Welcome Guest,
Please log in to view all of our premium news stories.
Please log in to view all of our premium news stories.
| BOOK: Third Edition of ‘Port Management and Operations’ released |
| Thursday, 22 May 2008 | |
|
(EnergyAsia, May 22, Thursday) --- The third edition of ‘Port Management and Operations’, an essential guide to port management in the 21st century, has just been released. Topics covered include a general introduction to ports, port development, impact of changing ship technology on ports, sea approaches and maritime services, port administration ownership and management, port policy, berths and terminals, cargo and cargo handling, port labour, time in port and speed of cargo handling, port costs, prices and revenue and port environmental matters. For more information on ‘Port Management and Operations’, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . |
| SINGAPORE: Advanced Holdings reports sharp rise in Q1 revenue to S$22.9 million, net profit of S$2.1 |
| Thursday, 22 May 2008 | |
|
(EnergyAsia, May 22, Thursday) --- Singapore’s Advanced Holdings Ltd said its first quarter net profit rose to S$2.1 million while its revenue surged from S$5 million to S$22.9 million over the same period last year. (US$1=S$1.36). It also ended the quarter in a strong position with net cash holdings of S$58 million, an up by around 13.9% from last December. The strengthened financial position will allow it to take advantage of future acquisition and investment opportunities on the world market. Managing director Kar Wong said: “The group’s excellent performance this quarter reflects the success of our four-pronged strategy to strengthen and drive our business and sales growth in our key markets. “We also benefited from the ongoing boom in the global energy market, and sustained industrial growth in fast-growing emerging economies. We will continue to invest our resources in developing new markets, enhancing our professional capabilities and strengthening our geographical presence to enable us to better serve our customers.” The company said it will pay shareholders an interim, tax-exempt dividend of 0.35 cents per share. Founded in 1993, Advanced Holdings today designs, licenses and supplies proprietary process equipment and process technologies for its customers in the chemical, petrochemical, oil, gas, power generation and microelectronics industries. |
| MALAYSIA: Petronas to start up 1.7-million-tonne-per-year methanol plant in Labuan in September |
| Wednesday, 21 May 2008 | |
|
(EnergyAsia, May 21, Wednesday) --- Malaysian state oil and gas company Petronas said its subsidiary, Petronas Methanol (Labuan) Sdn Bhd (PML), has started commissioning work of its methanol plant in Labuan port with the firing up of the plant's package boiler, the biggest in Asia. Local contractors, Sumatec, Dialog and Yokogawa Kontrol Malaysia, completed the plant’s installation work. The operation of the boiler is supported by high quality feed water produced by a state-of-the-art reverse osmosis system, while electrical power is supplied from a 14-megawatt gas turbine generator which has been in operation since March this year. The world-scale plant, which uses Lurgi's Mega Methanol technology, has a production capacity of 5,000 tonnes per day or 1.7 million tonnes per year. The plant will use about 150 million cubic feet of gas from the fields offshore Sabah as feedstock. Construction started in 2005 and methanol produced from the new plant will be supplied to the domestic market as well the growing markets in Asia. |
| COMPANY: 3Com is leader in ‘green’ networking, said new research report |
| Wednesday, 21 May 2008 | |
|
(EnergyAsia, May 21, Wednesday) –-- A new report by independent research firm In-Stat has found that Nasdaq-listed 3M Corp’s local area network (LAN) switches are up to 60% more energy efficient, or “green,” than competitors’ products. The report confirms the success of 3Com’s program to reduce energy consumption while increasing network functionality. “Businesses worldwide are looking for effective ways to reduce energy use, both to save money and to conserve resources,” said Scott Hilton, vice president of enterprise products for 3Com. “Through innovative design, 3Com’s newest products use up to 78% less power than previous switches. It’s gratifying that In-Stat recognises 3Com’s industry leadership in this important area.” Making their networks more energy efficient is fast becoming a top priority for CIOs. In an exclusive survey of IT executives published by CIO magazine in March 2008, 75% of respondents cited either reducing operating costs or a commitment to social responsibility as the driver for making their IT operations greener. 3Com’s David Law, chairman of the IEEE 802.3 Ethernet Working group, said: “At its March 2008 meeting, the IEEE P802.3az Energy-efficient Ethernet Task selected a Low-Power Idle proposal for both 1000BASE-T and 100BASE-T. Work on selecting proposals for the remaining objectives will continue at the upcoming May meeting in Munich, Germany. Standards approval is targeted for March 2010.” In-Stat calculated the energy efficiency of 24-port and 48-port switches from leading vendors’ portfolios and 3Com products were the clear leaders in energy efficiency in both categories. A comparison of the fabric capacity (Gbps) per watt of 24-port Gigabit Ethernet fixed, managed Layer 2 and 3 switches found that 3Com far outpaced the rest of the industry by delivering approximately 3.25 Gbps per watt. No other vendor delivers as much as 2.0 Gbps per watt, according to In-Stat. Among 48-port Gigabit Ethernet fixed, managed Layer 2 and 3 switches, 3Com again leads the field and is the only company able to deliver as much as 2.0 Gbps per watt. In both categories, prominent vendors such as Cisco, HP ProCurve, Nortel and Foundry were at or near the bottom of In-Stat’s rankings. 