Friday, September 30, 2016

After getting SEC approval, Pilipinas Shell rushes IPO

After getting SEC approval, Pilipinas Shell rushes IPO

After securing the approval of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC),
Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., a unit of Royal Dutch Shell Plc., decided
to move its initial public offering (IPO) at the Philippine Stock Exchange
(PSE) at an earlier date.

From November 10, Pilipinas Shell now wants to list its shares at the stock
exchange on November 3, while it moved the offer period to October 19 to 25
from October 26 to November 3.

Considered as one of the largest maiden share offerings in the country,
Pilipinas Shell intends to sell up to 300 million primary and secondary
shares with an over allotment option of up to 30 million shares at an offer
price of up to P90 per share.

Of the 300 million firm offer shares, 270 million are secondary shares to be
sold by selling shareholders Shell Overseas Investments B.V., The Insular
Life Assurance Co., Ltd., and Spathodea Campanulata Inc.. Only 30 million
are primary shares.

This means that bulk or P26.48 billion of the proceeds from the share sale
will directly go to these selling shareholders.

Meanwhile, Pilipinas Shell told the Commission that the remaining P2.7
billion the company will get from the issuance will be used to fund its
capital expenditures, working capital, and general corporate expenses.

To be listed on the main board of the PSE, the shares that will be sold
publicly will represent 18.6 percent of the company's outstanding capital
stock.

Pilipinas Shell has long been non-compliant of the country's Oil Dregulation
Law, which requires local oil companies to have at least 10 percent of its
shares sold to the public.

J.P. Morgan was hired by the firm as its global and international book
runner for the deal, while it tapped BPI Capital Corp. as the domestic lead
underwriter and domestic book runner.

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Ref:
http://www.mb.com.ph/after-getting-sec-approval-pilipinas-shell-rushes-ipo/

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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com

PetroVietnam continues 3 year floundering

PetroVietnam continues 3 year floundering

National oil and gas group PetroVietnam posted an on-year decrease in
revenue in the first nine months of this year, continuing the negative trend
of the past three years.

According to a recent report published on the website of the Ministry of
Industry and Trade, during the period PetroVietnam exploited 12.93 million
tonnes of oil. The group's revenue was VND318 trillion ($14.28 billion), a
25.7 per cent decrease compared to the VND428.3 trillion ($19.2 billion)
last year.

Oil prices dropped fast in early 2014 and since then have continued to be
low. According to the group, this has "deeply affected operations as well as
the group's capacity in 2015 and the first nine months of 2016."

"Due to the effect on the exploration operations, the group has been unable
to increase the amount to be exploited in 2016 and the following years," it
said.

The group also said that it has been unable to attract as much investment as
it wanted to "because of the global economic slowdown." Also, exploring in
deep waters far from the shore is more difficult and costs more than in
previous sites, and the group has far less experience in this field.
Moreover, complicated events in the East Sea affected the progress of the
group's projects.

PetroVietnam said that it is trying to decrease expenses in order to
decrease production costs. It is soon going to open new fields and decrease
downtime at all its existing ones. The RC-9 structure at the Dragon field
went online in June, earlier than planned. In the last three months of the
year, the group expects to start production at the Thien Ung and White Lion
fields.

Earlier, PetroVietnam expected the price of crude oil in the last six months
of the year to fall somewhere between $45 and $50 a barrel, and the average
for the whole year to be $45 per barrel. In 2016, it targeted to exploit
25.64 million tonnes of oil and equivalents, 13 per cent less than last
year's actual result of 29.42 million tonnes.

PetroVietnam's revenue and profit have been on a consistent decreasing trend
since 2013. In 2015, the group earned VND293.44 trillion ($13.16 billion) in
revenue and VND30.7 trillion ($1.38 billion) in profit.

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Ref:
https://www.vietnambreakingnews.com/2016/09/petrovietnam-continues-3-year-fl
oundering/


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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com

Philippines: First Gen's Sta Rita unit resumes operations

Philippines: First Gen's Sta Rita unit resumes operations

Unit 20 of the 1,000-megawatt (MW) Sta. Rita combined cycle power plant has
resumed operations ahead of target after the replacement of its damaged
transformer, Lopez-led First Gen Corp. said.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, First Gen said it has
replaced the unit's damaged main generator with the spare main transformer.

Investigation showed the main transformer was damaged after a fault occurred
during its one month scheduled maintenance outage from July 23 to Aug. 26.

First Gen earlier said Unit 20 was supposed to come back online in the first
week of October after deploying the spare main generator transformer stored
within the site.

Unit 20, which has a capacity of 250 MW, is one of four units of the Santa
Rita power plant in Batangas owned and operated by First Gen subsidiary
First Gas Power Corp. (FGPC).

Unit 20 of the Sta. Rita plant was among the nine power plants that went
offline when a series yellow and red alerts were raised in the Luzon grid by
the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) from July 25 to 29.

A yellow alert means means that contingency reserves are below the minimum
level set by the regulator but does not necessarily lead to power outages.

The Department of Energy (DOE) asked the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC)
to investigate whether power players employed anti-competitive behavior
which led to deficient power supply during the period.

The DOE has also initiated the formation of technical audit teams which will
validate the figures submitted by the generating companies and the
distribution utilities which will be used in the delivery of quality,
reliable, secure and affordable supply of energy.

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Ref:
http://www.philstar.com/business/2016/09/30/1628695/first-gens-sta-rita-unit
-resumes-operations


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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com

Thailand: GDP growth raises thirst for power

Thailand: GDP growth raises thirst for power

Energy demand in the first nine months of 2016 rose by 1.1% from the same
period last year, in line with the growing Thai economy, according to the
Energy Policy and Planning Office (Eppo).

Electricity demand rose by 4.9%, but the rise was in contrast to a 1%
contraction in natural gas demand, a major source of the country's
power-generating system, said Eppo director-general Twarath Sutabutr.

He said the rise in electricity demand can be attributed to increases in
power purchased from Laos, and the fall in gas demand is likely due to
increasing proportions of renewable power being added to the grid.

Natural gas demand, which makes up 43% of Thailand's total power demand, has
dropped due to the maintenance shutdown in Myanmar and in the Thailand Joint
Development Area (JDA) in the Gulf of Thailand.

"This year, Laos's Hongsa coal-fired power plant started working at full
capacity and was added to Thailand's grid, allowing power purchases from the
neighbouring country to continue to rise substantially," Mr Twarath said.

"Power generated from renewable sources also rose as planned, and we expect
the quantity of renewable power to rise substantially over the next few
years."

Mr Twarath said renewable power produced in the first nine months of the
year was mostly from biomass, biogas and solar farms.

Delays in several solar farm projects, especially in agricultural
cooperatives, have led Eppo to estimate that only 281 megawatts of solar
power will be on the grid next year.

Oil demand in the first nine months grew by 4.8%, as relatively low global
oil prices encouraged motorists to consume more, while Eppo estimated that
Dubai crude oil prices would stay in the range of US$45-$50 a barrel for the
whole of this year.

Mr Twarath said plans to purchase power from Cambodia, and to develop new
coal-fired power plants in the southern region, have yet to progress.

He said demand for natural gas is estimated at 4,726 cubic feet per day,
down 1% in the first nine months because of falling demand in every sector.

Gas demand from the power-generating sector dropped 1.3%, while demand from
the transport sector fell by 8.6% as falling oil prices encouraged motorists
to switch from gas to oil.

Electricity consumption in the first nine months was at 137,424
gigawatt-hours, a rise of 4.9% from the same period last year, in line with
the recovering economy, Mr Twarath said.

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Ref:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/news/1097609/gdp-growth-raises-thirst-fo
r-power


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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com

Cambodia: Study faults contracts for dams' negative impacts

Cambodia: Study faults contracts for dams' negative impacts

Subpar project contracts may be to blame for the destruction of livelihoods
and changes to ecosystems caused by foreign-run hydropower dams, a new
report in the peer-reviewed journal Water has determined.

In a study of the Kamchay dam in Kampot province, operated by the Chinese
firm Sinohydro, researchers from the London-based School of Oriental and
African Studies (SOAS) found that industries relied upon by local
populations, such as bamboo collection and tourism, had been significantly
harmed by the dam.

"Villagers reported they are only able to collect a low quantity of bamboo
since the dam was built. This is because the old bamboo area has been
flooded and the new bamboo area is far away and difficult to access," the
paper reads. "The only livelihood alternative for the bamboo collectors is
to work as construction workers; however the income they can get is not
enough to support their family needs."

Guiseppina Siciliano, the study's main author, maintains that damage to
local ecosystems occurs when it's unclear who should take responsibility for
mitigating a dam's impact - a flaw inherent in the build-operate-transfer
(BOT) contracts favoured in Cambodia, which effectively assign companies
oversight of themselves. Altering contracts could prevent international
companies from flouting local environmental protection laws, she said.

"BOT contracts are more common where there isn't local expertise capable of
running a dam, and these are the most common in Cambodia," Siciliano said.
"This makes it very difficult to define who is responsible, and the way the
company communicates with the government is not very clear."

