Staff Reporter

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.

Keppel Prince will produce wind towers for the Macarthur Wind Farm in making it the largest in the southern hemisphere. As reported by yes2renewableenergy.wordpress, Victoria's Premier John Brumby pointed out that Labor’s wind energy policy is keeping jobs in regional Victoria – in stark contrast to the Liberal Party’s wind farm policy, which would drive investment and jobs, such as these at Keppel Prince, interstate.   Under the Victorian Climate Change White Paper, released in July, Labor has committed to a nation-leading target to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20 per cent by 2020. “Our plan is expected to generate up to $10 billion in investment in Victoria and these 100 jobs represent the start of a clean energy jobs boom for regional Victoria,” sasy Brumby. Mr Brumby said Macarthur was one of 27 wind farms approved in Victoria and would build on the eight large wind farms already operational in Victoria. These wind farms have already created more than 1000 jobs in Victoria and will create at least a further 4,700 jobs as they progress.

Keppel Prince will produce wind towers for the Macarthur Wind Farm in making it the largest in the southern hemisphere.

Carnegie's wave energy CETO 3 deployment and testing is on track to be completed as scheduled on 2010. The  single unit deployment and testing at Garden Island will consist of an autonomous CETO unit, hydraulic energy dissipation system and instrumentation buoy. The hydraulic and instrument buoy avoids, in the first instance, the investment required for a physical connection to shore for the initial single unit installation. Carnegie’s CETO technology is capable of generating zero-emission power and desalinated freshwater. CETO 3 is Australia’s first commercial scale wave energy unit and the buoyant actuator is the CETO technology’s energy collection system. The successful completion of the CETO 3 testing process will allow Carnegie to proceed with its first grid-connected commercial wave power project and deliver Carnegie its first revenues from power sales. This will then be followed by the roll out of CETO projects at the most prospective sites internationally and in Australia.

NTPC will place orders for generators worth $7.2 billion by March 31 as it accelerates capacity addition to help reduce blackouts. The utility will buy nine generators of 660 megawatts each and the same number of 800-megawatt units, according to NTPC chairman Arup Roy Choudhury. NTPC, which failed to meet its capacity addition target in the year ended March 31, aims to speed up construction of plants to meet demand in Asia's second fastest growing major economy. Capacity addition will more than double to 3,150 megawatts this year, with another 5,500 megawatts to follow in the year ending March 2012, Choudhury said. "One of the biggest concerns for NTPC has been the execution of projects," said Harshad Shukla, an analyst at KR Choksey Shares & Securities Pvt.

CNNC and AREVA will work on big-size commercial aftertreatment and recycle plant project as well.  A memo of understanding was signed by CNNC general manager  Mr.Sun Qin and AREVA France president Mr.Luoweizhong.

CNNC and Westinghouse Electric has agreed to cooperate in nuclear power technology service. China National Nuclear Corporation General Manager Mr.Sun Qin signed the memo with Westinghouse Electric  president and CEO Mr. Kang Ruishi. Mr.Sun Qin and Mr. Ruishi  had previously met about the construction of Sanmen AP1000 nuclear power project and nuclear fuel production and the technology service management of nuclear power plant operations.

Chinese nuclear power companies have established a strategic alliance for development of the fast reactor industry chain in China. Called the Fast Reator Industrialization Technical Innovation Strategy Alliance, it seeks to keep a foothold on self-innovation, creation of the fast reactor industry chain, promotion of the commercialization offast reator technology, and co-creating the sustainable development nuclear power industry of China. The alliance is led by CNNC and China Institute of Atomic Energy, and includes the China First Heavy Industries, Shanghai Electric, Lantai Group, and the Fujian Sanming Nuclear Power Co.,Ltd. Mr.Wan Gang, the director of CIAE, will serve as the alliance's president, while  and the General Manager of CIAE's Engineering Department,Mr.Zhang Donghui, will undertake the role of the alliance's secretary-general.

China and Russia has formalized their agreement for the construction of units 3 and 4 Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant.