Announcement on the Increase in Electricity Tariff in Peninsular Malaysia Due to the Revision of Natural Gas Price, Revision of Base Tariff & Implementation of Feed-In-Tariff (FiT) for Renewable Energy (RE)
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Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) wishes to inform that the Government today has announced that the natural gas price to the power sector will be increased from RM10.70/mmBTU to RM13.70/mmBTU effective from 1st June 2011. As a result of the gas price increase, TNB's gas bill will increase by about RM1.5 billion per year. Due to the gas price increase, TNB will have to increase the electricity tariff to cover for the additional cost. The increase in natural gas price is based on the Government natural gas pricing mechanism in which the price is reviewed every six (6) months in tandem with the market price trend.
The Government has also agreed to TNB's request to increase its base tariff by 2%. This base tariff increase is to cater for the increase in the cost of electricity supply since the last base tariff review in 2006, due to the following:
Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase of 14% from the period 2006 to 2011;
Increase in capital expenditure;
Increase in maintenance cost (O&M) of about 19% in the same period; and
Increase in cost of raw materials for electrical supply equipment.
In line with the Renewable Energy (RE) Act which was passed in April 2011, the Government will impose 1% as Feed-in-Tariff (FiT) for RE Fund, effective 1st September 2011. The fund will be utilised for promotion and development of RE projects and initiatives and will be managed by Sustainable Energy Development Authority (SEDA) under the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water.
In summary, the major features of the new electricity tariff rates are as follows:-
Average tariff will be increased by 7.12%. The increase is contributed by:
Average 5.12% increase due to the 28% upward revision of natural gas price to the power sector from RM10.70/mmBTU to RM13.70/mmBTU; and
Average 2.0% increase to partly recover for the increase of electricity cost of supply since June 2006
Industrial consumers will experience an average increase of 8.35% (ranging from 6.2% to about 10%)
Commercial consumers will experience an average increase of 8.35% (ranging from 6.2% to about 8.35%)
Domestic consumers - The rate for Lifeline Band (i.e. monthly consumption of up to 200kWh) is maintained at a subsidised rate of 21.8 sen/kWh (i.e. no tariff increase). This rate has never been reviewed during several tariff reviews since 1997;
Consumers using 300kWh per month and below will not experience tariff increase;
Hence, no tariff increase to 75% of the household consumers (4.4 million consumers);
No tariff increase for Lifeline Band (3.3 million consumers)
No tariff increase for 201-300 kWh band (1.1 million consumers)
Special Industrial Tariff (SIT) consumers will experience an increase of about 10%. This is in line with the Government's effort to gradually reduce subsidies to industries. Even with this increase, SIT consumers will continue to enjoy discounted tariff rates as compared to the rates for normal Industrial consumers;
The 10% discount on electricity bills currently enjoyed by Government schools, Government institutions of higher learning, places of worship and welfare homes registered with the Government is maintained. The 10% discount will also be extended to educational institutions partly-funded by the Government;
Thermal Energy Storage (TES) consumers will enjoy higher discount for off-peak electricity consumption. In addition, 'Standby' charge for Co-generators will be reduced to encourage Green Technology, Energy Efficiency and Demand Side Management (DSM) initiatives;
Water treatment, water distribution and sewerage companies to be categorised under Industrial Tariff; and
The electricity rebate by the Government for Domestic consumers with monthly bill of not more than RM20 will be maintained until December 2011.
Fuel Cost Pass-Through (FCPT) Mechanism
The Government will also introduce a Fuel Cost Pass-Through (FCPT) mechanism for the power sector. Under the FCPT, the fuel cost will be reviewed every six (6) months and any changes (upward or downward) in the fuel cost due to the fluctuation in the fuel prices (namely gas, coal and oil) will be passed through in the end-user tariff.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Power rates up 7%, gas price to be floated
The federal government has raised electricity tariff by an average of 7.12 percent beginning June 1 as part of its subsidy reduction exercise.
source from http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/165524
PUTRAJAYA: As part of its ongoing subsidy rationalisation exercise, the government today announced that average electricity tariffs will be raised by 2.23 sen per kilowatt hour (kWh) or 7.12 per cent to 33.54 sen kWh, from 31.31 sen kWh, effective Wednesday, June 1.
