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Tag: energy

  • Vietnam eyes power imports from China, Laos

    Vietnam eyes power imports from China, Laos

    Vietnam might have to import power from China and Laos after 2020, says a senior official.

    “There is a real risk of power shortages in 2021-2023, and the risk will get higher if consumption surpasses forecasts in the coming years,” Hoang Quoc Vuong, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, told the Vietnam Energy Forum in Hanoi on Thursday.

    Although the sole power distributor Vietnam Electricity (EVN) is currently able to meet the country’s demand, there is a strong likelihood that the increasing needs of a 95-million population outstrip the capacity.

    This can happen as early as 2020 if the generators don’t operate well or there is not enough coal and liquefied natural gas (LNG) to produce power, EVN Deputy Director Ngo Son Hai said at the forum.

    While more coal power projects are being built in the south, shortages can happen if these constructions run behind schedule, he noted.

    Power shortage will increase by 7.2-7.5 billion kilowatts hours a year in the southern region for each delayed project, Hai said, adding that there were seven underway at present.

    Southern provinces need more coal power projects be built to provide over 18,000 megawatts needed in the next five years, but none of them have opened yet, he said.

    Power production plans in southern Vietnam in megawattsby 2022Projects under constructionProjects yet to be builtEVN

    Deputy Minister Vuong proposed that Vietnam starts importing electricity from Laos and China, to meet rising demand in the country.

    Vietnam should also create favorable conditions for renewable power projects, like solar and wind power, be developed near high consumption areas, he said.

    Vuong noted encouraging the installation of rooftop solar power systems could be one solution to address the looming power shortage.

    To meet the high demand for power, Vietnam needs to produce 278 billion kilowatt hours in 2020, and this number needs to double by 2030, according to EVN.

    The country’s installed power capacity is estimated to reach 47,800 megawatts by the end of 2018, 5.4 times that of 2003, making the country second in ASEAN and 25th in the world, EVN said.

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  • Indonesia Gov’t Undecided on New Coal Policy

    Indonesia Gov’t Undecided on New Coal Policy

    Indonesia President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo will decide on Tuesday (31/07) whether the government’s policy on coal for domestic use should be revised, considering both the need for price stability and for reducing the current external deficit.

    The government in March set a ceiling price for 25 percent of its coal production bound for state utility company Perusahaan Listrik Negara at $70 a metric ton, in order to keep electricity prices stable ahead of the 2019 elections.

    The quota and price cap mean miners miss out export revenues amid the commodity’s rising global price, to the tune of $5 billion a year, a substantial amount that could reduce Indonesia’s current account deficits, Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan said on Monday (30/07).

    The government may charge a coal sales tax to coal companies at between $2 and $3 per ton to subsidize PLN. A new agency could be established to manage the process.

    The government may also revise the 25 percent quota to allow coal with energy levels above 4,500 kilocalories per kilogram (kcal/kg) or below 4,000 kcal/kg to be exported, because PLN needs it between 4,000 and 4,500 only, said Rosan Roeslani, chairman of Indonesia’s Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), who was present in a discussion with top government officials on Monday.

    All revisions will still need to be discussed with the coal and power industry, and their impact on state revenue would need to be calculated, Luhut said.

    “Even if this happens it will probably be next year at the earliest,” he said.

    Indonesia is the world’s top exporter of thermal coal, and its economy has benefited from rising demand for the dirty fuel — which hit $104.65 a ton in July — the highest since May 2012.

    Expert and consumer groups are against the government’s proposal.

    “Abandoning the domestic coal price will be a blunder policy, which will not increase foreign exchange from coal exports to reduce the balance of payment deficit, but only increases the income of coal businesses as well as the cost of production for PLN,” Fahmy Radhi, an energy analyst at Gadjah Mada University, said in a statement on Sunday.

    PLN would bear $3.68 billion in additional costs to buy coal at the current market price, Fahmy said. Even with the sales tax on coal companies, which is estimated to bring $1.28 billion, PLN would still be left with an additional expense of $2.40 billion.

    PLN has been under financial pressure for the past few years, trying to meet the government’s plan for 35,000 megawatts of additional power capacity.

