News

The world aims for 50% reduction in CO2 by 2050 but after the Fukushima disaster, the goal seems difficult to achieve already, said Former IEA director Nobuo Tanaka during the Singapore International Energy Week.

Shocking news as no power plants being restarted after maintenance will see Japan off all Nuclear by June 2011.

China's dam-building ambitions and alleged lack of transparency were front and centre yesterday during a roundtable discussion on Mekong River development held in the capital. Representatives from the Chinese embassy defended their country's record, claiming that China was "eager to participate" in regional cooperation mechanisms. "We aren�t dominating this river," embassy representative Xu Daizhu said. "We want to cooperate with other countries in this region, and we want to cooperate with each other to use the water resources in this region." However, panelists accused the Asian power of irresponsible development. "Chinese dams cause unprecedented social and environmental problems, causing damage to agriculture, fishery forests and ways of life," said fellow panelist Pou Sothirak, former minister of industry, mines and energy. China is now the top builder of dams in Cambodia, Ame Trandem, Southeast Asia Program Director for International Rivers, said yesterday. Currently, five large Chinese dams have been approved in the Kingdom and another four are under consideration, Trandem said, adding that four dams constructed on the Mekong in Chinas Yunnan province were undertaken without consulting China�s neighbours. During yesterday's discussion, China�s transparency also came under assault. "The Chinese government in the past has been keeping all the information on the dams confidential," Pou Sothirak said. "If your government would be so kind as to join the Mekong River Commission, that would be a big gift, because joining means you need to release everything openly." Trandem supported allegations of a lack of transparency, saying that, "to date, China has failed to meet international standards of accountability, transparency and public participation." However, Xu Daizhu upheld China's commitment to regional cooperation. "China is willing to listen, we aren�t closing our doors and doing our own thing," she said. "That�s why I am here and learning about your concerns."  

Toshiba Corp will join a seven-company consortium, led by Mitsui Chemicals, to construct and operate Japan's largest solar photovoltaic plant in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.

The energy white paper calls for a reduction in the nation’s reliance on atomic power.

Some of the Russian supplied machineries meant for Kudankulam were found damaged even before their installation, according to a top nuclear engineer.

Coal stocks at India’s thermal power plants are critically low on the eve of Diwali, and will not improve unless coal supplies are stepped up significantly, a senior power ministry official said. However, coal-sector authorities said dispatches to power plants had increased. Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal has directed coal companies to give top priority to power plants compared to other customers, but power stations are running with very thin stocks and supplies are not enough to build stocks to a comfortable level. “The critical stock with power projects is a matter of great concern. The coal supply is sufficient for hand-to-mouth existence. There is no coal on railway sidings. Stock would not improve unless we get at least 30-40 additional rakes everyday. The silver lining, however, is that we are receiving 100 per cent coal supply now and projects are operating at full capacities,” a senior power ministry official said. Many plants, including units run by leading energy companies such as NTPC, Reliance Power, Sterlite and Damodar Valley Corp had coal stocks for less than seven days, a condition that the Central Electricity Authority says is “critical”. Latest CEA data shows that number power projects with critically low stocks of coal increased to 48 on Monday from 44 two weeks ago. Thirty plants had “supercritical” stock that would last less than four days. There are 89 coal based electricity generation stations in India that have a capacity of 86,000 mw. NTPC’s Singrauli, Mejia, Vindyachal and Damodar Valley’s Kodarma projects and few other projects with about 9,000-mw had no coal stock as against a normative requirement of 15-20 days. On an average coal plants have stocks for barely seven days. The power ministry official said coal stocks would continue to deplete unless about 190 rakes are dispatched to power sector alone. The coal ministry said a total 147 rakes were dispatched to power projects on Monday. In addition seven rakes and another 1,77,000 tonnes of coal was dispatched through exclusive transportation ties ups. A coal ministry statement said a total of 181 coal rakes were dispatched to all consumers including power plants on Monday. “The coal companies have been advised to ensure priority movement of coal to the power stations of the country and their coal availability is improving,” a coal ministry statement said. The overall average rail loading from Coal India Ltd was 156 rakes per day, of which 127 were dispatched to power stations. During the last three days, 146 rakes have been dispatched to the power stations in northern India. Heavy floods, strikes at mines and the Telangana agitation has crippled mining and loading operations in several states had depleted coal stock at power plants in the beginning of this month.  

Hydropower helped push bilateral trade between India and Nepal bilateral up to 38% from US$ 1985 million in 2009-10 to US$ 2700 in 2010-11.

 

Vietnam Development Bank has signed a credit agreement worth US$1 billion with Export-Import Bank of the U.S. to fund a major wind power development plan in the Mekong Delta in 2011-2015.

The public has been reassured that the Vietnam's electricity price increase won’t be decided in the last months of the year.

Construction of a dam across the Song Bac River for a hydropower plant in northern Ha Giang Province's Quang Binh District is now underway.

The government of Vietnam should have policies that reward producers of electricity from wind and other natural resources, suggests the general chair of the World Council for Renewable Energy.

The VND33 trillion Mong Duong 1 Thermal Power Plant in the northern province of Quang Ninh is now being constructed by the Electricity of Vietnam.

Up to 60 percent of a grant from Denmark will be used in Vietnam for effective use of water resources, clean water supply for the poor, wind energy and activities to cope with climate change.

The Export-Import Bank of the US has agreed on a credit package worth US$1 billion for a wind power development programme in the Mekong River Delta between 2011 and 2015. A letter of intent to this effect was signed in Hanoi on October 18 by representatives of the Vietnam Development Bank (VDB) and US EXIMBANK. Under the deal, VDB is allowed to borrow international loans channelled through the US bank for wind power projects in Vietnam. Currently, phase I of such a project is under way in the southern province of Bac Lieu, using VDB’s domestic loans. The first turbine with equipment imported from the US’s General Electric Company will be inaugurated in early November 2011. Project investors will negotiate a business contract with General Electric to supply equipment to the project, using loans from US EXIMBANK. According to Vu Duc Dam, Minister and Chairman of the Government Office, Vietnam is being seriously affected by climate change. The Vietnamese government encourages and creates conditions for developing environmentally-friendly technology. David Shear, US Ambassador to Vietnam, who witnessed the signing of the deal, said the US Government is interested in developing renewable energy in Vietnam. US investment in the Bac Lieu project will help contribute to meeting the goal of increasing cooperation between the two countries.