Instead, countries like Ghana hire foreign firms to run hydropower projects
using engineering procurement and construction (EPC) contracts, Siciliano
said. This allows the government to have more oversight.

"Things were done better in Ghana, the government was involved and
international standards were met," she said.

In the case of the Kamchay dam, for example, Sinohydro violated Cambodia's
environmental impact assessment law by failing to complete an assessment of
the dam until seven months after the project was completed, Siciliano noted.

Meanwhile, advocates say that Cambodia's government and hydropower companies
should communicate more closely with local residents.

"Right now, their assessments aren't open to local communities, and
sometimes they don't even do them," said Mory Sar of the Cambodian Youth
Network, which educates young people on the impact of dams. "The
consultation process isn't open and the voices of the people are ignored."

Un Chakrey, of the World Wildlife Foundation, agreed.

"We propose building smaller dams that would have a minor impact on the
river and only produce a little less electricity," he said. "But no one
listens."

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Ref:
http://m.phnompenhpost.com/national/study-faults-contracts-dams-negative-imp
acts

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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com

Scandal at Thai Wind Concern Threatens US$2 billion IPO

Scandal at Thai Wind Concern Threatens US$2 billion IPO

Fugitive whistle-blower's revelations hint at battle over corporate control

Asama Thanyaphan, the 40-year-old corporate accounts manager at Thai
renewable energy firm Wind Energy Holdings, posted her resignation letter to
bosses on a quiet Friday afternoon in Bangkok, on the eve of this year's
long Labor Day weekend.

By the time offices reopened and the company's human relations department
received her note, Asama was on the run in Laos, fearing for her safety. The
unfolding scandal at WEH which her revelations exposed suggests that the
founder of WEH, Nopporn Suppipat, and its new owner, Nop Narongdej, are at
war over control of the company after Nopporn was forced to flee Thailand
following accusations of lese majeste.

Asama's resignation letter - which she also sent to all of the
privately-held company's major shareholders - contained serious allegations.
KPN Group, which acquired Wind Energy in June of 2015, allegedly made
irregular withdrawals of Bt300 million (US$8.67 million) from the wind power
firm's accounts, Asama wrote, enclosing copies of bank statements as
evidence. Worse, she said, she had been ordered by her managers to falsify
the accounts in order to conceal the withdrawals from shareholders.

Auditors Resign

KPMG, the external auditor for WEH, resigned shortly afterwards, refusing to
endorse the 2015/6 accounts. For WEH and its new owners at KPN, this was
much more than a minor inconvenience. The wind power company was supposed to
be close to a US$2 billion IPO, already delayed from its original target
date of Q1 2016. Without an audited annual financial statement - or even an
external auditor - WEH had no immediate prospect of going public. The IPO
was stalled.

More than four months after her decision to become a whistleblower, Asama
says she and her family are being harassed by people working on behalf of
WEH management. As a result, she has begun talking to the media.

"I'm speaking out because I'm concerned about the safety of my family and
the repeated violations of my privacy," Asama told Asian Sentinel. "Men
working for WEH have made menacing calls to my mother and my husband, and
they are trying to intimidate me by saying they can track my movements via
my mobile phone signal and my immigration records."

Firm's Funds Diverted to Gifts

Asama says she became concerned about irregular withdrawals from the WEH
account by the company's new managers in late 2015. There were also concerns
that KPN Group President Nop Narongdej was misusing WEH funds. In October
2015, Nop Narongdej gave his mother in law a birthday gift - a new S-Class
Mercedes, purchased with WEH funds.

Also, in December 2015, Nop's wife Poruethai moved 15 staff of her company
Guts Entertainment into the WEH headquarters, displacing WEH staff and
causing significant discontent in the company, according to several former
employees.

But the biggest red flags were the withdrawal of the Bt300 million in three
instalments in late November 2015, and the subsequent instruction to conceal
the transactions.

"I couldn't accept what I believe to be irregularities in the accounts, and
I couldn't accept the distortion of facts and being told by WEH executives
to manipulate the accounting records," Asama said.

It's extremely rare in Thailand for senior employees like Asama to reveal
corporate malfeasance - the law gives whistleblowers no protection and they
risk being sued for defamation - a criminal offence in Thailand with severe
penalties. Nevertheless, she decided to quit her job and reveal her
concerns, but initially only shared the details privately with WEH
shareholders, rather than speaking out publicly.

Allegations Ignored

She was so concerned about her safety that she left Thailand immediately
after resigning from WEH, going first to Laos and then Malaysia, while
awaiting news that her allegations were being taken seriously and
investigated. Instead, however, there has been no sign of serious
investigation of her complaints, and in over the past couple of months
harassment of her family has increased.

The escalating harassment may be due to the fact that WEH signed a contract
in August with Grant Thornton Thailand to be its new auditor. On Friday,
September 30, WEH will hold an EGM for the accounts to be approved. Asama
believes WEH management want to minimize any chance that her revelations
will prevent Grant Thornton from giving the accounts a clean bill of health
and clearing the way for an IPO. WEH has been given an IPO valuation of at
least US$2 billion by two leading US investment banks.

"I am a key witness who knows about all irregularities at WEH while I was
working there," Asama said. "So I am being intimidated because they want to
show me they're powerful people and I shouldn't mess with them. Of course I
am afraid, but I still want to do the right thing."

KPN Group and WEH chief executive Emma Collins failed to respond to multiple
direct requests for comment on the allegations. Ian Pascoe, CEO and managing
partner of Grant Thornton in Thailand, said his firm was aware of the
allegations but would not be commenting on them.

"As part of our work, we will be thoroughly investigating all allegations
and providing our comments to our client," Pascoe said. "Any questions in
relation to our work should be addressed to our client."

Broader Questions

The unfolding scandal raises broader questions about what is going on at
WEH, which is Thailand's leading wind energy firm, having already put two
commercial scale wind farms into operation and with a larger pipeline of
development projects than any of its rivals. In particular, why would KPN
Group be putting the lucrative planned IPO at risk by making irregular
withdrawals of funds from WEH?

The answer, according to sources with knowledge of the situation, lies in
the strange circumstances surrounding the rushed sale of WEH to KPN Group
back in June 2015. KPN is a rather unfocused little conglomerate with
diverse interests in real estate and a music academy, and its announcement
that it had acquired WEH surprised many analysts who doubted the Narongdej
family had the financial clout to afford such a transaction.

To understand how Nop Narongdej came to own WEH, we need to go back to an
evening in November 2014, when Nopporn Suppipat, founder of the wind power
firm, found his life suddenly turned upside down.

Nopporn had become increasingly well known as one of Thailand's youngest
billionaires due to the success of WEH, and was #31 on the Forbes list of
Thailand's richest tycoons in 2014. He was also an outspoken supporter of
pro-democracy movement, in contrast to most of Thailand's business elite who
tend to be extremely reactionary.

Enter the Prince

In October 2014, Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, the pretender to the Thai
throne, decided to divorce his third wife Princess Srirasmi and launched a
purge of her relatives. Srirasmi's three brothers, one of her sisters, her
parents, her uncle, and several other relatives were arrested and jailed on
charges of lese majeste for allegedly exploiting their connections to the
crown prince to benefit various illicit businesses.

Nopporn was also caught up in the purge, accused of hiring Srirasmi's
brothers to intimidate a recalcitrant former business partner into reducing
the debt he claimed he was owed. He fled Thailand on the same night he
learned that police were about to arrest him, and was eventually granted
political asylum in France.

It was no longer tenable for WEH to launch an IPO - or even to make progress
with its pipeline development projects - with a political fugitive as its
major shareholder. So a sale to KPN Group was rushed through without
sufficient due diligence, according to senior current and former WEH
employees.

KPN lacked the funds to pay for WEH, they said, and rushed to borrow via
short-term bills of exchange. When this fell short, the sources say, WEH was
looted for some of the funds to pay for the acquisition.

Relations between Nopporn and Nop are said to have totally broken down, but
Nopporn declined to comment and Nop failed to respond to several requests
for comment.

Crucial Shareholder Meeting

The focus now is on Friday's shareholders' meeting. Has Grant Thornton
decided to approve accounts that KPMG decided were too toxic to touch, and
have they decided to ignore Asama's allegations? "It's unusual, because
usually the big accounting firms are very wary of this kind of risk," said a
senior executive at one of the Big 4 accounting firms in Bangkok. "I hope
they know what they are doing."

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Ref:
http://www.asiasentinel.com/econ-business/thailand-wind-cscandal-threatens-i
po/


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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com

ABB wins Vietnam coal plant automation deal

ABB wins Vietnam coal plant automation deal

ABB has won a repeat order from Doosan Heavy Industries to automate a 600 MW
supercritical coal-fired power plant in Vietnam.

The project is an expansion of the Vinh Tan 4 plant east of Ho Chi Minh City
and once completed, it is die to add an extra 5600 MW to the national grid.
ABB's Symphony Plus automation system will control the plant's boiler,
turbine generator and auxiliaries.