    In September, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati sent an official letter to Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan and State Enterprises Minister Rini Soemarno, warning of PLN’s poor financial performance.

    The company suffered losses of Rp 6.49 trillion in the first half of this year. In the same period last year it recorded a net income of Rp 510 billion.

    “If the rule is really implemented, then it means the government favors more the interests of a handful of people [coal businessmen] rather than the interests of a larger community — electricity consumers,” Tulus Abadi, managing director at the Indonesian Consumer Protection Foundation (YLKI), said in a statement.

  • Indonesia to Postpone Coal, Palm Oil Insurance Rules by Six Months

    Indonesia to Postpone Coal, Palm Oil Insurance Rules by Six Months

    The Ministry of Trade has decided to postpone for six months the application of rules saying coal and crude palm oil export shipments should use Indonesian insurers, the country’s leading coal industry association said.

    The decision would be the second time that application of the rules, issued in October and due to come into effect on Aug. 1, have been postponed.

    The rules were part of trade regulations intended to boost the role of the archipelago’s shipping industry and save foreign currency. Elements of the regulations were postponed in April to 2020 with little clarification from the trade ministry.

    The decision to postpone the insurance rules was announced by the ministry at a brief meeting with industry representatives on Thursday (26/07), Indonesian Coal Mining Association (ICMA) executive director Hendra Sinadia said.

    “Everybody is very anxious,” Hendra said, referring to coal buyers and exporters confused about how they could put the rules into practice for shipments sold on a free-on-board (FOB) basis, on which the vast majority of Indonesia’s coal exports are sent.

    Under FOB terms insurance is the responsibility of the buyer, Hendra noted.

    Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita is expected to formally announce the decision on his return from a visit to the United States, Hendra added. Enggartiasto is due to return to Jakarta on July 28, according to the trade ministry, though its representatives did not immediately respond to questions on the matter.

    Ido Hotna Hutabarat, chief executive of coal miner Bumi Resources unit Arutmin Indonesia, said the rules were unworkable.

    “This cannot be carried out for FOB sales because we don’t have rights to control the buyer,” he said, adding that FOB shipping terms were preferable as they were lower risk.

    Indonesian Palm Oil Association (Gapki) executive director Mukti Sardjono said on Wednesday Gapki would discuss how to implement the rules with the Trade Ministry. “We hope the implementation of this regulation won’t be a disincentive for exports,” he said.

    Dody Dalimunthe, executive director of the Association of General Insurance Companies of Indonesia (AAUI), said there were 73 Indonesian insurance companies that can cover coal and CPO shipping. “And many companies already use this insurance,” he said.

    Earlier, ICMA chairman Pandu Sjahrir said diplomats from several countries including Japan had asked the trade ministry for a transition period for the insurance rules to come into effect. The Japanese embassy did not respond to a written request for comment.

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  • Malaysia to have ore renewable energy projects in near term

    Malaysia to have ore renewable energy projects in near term

    More renewable energy (RE) projects are expected to come up for bids in the near term as the new Energy, Green Technology, Science, Climate Change and Environment Ministry is committed to push up the nation’s RE capacity.

    MIDF Research, which recently attended the Minister Yeo Bee Yin’s maiden townhall, said the latter pointed that the country already attains abundant reserve capacity of 30%, which is much higher than most countries.

    “While there is no indication of an ideal or target reserve capacity, the new Minister indicated that the abundant reserve capacity gives the industry decent time to build up its RE capacity within the next three to seven years, without the need for much more major new plant-ups in the near-term.

    “This suggests in the near future, sector opportunities could tilt heavily towards RE project awards and a dearth of future fossil fuel plants,” the research firm said in its report last Friday.

    MIDF added that the ministry aims to reduce the reliance on imported fuel by aggressively increasing the RE contribution to the mix from just 2% currently to 20% “in the future”.

    It said the push for RE is not entirely new and efforts had been taken previously to increase RE contribution to the system such as the Large Scale Solar (LSS) projects.

    “Solar accounts for the bulk of Malaysia’s RE. However, there is the issue of getting RE sources to reach grid parity for it to be cost competitive and gain a larger share of generation mix without burdening end-consumers,” it said.

