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  • Oil & Gas
  • Others
31 December 2018

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  • Malaysia

Singapore — Malaysia’s state-run oil and gas company Petronas has completed the acquisition of a 10% stake in a gas field in onshore Oman from Oman Oil Co Exploration & Production or OOCEP.

The acquisition was made by Petronas’ subsidiary PC Oman Ventures Ltd or PCOVL in Block 61 from Makarim Gas Development, a subsidiary of OOCEP, after the conditions for the completion of the transaction were fulfilled, Petronas said in a statement over the weekend.

PCOVL now holds a 10% stake in the block, Makarim Gas Development holds a 30% stake and BP Exploration (Epsilon) Ltd is the operator of the block with a 60% stake, Petronas said.

“The acquisition of Block 61 marks an important step in realizing Petronas’ growth strategy in the upstream sector in the region and globally, as it aligns its activities to ensure sustainable energy supply,” it added.

The Khazzan field in Block 61 is one of the Middle East’s largest unconventional gas resources and started production in late September 2017, according to BP’s website. In Phase One of development, the Khazzan field was already producing at design capacity of around 1 Bcf/d and around 35,000 b/d of condensate in 2018.

In April 2018, BP announced the development of Ghazeer, the second phase of the giant Khazzan gas field in Oman, expected to come on stream in 2021 and deliver an additional 0.5 Bcf/d and over 15,000 b/d condensate production.

The two phases are expected to develop an estimated 10.5 Tcf of recoverable gas resources and around 350 million barrels of condensate through the end of concession period in the Khazzan field, according to BP.

  • Renewables
30 December 2018

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  • Vietnam

The practice follows the Ministry of Trade and Investment’s decree on developing grid-connected solar power projects which came into effect in October 2017.

It encouraged citizens to produce solar power at home to cover their domestic electricity demand and contribute to the national power grid.

The method has proved to be a worthy investment as it helps reduce electricity costs for residents.

About 860 families in the city have installed solar panels on their rooftops and registered to sell about 1 million kWh of electricity to the Electricity of Vietnam Group (EVN).

Nguyen Thi Thu Tham from Tan Phu district spent 50 million VND (2,150 USD) installing eight solar panels on her rooftop, which produce 300 kwH of electricity per month.

Ever since they got the panels installed, her family felt more comfortable using electricity-consuming appliances such as air-conditioners, fans and washing machines, Tham said.

“With seven members in our family, our electricity bill used to reach 1.5 million VND (65 USD) per month,” she said. “Now we only pay 500,000-700,000 VND (22-30 USD) per month thanks to the solar panels.”

Nguyen Dinh Hien in Tan Binh district got 12 solar panels installed, which helps him save about 1 million VND on his electricity bill each month. “I plan to get more panels as I still have space on my rooftop,” he said.

Residents are encouraged to sell the solar power they produce to the national power grid. However, a payment rate and tax rate have not been worked out by the city.

Nguyen Van Ly, Deputy Director of the HCM City Power Corporation, said: “We have not been able to figure out a payment mechanism between the seller and the buyer.

“We keep records of the amount of power that citizens have contributed and we have a fixed electricity retail price. But we haven’t been able to pay them due to some problems with the tax procedures.”

The company is waiting for instructions from the Ministries of Industry and Trade, and Finance on these matters, he added.

Nguyen Tan Hung, the company’s community relations manager, said the company will work to provide a free two-way electric meter for each household that installed a solar power system. This piece of equipment helps record the amount of electricity they transfer to the national power grid.

“We came up with this policy as an incentive to encourage residents, but haven’t been able to install the equipment in all households since there are too many of them all in the city,” he said.

Companies are also taking advantage of this opportunity to offer solar panel installation services with good incentives.

SolarBK, a Vietnamese provider of renewable energy solutions, is collaborating with the BIDV Insurance Corporation (BIC) to offer power output warranty packages for systems installed by July 31, 2019.

It also partners with the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV) to offer clients preferential packages for 12-36 month loans, with a loan approval rate of 70 percent.

Research from SolarBK shows that due to the development of technology, a solar power system’s performance can be improved by 6.4 percent without having to increase the number of panels.

Considering the technological advancements that will take place in the coming years, even households with limited rooftop space can have a solar power system installed, a representative from the company said.-VNS

  • Renewables
30 December 2018

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  • Vietnam

Three sites proposed for the reactor’s location include one in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong and two in the southern province of Dong Nai.