3Com said it is working to deliver products that are even more energy-efficient. A key element of the company’s green plan is the 3Com® Open Services Networking (OSN) strategy. Applications run on Open Services Modules (OSM) embedded within networking platforms, which makes it easy for enterprises and service providers to deliver a variety of enhanced services without having to deploy numerous single-task appliances that complicate network management, take up valuable facility space, and consume excessive power. OSMs are currently available for 3Com router platforms and are currently scheduled for switching platforms later this year. Over the past 18 months, 3Com said it has refreshed its Ethernet switching portfolio to take advantage of innovative energy-efficient components and designs. The company’s research shows that upgrading older switches can deliver significant energy savings. It said: “For example, customers running a 3Com Switch 4070 Gigabit small campus core switch who upgrade to the 3Com Switch 5500G switch will decrease energy use by 29%. Likewise, moving from the Switch 4400 Fast Ethernet edge switch to Switch 5500-EI family devices will enable businesses to reduce energy consumption by approximately 60%.” 3Com said it holds energy efficiency leadership over its competitors. It claims that the 3Com Switch 4500G 24-Port Gigabit switch consumes 20% less energy than the Cisco Catalyst 3560G-24TS and 11% less than the HP ProCurve 3400cl-24G, based on published watts per switch power consumption figures. It said its Switch 4500G 48-Port consumes 25% less power than the Catalyst 3560G-48TS and 15% less than the HP ProCurve 3400cl-48G. Its Switch 4210 24-Port and Switch 4210 48-Port switches consume 30% and 17% less energy than the equivalent HP ProCurve 2510 24- and 48-port switches. Com Corporation is a leading provider of secure, converged voice and data networking solutions for enterprises of all sizes.
|
| SINGAPORE: Technics Oil &Gas Limited reports lower first half net profit |
| Tuesday, 20 May 2008 | |
|
(EnergyAsia May 20, Tuesday) --- Singapore-listed Technics Oil and Gas Limited, an integrated specialist services provider serving the world oil and gas exploration and production industry, said its first-half revenue to March 31 2008 rose 17% to S$38.62 million. (US$1=S$1.36). Gross profit was up 28% to S$9.57 million. Group managing director and founder Robin Ting said: “Technics had a good start to FY2008 in terms of new contracts secured. We have prepared ahead for our expansion and started to receive more enquiries, including our ability to take on supersize gas compression systems and process modules. “Apart from beefing up our working capital requirements, we also invested heavily in our human capital. The costs of doing business in Singapore have gone up significantly. Administrative expenses rose by S$2.01 million or 49% in 1H FY2008.” To prepare for expansion, Technics said it has recruited another 48 staff including project engineers and support staff during the financial half year. Mr Tin said: “We are anticipating a better financial performance in 2H FY2008 compared to 1H FY2007. Over the longer term, we are confident of securing more high-value and more complex projects.” Established in 1990 and listed on the Singapore Exchange since April 2003, Technics Oil & Gas is a one-stop specialist services provider to the oil and gas industry in the Asia Pacific region. Its customer base include major oil and gas companies, builders and operators of oil-rigs, semi-submersibles and floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) ships. |
| SOLAR: REEEP supports World Bank initiative on lighting Africa |
| Friday, 16 May 2008 | |
|
(EnergyAsia, May 16, Friday) --- Last week in Ghana, 52 short-listed finalists of the international Lighting Africa competition were assessed by an international juror panel who selected 16 finalists. The Development Marketplace competition was part of a broader Lighting Africa 2008 conference held in Accra from May 5 to 8. Also in attendance and serving as a speaker was Alfred Ofosu Ahenkorah, a member of REEEP’s governing board and executive secretary Ghanaian Energy Commission. After receiving over 400 proposals on innovative solutions for off-grid lighting for Africa from 54 countries, including 38 African countries, the Development Marketplace’s team of international assessors selected 52 projects that competed for the winning titles. “Selecting the finalists was not an easy task,” said Dr Osterkorn. “We were very impressed with all the projects submitted to develop improved lighting products and services for low income households in Sub-Saharan Africa and they all offered sound business opportunities.” Dr Ahenkorah commented that the winning projects would have major health benefits for the African continent. “All projects selected will have direct impact on the lives of Africans including improved lighting quality for households, improved health impacts from higher quality lanterns and increased school retention and improved grades,” he said. Anil Cabraal, lead energy specialist at the World Bank and one of the directors of the ‘Lighting Africa’ programme noted that “this was the first global business conference for off-grid lighting. It brought together over 400 participants from around the world to support the private sector in the