The contract comes after ABB also won an order from Singapore-based Jurong
Engineering to utilise the Symphony Plus system at what will be the largest
combined cycle power plant in Myanmar.Vinh Tan 4 plant east of Ho Chi Minh
City

The 225 MW plant, which is due for completion in 2018, is in the Myingyan
district of Mandalay and is the country's first gas-fired power station. It
will be operated by Sembcorp Utilities and supply power to Myanmar Electric
Power Enterprise under a 22-year power purchase agreement.

Symphony Plus system will control the entire facility, including the
turbine, heat recovery steam generator and its auxiliaries, and
balance-of-plant.

Speaking at Asia Power Week in Seoul last week, Manjay Khazanchi, head of
the Asia Pacific hub of ABB's Power Generation unit, said: "A huge
transformation in energy demand is taking place globally, and the focus is
now on Asia.

"Over the next two decades, Asia accounts for three-quarter of projected
global energy demand, driven by rapid industrialization, population growth
and urbanization. While the world is moving away from coal, Asia's
dependence on it is becoming inevitable."

"Even so, the deployment of clean coal technology will represent more than
half of total installed capacity, ensuring higher efficiency and lower
emissions from coal generation."

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Ref:
http://www.powerengineeringint.com/articles/2016/09/abb-wins-vietnam-coal-pl
ant-automation-deal.html


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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Thai solar co BCPG pockets USD 166m from IPO

Thai solar co BCPG pockets USD 166m from IPO

Thai renewable power producer BCPG Plc (BKK:BCPG) raised THB 5.75 billion
(USD 166m/EUR 148m) in its initial public offering (IPO) and started trading
on the Stock Exchange of Thailand today.

The company will use the proceeds for business expansion at home and abroad
through 2020. It already has 138 MW of contracted operational solar power
capacity, including 118 MW in Thailand and 20 MW in Japan, and 186 MW of
solar projects under development, 12 MW at home and 174 MW in Japan.

In the IPO this month, the Bangchak Petroleum (BKK:BCP) subsidiary sold 55.9
million shares to shareholders of BCP, and 534.1 million to general
investors. The IPO shares, amounting to a 29.6% stake in BCPG, were priced
at the top of the preliminary price range of THB 9.80 to THB 10.00.

The company will not limit its future plans just to solar power as it
intends to also invest in geothermal, wind, biogas, biomass and
waste-to-energy projects, it said previously.

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Ref:
http://renewables.seenews.com/news/thai-solar-co-bcpg-pockets-usd-166m-from-
ipo-541227


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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com

Philippines: ERC defers approval of 9 power supply agreements

Philippines: ERC defers approval of 9 power supply agreements

Responding to the concerns of Department of Environment and Natural
Resources (DENR) regarding the issuance of Environmental Compliance
Certificates (ECC), the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has delayed the
approval of as much as nine power supply agreements and contracts.

A document showed that ERC "resolved to hold in abeyance" the processing of
pending applications for approval of power supply agreements without the
required ECC from DENR.

"The Commission received a letter from the DENR informing it of the ongoing
re-evaluation of the Environmental Compliance Certificates and further
requesting that the Commission suspend the process of approvals of any power
supply agreements pending before it in light of this re-evaluation," ERC
said in an order.

"The Commission shares the DENR's concern in ensuring the protection of the
environment and is determined to help safeguard the people's right to a
balanced and healthful ecology in accordance with the Constitution," it
added.

In separate files, ERC decided to put on hold the approval of the Power
Supply Agreements (PSA) between Mariveles Power Generation Corporation
(MPGC) and five companies including Manila Electric Co. (Meralco).

"Relevantly, the initial evaluation of the above-captioned application,
together with its annexes disclosed that that the Mariveles Power Generation
Corporation has not yet secured an ECC for the power plant subject thereof,"
ERC said.

"The foregoing considered, the processing of the instant application is
hereby held in abeyance," it further said.

Other companies that MPGC would like to have separate PSAs and Power Supply
Contracts (PSC) with are: Global Luzon Energy Development Corporation
(GLEDC), Tarlac I Electric Cooperative, Inc. (TARELCO I), Aurora Electric
Cooperative, Inc. (AURELCO), and Pampanga II Electric Cooperative, Inc.
(PELCO II).

ERC also didn't give the green light to the PSA between Palawan Electric
Cooperative, Inc. (PALECO) and Delta P, Inc. (DELTA P) as well as between
Cagayan Electric Power and Light Company, Inc. (CEPALCO) and Minergy Power
Corporation (MPC).

Because of the same reason, ERC haven't yet allowed Misamis Oriental II
Electric Service Cooperative, Inc. (MORESCO II) and Astronergy Development
Mindanao, Inc. (ASTRONERGY) to proceed with their Renewable Energy Supply
Agreement.

ERC likewise hold its go signal to the Electric Power Purchase Agreement for
the Unit 2 between the Iloilo I Electric Cooperative, Inc. (ILECO I) and
Palm Concepcion Power Corporation (PCPC).

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Ref:
http://www.mb.com.ph/erc-defers-approval-of-9-power-supply-agreements/

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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com

Clenergy joins Powerful Blueplanet business collaboration in Thailand

Clenergy joins Powerful Blueplanet business collaboration in Thailand

Clenergy, the leading solar mounting solution provider, is pleased to
announce that it has joined the Powerful Blueplanet business collaboration
project launched by PEA Encom and Fah Chai Engineering (FCE) in Thailand.
The project aims to develop Thailand's solar potential and to provide
innovative and reliable solar solutions for the Thai market. PEA Encom and
FCE jointly held their initial press conference on September 21.

Both PEA Encom and FCE are major renewable companies in Thailand. PEA Encom
International develops and invests in renewable energy power projects,
including wind, solar and biomass power projects. Fah Chai Engineering has
provided turnkey solutions and EPC services for renewable energy power
projects in Thailand since 2001. Clenergy is excited and honored to be an
integral part of this business collaboration between PEA Encom and FCE,
along with Kaco, the famous German inverter provider and Hanwha, the smart
PV cell provider.

During the conference, the collaboration's management team discussed the
future and direction of solar energy in Thailand. The solar market has a
bright potential and will grow by an estimated 20 percent annually. The
market is also backed by robust government policies. Each representative
introduced their latest products and service and announced plans to develop
additional innovative solar products for the Thai market.

Andy Ye, Vice General Manager of Clenergy, attended the event's panel
discussion and expressed his confidence in this collaboration. "This project
will make a brighter future for the developing Thai solar energy market,"
said Mr. Ye. He also explained how Clenergy's products and technologies will
strengthen this collaboration. "Our process begins with understanding client
requirements from engineering design to testing," he added. "Clients can
rest assured by our product quality. For example, our latest product, the
PV-ezRack SolarRoof EVO and Carport series, emerged from the recent Typhoon
Merenti essentially intact."

On September 15, Typhoon Meranti made landfall in Xiamen, the headquarters
of Clenergy, with average measured winds of 48meters per second on average
and peaks of 58meters per second, making it the strongest typhoon to ever
hit Xiamen.

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Ref:
http://www.altenergymag.com/news/2016/09/28/clenergy-joins-powerful-blueplan
et-business-collaboration-in-thailand/24744/


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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com

Philippines: ERC defers decision on 2 Meralco PSAs

Philippines: ERC defers decision on 2 Meralco PSAs

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has put off decision on the two power
supply agreements (PSAs) of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) with two power
generators which have yet to secure environmental compliance certificates
(ECC).

These deals include Meralco's PSA with Mariveles Power Generation Corp.
(MPGC) and Global Luzon Energy Development Corp. (GLEDC), which were signed
last May.

Under the deal, Meralco will purchase up to 528 Megawatts (MW) of capacity
from MPGC, a joint venture between the San Miguel Group and Meralco PowerGen
Corp.

MPGC will build a 4x150-MW circulating fluidized bed coal-fired power
generating facility in Mariveles, Bataan scheduled to start operating by
2020.

On the other hand, Meralco's agreement with GLEDC covers the purchase up to
600 MW of capacity.

GLEDC intends to construct a 2x335-MW coal-fired power generating facility
in Brgy. Luna, La Union, which is scheduled to become operational by 2022.

Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1
ERC said initial investigations revealed MPGC and GLEDC have not yet secured
an ECC for their respective power plants from the Department of Environment
and Natural Resources (DENR).

In July, the DENR asked the power regulator to suspend the process of
approvals of any PSA in light of an ongoing re-evaluation of ECCs.

The ECC certifies that the proposed project or undertaking will not cause a
significant negative impact on the environment, containing specific measures
and conditions that must be accomplished by the project proponent before and
during the operation of the project.

It also certifies that the proponent has complied with all the requirements
of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) system and has committed to
implement its approved Environmental Management Plan.

"The commission shares the DENR's concern in ensuring the protection of the
environment and is determined to help safeguard the people's right to a
balanced and healthful ecology in accordance with the Constitution," the ERC
said.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Ref:
http://www.philstar.com/business/2016/09/29/1628383/erc-defers-decision-2-me
ralco-psas


--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com

The Southeast Asian Clean Energy Opportunity: Navigating the Risks

The Southeast Asian Clean Energy Opportunity: Navigating the Risks

The quest for energy security is driving policymakers in Southeast Asia to
review their energy mix, but policy, insufficient utility support and grid
stability, and a lack of transparency in the permitting process could hold
back much needed investment in clean energy in the region.