    MIDF also noted that given the indication of excessive reserve capacity, the pace of any major plant-ups in the near-term is likely to be impacted.

    It added that although the new Minister’s intention is to champion RE, it opined that the shift is for RE to eventually dilute contribution from fossil fuel rather than near-term, outright replacement.

    “There is the issue of feasibility to induce RE in a big way into the system too which will have to be sorted out,” it added.

    Positively, MIDF said that most of the incumbent players such as Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) and Malakoff Corp Bhd are already paving way into the RE space (in particular, solar), while Cypark has been moving aggressively into RE in recent years.

    Meanwhile, the research house also highlighted that the four Independent Power Producer (IPP) projects cancellations are likely to hit selective players, the majority of which are likely to be non-listed.

    “Among the major projects in the pipeline, we think Edra’s Track 4B with a massive 2242MW capacity in Malacca could come under scrutiny given that it was a directly awarded project.”

    “While Track 4A (TNB-SIPP) was a controversial project awarded on a directly negotiated basis (previously to the TNB-YTL-SIPP consortium) back in 2014, the project is already well underway (28% completion),” it said, noting that Tadmax is another directly negotiated power plant project at Pulau Indah.

    MIDF said, others might involve LSS project awards such as Quantum Solar which was the first to be awarded LSS projects under the LSS initiative on a direct award basis.

    “Ranhill was recently awarded a 300MW CCGT project in Sandakan Sabah. There has yet to be any development announced on the project so far,” it added.

    Nonetheless, MIDF said it remained positive on the power sector while its top pick include TNB and YTL Power.

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  • Jokowi Opens Indonesia’s First Wind Power Plant

    Jokowi Opens Indonesia’s First Wind Power Plant

    As President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo inaugurated Indonesia’s first wind power plant in Sidenreng Rappang, South Sulawesi, on Monday (02/07), the government is getting closer to its ambitious target of obtaining more than a fifth of the country’s energy from renewable sources.

    The plant, also known as PLTB Sidrap, consists of 30 wind turbines which can produce up to 75 megawatts and electrify 80,000 households. The turbines in 40 percent consist of locally produced components.

    “This puts Indonesia among the few Asian countries that posses wind power plants, like Japan, China and Korea,” Jokowi said in a statement.

    Sidrap started its development in 2015 with $150 million borne by a consortium comprising of UPC Renewables Asia I, UPC Renewables Asia III, Sunedison and Binatek Energi Terbarukan.

    A similar project in Bantul, Yogyakarta, also developed  by UPC Renewables, was shelved in 2017 due to land clearance problems.

    Jokowi seeks to connect 99 percent of Indonesians to the country’s grid by 2019, when his first presidential term ends. Currently, the electrification rate is 96 percent.

    Indonesia aims to have 23 percent of its total power coming from renewable resources by 2025, also to fulfill its climate change mitigation commitment, in accordance with the Paris Agreement.

    Today, only 14 percent of the country’s energy is clean. More than half of it still comes from coal-powered plants.

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  • Chevron Renewal of Indonesia’s Rokan Block Not Assured

    Chevron Renewal of Indonesia’s Rokan Block Not Assured

    United States energy giant Chevron must compete if it wants to continue operating Indonesia’s Rokan block, the country’s biggest source of crude oil, after its contract expires in 2021, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan said on Wednesday (27/06).

    Chevron asked the Indonesian government earlier this year to extend its operating contract for Rokan beyond 2021 and since then has been in discussions with government officials on the issue.

    “I just talked to Chevron’s new chief executive and told him that it is up to him. If they propose to continue to operate the Rokan block the economics have to be justifiable,” Jonan said in the sidelines of the World Gas Conference in Washington.

    “And they may face some competition as well, from foreign operators and from Pertamina,” he said, referring to Indonesia’s state-owned energy company.

    Michael Wirth, who has been with Chevron since 1982, became chief executive in February.

    A Chevron spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    Indonesia has earned a reputation for favoring Pertamina to take over expiring oil and gas contracts in the past, stoking concern among foreign energy investors about the security of their projects.

