Page 11 - AsiaElec Week 41

AsiaElec
NEWS IN BRIEF
AsiaElec
COAL-FIRED GENERATION
DBS urged not to fund Vietnam coal plant
A future coal-fired power station in central Vietnam may soon be funded by Singapore’s DBS Bank, according to environmental groups familiar with the matter.
This is despite DBS announcing in April that it will stop financing new coal-fired power plants after honouring existing commitments.
In a letter to DBS chief executive Piyush Gupta, a group of Japanese and Australian environmental groups - including Kiko Network and Mekong Watch - urged DBS to reconsider funding Vung Ang 2 power station.
This project is located in central Ha Tinh province, near the steel plant of Taiwanese- owned Formosa Plastics, which spilled toxic waste into the sea in 2016, decimating marine life and leaving thousands of fishermen jobless.
The Vung Ang 2 project is sponsored by One Energy Ventures, a joint venture between Diamond Generating Asia - a Mitsubishi Corporation subsidiary - and China Light and Power.
When approached by The Straits Times, DBS said it does not comment on individual projects.
“Our coal policy recognises the absolute need to keep to our carbon cap, our planetary boundaries, but it also recognises this need for balance. Countries in South-east Asia have significant energy needs over the coming decades,” said a DBS spokesman in an e-mail.
“Our coal policy, announced earlier this year, commits us to stop any new coal-fired plant financing after our current
commitments to customers are completed.” Like Cambodia, Vietnam has one of the
fastest growing economies in South-east Asia and has forecast that its power generation will need to rise from around 47,000 megawatts (MW) now to 129,500MW by 2030.
Hydropower and coal currently dominate Vietnam’s energy mix, each making up some 40 per cent of its installed capacity. Vietnam is banking on coal to quickly raise electricity production, while promoting renewable sources like solar.
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY
UN champions faster,
cleaner energy transition in
Asia-Pacific
The Second Session of the Committee on Energy closed today at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) with stronger commitments to power the region with sustainable energy.
The three-day meeting followed the
10th International Forum on Energy for Sustainable Development. Delegates from across the region and sectors investigated core challenges to achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7: Affordable and Clean Energy as well as solutions capitalising on the region’s expertise, leadership and cooperation.
Opening the Committee, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana said, “Access to electricity in the
region is improving and likely to reach close to the 2030 target of 100 per cent access. However, without accelerating the uptake of renewable energy, increasing energy efficiency and promoting clean cooking, we will simply not achieve SDG7 and the other Sustainable Development Goals.”
With the economy rapidly expanding, energy demand in the Asia-Pacific region has almost doubled since 2000. Overreliance on fossil fuels has seen greenhouse gas emissions increase, rapidly leading to climate change. Affordable and secure energy supplies are critical to maintain growth in the region while providing sustainable, modern energy.
To address the rising energy needs in the region, Ms. Alisjahbana cited four strategic policy pathways to hasten the transformation of the energy sector: new approaches to energy financing, energy connectivity, technology and political leadership.
“Let us not forget the enormous
potential of our region for the coming
energy transition. We have an abundance
of clean energy resources such as solar,
wind, hydro and biomass. We have a unique opportunity to enhance our cross-border energy interconnection and exploit these untapped renewable energy resources.
Our region is home to many of the leading companies working on energy technology and innovation,” she added.
Though SDG7 targets are advancing, attaining universal access to clean cooking has been particularly challenging. Nearly
44 per cent of people in Asia-Pacific—
over two billion—still lack access to clean cooking fuel and are exposed to indoor
air pollution – a major cause of premature deaths among women and children. At a session on tackling this hidden problem, the Committee examined the greatest challenges and obstacles in moving away from unclean cooking while analysing the impacts of clean cooking models and solutions.
UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
RENEWABLES
Risen Energy expands
global footprint with 150MW
Module Order from Malaysia
Chinese solar panel maker Risen Energy Co., Ltd. recently announced the receipt of an order to provide 150MW of high-efficiency solar PV modules to a power stations in Malaysia. Malaysia’s Minister of Energy,
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