Staff Reporter

Thailand and the European Union continue joint efforts to enhance renewable energy development with a two-day seminar.

More than 900 million kWh have been saved in Vietnam's electricty system since the beginning of year.

European aircraft maker Airbus and China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation Ltd or Sinopec are jointly developing a new aviation fuel made from biomass. The partners said the new renewable fuel will be first used in China. Sinopec is to develop the fuel with its own technology at a plant recently built in Hangzhou, near Shanghai. "The refinery is one of the few in the world that has the capacity to produce aviation fuel from biomass in large-scale," Airbus said. The company did not say when output would begin, but sources said it could take about a year. The partners are in the process of selecting the raw material for the biomass. This raw material will come 100% from China and will be sustainable. Among the raw materials being considered is agricultural waste such as straw. Sinopec will assist the central government establish a Chinese airworthiness certification for alternative aviation fuels made from locally grown feedstocks.

Kyocera Corp. will provide 30MW solar panels to Eurus Energy Holdings to be used for a solar power plant in Hokkaido.

The Sustainable Energy Development Authority (SEDA) of Malaysia announced that it will accept applications for its Solar Home Rooftop Programme.

Hedcor Inc. will add 60 megawatts to its portfolio of smaller-scale hydropower capacities, according to its president, Rene Ronquillo.

India has approved a bailout for cash-strapped power distributors who have accumulated US$17.35 billion in losses as of 2010-2011 financial year.

Nuclear Regulation Authority, Japan's new nuclear watchdog, plans to create fresh criteria for restarting nuclear reactors, according to its chief, Shunichi Tanaka.

The European Union has signed a finance agreement with China that will help the latter's transition to a low-carbon economy.

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines will invest P269 million or US$6.44 million for additional capacitor banks at substations in the Luzon grid.

Myanmar's clean coal plant to be built at Dawei special economic zone may now push through with Thailand and Japan providing loans.

Komatsu will spend ¥58 billion to scrap aging facilities and become more energy-efficient.

PLN will start cutting power to customers in Jambi who have not paid their bills in three months.

China will celebrate a "National Low Carbon Day" beginning June 2013.

It will build a 135 megawatt circulating fluidized bed thermal facility in Iloilo.

An increasing scarcity of water threatens to hinder the flow of electric power needed by the huge Chinese economy for growth.