The project follows an agreement signed in June 2017 between Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom and the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute (VINATOM) under the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology.

According to the IAEA, operations of a research reactor requires a national infrastructure including a legal and regulatory framework to ensure that national and international obligations are met during planning, design, construction, operation, and decommissioning.

Accordingly, IAEA and related agencies have discussed about guidance on the preparation of a research reactor project which includes 19 issues ranging from nuclear safety and security to the fuel cycle, waste management, and funding and financing regulated in the IAEA’s Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review for Research Reactors (INIR-RR).

The discussions were held in Hanoi on December 3-7.

The Vietnamese delegation provided a number of documents to facilitate the assessment of the national nuclear infrastructure developed in preparations for the new research reactor project. The new facility is to serve diverse needs, such as in education, training, radioisotope production and materials science.

“Vietnam has demonstrated strong government support and understanding of long-term national commitments for developing the nuclear infrastructure for the new research reactor,” said mission leader Andrey Sitnikov.

Vietnam, with the support of IAEA and Russia (formerly USSR), assumed the operations of Da Lat Nuclear Research Institute in Lam Dong’s Da Lat city in 1984. Currently, it is Vietnam’s only reactor researching and producing radioactive products.

Vietnam has outlined an ambitious plan to develop nuclear energy by building two nuclear power plants with total capacity of 4,000 MW in the central province of Ninh Thuan under Russia’s support.

The two projects, which were estimated to cost VND200 trillion (US$8.7 billion) and put into operations by 2028, were rejected by the National Assembly in 2016, attributing economic reasons to the reject.

  • Electricity/Power Grid
  • Energy Economy
30 December 2018

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SINGAPORE: Electricity and gas tariffs are set to drop in the first quarter of 2019.

Electricity tariffs will decrease by an average of 1.2 per cent or 0.28 cent per kWh from Jan 1 to Mar 31 next year, compared to the previous quarter, SP Group announced on Sunday (Dec 30).

Households’ electricity tariff will fall from 24.13 cents to 23.85 cents per kWh. In effect, the average monthly electricity bill for four-room HDB flats will decrease by S$1, SP Group said.

Electricity 1

The lower tariffs are mainly due to the lower cost of natural gas for electricity generation compared to the previous quarter.

This marks the first fall in tariffs since the last quarter of 2017, when the household tariff was 20.30 cents per kWh.

image: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/image/11073386/0x0/1097/426/34ccf439bcd576791218748f1b63c375/HD/electricity-2.png

Electricity 2

SP Group reviews electricity tariffs quarterly based on guidelines set by the Energy Market Authority, the electricity industry regulator.

GAS TARIFF TO DECREASE

In a separate news release, City Gas also announced on Sunday that gas tariffs will decrease in the first quarter of 2019 by 0.81 per cent or 0.16 cent per kWh, from 19.67 cents per kWh to 19.51 cents per kWh.

This is due to a decrease in fuel costs compared with the previous quarter, City Gas said in its media release.

“City Gas reviews the gas tariffs based on guidelines set by the Energy Market Authority (EMA), the gas industry regulator,” the release said.

image: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/image/11073414/0x0/768/349/8e3191968718d64633ce1c13f0ce91fb/kA/city-gas-table.png

City Gas table

Source: CNA/mn

  • Renewables
30 December 2018

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  • Cambodia

PHNOM PENH — Sak Seam, 69, chief of Chnok Tru, a village in central Cambodia, is worried. The floating village of about 1,700 households is located on a tributary of the Mekong River. “The villagers will be unable to survive if the fish catch decreases further,” he said. […]

  • Electricity/Power Grid
30 December 2018

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  • Singapore

Nearly a third of eligible consumers have opted to buy electricity from a retailer since the Open Electricity Market was progressively launched from Nov 1, starting with households mainly in the north-west of Singapore.

And the Energy Market Authority (EMA) believes this initial take-up rate will stay the same as the roll-out continues across the island.

From Jan 1, consumers from estates such as Bishan, Punggol and Sengkang will get to choose whether to buy electricity from a retailer or to remain with SP Group, followed by consumers in the eastern part of Singapore from March 1.