    Jonan, who said he is eager to earn the trust of investors to boost development of Indonesia’s natural resources, said the days of playing favorites were “in the past.”

    “The only maxim we stick to is the economics. There is no favoritism about the origin of the company, there is no political play. The answer is no and no. It is the economics. That applies to everyone, foreign companies, local companies, and government companies,” he said.

    Jonan said Indonesia was also in discussions with Chevron about another project it is operating, Indonesia Deepwater Development, a natural gas production effort in East Kalimantan, after Chevron cut $6 billion in spending plans there.

    “We both agreed to go and find the best way to work on this block for both sides,” he said, adding tat the negotiations now “will go down to the technical level.”

    Jonan said he had not yet used his authority to adjust fiscal terms for oil and gas blocks to encourage investment, but was ready to do so in any cases where investment returns were projected to be below 15 percent.

    Jonan said he is “seriously considering offering fiscal adjustments to a number of smaller blocks” in Indonesia, but he did not name the blocks or the companies involved.

    Gold, Copper, Coal

    Jonan also said he met this week with Freeport McMoRan chief executive Richard Adkerson to discuss the company’s Grasberg gold and copper mine in Papua. The Phoenix-based company has been in tricky negotiations with Indonesia to secure long-term operating rights at the mine after the government introduced rules last year forcing it to divest its controlling interest.

    Jonan said the two agreed that Freeport needs freedom to operate the mine in the way it sees fit in the near term, but that the government insists on having a voice.

    “We agreed that, operations-wise, Freeport has to be in charge at the moment. Honestly, we don’t have the expertise,” he said. “But if you talk about control, it is a very delicate word in terms of management. I would like to say we both control.”

    Jonan added that Indonesia, which produces and exports large amounts of coal, currently viewed the fuel as critical to keeping electricity costs down for its population.

    “We have a serious concern about global warming and are trying to reduce the use of coal as the primary energy for our power plants,” he said. “But we go with the affordability for the public.”

    He said Indonesia would find it difficult to reach its target of generating 23 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2025 – as pledged under the 2015 Paris agreement on climate change – but remained hopeful it could reach somewhere above 20 percent by that time.

  • Vietnam’s renewable energy yet to get wind in its sails

    Vietnam’s renewable energy yet to get wind in its sails

    Vietnam is far away from realizing its short and medium term wind power goals, with no ready solution in sight to several impediments, experts say.

    They said at a recent conference on wind energy development in Vietnam that high interest rates, low selling prices and inadequate power purchase agreements from the investors’ point of view were major stumbling blocks to realizing set targets.

    Vietnam plans to produce 800 megawatts of wind energy by 2020 and 6,000 megawatts by 2030.

    However, the country has just 7 functioning wind energy projects with a total capacity of 190 megawatts, noted Nguyen Van Thanh from the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

    Tran Vinh Thong, technical officer for wind energy firm Thuan Binh, which is currently investing in the Phu Lac wind energy project in southern Binh Thuan Province, said the project’s initial cost was VND1.1 trillion ($49 million) and it generated an annual revenue of about VND100 billion, of which VND70-80 billion goes for just interest payments.

    “We only have VND20-30 billion left each year to pay our employees’ salaries and meet maintenance costs,” he said.

    Low electricity selling prices are also an issue, Thong added.

    Currently, electricity derived from wind energy costs about 7.8 cents per kilowatt per hour. At this price, the Phu Lac wind energy project would need 14 years to recoup its initial cost, while a typical wind energy project only lasts 20 years before it is replaced as maintenance costs soar, he said.

    Meanwhile, the buying price for wind power is 20 cents in Thailand, 29 cents in the Philippines and 30 cents in Japan.

    However, disadvantageous power purchase agreements remain the biggest obstacle to grow Vietnam’s wind energy industry, said Bui Vinh Thang, business development officer for Irish sustainable energy firm Mainstream.

    Currently, businesses in Vietnam who want to produce electricity can only sell their output to national distributor Vietnam Electricity Corporation (EVN), which has a monopoly on the service. Worse still, EVN can cancel the power purchase agreement at any time, regardless of the time agreed upon in the contract.

