North China's port city of Tianjin is to invest some 7 billion yuan to speed up smart grid construction, according to a source with Tianjin Electric Power Company. The investment will mostly go to main electric grid construction as well as power distribution network construction and upgrades, according to the source. Main construction works include Jinghai 500 KV power transmission and transformation projec ...

A loan agreement of EUR75 million was recently signed between France and Vietnam for the Pleiku-Cau Bong transmission line . This signature marks a new and important stage in France's commitment to support the economic development of Vietnam, through the strengthening of its electricity network. The project's high-voltage (500kV) electric transmission line will connect Pleiku to Cau Bong, on a 437 km route ...

Bangladesh is likely to enact a new law, named Electricity Bill, 2013, this year, replacing the century-old Electricity Act of 1910 in order to strengthen the power sector. The Power Cell, the government’s policy wing for the sector, is currently working on the proposed Electricity Bill, 2013. The new law would focus on decentralisation of the power sector without triggering the earlier-adopted policy-led r ...

State utility firm PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) announced this week several geothermal power plant projects might be delayed for years due to a variety of issues including land acquisition and technical problems, which is a huge blow for an industry that offers such potential to the Indonesian energy crisis. PLN construction director Nasri Sebayang said that 36 out of 52 geothermal projects included i ...

State Grid Corp. of China, the world’s largest utility by revenue, is in talks to buy Hastings Funds Management’s 25% stake in South Australia state power transmission grid operator ElectraNet for up to 400 million Australian dollars (US$415 million). In November, State Grid bought Powerlink Queensland’s 41.1% stake in ElectraNet for around A$500 million and at a similar valuation, a deal with Hastings coul ...

India will grant environmental clearance only to the import of high-grade coal, which could stymie plans of boosting power generation capacity at large plants that depend on overseas fuel supply. In the face of chronic and severe power shortages, India aims to build at least 16 power plants capable of generating as much as 4,000 megawatts (MW) each, referred to as ultra-mega power projects (UMPPs). Of these ...

Tata Power Company Ltd has carved out a special purpose vehicle to build a robust renewables portfolio. The company plans to invest up to Rs 4,500 crore in the next three years in the SPV, said Rahul Shah, Chief-Business Development, India Business and Renewables of Tata Power. The special purpose vehicle Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd may launch an initial public offer (IPO) or rope in an equity partner i ...

Utilities worldwide spent a total of $13.9 billion on smart-grid technologies in 2012, representing a 7% increase on spending in 2011, according to new research from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). The market-research outfit expects spending to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.4% over the next five years to reach $25.2 billion in 2018. The forecast represents a downward adjustment ...

Heavily subsidised prices for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and natural gas for vehicles (NGV) in Thailand draw dozens of cars daily from Cambodia to refill their tanks in this Thai border town. But complaints that too many Cambodians are getting a free ride, or rather a very cheap one, have led to authorities rationing gas to drivers from the neighbouring country. LPG, which accounts for most of the sales ...

Tanjung Bin Energy Sdn Bhd (TBE), a subsidiary of Malakoff Corporation Berhad (Malakoff/Company), has been awarded four prestigious industry awards namely, Project Finance International’s (PFI) Asia Pacific Best Project Bond of the Year 2012, The Asset’s AAA Best Project Finance Deal, Project Finance Magazine’s (PFM) Asia-Pacific Power Deal of the Year, and Asia Money’s Best Project Financing Award, for its ...