anytime we can start and go through the process, we just have to go through some details,” Erquiza said.

He assured that the framework would work within the service contract system of the Philippines and “sets forth the elements of the Philippine jurisdiction.”

Bioenergy

Chinese Waste to Energy Firm to Develop MBT Plant in Singapore

3 January 2019

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Singapore

Waste to energy operator, China Jinjiang Environment Holding Company Limited, has obtained shareholders’ approval for, and is pushing ahead with, an Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) agreement to construct a pilot, “first-of-its-kind” Mechanical Biological Waste treatment project in Singapore.

The MBT project, which has a waste treatment capacity of 500 tonnes per day, was initiated by the National Environmental Agency (NEA) of Singapore as part of its efforts to maximise recycling and resource recovery from municipal solid waste, maximise land-use and prolong the lifespan of Singapore’s only landfill, maximise resource extraction for energy generation and harness MBT’s potential as an alternative technology to treat municipal solid waste.

According to the company, when completed, the project, located in Tuas Avenue 2, will be among only five in Asia.
Following a competitive tender initiated in November 2015, NEA awarded the tender with a 20-year concession period to a consortium comprising Hangzhou Jinjiang Group Co., Ltd. (Jinjiang Group), which is a controlling shareholder of the Company, and Eastern Green Power Pte Ltd (EGP) in December 2016.

While Jinjiang Group had intended for the newly-listed Group to undertake the MBT project instead, this was not possible due to strict project rules which did not allow the transfer of the tender from the consortium to another entity. Accordingly, Jinjiang Group and EGP jointly established JE Synergy Pte Ltd (JE Synergy) to own and operate the MBT project.

Jinjiang Environment said that it has built up a track record of undertaking design, engineering and construction projects in China, Brazil and India, which are similar in nature to the MBT Project.

Jinjiang Group intends said that it intends to participate in the MBT project and to tap into Jinjiang Environment’s experience and expertise in such projects. Accordingly, JE Synergy will engage JE Synergy Engineering Pte Ltd (“JE Synergy Engineering”), an associated company of Jinjiang Environment, to provide EPC related services to the MBT project for a contract sum of S$66,563,000 (US$48,717,792)

As the EPC agreement constitutes an interested person transaction, Jinjiang Environment had sought and obtained the approval of its shareholders for the EPC agreement at an extraordinary general meeting held today. Following the completion of construction of the MBT project, the Group may provide operations and maintenance services to the MBT project on an ongoing basis.

Renewables

Cache Logistics contracts Sembcorp for 7.9MW of rooftop solar projects in Singapore

3 January 2019

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Singapore

Cache Logistics Trust has contracted Sembcorp Industries to install and operate rooftop solar systems at three logistics warehouses in Singapore owned by Cache.

The 7.9MW of PV capacity will be installed on warehouses including the Commodity Hub, Pandan Logistics Hub and Cache Changi Districentre.

When completed, Commodity Hub will house Singapore’s largest rooftop solar facility to date, standing at roughly 6.2MW capacity.

When fully installed in mid-2019, the system is expected to produce over 9,400MWh of power annually, or enough renewable energy to power more than 2,000 four-room HDB flats in a single year. Any surplus solar power generated will be exported back to the grid.

Koh Chiap Khiong, head of Singapore, Southeast Asia & China (Energy), Sembcorp, said: “Sembcorp is committed to sustainability. Our aim is to do good and do well, providing energy that makes a difference to our customers, community and the planet. We are honoured that companies trust us as one of Singapore’s largest solar power players, and are pleased to partner with Cache and welcome them as our new solar power customer. This new project will not only grow Sembcorp’s solar portfolio in Singapore with the installation of over 20,000 solar panels, but also help Cache reduce its carbon footprint. It will also generate renewable energy for the grid and avoid over four million kilogrammes of carbon dioxide, supporting Singapore’s environmental goals and helping to meet the nation’s target of 350 megawatts peak solar power capacity by 2020.”

Daniel Cerf, CEO of ARA Trust Management (Cache) Limited, the manager of Cache Logistics Trust, said: “We are pleased to undertake this green project with Sembcorp which brings about the benefits of not only using under-utilized rooftop space in our warehouses to lessen our conventional energy consumption and operating costs but more importantly, to reduce our carbon footprint. We will continue to review other properties within our portfolio to implement similar energy efficient initiatives in the interest of achieving greater environmental sustainability.”

Electricity/Power Grid

900,000 S’porean HDB households to receive U-Save rebate in January

3 January 2019

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Singapore

SINGAPORE — Some 900,000 Singaporean households will receive the next instalment of the GST Voucher – Utilities-Save (U-Save) rebate this month, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) announced on Wednesday (Jan 2).

Eligible Singaporean households will each receive a GST Voucher – U-Save rebate of up to S$100, depending on their Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat type.

“As announced in Budget 2018, eligible households will receive an additional S$20 per year (S$5 per quarter) for three years, from 2019 to 2021,” said the MOF. The increase is meant to help households adjust to the carbon tax, which will be implemented from this year.

