Staff Reporter

Japan will set up a new nuclear regulatory agency under the Environment Ministry instead of the trade ministry.   This is meant to increase the body's independence after the country’s atomic disaster, officials said. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said the Cabinet was expected to approve the plan by Monday. The current Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency has been widely criticised for cosy ties with the nuclear industry under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, which promotes nuclear energy. “We expect to make the agency an affiliate of the Environment Agency,” Edano said. “Environment and nuclear issues have a certain affinity for each other.” Under the plan, drafted by Goshi Hosono, minister in charge of the nuclear crisis, NISA would be integrated with the Nuclear Safety Commission, an independent panel of experts under the Cabinet Office, to become a more independent entity distanced from the nuclear industry and other promoters of atomic power.

The government of Nepal will formally request China for US $1.6 billion in loan to construct the 750 MW West Seti Hydro Project Limited.

But revenues will decline from $64.4b in 2010 to $56.9b in 2012 before recovering to $65.4b in 2016.

 Coal India Limited refuted charges pertaining to supply of poor quality coal to Kota and Suratgarh thermal power plants, as alleged by Lalit Kishore Chaturvedi, MP.

NHPC will set two hydro projects of total 400 Mw capacity in Uttarakhand.

APGENCO is struggling to resolve the contractual issue with dam contractor, Maytas-SNC JV, to avoid further delay in commissioning its 50 MW Nagarjuna Sagar hydroelectric project.

Mandatory safety inspections of existing nuclear power plants in the China has been completed by the China Nuclear Energy Association.

The Nam Theun 2 Power Company or NTPC remains unsure when its plant will resume electricity generation as the level of the Xebangfay River remains high.

Vietnam is now forecasting a 7.5% to 8% annual economic growth over the next five years.

LDK Solar and Datang International Power Generation will build a 20MW solar power plant in Qinghai, China.

AEG Power Solutions will provide complete balance of electrical systems for a 5MW solar power plant in Gujarath, India.

China Ming Yang Wind Power Group Limited signed a strategic cooperative agreement with China Three Gorges New Energy Corp. to foster closer cooperation in both domestic and international wind power development.

Vietnam Electricity awarded the Chengda-Dec-Swepdi-Zepc consortium an engineering, procurement and construction contract to build the 1,245MW Duyen Hai 3 thermal power plant in Tra Vinh province, Vietnam.

Reliance Power's parent company, the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, will invest INR15bn or $333.2 million in a 200MW wind power plant in Vashpet, in the Indian state of Maharashtra.

CESC announced that it may hike its tariff if the price of coal increases.

Tamil Nadu will implement a state government scheme to utilise 100 MW wind power generated at nights for supplying to industrial units.