However, the move will not affect about 75 per cent of the population who mainly consume less than 300 kWh per month.
The announcement was made at a joint press conference by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop and Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui.
They said the 7.12 per cent hike was due to the increase in natural gas price to the power sector.
Read more: Power rates go up 7.1pc from June 1
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20110530131914/Article/index_html#ixzz1NpceeXCo
KUALA LUMPUR: The gas price for the electric and non-electric sector has been increased by RM3 per mmbtu every six months from June 1 until 2015, to follow market price come 2016, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of the Economic Planning Unit, Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop.
With the adjustment, the price will increase from RM10.70 mmbtu to RM13.70.
Nor Mohamed said the government would review the tariff every six months.
Meanwhile, the electric tariff has been raised by 2.23 sen per kilo watt or 7.12% of the current tariff, said Minister of Energy, Green TECHNOLOGY [] and Water Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui.
However, for domestic users below 300 kilo watt and below, they would not see increase in monthly bill, and the current tariff charges remained, he told reporters on Monday, May 30.
Chin also said an additional collection of 1% from users of 301 kilo watt and above would be channeled to the renewable energy fund.
The fund was to sustain the feed in tariff, he said.
source: http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/
PUTRAJAYA: As part of its ongoing subsidy rationalisation exercise, the government today announced that average electricity tariffs will be raised by 2.23 sen per kilowatt hour (kWh) or 7.12 per cent to 33.54 sen kWh, from 31.31 sen kWh, effective Wednesday, June 1.
However, the move will not affect about 75 per cent of the population who mainly consume less than 300 kWh per month.
The announcement was made at a joint press conference by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop and Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui.
They said the 7.12 per cent hike was due to the increase in natural gas price to the power sector.
Read more: Power rates go up 7.1pc from June 1
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20110530131914/Article/index_html#ixzz1NpceeXCo
KUALA LUMPUR: The gas price for the electric and non-electric sector has been increased by RM3 per mmbtu every six months from June 1 until 2015, to follow market price come 2016, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of the Economic Planning Unit, Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop.
With the adjustment, the price will increase from RM10.70 mmbtu to RM13.70.
Nor Mohamed said the government would review the tariff every six months.
Meanwhile, the electric tariff has been raised by 2.23 sen per kilo watt or 7.12% of the current tariff, said Minister of Energy, Green TECHNOLOGY [] and Water Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui.
However, for domestic users below 300 kilo watt and below, they would not see increase in monthly bill, and the current tariff charges remained, he told reporters on Monday, May 30.
Chin also said an additional collection of 1% from users of 301 kilo watt and above would be channeled to the renewable energy fund.
The fund was to sustain the feed in tariff, he said.