During last year’s Budget debate in Parliament, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli had said that the impact of the carbon tax on households is expected to be small, at about 1 per cent of the total electricity and gas expenses.

^{Eligible Singaporean households will each receive a GST Voucher – U-Save rebate of up to S$100, depending on their Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat type. Source: Ministry of Finance}

The U-Save rebate is one of three components under the permanent GST Voucher scheme, and helps HDB households offset part of the utility bills, the MOF said.

The ministry added that the voucher lowers the overall household expenses and is disbursed every three months, with the total expenditure on U-Save rebates expected to amount to around S$300 million this year.

Annually, the permanent GST Voucher – U-Save rebate has enabled households in one- and two-room HDB flats to receive support which is equivalent to about three to four months of their utilities bills on average.

Those living in three- and four-room HDB flats have received support equivalent to about one to two months of their utilities bills, said the MOF.

Renewables

Da Nang, EU begin solar power project

3 January 2019

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Vietnam

Da Nang (VNS/VNA) – The central city of Da Nang, in cooperation with the European Union (EU), has launched a pilot project to develop solar energy in the city.

The Da Nang Energy Conservation and Technology Consultant Centre (DECC), under the municipal Department of Science and Technology, will design and install solar energy systems at the Da Nang General Hospital, the Oncology Hospital, two schools and six households on a pilot basis and build a database of solar power capacity in the city as well as a policy framework for clean energy development.

The project, funded by the EU to the tune of 447,000 USD, aims to increase accessibility to clean energy and raise awareness among businesses and households of solar power, energy saving and environmental protection.

It aims to be a good example for localities in Vietnam to promote mass use of renewable energy technology at household and public buildings.

The city also plans to build a 4.4MW solar farm on 6.7ha of the closed Khanh Son Landfill in Lien Chieu district at a cost of 5 million USD to supply 7.7 million kWh (kilowatt per hour) per year to the city’s power grid, while reducing 5,000 tonnes of carbon emissions each year.

Da Nang has great renewable energy potential, with a 90km coastline, 2,000 hours of sunlight per year and average wind speed of 3m per second.

According to the municipal Industry and Trade Department, about 30 percent of the city’s population use solar power for water heaters, while about 20 five-star hotels and resorts are using a solar power water heating system.

Da Nang has applied nano-lighting technology and saving solutions to reduce 30 percent of power consumption at public sites since 2009.

Solar power systems and energy-saving Light-emitting Diodes (LED) were installed in deep-sea fishing vessels as a pilot project in 2013.-VNS/VNA

Renewables

Laos plans 12 new hydropower projects this year

3 January 2019

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Lao PDR

Laos intends to complete 12 new hydropower dam projects in 2019 with a total capacity of 1,950 megawatts, the Vietnam News Agency reported on Wednesday, quoting local media.

Some 80% of the electricity produced by the plants, or 1,570 megawatts, will be exported to Thailand, while the rest is earmarked for domestic consumption.

Laos currently has 61 power production facilities with a total output of 7,200MW, including 53 hydropower plants, one thermal power plant, two alternative power stations and five solar power plants.

Laos has been promoting hydroelectric power investments since the 1990s to transform the country into “the battery of Southeast Asia.”

But environmental groups and other critics say Vientiane’s approach to development has paid off handsomely for domestic elites while often leaving the rural poor at the mercy of foreign corporations. Resettlement schemes and projects to generate alternative livelihoods for villagers affected by dams have often had poor outcomes, they say.

Laos has also given the green light to a series of large dams on the Mekong River, which have been strongly opposed by groups in Thailand and communities along the river.

In July 2018, the wall of an auxiliary dam on the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy Power Project under construction in southeastern Laos collapsed, killing scores of people and displacing thousands.

And in November, a multi-disciplinary team from Michigan State University published a report claiming that big dams disrupt river ecology, cause deforestation and displace thousands of people.

But according to Laotian Minister of Energy and Mines Khammani Inthilath, a center for dam safety management has been established to prevent such disasters.

Laos also sees its role as a major exporter of electricity as a key way that the impoverished country can develop economically.

In 2019, Laos aims to produce a total of about 33.874 billion kilowatt-hours of power, worth nearly US$2 billion.

Renewables

TNB to install solar and mini-hydro on Tioman Island

3 January 2019

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Malaysia

Malaysian utility Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) via its wholly-owned subsidiary, TNB Energy Services Sdn. Bhd (TNBES), is to increase electricity supply for Tioman Island with solar and hydropower.

The island, located 32 kilometres off the coast of Pahang, will have its mini-hydro station in Sungai Mentawak rehabilitated and solar panels installed on the rooftop of the island’s jetty and TNB offices, with the two renewable energy sources having a combined capacity of 755kW.

As of November 2018, work on the hydro was 87% complete and work on solar 92% complete.

Tioman, a popular scuba diving and snorkelling spot, will be the first island in the Malaysia Peninsular to be powered with solar and mini-hydro and will have 15% of its power coming from renewable sources at the start of this year. Much of the power for the island is supplied by TNB through its diesel generator power stations in Kampung Tekek and Kampung Genting with a total capacity of 9MW.

TNB recently completed Malaysia’s largest solar project.

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