innovation and delivery off-grid lighting products and solutions for Africa. “These activities are aimed at accelerating access to non-fossil fuel-based, low cost, safe, clean and reliable lighting products with associated basic energy services.” The Development Marketplace has been a key component of the ‘Lighting Africa’ programme and 2008 business conference. REEEP has been a key strategic partner in this effort. Attending the ‘Lighting Africa 2008’ global conference were representatives from the lighting industry, international financial institutions, the private sector, government agencies, academia, and non-governmental organisations. The Lighting Africa Development Marketplace Competition was funded by REEEP, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility (PPIAF), the World Bank, the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP), Good Energies, and the Governments of Netherlands and Norway. |
| SINGAPORE: Gasoline at record level well above S$2.10 per litre as oil companies raised fuel prices |
| Friday, 16 May 2008 | |
|
(EnergyAsia, May 16, Friday) --- Singapore’s oil companies have again raised pump prices, with posted gasoline prices now well above S$2.10 per litre and diesel at more than S$1.76. (US$1=S$1.36). The company said it will continue to offer “promotional price discounts” on both fuels. Another major retailer, Caltex, also raised its gasoline prices by S$0.02 and diesel by S$0.10 per litre. Its three grades of gasoline now cost S$2.136, S$2.210 and S$2.336 while its diesel sells for S$1.763 before discount. |
| BIOFUELS: The rise and fall of crop-based fuels |
| Thursday, 15 May 2008 | |
|
(EnergyAsia, May 15, Thursday) --- Just a year or two ago, every plantation company in Southeast Asia was clamouring to jump on board the biofuels bandwagon. Then, somebody discovered or rather began promoting biodiesel as the miracle fuel created from crops as the world worried about global warming and rising oil prices. Unglamorous palm oil was suddenly on the front and back pages of newspapers sharing the limelight with David Beckham. It was a no-lose proposition: local farmers would start making decent money for a change, the environment would suffer less if people used renewable crop-based fuel instead of the fossil stuff, and long-suffering motorists had a recourse to relying on OPEC and all those greedy oil companies. As quickly as it came to town, the biofuels circus is now turning into a major embarrassment and political liability. Environmental groups and scientists are disputing the idea that biofuels are necessarily green and carbon-negative. The recent outbreak of food riots and famine around the world has partly been blamed on the rush to produce fuel ethanol and palm oil-based biodiesel. Worse, the sharp rise in palm oil and ethanol prices have killed off the viability of many biofuels plants. You know biofuels are out of favour when Asia’s leading agribusiness group, Wilmar International, actively discouraged reporters from delving on the subject at this week’s briefing on its first quarter financial results. In 2005, the company was proudly announcing its venture to build a biodiesel plant on Jurong, which it then cancelled a few months later. Even though biodiesel accounted for less than five percent of Wilmar’s revenue of US$7.14 billion, reporters sensed a good story, and repeatedly probed the company’s officials. Today, Wilmar operates three plants on Indonesia’s Sumatra island. As a result of the high cost of palm oil, the company operated only up to 80% of the plants’ combined capacity of 1.05 million tonnes per year, said executive director Chua Phuay Hee. The Singapore-listed company derived the bulk of its revenue from producing crude palm oil, laurics, oilseeds, grains, consumer products, and operating its plantations and palm oil mills. The company has been criticised by environmental groups including Greenpeace for contributing to Indonesia’s deforestation problems in expanding its oil palm plantations. In recent months, Wilmar has been stepping up its campaign to engage its critics. When asked if the biodiesel hype is wilting under all that political, economic and environmental pressure, Mr Chua said that the fuel is still very popular in Europe. Also, the idea for producing fuels from crops isn’t dead yet. Company officials added that it is looking into developing algae as a feedstock for biofuels. SOURCE: http://renewablesreport.blogspot.com/
|
| CHINA: Zhou Dadi to head up US foundation Carnegie's energy and climate programme in Beijing |
| Wednesday, 14 May 2008 | |
|
(EnergyAsia, May 14, Wednesday) --- Zhou Dadi, former director general of the Energy and Research Institute of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) in China, has joined the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace to run the Beijing arm of its Energy and Climate Program. “Zhou’s vast experience, expertise, and deep knowledge of China will add enormous value to our efforts to improve mutual understanding between the United States and China of what each side needs to do to achieve energy security and a livable global climate, and how they can cooperate in doing so.” Mr Zhou said: “I am delighted to join Carnegie to work on improving cooperation between the United States and China on energy and climate change issues. Further cooperation can only be incredibly beneficial for both countries.” William Chandler, director of the Carnegie Energy and Climate Program, said: “Dadi has devoted his career to technical excellence and international cooperation. His skills will help our nations reach practical