    “That is too much of a risk,” Thang said.

    Moreover, EVN unilaterally gets to temporarily suspend electricity distribution for energy grid maintenance should it deems necessary to do so.

    “During the time electricity distribution is temporarily suspended, we don’t make any money. And EVN doesn’t have to reimburse us at all,” Thang said.

    Last year, the Ministry of Industry and Trade proposed an increase in selling prices for wind energy. Land and sea projects would have their selling prices increased to 8.77 and 9.95 cents per kilowatt per hour, respectively.

    Vietnam is trying to generate enough energy to sustain the country’s growth and connect those who still do not have access to power, while gradually shifting towards clean and low-carbon energy.

    It aims to produce 10.7 percent of its total electricity through renewable energy by 2030, mainly through solar and wind sources.

  • Time to get serious about saving energy

    Time to get serious about saving energy

    A tax will never be welcome, but it can be timely. The carbon tax that Singapore will levy on large polluters from next year is one such example.

    The tax – details of which were announced yesterday by Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat – comes against a backdrop of rising temperatures and increasingly erratic weather.

    Last year was Singapore’s warmest year on record – excluding years influenced by El Nino, a weather phenomenon associated with hot and dry weather in this part of the world. The Republic is also experiencing more bouts of intense rainfall – such as the one on Jan 8 that led to flash floods in its eastern parts.

    That these effects can already be felt here highlights the urgent need for action. And a carbon tax is one direct way to tackle climate change – by trying to get large polluters to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.

    Singapore’s introduction of a carbon tax is also in line with carbon pricing strategies adopted by other countries to reduce greenhouse gases.

    As Singapore marks its Year of Climate Action this year, its move to get ready for the roll-out of the carbon tax next year shows how serious it is in tackling the global threat of climate change.

    About 67 countries and jurisdictions, including China, the European Union and Japan, have implemented or announced plans to implement carbon pricing schemes, which incentivise emitters to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy efficiency.

    In Singapore, the carbon tax will initially be set at $5 per tonne of greenhouse gas emissions until 2023, although the plan is to increase this to between $10 and $15 per tonne of emissions by 2030.

    This will be levied on the 30 to 40 companies responsible for the lion’s share of emissions here, but households will experience a knock-on effect – a 1 percentage point increase in total electricity and gas expenses on average, Mr Heng said.

    As the implementation of the carbon tax next year follows the full liberalisation of the retail electricity market in the second half of this year, households will be able to choose which retailer they wish to buy electricity from.

    Professor Euston Quah, head of the economics department at the Nanyang Technological University, said competition will put pressure on energy retailers to keep their prices competitive by not passing on the full cost of the carbon tax to consumers.

    The impact of the carbon tax will also be cushioned by the additional utilities rebates that eligible HDB households will get from next year to 2021.

    This gives consumers some time to form energy-saving habits, which could include turning off power at the socket when appliances are not in use, or using more energy-efficient appliances.

    The introduction of the carbon tax is a timely move which reminds both companies and individuals that it is time to get serious about saving energy.

  • Further steps needed to thwart EU’s move to ban palm oil in biofuels

    Further steps needed to thwart EU’s move to ban palm oil in biofuels

    More engagements, consultations and follow-up actions are needed to remove the European Union’s (EU) threat to ban palm oil use in biofuels, said industry veteran Tan Sri Dr Yusof Basiron.

    The former Malaysian Palm Oil Council CEO said Malaysia’s stance was still not being heeded by the EU Parliament, despite various talks and engagements being undertaken and conducted at the government-to-government level.

    “There have been clear statements by the governments of major palm oil-producing countries to oppose the ban and even those hinting at possible trade actions or retaliation, including consulting the World Trade Organisation, to deter the EU from implementing the discriminatory ban on palm oil for biofuels,” he said.

    Yusof said the MPOC and the Malaysian Palm Oil Board representative offices in the EU recognised the need to counter the ban when the threat first emerged.

    As a result, many initiatives had been taken, including continuous talks with the EU countries, to oppose the proposed ban by the trading bloc.

    The EU Parliament voted on Jan 17, 2018, to ban palm oil-based biofuels by 2021, while other vegetable oil-based biofuels such as those from soya oil and rapeseed oil can continue to be used until 2030.

    Spain was the latest EU country to speak out against the resolution after France, Sweden, the United Kingdom (Conservative MPs who are part of the governing party of Prime Minister Theresa May), Germany and the Netherlands.

    Yusof said palm oil-producing countries had reacted to this singling out of palm biofuels for the ban as a trade discrimination that would affect the imports into the EU, because locally-produced soya and rapeseed oils were not similarly subjected to the ban.

    “There are also Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) who are sympathetic to maintaining good trade relations with palm oil-producing countries.

    “This is reflected in an amendment submitted by 57 MEPs to drop the ban on palm biofuels. Nevertheless, 492 MEPs voted in favour of the ban, although the number was far less than the 640 who had voted for it in April 2017,” he said.

    However, he said, it was common for the EU Parliament to vote based on popularity trends, knowing that the next round of scrutiny for approving the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) Bill would be done at the tripartite meeting or trilogue, where the council would discuss and recommend the final version of the RED Bill.

    The trilogue to be held soon will consist of government representatives of EU member countries, the Commission and Parliament.

    “It is already envisaged that the Council and Commission, being technically competent with the legal, economic and scientific ramifications of the proposed discriminatory ban on palm oil, are not supportive of the ban.

    “We are hopeful that any future ban on the use of biofuels to be approved in the RED Bill will not be discriminatory towards palm oil,” Yusof said.

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  • Vietnam seeing a boom in renewable energy projects

    Vietnam seeing a boom in renewable energy projects

    Vietnam has seen a boom in renewable energy projects, in a bid to meet the nation’s future demands for power, after the Government scrapped plans to build a nuclear power plant in Ninh Thuận Province.

    Experts have noted that this is a golden opportunity for the country, which is confronted by environmental issues, to develop renewable energy, given the huge potential of wind and solar power.

    In 2015, the Prime Minister approved a renewable energy development strategy by 2030 with a vision to 2050, which targeted an increase in the ratio of power generated from renewable energy to 32 per cent by 2030 and 43 per cent by 2050.

    The national project for power development in 2011-20 also identified developing renewable energy as a breakthrough to ensure the security of the nation’s energy supplies, and reduce the negative impact of generating power on the environment.

    This could be regarded as a launching pad to promote investment in developing renewable energy in Việt Nam, according to Võ Tân Thành, deputy chairman of the Việt Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

    There were some 50 wind power, and more than 100 solar power projects, along with a number of biomass projects being developed in the country.

    Hundreds of solar projects have been registered, as of July 2017, allowing them to seek investors, with a total capacity of up to 17,000 MW, according to an estimate by the Energy Programme’s officer under the US Agency for International Development.

    Also, many investors recently announced very large investments in renewable energy projects in Việt Nam.

    Thiên Tân Group announced it would invest US$2 billion in building five solar power projects in Ninh Thuận Province by 2020. The group also seeks to develop some 20 large-scale solar power plants in the northern provinces by 2020.

    In late January, BIM Group began construction of the BIM 1 solar power project in Ninh Thuận Province, with a planned annual electricity output of 50 million kWh, in cooperation with AC Energy, a subsidiary of Philippines’ Ayala Group.

    The group planned to develop the largest clean energy farm in Việt Nam in Ninh Thuận Province, with a total capacity of 300 MW, by the first quarter of 2019, with a target of producing 1,000 MW of clean energy by 2025.

    Besides Ninh Thuận, investors were also keen on developing solar power projects in other provinces, with a potential for generating solar power in Phú Yên, Bình Phước and Khánh Hòa.

    Recently, Asia infornet INC, a member of Japan’s AIN Group, began working with Bình Phước Province on the feasibility of developing a solar power project in Becamex Industrial – Urban Zone.

    The Phú Yên People’s Committee said that it allowed 17 investors to carry out field surveys and study the possible development of solar power projects, with a total capacity of 1,310 MW, in the province.

    Besides solar power, wind energy projects are also being developed, such as a 98 MW wind power plant by Super Wind Energy Công Lý Sóc Trăng in Sóc Trăng Province, the 373 million kWh Bạc Liêu wind power plant phase three, and phase two of the Đầm Nại wind power project in Ninh Thuận Province.

    Read more at https://vietnamnews.vn/economy/422909/vn-seeing-a-boom-in-renewable-energy-projects.html#72dOEXroH8LmVOYq.99

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  • Coal buyers spooked by Indonesia’s new shipping rules

    Coal buyers spooked by Indonesia’s new shipping rules

    Buyers of Indonesian coal are holding back orders of the fuel after the government issued new shipping rules for coal and crude palm oil that would restrict exports to Indonesian vessels, an industry association said today.

    Jakarta issued rules in October requiring coal and palm oil exporters to use Indonesian-flagged vessels and Indonesian insurance companies, to boost the role of the archipelago’s shipping industry in its export market.

    However, guidelines on implementing the rules and possible exemptions have not been released, raising concerns among shippers in Indonesia, the world’s top thermal coal exporter and palm oil producer.

    The regulation will take effect at the end of April.

    “There was some information, several potential buyers from abroad put on hold making any new contracts,” Hendra Sinadia, executive director of the Indonesia Coal Mining Association said.

    Describing the new rules as “dangerous”, Sinadia said they could affect export volumes and state revenues if shipping contracts had to be renegotiated to shift to so-called cost,
    insurance and freight (CIF) contracts from free-on-board (FOB) contracts.

    Under CIF contracts, the seller is responsible for the shipping arrangements and must buy insurance to protect the cargo against losses during the voyage. Under FOB contracts, the buyer procures the vessel and is responsible for all shipping costs.

    The industry is worried that time is running out to make adjustments before the rules come into effect, Sinadia said, noting that it would be difficult to do so without the
    guidelines.

    Indonesia Palm Oil Association secretary-general Togar Sitanggang said in an interview on Jan 24 that there were several problems with the new rules, noting there were not enough Indonesian-flagged food-grade tankers, and that Indonesian insurers may lack capacity.

    “If we’re selling CPO (crude palm oil), free-on-board at Belawan port, does this mean our buyer has to use Indonesian vessel? That is ridiculous.”

    The palm oil industry is awaiting guidance on when foreign vessels can be used if local vessels are unavailable, he said. “There should be no obstacles, but if we must do this and that, it could hold up exports.”

    The new rules could add to freight costs, Sitanggang said, if shipping companies were unable to find cargo for their return trips to Asia. “If their ships are empty, of course they’ll ask for a higher price from us.”

    According to Oke Nurwan, director-general of foreign trade at the Ministry of Trade, while most domestic shipping uses Indonesian-flagged vessels very little is exported on Indonesian ships.

    “It can’t be like that any more,” Nurwan said on Jan 25, adding that the government wanted the domestic shipping sector to compete more with multinationals.

    “If (the government) didn’t intervene there would be no trigger, so we made it mandatory,” he added.

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  • TAS Offshore posts RM1.56 million net loss in Q2

    TAS Offshore posts RM1.56 million net loss in Q2

    Shipbuilding firm TAS Offshore Bhd swung to the red registering a net loss of RM1.56 million for the second quarter ended November 30, 2017 against a net profit of RM489,000 in the previous corresponding period, due to unrealised forex losses as a result of the strengthening ringgit.

    Revenue however, jumped three times from RM2.92 million to RM11.71 million on progressive revenue recognition on shipbuilding contracts.

    TAS Offshore told Bursa Malaysia that despite signs of demand and supply finally finding a balance, the group will be cautious in its operation since the market is still uncertain due to the US shale oil industry.

    “However, in the long term, we envisage the oil price outlook to be positive due to the increase in demand for energy when industrial and development activities increase in tandem with the population growth and the demand for offshore support vessels will return.”

    For the first half of the year, TAS Offshore, however, reported a net profit of RM673,000 versus a net loss of RM642,000 in the same period a year ago, while revenue leaped over three fold from RM5.17 million to RM22.14 million.

    The stock closed unchanged 33.5 sen with some 147,000 shares changing hands.

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  • Indonesia-Denmark launch wind power map

    Indonesia-Denmark launch wind power map

    The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry and Denmark’s Development Cooperation Ministry launched on Tuesday a map pinpointing the wind power potential for electrification in Indonesia.

    Denmark Development Cooperation Minister Ulla Tørnæs said this was part of a six-month cooperative engagement between the two governments, during which they exchanged their experiences in developing renewable energy sources for electrification.

    “Today, we are launching a new wind map that shows the vast potential for utilizing wind in Indonesia,” Tørnæs said in her opening speech at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry in Central Jakarta on Tuesday.

    “A number of visits to Denmark by Indonesian officials over the past six months has deepened the discussion and insight into waste-to-energy solutions, the use of biomass and how to accommodate fluctuating markets.”

    The map displays the hot spots for wind power potential in Indonesia. It is expected to help the government and investors decide the best locations to develop wind turbines.

    The map was also launched alongside a book titled Integration of Wind Energy in Power Systems, which will serve as a guide for policymaking and the integration of electricity into state-owned electricity firm PLN’s existing system. The book was written based on Denmark’s experiences in wind power development.

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  • France launches energy group in Indonesia

    France launches energy group in Indonesia

    France launched the French Renewable Energy Group (FREG) here on Tuesday, as a forum for French companies interested to be a part of the renewable energy sector (EBT) in Indonesia.

    During the launching ceremony, a memorandum of cooperation was also signed between Indonesia Renewable Energy Community (METI) and FREG.

    METI has become FREGs local partner to assist the French companies in identifying and developing renewable energy projects in Indonesia.

    In his speech, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignatius Jonan said Indonesia was committed to have 23 percent of renewable energy in the national energy mix of electricity as soon as possible, or at least by 2025.

    Meanwhile, French Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development Jean-Marc Ayrault stated that FREG was aimed at gathering French energy companies, which are in Indonesia at present and those interested to enter the country, to cooperate with the Indonesian partners.

    He explained that the mobilization of all stakeholders, both public and private, is needed for achieving 23 percent renewable energy in the energy mix of electricity.

    It requires a regulatory framework and proper finance, and companies should develop innovative solutions which are tailored to the realities in each country, Ayrault added.

    FREG will be an extension of the French Syndicate of Renewable Energy, which is the largest organization in France.

    FREG is expected to improve the relationship between Indonesia and French business companies in renewable energy sector and encourage the participation of French companies in renewable energy projects in Indonesia.

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  • Red Bull apologises to Indonesia over offensive ad

    Red Bull apologises to Indonesia over offensive ad

    Red Bull has publicly apologised for shooting a commercial in which an athlete performed acrobatic stunts across one of Indonesia’s ancient holy temples, an official said Thursday.

    Red Bull has issued an apology in Indonesia’s national newspapers admitting it shot an advert at the 9th-century Borobudur temple “without permission from the appropriate authorities”

    The energy drink manufacturer issued an apology in national newspapers admitting it shot the video at the 9th-century Borobudur temple “without permission from the appropriate authorities”.

    The video — in which a famous “free running” athlete is shown jumping between the temple’s stone stupas — triggered outrage in Indonesia, where Borobudur is a revered Buddhist site and national icon.

    In one scene, the athlete is seen walking past a sign clearly stating “No Climbing” in both English and Indonesian before performing acrobatics throughout the UNESCO-listed heritage site.

    The video was shot secretly despite the crew having been issued a warning by temple guards, Borobudur Conservation Agency head Marsis Sutopo told AFP.

    “They must have shot again while our guards were not looking,” he said.

    The video, uploaded online on March 18, sparked outrage within Indonesia and prompted the government to threaten a legal suit against Red Bull.

    Authorities later issued a warning to the drink company after determining no physical damage had been incurred.

    Red Bull met with government officials in early June and agreed to place formal apologies in national newspapers.

    “We want to set an example because we painstakingly try to conserve this historical site,” education ministry official Hilmar Farid told AFP.

    “It was obvious as there was a “No Climbing” sign there too.”

    Red Bull have also been asked to shoot a new video explaining the importance of protecting holy sites, Farid added.