  • Electricity/Power Grid
29 December 2018

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  • Malaysia

KUCHING: A thorough study should be undertaken by the relevant federal ministries to address the impact from the implementation of the new RM40 electricity bill rebate, set to take effect as of Jan 1 next year.

Minister of Utilities Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom said the new policy, slated for replacing the current consumption-based RM20 rebate, might impact customers from the lower income groups.

“Those eligible (for the rebate) have been determined to be confined to those with monthly household earnings of RM950 and below, registered under the federal e-Kasih programme.

“This will impact customers from other lower income groups, who continue to need assistance but may not be registered under e-Kasih.

“A thorough study should be undertaken by the relevant federal ministries to address this gap as this has impact nationwide, not just on Sarawak,” he said in a statement sent to The Borneo Post here yesterday.

Dr Rundi was asked to comment on Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Chong Chieng Jen’s statement on Thursday, that Sarawak government should continue to supplement the federal policy of RM40 monthly electricity bill rebate.

In this respect, Dr Rundi said the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS)-led government hoped that Chong would play his role to look into the plight of the affected B40 group nationwide who might not meet the e-Kasih criteria.

The B40 group refers to those in the bottom 40 per cent of the Malaysian society, whose monthly household income is RM3,000 and below.

The Ministry of Utilities, in close collaboration with Sarawak Energy Bhd (SEB), would monitor the implementation of the new rebate programme and its impact on Sarawak, particularly on the B40 group who might continue to need assistance, he said.

On the current rebate for monthly electricity usage of RM20 and below, Dr Rundi said it was an initiative introduced by then-Federal Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water (KETTHA) in October 2008.

Under this programme, the federal government subsidised electricity bills for consumers from the lower income groups, who would typically consume less electricity supply to meet their basic necessities, he added.

“This was implemented nationwide, in which the mechanism for the relevant state utility was through direct reimbursement from KETTHA.

“Since its (RM20 rebate) introduction in 2008, the federal government has always subsidised this programme through the direct reimbursement mechanism.

“For implementation in the state, SEB waives payment of electricity bills of RM20 and below. This is subsequently submitted for reimbursement by SEB to the federal government, now through Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change (MESTECC),” explained Dr Rundi.

He added that in November 2014, former chief minister Pehin Sri Adenan Satem announced that the Sarawak government would reduce domestic electricity tariffs, effective January 2015, to ensure a greater number of beneficiaries in Sarawak, who would be able to enjoy the ongoing RM20 rebate initiative by the federal government.

  • Renewables
29 December 2018

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  • Malaysia

Zainal Abidin Bin Abdullah, Chairman M/s WAZAN Corporation, Malaysia led a four-member delegation to meet Syed Zain Ullah Shah, CEO Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization (PEDO), Peshawar and his team.
The Meeting was organized by the Board of Investment, IFC, Peshawar at the conference hall of PEDO, Peshawar and was chaired by CEO PEDO. The meeting was also attended by Mr. Muhammad Asif Khan, Director, BOI IFC Peshawar,Mr. M. Imran Halim, Director Renewable Energy Projects, Private Power PEDO and Mr. Abdul Rahim, Deputy Director, Private Power PEDO.
CEO PEDO, Peshawar welcomed the Malaysian delegation and apprised them about the hydel & solar energy potential of KP. He invited them to benefit from Pakistan’s lucrative and liberal investment policies. He assured them government’s full support and facilitation of their investment in Pakistan.
Director BOI IFC Peshawar informed that it is high time for Malaysian companies to explore Pakistan which is naturally endowed with an indigenous resource in the sector of renewable energy.
Chairman M/s WAZAN Corporation Malaysia elaborated on the interests of their investment in hydel and solar energy, electro-mechanical equipment manufacturing facility and refurbishment facility for damaged electric transformers in Pakistan. He also emphasized that his organization would be interested in investing in micro-hydro powerplants in KP.
CEO PEDO shared with the delegation a detailed presentation regarding feasibilities and potential for investment in hydropower and solar energy in KP. CEO also apprised the delegation about the incentives being offered by the Government of KP Province for investors in the energy sector.
Chairman M/s WAZAN Corporation thanked CEO PEDO for the meeting and hospitality extended to them. He expressed his interest in investing in KP and apprised the CEO that upon going through different feasibilities, he will soon revert with concrete investment proposals in energy sector in KP.

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