climate solutions.” Zhou Dadi is director general (emeritus) of the Energy Research Institute (ERI) of the National Development and Reform Commission, where he served as director general for eight years. Earlier, he served in ERI for 22 years as research professor and vice director, focusing on energy economics and energy system analysis. Mr Zhou has been a prominent intellectual leader in China’s energy import and export reform policies, energy price reform, energy efficiency policy, and climate change. He now serves as a member of the Expert Committee of the Energy Field of the 863 Program of China (which reports to the State Council). Zhou Dadi was educated in Beijing, earning his B.S. in 1970 in the Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, and his M.S. in 1976 in the Department of Environmental Engineering, also at Tsinghua University. He is a member of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP) of Global Environment Facility; deputy director, Executive Office of the China Green Lights Program; chief scientist for the Expert Team of China for Working Group III of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC); lead author of the Third Assessment Report, IPCC WG III (Mitigation); chairman of the Board of Directors of the Chinese Energy Economics Society; executive member of the Board of Directors of the Chinese Society of Energy Research; board member of the Chinese Society of Sustainable Development; and board member of the Chinese Society of Input/Output Research. Mr Zhou has served as a consultant to the World Bank, Global Environmental Facility, and many other organizations around the world, and has been a visiting fellow at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and visiting scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) in the US. Mr Zhou co-founded the Energy Efficiency Center in Beijing in 1992 in cooperation with PNNL and LBNL. Zhou Dadi received the OECD Climate Technology Initiative (CTI) Global Climate Leadership Award in 2000. He has participated in more than 30 key research projects and published more than 50 papers and books. He speaks native Mandarin and is fluent in English. The Carnegie Energy and Climate Program aims to provide leadership in global energy and climate policy. The program integrates thinking on energy technology, environmental science, and political economy to reduce risks stemming from global change and competition for scarce resources. It will create new products and collaborate with Carnegie experts around the world to provide information and change the way policy makers think about energy policy. The Carnegie China Program in Beijing and Washington provides policy makers in both countries with a better understanding of the dynamics within China and between the US and China. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is a private, nonprofit organisation dedicated to advancing cooperation between nations and promoting active international engagement by the US. |
| CLIMATE CHANGE: Green group accuses World Bank of funding projects that contribute to global warming |
| Tuesday, 13 May 2008 | |
|
(EnergyAsia, May 13, Tuesday) --- An environmental group has launched a campaign to stop the World Bank from setting up what it says are funds that contribute to global warming and pollution. It said that long-time environmental activists know that the World Bank’s investments have regularly gone toward projects that damage the environment, emit major amounts of greenhouse gas pollution, and negatively impact communities and human rights in the developing world. “Now it wants to be the arbiter of huge pots of money intended to tackle global warming,” said FOE. The group said it has documented the World Bank’s record of causing environmental damage and short-changing the poor while supporting rich corporations. It said that through its private investment arm, the World Bank has worked with the world’s richest nations to invest upwards of $3 billion in new greenhouse gas producing projects. Despite this record of downgrading environmental concerns in the interests of corporate development, FOE said the World Bank is now proposing to manage what it calls climate investment funds, possibly controlling billions of dollars intended to curb global warming. FOE said the oil and gas industry currently receives $1 billion per year, and growing, from the World Bank. In 2006, oil, gas, and power commitments accounted for 77% of the World Bank’s total energy programme. It claims that only about 6% of the fund went to ‘new renewables’ like wind and solar. In April 2008, the Bank approved a $450 million loan for a massive 4,000 megawatt coal project in India, expected to be one of the 50 largest greenhouse gas emitters in the world. The stated purpose of the World Bank’s proposed Clean Technology Fund is to “provide scaled up financing to assist developing countries in transitioning to low-carbon economies.” But neither ‘clean’ nor ‘transformational’ nor ‘low-carbon’ is defined. Building somewhat more efficient coal-fired plants would seem to qualify as ‘clean technology.’ FOE said: “Not surprisingly, the World Bank’s proposed climate investment funds have been heavily criticised by civil society and developing country governments for marginalising their voices and bypassing international climate negotiations. “In many cases, recipient poor countries would have to pay the money back, further indebting those most at risk from global warming to those most responsible for it.”
|
EnergyAsia Partners
Copyright ©2008 Energy Asia - The Strategist Pte - Website Powered by Gratisites
