Staff Reporter

China has approved several new hydropower projects, according to the National Development and Reform Commission.

China is eyeing an additional 15-20 gigawatts of wind-power generating capacity annually in the next decade. This was revealed by the Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Association, according to reports by sxcoal.com. The country will likely have 40 GW of installed wind power capacity by the end of this year, up 60 per cent from 25 GW at end-2009, the association said in a statement. However, since China's wind-power capacity only accounts for less than 3 per cent of its total power-generating capacity, and wind power production only accounts for around 2 percent of its total electricity output, the association emphasized that the country's wind power sector still has much room for development.  

Inner Mongolia generated a total of 11.50 billion KW of wind power in the first 3 quarters of this year. The generation went up by 101.32 per cent year on year, according to statistics released by the Inner Mongolia government. At the end of September, Inner Mongolia total wind power installed capacity reached 7.78 million kW up by 99.22 per cent year on year, the Interfax China reported. The Inner Mongolia government has plans to increase installed capacity another 2.22 million kW over the coming year. The region potential wind resources exceed 150 million kW, roughly half of China total exploitable onshore wind power. Wind power is now the second largest power generation source in Inner Mongolia after coal fired thermal power.

Reliance Power will double the capacity its coal-fired power project in Rosa, Uttar Pradesh, to 2400MW. An additional US$1.33 billion investment will be made by the company. The plant is expected to be fully complete by March 2012.   According to ifandp.com, the project was originally meant to be a 600MW project, which was then scaled up to 1200MW  to make best use of the land available. The company is now looking to acquire additional land for the additional capacity. R-Power is expected to soon apply to the Indian government for the necessary clearance and finance will come from a consortium of banks led by IDBI Bank.   Power generation from the first 600MW phase of the project is expected to begin in a year’s time. The electricity will be supplied to the Uttar Pradesh Power Company Ltd under a Power Purchase Agreement.  

India scaled down its set target of additional power generation capacity from 20,359MW to 18,600MW for 2010.

Meralco included the purchase of 40,000 smart meter acquisition in their draft determination application with the Energy Regulatory Commission.

Meralso plans to retire five substations to save US$853,000 in systems losses. These are in Cavite, Lucena, Pagbilao, Forbes Park and Tondo. Meralco is pursuing a conversion program, which would give way to the development of the 20 kilovolt/34.5-kv distribution system in these odd-voltage areas, according to reports by the Philippines Daily Inquirer. Meralco has programmed the gradual conversion of odd-voltage systems or the distribution system with voltages other than 34.5 kv or 13.8 kv to the standardized 20 kv/34.5 kv distribution voltage system. “The objectives of voltage standardization are to minimize equipment inventory types, reduce technical system loss, and improve the flexibility and reliability of electric service by phasing out isolated odd-voltage systems,” Meralco explained.

Nepal and Bhutan have pledged to export hydroelectricity to Bangladesh.

China has dammed the Brahmaputra River in order to begin construction of a 510-MW Zangmu hydropower project.

Three Asian countries are studying ways to create Southeast Asia's largest hydropower project by generation capacity in Myanmar.

A symposium tackled measures to solve difficulties in hydropower cooperation difficulties between Laos and Vietnam.

Ming Yang will with the provincial government of Hebei  on a series of proposed wind energy projects.

Bacavalley Energy Inc., inaugurated the first landfill gas power plant in the Philippines to feature GE’s Jenbacher gas engines.

India is now sixth in the world in terms of number of power reactors after its unit-4 of Kaiga Generating Station achdeived criticality.  Criticality signifies the start of self-sustaining nuclear fission chain reaction in the reactor core, which leads to the production of power. The unit will be synchronized to the southern grid after carrying out certain mandatory tests early next month. The electricity generated from this unit will be supplied to the beneficiary states – Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Pudducherry. Kaiga-4 is the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited’s or NPCIL’s third nuclear power reactor after RAPS unit-5 & unit-6, to have started operation during the current year, raising the nuclear installed capacity in the country from the current 4560 MW to 4780 MW. With Kaiga-4 unit becoming operational, India is now elevated to the sixth rank in an elite club of nations, after USA, France, Japan, Russian Federation and Republic of Korea, to have twenty or more nuclear power reactors currently in operation.

The Jaitapur nuclear project has received its environmetal clearance after  the Expert Appraisal Committee of India's environment and forest ministry.

Contact Energy has won its appeal to build a US$392 million wind farm near Dannevirke in a $147,000 legal battle.