As regional economies have moved from being fuel exporters to importers, and
given the volatile geopolitical situation elsewhere with trouble continuing
to brew in the Middle East and in Russia-Ukraine, smaller countries in
Southeast Asia are looking for ways to have more control over their domestic
energy supply.

Policymakers are also cognizant of the increasing energy demand across the
region as the regional economies continue to grow. Between 2015 and 2040, in
the New Policies Scenario, Southeast Asia will need a cumulative $2.4
trillion in investment in energy supply.

Renewing the Energy Mix in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia is blessed with good irradiation from the sun; certain
countries have great wind resources that can be tapped and others have rich
hydro resources.

Various targets have been proposed in different countries for different
energy mixes. Governments are continuing to make new policies or enhance
existing ones, which are acting as catalysts for investment in the region's
renewable energy space. These long-term plans are further broken down into
implementation targets in the area of solar, wind and hydro, with smaller
targets to be met by specific dates. As these targets are achieved, more
lessons are learned and that drives further commitments.

In the region, Thailand started focusing on renewable energy in earnest
about four years ago. The Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam have followed
with various projects materializing periodically. Early phase success has
won the confidence of policymakers and private investors, thereby increasing
activity in this space.

Electricity prices in Southeast Asia are high, or will likely be so if
fossil fuel subsidies are taken away-and this has started happening. For
example, Indonesia has started to pull back on subsidies. This makes
renewable energy a competitive-and often compelling-proposition.

Southeast Asia also has a long history of private investment-whether
domestic or foreign. As a result, there are many benchmarks in place that
give comfort to the private sector. At a micro level-apart from policy at
the macro level-one of the key elements in infrastructure investment of any
kind is the execution and permitting process-and while greater efficiencies
in this regard are still needed, things have improved.

Dealing with Risks

Though policy has improved in recent years, this area remains a key risk.
Chief among those risks is the possibility of a material change of a policy,
particularly reverting back to a greater reliance on fossil fuels. Another
one remains the slow implementation of policies, in which case private
investors lose patience and divert their attention and money to alternative
geographies.

A second major challenge in Southeast Asia is the insufficient utility
support and grid stability. For example, in the Philippines, a sudden swing
in power generation by solar plants owing to solar overcapacity in Negros
led to curtailment. The grid in many parts of Southeast Asia does not have
the capacity to manage the new, intermittent sources of additional power.
Investment is required in the grid for the utility companies to effectively
manage these new sources.

The third risk confronting investors is around efficiency and transparency
in the permitting process. Different markets have different types of
policies to promote private investment, and sometimes there are question
marks about how and why decisions are made, which can be disturbing for
prospective investors.

In the Philippines, permitting works on a "first come, first served"
basis-but how does one determine who has met the appropriate criteria? It
can be very subjective and opaque. If the developers are not checked
thoroughly enough and results disclosed transparently, the whole process can
stalemate. This is, in fact, happening already, where the Philippine
national Energy Regulatory Commission has put on hold decisions on feed-in
tariff allocations owing to complaints made to the Department of Energy from
developers that certain solar projects were not fairly evaluated.

Project Bankability Concerns

Southeast Asia's energy requirements are immense, and despite the
governments' best efforts to promote private investment in renewable energy
to address the energy shortfall, it is going to be hard to meet future
energy demand.

Many projects are being built on a smaller scale using just equity and no
debt because the banks, due to a variety of factors, are not always willing
to lend to developers until infrastructure projects become operational.
Additionally, in order to meet tight policy implementation deadlines, there
is often not enough time to arrange full project finance from the banks,
which can take up to nine months. These factors limit the availability of
truly bankable projects.

As a result of these factors, despite the availability of the right
ingredients in the form of an abundance of resources and a strong government
push for renewable energy, annual investments in the renewable energy sector
are much lower than required.

Can Governments Inspire More Confidence?

Process is always a factor in Southeast Asia. Investors have some empathy
for policymakers who want to make sure they are making forward-looking
decisions, but occasionally, it takes governments too long. The market is in
a stop-start scenario in many countries in the region and momentum gets
lost. The Thai solar sector is a good example, where new planned phases of
purchase power agreement issuance have stalled several times. As the region
looks to draw private investment, this is a risk as overseas investors
always have the choice of where to put their money-as a result of this, some
countries could lose out on potential investments.

Another issue to address is the permitting bottleneck, which can create
uncertainty for investors. For instance, developers need to obtain multiple
certificates and approvals for any project from multiple government
agencies, and this can be prohibitively time-consuming due to its complexity
and lack of interdepartmental collaboration. However, this is an evolving
situation and things will change as authorities gain more experience.

Finally, all these processes and decisions need to be made more transparent.
Investors worry about some idiosyncratic policies and indeed reversals in
policies that can have a retroactive impact on the investment. To continue
to generate and retain private sector interest in the sector, policymakers
need to be more consistent, efficient and transparent.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Ref:
http://www.brinknews.com/asia/the-southeast-asian-clean-energy-opportunity-n
avigating-the-risks/


--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com

Philippines: Shell, Emerson modernize Malampaya automation systems

Philippines: Shell, Emerson modernize Malampaya automation systems

Emerson has upgraded automation technology to improve the reliability of
Shell's Malampaya gas production facilities offshore and onshore the
Philippines.

Gas from the Malampaya field powers generating stations that provide up to
40% of electricity on the island of Luzon, home to more than 48 million
people.

Emerson's team helped Shell execute a planned upgrade of the control system,
networks, and valve equipment on the Malampaya production platform, and also
the safety system on the related onshore gas processing facility.

The program was designed to ensure the shortest possible downtime and the
safety of the more than 75 workers involved.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Ref:
http://www.offshore-mag.com/articles/2016/09/shell-emerson-modernize-malampa
ya-automation-systems.html


--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com

Mainstream, GE team up to build $1.5bn wind projects in Vietnam

Mainstream, GE team up to build $1.5bn wind projects in Vietnam

Ireland-based renewables developer Mainstream Renewable Power is partnering
with GE Energy Financial Services to build and operate large-scale wind
power plants in Vietnam.

Mainstream Renewable said that the deal will complement a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) signed in May 2016 between GE and the Vietnam Ministry
of Industry and Trade for installation of 1GW of wind capacity.

As part of the deal, GE will be responsible for providing funding and the
technology for the wind power plants. Mainstream will bring in its
experience in development, construction and operations.

The projects, which will include both greenfield and partially developed
sites, will receive financing through a Mainstream and GE Energy Financial
Services joint development agreement.

Mainstream Renewable Power COO Andy Kinsella said: "Delivering low-cost
renewable energy in high-growth markets such as Vietnam is Mainstream's key
strategic focus.

"We have a strong track record as a leading developer in Africa and South
America, we look forward to expanding our operations in Asia and working
with GE to bring much needed power to Vietnam."

Kinsella was reported by The Wall Street Journal as saying in an interview
that GE and Mainstream plan to invest $1.5bn for the development of the wind
projects in the country.

Vietman aims to increase its power output from 194-210 billion kWh in 2015
to 330-362 billion kWh in 2020.

Construction on the projects is scheduled to commence in 2018.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Ref:
http://wind.energy-business-review.com/news/mainstream-ge-team-up-to-build-1
5bn-wind-projects-in-vietnam-280916-5018169


--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com

Thailand Gets Strong Interest On Waste-to-Energy Power Plan

Thailand Gets Strong Interest On Waste-to-Energy Power Plan

Private companies have shown strong interest in Thailand's plan to add up to
50 megawatts (MW) of waste-to-energy power capacity to cut down on the
nation's reliance on natural gas, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC)
said.

About 25 companies submitted applications to build and operate such plants
after the commission started seeking contract proposals on Thursday. The ERC
will accept proposals until Sept. 28 and the winners will be announced on
Oct. 28, Viraphol Jirapraditkul, director of the ERC, told reporters.

Thailand is aiming to double the waste energy capacity for electricity to
600 MW by 2036, from 311 MW in 2014, according to its latest power plan.

Winners of the 20-year contracts, to be based on feed-in tariff rates, will
be required to sign power purchase contracts by Feb. 25, 2017, and start
supplying power by December 2019, Viraphol said.

Each company winning a contract can build a plant of up to 9.9 MW in
capacity, with an estimated investment per plant in the range of 1.2 billion
baht-2.0 billion baht ($35 million-$58 million), he said.

Companies submitting proposals include waste management company General
Environmental Conservation Pcl, Superblock Pcl, Better World Group Pcl, WHA
Corp and Glow Energy Pcl.

By 0915 GMT, shares in General Environmental had surged 9.5 percent,
outperforming a 1.24 percent rise in the main stock index. WHA had gained
1.24 percent, while Better World rose 1.77 percent.

Thailand uses natural gas for 65 percent of its power generation and wants
to reduce its dependence to 40 percent over the next two decades and focus
more on renewable power and other fuels, according to its latest power
development plan.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Ref:
http://www.downstreambusiness.com/thailand-gets-strong-interest-waste-energy
-power-plan-589601?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTVRJelpqa3daVEJtTVRKaSIsInQiOiJnbUpDT2p4T
2pQb0Jzekg5dExFNWhZanJPSkRKbzhkSjZ6djVzMk1aTzQrQjdZTXJOMURnSk9WN1RIb2JMNXhve

k5TOStmOE9nRzJzOTlPckhxcjB6Q0g0Yk9vSEVsM2RYV3VMZXRhcWhXND0ifQ%3D%3D

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Laos intends to pay Thai debts with electricity

Laos intends to pay Thai debts with electricity

Laos is planning to repay Thailand for debts incurred due to energy imports
in previous years, local media reported on Monday.

Laos has accumulated debts to the Electricity Generating Authority of
Thailand (EGAT) to some 174 million U.S. dollars.

Lao state-run online newspaper Vientiane Times on Monday quoted an official
from Electricite du Laos (EDL) as saying that EDL has incurred this debt
over a period of time but that EGAT had not requested payment of the debt so
far.

"We may not repay with money but we will be able to pay them back with
electricity," he said.

The amount of power generated by EDL in Laos has grown rapidly while
domestic usage has remained relatively stable.

Laos and Thailand exchange electricity via EDL and EGAT. When Laos has a
shortage of electricity because of population or business growth, it can
sought electricity from Thailand through its transmission lines.

The official said Laos had accumulated debt after using more electricity
from Thailand, estimating that the debts started to mount up in 2008 to
2009.

At that time, many Lao hydroelectric plants were still under construction
and were not supplying power domestically.

Currently, EDL generates a surplus of electricity which is sold to Thailand
and other neighboring countries.

According to Thai Energy News Center website's report earlier this week,
Director of the Energy Policy and Planning Office in Thailand, Twarath
Sutabutra, said Laos is in debt to Thailand to the tune of nearly 6 billion
baht (173 million billion U.S. dollars). It has set up a working group to
review the framework for cooperation in the exchange of electricity between
EGAT and EDL, to find ways to free EDL from its debt.

It may be up to Laos to increase electricity through transmission lines at
more than two points in order to compensate for Lao electricity deficits.

EGAT has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with EDL earlier this month to
increase the purchase of electricity from 7,000 megawatts to 9,000
megawatts. The agreement stipulates an additional five interlinked power
grid supplies.

Thailand and Laos also signed a cooperation agreement for the exchange of
electricity between EGAT and EDL, with Laos to supply an extra 494 MW if
there is excess electricity, which can be sent to Thailand via the
transmission lines.

Meanwhile, in the case of a power shortage in Laos, Thailand will sell
electricity back to Laos through the same transmission lines.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Ref: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-09/27/c_135715325.htm

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com

Cambodia: Study faults contracts for dams' negative impacts

Cambodia: Study faults contracts for dams' negative impacts

Subpar project contracts may be to blame for the destruction of livelihoods
and changes to ecosystems caused by foreign-run hydropower dams, a new
report in the peer-reviewed journal Water has determined.

In a study of the Kamchay dam in Kampot province, operated by the Chinese
firm Sinohydro, researchers from the London-based School of Oriental and
African Studies (SOAS) found that industries relied upon by local
populations, such as bamboo collection and tourism, had been significantly
harmed by the dam.

"Villagers reported they are only able to collect a low quantity of bamboo
since the dam was built. This is because the old bamboo area has been
flooded and the new bamboo area is far away and difficult to access," the
paper reads. "The only livelihood alternative for the bamboo collectors is
to work as construction workers; however the income they can get is not
enough to support their family needs."

Guiseppina Siciliano, the study's main author, maintains that damage to
local ecosystems occurs when it's unclear who should take responsibility for
mitigating a dam's impact - a flaw inherent in the build-operate-transfer
(BOT) contracts favoured in Cambodia, which effectively assign companies
oversight of themselves. Altering contracts could prevent international
companies from flouting local environmental protection laws, she said.

"BOT contracts are more common where there isn't local expertise capable of
running a dam, and these are the most common in Cambodia," Siciliano said.
"This makes it very difficult to define who is responsible, and the way the
company communicates with the government is not very clear."

Instead, countries like Ghana hire foreign firms to run hydropower projects
using engineering procurement and construction (EPC) contracts, Siciliano
said. This allows the government to have more oversight.

"Things were done better in Ghana, the government was involved and
international standards were met," she said.

In the case of the Kamchay dam, for example, Sinohydro violated Cambodia's
environmental impact assessment law by failing to complete an assessment of
the dam until seven months after the project was completed, Siciliano noted.

Meanwhile, advocates say that Cambodia's government and hydropower companies
should communicate more closely with local residents.

"Right now, their assessments aren't open to local communities, and
sometimes they don't even do them," said Mory Sar of the Cambodian Youth
Network, which educates young people on the impact of dams. "The
consultation process isn't open and the voices of the people are ignored."

Un Chakrey, of the World Wildlife Foundation, agreed.

"We propose building smaller dams that would have a minor impact on the
river and only produce a little less electricity," he said. "But no one
listens."

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Ref:
http://m.phnompenhpost.com/national/study-faults-contracts-dams-negative-imp
acts

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com

BCPG lists on Thai stock exchange today, eyes further growth in renewables sector

BCPG lists on Thai stock exchange today, eyes further growth in renewables
sector

BCPG, which is to make its debut on the Stock Exchange of Thailand today,
says that in growing its global renewable-power business, its strategy will
focus on portfolio investment rather than acquisitions of power plants'
assets.

The company says it expects this method to generate decent returns and help
ensure strong and sustainable growth.

BCPG, a subsidiary of diversified oil refiner Bangchak Petroleum (BCP), has
expanded to Japan through its acquisition of SunEdison's entire solar-power
business in that country for nearly US$80 million (Bt2.76 billion). It
intends to use the newly acquired subsidiary to expand further in Japan and
other countries.

This month, the company raised Bt5.9 billion through an initial public
offering of 590 million newly issued shares at the IPO price of Bt10 per
share to a specific group of BCP shareholders and to public and
institutional investors and the company's patronage.

BCPG currently owns domestic and overseas solar power plants with an
aggregate contracted capacity of 324 megawatts. The solar plants in Thailand
have an aggregate contracted capacity of 130MW, consisting of projects that
have begun commercial operation (118MW) and those in the development phase
that are expected to begin commercial operation by this year-end (12MW).

It also has solar plants in Japan with an aggregate contracted capacity of
194MW consisting of projects that have begun commercial operation (20MW) and
those in the development phase (174MW).

Bundit Sapianchai, president of BCPG, said it was now ready for the first
trading day on the SET under the ticker symbol "BCPG", and expressed
confidence that the stock would receive sound feedback from investors,

BCPG will use the funds raised from IPO to finance expansion of its
renewable-power business both domestically and internationally. The
expansion projects will involve various categories of power plants,
including solar, geothermal, wind, biogas, biomass and waste-to-energy,
which it says employ advanced eco-friendly technologies, and are expected to
increase the company's aggregate installed capacity to 1,000MW by 2020.

"Our investment targets are not limited to those in North Asia and Southeast
Asia. We also explore the possibility of investing our capital in other
regions. We will base our decisions to invest on the type of fuel [suitable
for each respective country] and on expected returns on investment," Bundit
said.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Ref:
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/BCPG-lists-on-Thai-stock-exchange-t
odayeyes-furthe-30296331.html


--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com

ASEAN members states chart course to renewable energy future

ASEAN members states chart course to renewable energy future

Energy Ministers from across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) met on 23rd September at the 34th ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting
(AMEM) to accelerate efforts to boost renewable energy deployment in the
region.

ASEAN Member States are currently on track to source 17 per cent of their
combined total primary energy supply from renewables by 2025. To achieve the
target of 23 per cent by 2025 set by ASEAN at the 33rd AMEM, the region must
rapidly accelerate the deployment of renewables.

To help enable the needed energy transition, the International Renewable
Energy Agency (IRENA) and the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) gave Ministers a
preview of a soon-to-be-released joint study on the potentials, costs, and
benefits of renewable energy in the region.

Renewable Energy Outlook for ASEAN – a REmap analysis, provides detailed
technological and sectoral options for ASEAN countries to close the gap
between the current and targeted share of renewables in the regional energy
mix.

"ASEAN Member States are endowed with some of the best renewable energy
resources in the world," said Adnan Z. Amin, IRENA Director-General. "The
analysis from IRENA and ACE shows that reaching the 23 per cent target in
the ASEAN region is not only feasible, but cheaper than the alternative.
Doing so however will require more emphasis on renewables across all
sectors, including heating, cooking and transport."

Sanjayan Velautham, ACE Executive Director added that "This study will help
ASEAN achieve its aspirational renewable energy target. Beyond that, it will
also help the region achieve the four pillars under the ASEAN Plan of Action
for Energy Cooperation: energy security, accessibility, affordability and
sustainability for all."

According to the study, the combined energy demand of the ten ASEAN Member
States – Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic
Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and
Vietnam – will grow 50 per cent by 2025.

This will increase emissions by 60 per cent and generate USD 225 billion per
year in associated health and pollution costs. When considering these added
costs, the savings generated through achieving a 23 per cent share of
renewables are greater than the increased investment required to do so.

"While the share of renewables each Member State can realistically achieve
varies, the fact remains that all ASEAN countries can contribute to the 23
per cent goal in their own way," said Dolf Gielen, Director of IRENA's
Innovation and Technology Centre. "We hope this new joint study will help
chart the course for more action on renewables in the region."

To date, the study has engaged all 10 ASEAN Member States and more than 60
experts through in-depth technical workshops and review webinars. It has
also received support from the Renewable Energy Support Programme for ASEAN,
a project jointly implemented by ACE and Deutsche Gesellschaft für
Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the Federal Ministry
for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

The full study is expected to be released in October, 2016.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Ref:
http://www.eco-business.com/news/asean-members-states-chart-course-to-renewa
ble-energy-future/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily%20Digest%2027092016&u
tm_content=Daily%20Digest%2027092016+CID_2b225e14f6d89f6db3ebc355c831f884&ut
m_source=Campaign%20Monitor


--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com

Indonesia power plant initiative hits snag

Indonesia power plant initiative hits snag

Dark clouds are already looming over the centerpiece of a gigantic
infrastructure improvement initiative announced by the Indonesian government
a year and a half ago.

Plans to build power generation plants with a combined output of 35,000
megawatts, positioned at the core of the initiative to spend 5,400 trillion
rupiah ($413 billion) on infrastructure by 2019, have hit a snag due to
successive cancellations and postponements of bids and delays in the
procurement of land.

Although the government is stepping up efforts to lure investment, such as
upgrading its repayment guarantee, skepticism about its ability to meet the
power generation target is growing stronger.

In April, the state-owned power company Perusahaan Listrik Negara, or PLN,
suddenly canceled a tender for a 2,000MW power plant in Java, one of the
largest power generation facilities in Indonesia. A Chinese-Indonesian
consortium, including an Indonesian state-owned construction company, and a
major Japanese trading house were reported to be preparing bids.

PLN attributed the cancellation to a bungled bidding procedure, without
offering details. It remains unknown when bidding will be reopened.

The bidding procedure was characterized by an extreme lack of transparency,
and investors will shun Indonesia if the situation continues, said Supangkat
Iwan Santoso, former head of the Independent Power Producers Association of
Indonesia.

New power plants that began operating in or after 2015 had a total capacity
of about 170MW, as of the end of June, less than 1% of the target for 2019.
In addition, more than 80% of the land needed to lay electric power cables
has yet to be purchased. Under the circumstances, it is impossible to meet
the target for power generation, Santoso said.

For Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who is seeking to stimulate regional
economies, improving power generation systems is a priority that cannot
wait. His administration plans to meet rising demand for power consumption
in Indonesia, which is forecast to double per person by 2025, while raising
the domestic electrification rate -- or the rate of access to electricity --
to almost 100% from the current 88%.

Funding requirements for the target are estimated at 1,100 trillion rupiah,
roughly equal to Indonesia's annual tax revenue. The government plans to
finance 70% of the sum with investments from the private sector such as
independent power producers, such as independent power producers. At an
international conference in Jakarta in April 2015, Widodo called for
investments from participants, promising them "incredible profits."

The power generation project got off to a strong start. PLN CEO Sofyan
Basir, who was given the post because of the management skills he
demonstrated at a state-owned bank, picked participants in the project one
after another. He signed contracts with independent power producers and
others to buy 17,300MW, half the targeted power output, in 2015 alone. He
intended to conclude contracts by the middle of this year to cover the rest,
according to a person involved in the project.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Ref:
http://asia.nikkei.com/Politics-Economy/Economy/Indonesia-power-plant-initia
tive-hits-snag


--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com

Malaysia: KNM proposes US$80 mil Thai bonds to fund bio-ethanol plant

Malaysia: KNM proposes US$80 mil Thai bonds to fund bio-ethanol plant

KNM Group Bhd is proposing to issue bonds in Thailand of up to US$80 million
equivalent in Thai Baht guaranteed by Credit Guarantee and Investment
Facility (CGIF), a trust fund of the Asian Development Bank.

To recap, KNM Renewable Energy Sdn Bhd had on May 19 completed the
acquisition of the entire equity interest in Asia Bio-Fuels Ltd and Asia
Biofuels II Ltd (ABL Group). Upon completion of the deal, ABL Group now owns
a combined 72% equity interest in Impress Ethanol Co Ltd (IEL) and a 49%
equity interest in Impress Farming Co Ltd.

In a filing to the exchange today, KNM said the construction of IEL's Phase
1 bio-ethanol plant with a production capacity of 200,000 litres of ethanol
per day is ongoing.

"The construction of Phase 2 of the bio-ethanol plant for an additional
200,000 litres (of) ethanol per day is expected to commence by the first
half of 2017, due to the favourable ethanol market demand in Thailand.

"Accordingly, the group is proposing to undertake the proposed Thai bonds to
raise the funds required by IEL," said the firm.

KNM said the proceeds from the proposed Thai bonds will be used to provide
foreign currency lending to IEL, which will in turn use the proceeds to
finance future expansion and working capital expenses for its bio-ethanol
plants.

"With the credit guaranteed from CGIF, the proposed Thai bonds has been
assigned a credit rating of AAA/Stable (Triple A/Stable Outlook) by TRIS
Rating Co Ltd," said KNM.

The group shared that the proposed Thai bonds is expected to be fully issued
by December 2016.

"The total costs related to the proposed issuance to be incurred in the
fourth quarter of 2016 is estimated at approximately RM1.1 million, the
interest payments shall be dependent on the final coupon rates to be fixed,"
said the firm.

The gearing ratio of KNM as at Dec 31, 2015 is 0.27 times. After the
completion of the proposed Thai bonds, the group's total debts will increase
from RM718.5 million as at Dec 31, 2015 to about RM1.03 billion, and its
gearing ratio is expected to increase to 0.38 times based on the total
equity as at Dec 31 last year.

KNM shares closed 0.5 sen or 1.22% lower at 10.5 sen for a market value of
RM874.45 million.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Ref:
http://www.theedgemarkets.com/my/article/knm-proposes-us80-mil-thai-bonds-fu
nd-bio-ethanol-plant


--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com

Thailand: Small solar energy producers face cut in rate

Thailand: Small solar energy producers face cut in rate

THE National Energy Policy Committee yesterday agreed to reduce the tariff
for small solar energy producers.

Energy Minister General Anantaporn Kanjanarat said the supreme energy board
has resolved to revise the feed-in-tariff for very small power producers
that use solar energy since production costs have come down significantly
due to a reduction in the price of solar panels and related equipment.

The new tariff will be Bt4.12 per kilowatt-hour (unit) for a purchase period
of 25 years. The previous price was Bt5.66 per kilowatt-hour. Developers in
the Southern border provinces will get a Bt0.50/unit premium.

The Energy Regulatory Commission will work with involved agencies to set
targets in line with the Alternative Energy Development Plan 2015 and submit
them to the NEPC.

The NEPC, chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, also acknowledged the
latest results from PTT negotiations which called for a 20 per cent
reduction in the price it pays Shell Eastern Trading and BP Singapore for
liquefied natural gas. The reduction will reduce the payments to Shell,
during its 15-year contract, and BP's 20-year-contract by a combined total
of Bt115 billion.

The energy board also agreed that the Ministry of Energy would postpone the
auction of expiring petroleum concessions due to delay in the amendments of
the laws by the National Legislative Assembly. The board yesterday extended
the auction process to next September.

Chevron's Thai unit holds concessions to operate the Erawan gas field, while
PTTEP operates the Bongkot gas field. The two have combined production of
2.2 billion cubic feet per day, or 76 per cent of output in the Gulf of
Thailand. The concessions are due to expire in 2022 and 2023 respectively.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Ref:
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Small-solar-energy-producers-face-c
ut-in-rate-30296253.html


--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com

Philippines: Power grid capacity rises over 1,000 MW

Philippines: Power grid capacity rises over 1,000 MW

MORE than 1,000 megawatts (MW) of new power capacity have been added to the
electricity grid in the first half of 2016, bringing the country's total
installed capacity to 20,055 MW as of June, latest data from the Department
of Energy (DoE) show.

"Coal power plants remain the major source of Philippine power generation at
46%, with additional plants to come online in the latter part of 2016," the
DoE said.

On Luzon, 662 MW had been added to the grid while projects with an expected
capacity of 637 MW went into testing and commissioning phase. The latest
data brings the main island's total capacity to 14,348 MW as of June 2016.
The additional capacities in Visayas and Mindanao were 281 MW and 328 MW,
respectively.

"Additional capacities from January-June 2016 mainly comprised coal and
solar power plants which added 703 MW and 520 MW to the total installed
capacity. Other additional capacities from January-June 2016 are oil, hydro
and biomass at 36 MW, 1 MW and 12 MW, respectively," the department said in
its report.

On the Luzon and Mindanao grids, coal remained the dominant power source at
48.5% and 40.2%, respectively. Geothermal topped Visayas at 47.2%. Natural
gas is the second top source in Luzon at 32.3%, while coal was the
second-biggest in Visayas at 38.9% and oil-based plants occupied the same
position for Mindanao at 28.8%.

