Page 14 - AsiaElecl Week 37

AsiaElec NEWS IN BRIEF AsiaElec

in Asia and the Pacific from 2009 through
2018. Fossil-fueled projects accounted for
about half the bank-backed installed capacity
in that period, according to the report.
The development bank is overly focused on
fossil-fuel projects, according to the CEED.
Besides funding more renewable energy
and smart grid projects, the bank should
target microgrids, the organization said.
“Community microgrids should be
prioritized since they maximize energy access
and are increasingly cost-competitive and
Lower coal imports is good news for the including the hydrogen supply chain bankable,” the group said.
Indian government, which has been looking pilot project with the effective utilization Community microgrids may be attractive
to cut down imports of the fuel. of brown coal in Australia conducted by investments to the development bank through
But fewer shipments by India - the world’s CO?-free Hydrogen Energy Supply-chain aggregation into larger bankable-sized
second largest consumer, importer and Technology Research Association (HySTRA), projects, or, if feasible, through being added
producer of the fuel - will hit miners such as demonstration project of hydrogen to main energy sector projects as a special
Indonesia’s Adaro Energy and traders such as cogeneration system (“Hydrogen CGS”) at energy access component, the CEED said.
India’s Adani Enterprises and London-listed Kobe Port Island, and investigation on the
Glencore Plc. possibilities for the introduction of hydrogen-
Imports of coking coal - used mainly by fueled power generation.
the steel industry - also fell 28.6% to 9.71 In order to accelerate these efforts to RENEWABLES
million tonnes, government data showed. achieve a hydrogen society as well as “Basic
Coal-fired electricity showed signs of Hydrogen Strategy” and “Strategic Roadmap Sembcorp, Google sign deal
recovery during the first half of September, for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells” published by
driven by higher demand in India’s industrial the Japanese government, the companies to tap Singapore’s solar
western states. promoting hydrogen-related business have
Still, coal imports will likely not grow year- joined and founded the Council. The member energy
over year in the near-term, traders say. will conduct feasibility study in pursuit of the
India’s thermal coal imports fell nearly large-scale utilization of hydrogen in 2030’s by Google will pay for power generated from
20% in the eight months ended August, data way of unifying experience acquired through solar panels installed on the rooftops of 500
compiled by Iman Resources - which mainly existing projects and business resources public housing flats across Singapore, which
trades U.S. origin coal - showed. owned by companies operating in Kobe/ energy then will be tapped to power its local
Vasudev Pamnani, senior trader at Iman, Kansai area. operations. The initiative is part of a “multi-
said he doesn’t expect coal imports to grow year” partnership with local energy companies
year-over year till late 2021. Sembcorp Power and Sembcorp Solar.
“Import of coal from the United States, The partnership would enable the solar
Canada and Columbia will be likely hit in the MICROGRIDS power generated to go “directly into the
near-term as they will be less competitive,” electricity supply” of Google’s operations, the
Pamnani said. Philippines group urges US tech vendor said Tuesday. The deal was
its second renewable energy deal in Asia,
ADB to finance microgrid following a “long-term agreement” inked in
January 2019 to purchase energy generated
projects Taiwan’s Tainan City.
HYDROGEN from a 10-megawatt solar installation in
K LINE joins hydrogen The Asian Development Bank (ADB) should in Singapore, Google said: “The deal is
Pointing to its latest collaboration
support community microgrids as part of a
utilisation council shift away from fossil fuels, according to an pioneering the seamless integration of solar
power directly into an existing power supply,
advocacy group based in the Philippines.
Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (KLINE) is pleased to “As the costs of solar and wind which Sembcorp and Google hope is a
announce that KLINE has participated in the technologies have decreased exponentially positive first step towards making renewable
“Kobe/Kansai Hydrogen Utilization Council” and have become competitive with fossil energy more widely accessible for all
founded together with the companies involved fuel technologies, ADB should be looking Singaporean energy users in the future.”
in various hydrogen-related projects with the into community microgrids as attractive Both Sembcorp entities are part of
goal of the implementation of a hydrogen investments…” said the Center for Energy, Sembcorp Industries, an energy and urban
society as well as development of hydrogen Ecology and Development (CEED) in a report development group that currently has almost
supply-chain in the Kobe/Kansai area. released September. 11. 240 megawatt of solar project capacity in
Kansai area is one of the most advanced The report was issued as the bank is Singapore as well as 2,600 megawatts of
area in the world where various world’s preparing to hold a two-day annual meeting wind and solar projects in China, India, and
leading projects concerning hydrogen supply starting Sept. 17. The bank provided about $68 Vietnam.
and utilization are currently underway billion in financial support for energy projects

P14 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 37 16•September•2020