News

The Japan Atomic Energy Co agreed to conduct a feasibility study in building Vietnam's first nuclear power plant.

The local government of China's Jiangxi province will be charging higher electricity prices on energy guzzlers, amid a national drive for energy-saving and energy efficiency.

Spanish wind turbine maker Gamesa has signed a deal to sell and install 200 megawatts of wind turbines for China's Huadian New Energy Development by 2012, according to Reuters.

Vietnam has created development strategies to fully exploit the potential of renewable energy. According to HCM city power development plan 2011-2015 approved by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, by 2015, there will be two more power plants using energy produced from waste sources with a total capacity of 40 MW. The Department of Industry and Trade is studying to build a plant producing electricity from organic waste in three markets of Binh Dien, Thu Duc, Hoc Mon. Preliminary statistics have shown that each day, a large wholesale market emits about 50 tons of garbage, 95% of which is organic waste, suitable for the incubation to collect gas for generating power. Investment capital for a power-from-waste project in each market is estimated to be about USD 3-4 million. If these projects succeed, they shall not only provide power to the city but also helps wholesale markets save garbage collection cost--each market has to spend an average of VND 300 million per month on garbage collection. Department of Industry and Trade has also been collecting data on wind energy resources in Can Gio District to assess the viability of wind power in coastal areas of HCM city. As planned, Can Gio coastal areas such as Thanh An commune, Can Thanh town, Ly Nhon commune have favorable conditions for the development of renewable energy sources such as wind power, solar power. The World Bank has estimated that Vietnam could develop wind power on approximately 80% of the total area of the country (equivalent to 102 MW). Each year, Vietnam has about 2000 to 2500 hours of sunshine with the average radiation intensity of about 4.5 kWh/m2/day, equivalent to 43.9 million tons of oil equivalent per year. Data of Swedish Centec Vietnam Center show that investment reprots are being made on fourteen grid-connected wind power projects and seven projects are setting up construction plans. Solar cell systems have also been present in 38 provinces. According to Dr. Hoang Tien Dung, Director of the Institute of Energy - Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnam has various renewable energy sources with great potential but they have not been fully evaluated; it is necessary to investigate and supplement data, then proceed to planning and zoning these types of energy for rational investment and exploitation. Although the State has issued a number of mechanisms, policies and orientations for the development of renewable energy but in short term, there are many difficulties in developing renewable energy. There have been no available financial resources to support the users of heat, electricity produced from renewable energy, such as solar cell, solar water heater, and biomass; no support mechanisms for off-grid power produced from renewable energy; lack of investment in the assessment of potential and construction of database and lack of long-term funding for the program. Currently, the production cost of renewable energy has been lower than before but is still very high. For example, the production cost of one kilowatt of solar power is up to 18 cents, while coal power price, gas power price is only 5.1 to 5.2 cents per KWh. Therefore, to exploit the potential of renewable energy, there should be price support mechanisms.

Different frameworks in the Lao renewable energy sector have been achieved and development of hydropower  is now on focus, according to Laos Minister of Energy and Mines, Mr. Soulivong Daravong.

But the country appears incapable to meet the soaring demand as only 30% of the $40 billion investment capital needed for the development of a power sector less reliant to hydropower by 2015 is currently met.

India is on the verge of missing the capacity addition targets for 11th Plan, with a cumulative capacity addition of merely 8,101 MW during the third quarter of FY 2011-12. 

The implementation of the Indian-US civil nuclear deal will take at least two years finalisation of the business model between India's NPCIL and US vendors.

A joint venture that would set up a 500 Mw coal-based power plant in Sri Lanka has been incorportated by India's NTPC and the Ceylon Electricity Board.

Brazilian utility Furnas has signed an accord with China Three Gorges Corporation to develop renewable energy projects around the world.

Anil Ambani announced that his firm Reliance Power is poised to become the country’s largest private sector power generation and coal mining company in the next five years.

As little as 20 % of projects may be done due to lack of carbon credits. The country still faces the perennial problem of long process of achieving Emission Reduction Purchasing Agreement (ERPA), says Dang Thi Hong Hanh, deputy executive officer of Energy Environment Climate (EEC).

State-run Bangladesh Power Development Board  is expected to post a loss of nearly $1.1 billion in the year ending June 2012.

The Japanese government and Tepco said that they are now aiming to bring the Fukushima Daiichi plant to a cold shutdown within this year, instead of by January as initially planned.

Hydro power seems like the simplest form of renewable power to install – but the devil is in the details as some failed mini-hydro projects at Sarawak Power shows.