On the demand side, electricity consumption in the first half hit 38 million
megawatt-hours (MWh), of which sales accounted for 76%. Systems loss made up
11%, with Luzon proving to be the most efficient as it recorded its systems
loss at 10% of the generated electricity, or less than half Visayas' 24%.
Mindanao had 11%. Residential users accounted for 27%, while commercial and
industrial consumers had 23% and 22%, respectively.

The DoE said Luzon reached a new all-time high system peak demand at 9,726
MW, which occurred at 2:00 p.m. on May 3, with a corresponding 11,137 MW in
available capacity.

"This is 9% higher than the 2015 peak demand at 8,928 MW," the DoE said.

In the Visayas, peak demand hit 1,878 MW at 2:00 p.m. on May 11 with a
corresponding 2,141 MW available capacity. The peak was 6% higher than
2015's 1,768 MW.

Highest system peak demand in Mindanao at 1,593 MW happened at 1:35 p.m. on
June 8, as against 1,641 MW in available capacity. The peak was 5% more than
last year's 1,517 MW.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Ref:
http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Economy&title=Power-grid-cap
acity-rises-over-1,000-MW&id=134040


--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com

Indonesia to auction 20 MW Gunung Hamiding geothermal project

Indonesia to auction 20 MW Gunung Hamiding geothermal project

The Ministry for Energy and Mineral Resources is seeking applications in a
pre-qualification for the 20 MW Gunung Hamiding geothermal project in the
province of North Maluku, Indonesia.

The Director General for New, Renewable and Energy Conservation at the
Ministry for Energy and Mineral Resources in Indonesia has launched a
pre-qualification for the Gunung Hamiding geothermal working area.

The project is located in the North Halmahera Regency in the North Maluku
province.

Participants are to have experience in geothermal, upstream oil and gas,
mining and minerals or power plant development.

Companies interested in qualification for the auction have time to register
throughout September 27 to October 20, 2016. Details can be found on the
EBTK website.

The actual announcement and details about the working area can be found in
this pdf.

Estimated reserves of the geothermal working area of Gunung Hamiding are 265
MW at an estimated reservoir temperature of 250-300 centigrades.

The working area has a size of 42,100 hectares with a planned plant capacity
of 20 MW. The highest reference price is 22.6 cent US$/kWh), Energy Ministry
ministerial decree no. 17, 2014, and the expected commercial operation date
(COD) target : 2024.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Ref:
http://www.thinkgeoenergy.com/indonsia-to-auction-20-mw-gunung-hamiding-geot
hermal-project/


--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com

Thailand: Extra LNG eyed for long term

Thailand: Extra LNG eyed for long term

The government approved yesterday PTT Plc's purchase of 2 million tonnes of
liquefied natural gas (LNG) a year for 15-20 years to secure the country's
natural gas supply.

Energy Minister Anantaporn Kanjanarat said the National Energy Policy
Committee chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha approved a long-term
plan for PTT to buy an additional 1 million tonnes of LNG per year each from
Shell Eastern Trading (PTE) Ltd and BP Singapore PTE Ltd. The first lot is
due to be delivered by the middle of next year.

The values of the long-term deals are estimated at about 115 billion baht,
or 20% cheaper than the previous deals thanks to lower oil prices. The
purchase plan must still receive cabinet approval.

The company currently has a long-term contract to buy 2 million tonnes of
LNG a year from Qatargas, while its expanded LNG receiving terminal in Map
Ta Phut will soon have a storage capacity of 10 million tonnes a year, up
from 5 million. The new terminal is expected to start operation by early
next year.

Tevin Vongvanich, PTT president and chief executive, said one reason it
needs to import more LNG is depleting natural gas in the Gulf of Thailand.
Its plan to diversify power sources by building coal power plants is still
staunchly opposed by environmental activists.

The company plans to import 3 million tonnes of LNG this year, rising to 5
million next year, he said.

Gen Anantaporn said the ministry is studying LNG domestic demand. The study
is likely to be completed next month.

Thailand is at risk of being short 6,300 megawatts of electricity in 2021
because of a possible disruption of up to 9 million tonnes of LNG stemming
from the lack of further investment in the Erawan and Bongkot gas fields,
said the Energy Policy and Planning Office (Eppo).

Production concessions for the two blocks -- Bongkot, operated by PTTEP, and
Erawan, operated by Chevron -- are due to expire in 2022-23.

Production is falling and the two operators are unlikely to invest more,
forcing Thailand to increasingly rely on imported LNG for power generation.
Thailand's LNG storage terminal capacity is only 11 million tonnes a year,
while demand stands at about 20 million tonnes, said Prasert Sinsukprasert,
the Eppo director-general.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Ref:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/news/1095813/extra-lng-eyed-for-long-ter
m

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com

Laos: Two companies join hands to develop Nam Boun II hydropower plant

Laos: Two companies join hands to develop Nam Boun II hydropower plant

The Khamphan Engineering Company and Chitchaleun Construction Company (CCRC)
have signed a joint venture agreement to continue conducting a study and
surveying for construction of the Nam Boun II hydropower plant in Bounneau
district, Phongsaly Province.

The Nam Boun II hydropower plant, with installed capacity of 15 MW, is an
investment of about 267 billion kip (US$33 million). The construction work
is expected to be completed in about 30 months.

Forty per cent of the shares will be held by the Khamphan Engineering
Company and 60 per cent by CCRC. Once construction is complete, all
electricity generated by the dam will be purchased by Electricite du Laos.

The signing ceremony for the joint venture was held in Vientiane Capital on
Sept 20 between Director General of the Khamphan Engineering Company, Mr
Khamphan Chittavong and Assistant President of the CCRC, Mr Vet Malavong in
the witness of relevant officials of both sides.

Nam Boun II hydro power plant will contribute to the development of
infrastructure in the local area, promote commercial production, and improve
the living standards of local people.

It will also contribute to the government's national socio-economic
development plan to graduate the country from Least Developed Country status
by 2020.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Ref: http://kpl.gov.la/En/Detail.aspx?id=17408

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com

Indonesia: Gov't to Build Solar Power Plants in Alor

Indonesia: Gov't to Build Solar Power Plants in Alor

Boni Marisin, Head of the East Nusa Tenggara Mining and Energy Agency said
that the government is planning to build solar power plants (PLTS) in five
locations in the Alor District, West Manggarai, and Rote Ndao.

Boni said that the plan was proposed by the Energy and Mineral Resources
(ESDM) Ministry.

"We will begin construction in 2016 using the state budget [APBN]," Boni
said.

Boni said that the program is one of the ESDM Ministry's attempt to
encourage renewable energy development throughout Indonesia.

The ESDM Ministry's "Indonesia Terang" (Bright Indonesia) program is
expected to generate 1,000 Megawatt as part of the 35,000 megawatt national
electricity program.

"The five solar power plants will supply sufficient electricity to
surrounding villages," Boni said.

Boni added that the East nusa Tenggara Mining and Energy Agency will
continue to encourage private sector to make investments in renewable energy
development.

"We have lots of potential, such as sea current, hydropower, wind and
geothermal, which can be exploited to develop renewable energy," Boni
stated.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Ref:
http://en.tempo.co/read/news/2016/09/27/056807583/Govt-to-Build-Solar-Power-
Plants-in-Alor


--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com

1,285-MW Baleh hydropower plant gets go-ahead from Malayasian state

1,285-MW Baleh hydropower plant gets go-ahead from Malayasian state

Malaysian developer Sarawak Energy has received formal approval from the
Sarawak state government for its 1,285-MW Baleh hydroelectric plant.

The go-ahead comes after the state approved Baleh's social and environmental
impact assessment reports last year, according to Sarawak Energy CEO Datuk
Torstein Dale Sjotveit, and will allow work on the first of eight
construction packages to begin by the end of this year.

The plant is to be located on the Baleh River about 95 km from its
confluence with the Rajang River and will not require any resettlement.

Sarawak Energy said it anticipates about 3,500 jobs to be created during the
project's construction phase -- many of which the company hopes to fill
through partnership with local technical institutions and other educational
initiatives in the Kapit region.

"Participation from local contractors will result in management, technology
and knowledge transfer from our international contractors to build up the
local capacity and capability so they can prepare for future opportunities
locally and abroad," Torstein said.

Baleh will be Sarawak Energy's second hydropower facility to be launched
under the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) initiative, following
the 944-MW Murum plant.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Ref:
http://www.hydroworld.com/articles/2016/09/1-285-mw-baleh-hydropower-plant-g
ets-go-ahead-from-malayasian-state.html?cmpid=EnlHydroSeptember272016&eid=28
7675795&bid=1539249


--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com

Indonesia's largest wind farm project propels green transition

Indonesia's largest wind farm project propels green transition

The 60MW South Sulawesi wind farm project is seen as a key step towards
helping the country achieve its ambitious target to increase renewable
energy generation to 23 per cent by 2025.

Indonesia's national energy company, PT. PLN, has signed a deal with an
international group of investors led by Singapore-headquartered energy and
infrastructure specialist Equis to build the country's first large-scale
renewable energy project.

Signed on September 19 in Copenhagen, the 60MW capacity South Sulawesi wind
farm will be Indonesia's largest wind farm yet and is seen to help achieve
the country's ambitious goal of adding 35,000MW of additional energy to its
current supply, with 23 per cent coming from renewable sources, by 2025.

Rini Soemarno, Indonesia's minister for State-Owned Enterprises, and Lars
Christian Lilleholt, Danish minister for Energy, Utilities and Climate,
witnessed the signing ceremony. Danish company Vestas Wind Systems, the
world's largest producer of wind turbines, also signed a conditional
agreement to provide the wind turbines for the project.

The start of construction and commissioning dates for the wind farm project
have yet to be announced, but a news site said the wind farm project
comprising 21 wind turbines is expected to be completed by 2017.

Green energy proponents and investors are viewing the South Sulawesi project
as an impetus for Indonesia, the fifth biggest CO2 emitter in the world, to
transition to green energy.

The country signed the Paris Agreement at COP21 last year where it announced
a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 29 per cent by 2030.
Indonesia has yet to ratify the Agreement.

Casper Klynge, Danish ambassador to Indonesia, said: "I am proud that
Denmark and Danish companies can assist Indonesia by providing
state-of-the-art green energy solutions to support the government's
objective."

Vestas CEO Anders Runevad said Indonesia's wind energy has great long-term
potential. "We are confident this project can help pave the way for
additional wind power investments in Indonesia."

The collaboration for the wind farm project is a result of a long-running
cooperation between Indonesian and Danish government authorities and private
sector companies.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Ref:
http://www.eco-business.com/news/indonesias-largest-wind-farm-project-propel
s-green-transition/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily%20Digest%2028092016&
utm_content=Daily%20Digest%2028092016+CID_bef77d72a74a9d7618a84a3a0dc5c1cf&u
tm_source=Campaign%20Monitor


--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com

Myanmar's hydropower investors urged to zero in on sustainability

Myanmar's hydropower investors urged to zero in on sustainability

In Asia, 700 million people live without electricity. To meet Asia's growing
energy demands, hydropower projects in the Mekong region are developing
fast. In Myanmar alone, hydropower potentials top 100MW - the region's
highest. If realized sustainably, the energy produced could benefit 34
million people, or about 66 percent of the population that currently live
without access to electricity. This is coupled with Lao People's Democratic
Republic's energy generation potentials, which could bring electricity to
nearly all rural households by 2020, drive business growth, and generate
income to reduce poverty.

The challenge, however, is to develop this natural resource sustainably.
Asian Power recently caught up with the president of Hydropower Developers'
Working Group, Myanmar, Aung Zaw Naing as he discussed why Myanmar needs to
focus on project sustainability in the hydropower sector.

Myanmar has ambitious hydropower targets but is always plagued by project
delays and still remains to be among the least-powered countries in SEA.
Given these, is it still possible to achieve the nationwide electrification
target by 2030?

The government faces a spectrum of challenges in the electrification target
process, from generation, transmission, distribution, to grid efficiency.
Private sector investments in the power generation sector will help the
financing requirement of the entire sector's development, and thus
accelerate the electrification process.

To encourage private sector investments, investors would need clear, private
sector-minded and sustainable policy and regulations which help the
bankability of such capital-intensive projects. This in turns reduces the
financial cost of borrowing and consequently achieves production cost
efficiency. Clear and sustainable policies also create a level playing field
for all investors, which encourages more private sector investment.

When it comes to sustainability, Myanmar still has a long way to go in
hydropower. What is lacking in Myanmar's hydropower sector so that this may
be addressed?

The Hydropower Developers' Working Group was developed on the basis that the
private sector has a key role to play in the sustainability of Myanmar's
hydropower sector. Our businesses rely on more sustainable operations if
they are going to have a higher return in the long-term. Sustainability is
not achieved overnight; it's going to require everyone working together.
Myanmar members will benefit from accessibility to international developers
who have tremendous experience working globally. These developers would be
able to help raise the level of awareness of international best practices in
environmental, social and corporate governance standards. The coming
together of the local and regional companies will strengthen the overall
sector and ensure we have world-class hydropower companies operating in
Myanmar coupled with local companies with improved know-how.

Also, if we share information better, we will be a step closer to achieving
sustainability. The Hydropower Developers' Working Group plans to promote
improved information sharing between its members including hydropower
companies, consultants, legal firms and suppliers and the government and
other stakeholders.

I agree - better engagement of stakeholders is the way forward if we are
going to achieve sustainability. The HDWG is planning to hold annual forums
where we can discuss sector concerns and challenges with stakeholders. We
are hoping for the HDWG to become a platform for developers to better reach
out to all stakeholders and likewise, a means for stakeholders to address
all members collectively. With this model we are aiming for higher impact.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Ref:
http://asian-power.com/people/exclusive/myanmars-hydropower-investors-urged-
zero-in-sustainability


--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com

Philippines: Ambitious targets to accelerate green-certified buildings

Philippines: Ambitious targets to accelerate green-certified buildings

The Philippine Green Building Initiative (PGBI) is aiming to achieve more
than ten certified buildings by the end of this year by joining forces with
IFC, as noted by Ramon Aguilos, vice president for PGBI's administration and
operations.

Through the collaboration, PGBI has authorized for EDGE certification
projects in the Philippine. According to Aguilos, many developers have taken
the interest for EDGE certified buildings in the country. The EDGE
certification focuses more on the quantitive aspect; where actual reduction
in energy, water usage, as well as conservation of resources measured in
actual figures matter.

The IFC said in a statement that they target to have every new building meet
a 20 percent reduction in energy, water and embodied energy in materials.
Moreover, EDGE certification only accepts green building measures with a
return on investment (ROI) of three years or less.

Some of the projects in the Philippines have already been EDGE certified,
including the Promavera Residences condominium towers A and B in Cagayan de
Oro by Italpinas Development Corporation, Imperial Homes for the affordable
housing units Tiarra Premiere and Delsey in Santo Tomas, Batangas and the
socialized housing project Strikeville 4 in Cavite by Phinma Property
Holdings Corporation. More upcoming EDGE certified projects are expected to
happen in the near future.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Ref:
http://www.asiagreenbuildings.com/14684/philippine-green-building-certificat
ion/?utm_source=Subscribers&utm_campaign=060f9611d3-Newsletter+%23106-1&utm_
medium=email&utm_term=0_439e0b20b1-060f9611d3-108688717


--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com

Sustainable energy options for Cambodia discussed

Sustainable energy options for Cambodia discussed

Representatives from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, the Ministry of
Environment and a handful of climate advocates met in Phnom Penh yesterday
to brainstorm ways the country can transition to a "sustainable energy
future".

Peter Hefele, head of Asia's energy security and climate change at the
Konrad Adenauer Foundation, said yesterday that a transition to renewable
forms of energy was "the biggest issue we focused on" but noted that, in
order to get these energy projects off the ground, Cambodia's energy
sector's regulatory framework would need to be retooled.

Currently, control over Cambodia's electrical grid is centralised, but it
would have to be opened up to introduce renewables into the picture.
Micro-grids that run off of solar panels, for example, would need to be
developed in remote areas that are now disconnected.

"Solar and biomass energy will be especially important in the remote areas
of Cambodia," Hefele said. "Wind opportunities are limited, but biomass is
very important for an agricultural society." However, he added, financing is
still an issue for many of these projects.

"It's easier to get a loan for $500 million for a coal-fired power plant
than it is to get a $500,000 loan for a solar project," he noted, adding
that private investors are often very reluctant.

With that in mind, the government should take out loans and invest its own
money to subsidise solar and biomass projects, he said.

"There is still a gap with pricing, so private-public partnerships could be
an option. The ADB [Asian Development Bank] and the European development
banks are interested in financing green energy," Hefele noted. "But it will
need five to 10 years of support and subsidisation."

There is consensus that large hydropower projects and coal-fired power
plants - which the Kingdom has long pursued - are detrimental for the
environment, and that developing countries could leapfrog the pitfalls faced
by many developed nations by adopting greener technology to meet their
growing energy needs.

However, energy expert Paul Chapman, executive research director of the
consultancy AARN Global, said Cambodia's government is heading in a
different direction.

"The government has an ambitious plan to build out the centralised grid, but
micro-grids could disrupt that," he said. "Micro-grids are harder to control
and that's a risk for the government."

Instead, Chapman said the government often focuses on big energy projects
that rely on hydropower or coal and can easily be integrated into the
central grid. Solar power could eventually be used in the grid, too, Chapman
noted, but it would require complicated engineering skills currently
unavailable in Cambodia.

But when asked whether Cambodia's government appeared prepared to invest in
speeding up the transition to clean energy, Hefele said there is "a lot of
debate" happening now.

"But I always emphasise that they have to find their own solutions," he
said. Other countries have done this and they can avoid some of the pitfalls
from other countries."

Ministry of Environment officials declined to comment.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Ref:
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/sustainable-energy-options-cambodia-di
scussed

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com