source: http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/
德國‧首個放棄核電工業國‧2022年前將關閉所有核電廠
德國‧柏林30日訊）日本福島核災敲響全球核安警鐘，德國政府週一宣佈在2022年前關閉境內所有核電廠，成為首個放棄核能的主要工業強國。
環境部長洛特根表示，經過長時間討論，執政聯盟就停止使用核能達成協議，並指這項決定“不可逆轉”，同時，受日本核災影響而關閉的8座核電廠也不會恢復運作。
總理默克爾星期日與執政聯盟開議討論是否放棄核能，會議進行至隔天凌晨，長達7小時。洛特根稱，這項決定是“始終如一、堅決和明確的。”
德國境內共有17座核電廠，其中8座已在311日本大地震後暫時停運，以評估其安全性，包括7座最老舊的核電廠以及北部的科律梅爾核電廠；科律梅爾核電廠因面對技術問題，過去一直處於廢置狀態。
核電佔德國整體供電量22%，如今尋找替代能源以維持電供成了政府的最大挑戰。但洛特根強調，不會發生停電問題。“我們保證任何時段的電流供應將維持正常。”
上週五，16名分別來自德國17個區的環境官員，聯合呼吁政府永久停用上述8座核電廠。洛特根透露，當局在2021年前將關閉另外6座核電廠，而3座最先進的核電廠則將於2022年以前停用，趕上10年前社會民主黨和綠黨定下的時間表。
環境部長洛特根表示，經過長時間討論，執政聯盟就停止使用核能達成協議，並指這項決定“不可逆轉”，同時，受日本核災影響而關閉的8座核電廠也不會恢復運作。
總理默克爾星期日與執政聯盟開議討論是否放棄核能，會議進行至隔天凌晨，長達7小時。洛特根稱，這項決定是“始終如一、堅決和明確的。”
德國境內共有17座核電廠，其中8座已在311日本大地震後暫時停運，以評估其安全性，包括7座最老舊的核電廠以及北部的科律梅爾核電廠；科律梅爾核電廠因面對技術問題，過去一直處於廢置狀態。
核電佔德國整體供電量22%，如今尋找替代能源以維持電供成了政府的最大挑戰。但洛特根強調，不會發生停電問題。“我們保證任何時段的電流供應將維持正常。”
上週五，16名分別來自德國17個區的環境官員，聯合呼吁政府永久停用上述8座核電廠。洛特根透露，當局在2021年前將關閉另外6座核電廠，而3座最先進的核電廠則將於2022年以前停用，趕上10年前社會民主黨和綠黨定下的時間表。
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Group Photo: Motor Testing & Maintenance
24 May 2011-25 May 2011 (Open_Remaco Malim Nawar & TT10 & Jimah)
Monday, May 23, 2011
Power optimization will reduce the electricity consumed by Inverter based Washing Machine "
You use less power or energy ( W or kWh ) with state of art inverter based washing machine, if you do so, TNB can ensure that the supply of electricity to your house and neighbors is reliable, while at the same time minimizing the amount of electricity wasted during transmission, if not supply utility has to transmit more power than is needed. Sadly, that means we experience line losses as a waste, burns more fuels unnecessarily, and also you end up paying more electricity bill! Besides that supply utility needs to upgrade the system just for power user to waste!
Conventional washing machine like early or late 1990 model, consumes continuous power of 380W ~ 400W @ 240V, and don't forget starting current between 6 ~ 10 times!
Lately, I tested Inverter based Panasonic washing, Model: NA168VX2
Data shows machine operating at 15 minutes, with rapid mode for light loads washing.
Starting Current:
Virtually nil, as current gradually increases between 16W ~ 140W
Final wash spinning at 800 RPM speed with power consumption of 236W only
Energy Consumed: 0.015 unit or 0.015 kWh
Electricity per wash costs: 0.015 x 0.34 cents = 0.0051 cents
Final comment:
Super Save on electricity and water bill, plus delay in hike of electricity tariff just because we burn less fuels!
Warning:
Do not put machine on standby mode, power consumes 0.5W! Off or unplug your machine when not in used.
Copyright reserved to the article contributor, Mr Foo from http://www.foosolar.com/
Sunday, May 22, 2011
First Mini Hydro on Pulau Tioman (Malaysia)
Today TV8 news revealed that our famous tourism center, Tioman Island in Malaysia are utilized up to 16% of electricity generated via the mini hydro station. The maximun capacity of mini hydro is much dependence to the flow rate of the river and it capable to generate up to 500kW during raining season but merely 100kW during dry season. This run of river mini hydro exports average about 300kW daily to the Tioman Island.
However, Tioman Island still heavily depends on Diesel generator for about 6.3MW,as major source of electricity generation on the island in order to meet the maximum demand. Renewable Energy such as Mini Hydro certainly reduce the cost of diesel fuel significantly and it can translate up to RM800k saving for TNB.
Tioman island residents are very sactify with the recently improvement of power quality. They able to enjoy 24 hours non interruption electricity supply since the mini hydro in service.
I would say, rehabiliation of existing aging mini hydro station would really a great idea to hedge against the escalating fuel cost such as diesel, gas and coal for power generation. Go for green energy is another alternative way for us..
photo source from china press.
Below is the link and text in chinese text about Pulau tioman mini hydro.
From China Press
http://www.chinapress.com.my/node/218253
與時拼經．刁曼島熱情背后… 用電量驚人
近天氣那麼熱，人人都在感謝發明冷氣的那位仁兄，同時還得“迎接”應該會高出平時1倍的電費單。
不僅是對抗熱天氣，我們在日常生活和工作上均越來越仰賴科技和電器，用電量提高，相對地電費亦與日俱增。
市用電量高不在話下，沒想到一般人認為淳樸的刁曼島居民，平均電費亦與城市用戶不遑多讓，電源需求大增。
一般人的認知，小島上民風淳樸，生活不及都市人富裕並且自給自足，生活費用應該不高。
在刁曼島上，單單是天天都在用的電源，恐怕就要讓大家大跌眼鏡了。
根據國家能源（TENAGA，5347，主要板貿易）數據，這個小小島的電費驚人，每戶家庭平均電費高達80令吉，平日非繁忙季節用電量亦已達到0.8兆瓦。
省下百萬柴油成本
國能能源服務（TNBES）工程師凱魯尼詹指出，假日等遊客多的季節，用電量隨時有可能衝破1兆瓦。
“柴油還是刁曼島上的主要發電原料，最高可產電6.3兆瓦；目前微型水力發電廠最高產能則達0.5兆瓦，佔總用電量約16%。”
他指出，微型水力發電廠在島上貢獻良多，單單是去年，因此省下的柴油成本高達80萬令吉。
“公司長期為廠房進行提升和保養工作，在這些舉措輔助下，相信今年內有望節省至少100萬令吉的柴油成本。”
他指出，一旦達到更大的成本效益，公司將提高水力發電廠所產的能源，促使使用量在2012年達到20%的比重。
水力發電少斷電
在刁曼島開小食檔的拉吉阿里指出，水力發電廠開發前，島上電源供應不穩定，常常出現電流中斷事件。
“設微型水力發電廠后，電流供應較穩定，亦較少出現斷電的事件，同時亦不會對環境帶來太大的負面影響。”
他指出，刁曼島居民認為水力發電比起其他類型發電方式更環保，無論是保護環境或是旅遊業皆更有利。
平均日產0.3兆瓦
儘管微型水力發電對小地方電源貢獻良多，全國36座微型水力發電廠中僅21座投入生產，因能不打算建造新的廠房。
凱魯尼詹指出，刁曼島上的水力發電廠是國內唯一一個建在島上的，由于已足以應付需求，國能不會再建造更多。
“微型水力發電不像大型的水力發電廠，前者並不需要水壩蓄水，主要靠河水川流速度發電。”
凱魯尼詹指出，國能是根據當日水流決定產能，刁曼島上的平均每日產電0.3兆瓦，旱季產電量則減至0.1兆瓦。
“島上暫時不太可能完全依靠水力發電，大部分用戶尤其是商業用途如酒店，還是以柴油發電進行發電。”
目前，全國36座微型水力發電廠，大部分集中在霹靂、雪蘭莪、吉蘭丹一帶。
國能設在刁曼島上的整座發電廠則有1.65公里長的水管，駁接至發電廠，共高141公尺，當時建造成本約500萬令吉。
島上打工如天天渡假
都市人生活壓力重，想暫躲壓力？不妨考慮到海島上短暫地打打工，享受優閒工作環境。
“這就是島上聞名的鼻子樹（pokok hidung），仔細看超級像人的鼻子。”
說話的是負責為島上酒店接送住客的某位“大哥”，在刁曼島工作多年，對島上一草一木瞭若指掌。
忘了請教這位司機大哥的姓名，不過倒是記得他來自柔佛州豐盛港，到刁曼島工作討生活。
國內天然資源及環境部數據顯示，刁曼島每年有20萬國內外遊客到訪，但未知其中是否是否包括到當地工作的大馬人。
旅遊業為刁曼島主要的經濟活動和收入來源，因此與其他旅遊業旺盛的海島類似，會有許多來自鄰近州屬的人到當地工作。
另一位到當地工作，專門帶遊客出海浮潛的阿里指出，喜歡刁曼島的環境所以才會到當地工作。
“在旅遊勝地工作的好處就是，天天都有在度假的感覺，不會有太大的壓迫感。”
阿里來自彭亨關丹，原來並不擅于游泳，到刁曼島工作3個月后，即轉換工作成為浮潛員，負責帶遊客出海。
他指出，島上像他一樣來自外島的人很多，最大賣點應該就是工作環境。
However, Tioman Island still heavily depends on Diesel generator for about 6.3MW,as major source of electricity generation on the island in order to meet the maximum demand. Renewable Energy such as Mini Hydro certainly reduce the cost of diesel fuel significantly and it can translate up to RM800k saving for TNB.
Tioman island residents are very sactify with the recently improvement of power quality. They able to enjoy 24 hours non interruption electricity supply since the mini hydro in service.
I would say, rehabiliation of existing aging mini hydro station would really a great idea to hedge against the escalating fuel cost such as diesel, gas and coal for power generation. Go for green energy is another alternative way for us..
photo source from china press.
Below is the link and text in chinese text about Pulau tioman mini hydro.
From China Press
http://www.chinapress.com.my/node/218253
與時拼經．刁曼島熱情背后… 用電量驚人
近天氣那麼熱，人人都在感謝發明冷氣的那位仁兄，同時還得“迎接”應該會高出平時1倍的電費單。
不僅是對抗熱天氣，我們在日常生活和工作上均越來越仰賴科技和電器，用電量提高，相對地電費亦與日俱增。
市用電量高不在話下，沒想到一般人認為淳樸的刁曼島居民，平均電費亦與城市用戶不遑多讓，電源需求大增。
一般人的認知，小島上民風淳樸，生活不及都市人富裕並且自給自足，生活費用應該不高。
在刁曼島上，單單是天天都在用的電源，恐怕就要讓大家大跌眼鏡了。
根據國家能源（TENAGA，5347，主要板貿易）數據，這個小小島的電費驚人，每戶家庭平均電費高達80令吉，平日非繁忙季節用電量亦已達到0.8兆瓦。
省下百萬柴油成本
國能能源服務（TNBES）工程師凱魯尼詹指出，假日等遊客多的季節，用電量隨時有可能衝破1兆瓦。
“柴油還是刁曼島上的主要發電原料，最高可產電6.3兆瓦；目前微型水力發電廠最高產能則達0.5兆瓦，佔總用電量約16%。”
他指出，微型水力發電廠在島上貢獻良多，單單是去年，因此省下的柴油成本高達80萬令吉。
“公司長期為廠房進行提升和保養工作，在這些舉措輔助下，相信今年內有望節省至少100萬令吉的柴油成本。”
他指出，一旦達到更大的成本效益，公司將提高水力發電廠所產的能源，促使使用量在2012年達到20%的比重。
水力發電少斷電
在刁曼島開小食檔的拉吉阿里指出，水力發電廠開發前，島上電源供應不穩定，常常出現電流中斷事件。
“設微型水力發電廠后，電流供應較穩定，亦較少出現斷電的事件，同時亦不會對環境帶來太大的負面影響。”
他指出，刁曼島居民認為水力發電比起其他類型發電方式更環保，無論是保護環境或是旅遊業皆更有利。
平均日產0.3兆瓦
儘管微型水力發電對小地方電源貢獻良多，全國36座微型水力發電廠中僅21座投入生產，因能不打算建造新的廠房。
凱魯尼詹指出，刁曼島上的水力發電廠是國內唯一一個建在島上的，由于已足以應付需求，國能不會再建造更多。
“微型水力發電不像大型的水力發電廠，前者並不需要水壩蓄水，主要靠河水川流速度發電。”
凱魯尼詹指出，國能是根據當日水流決定產能，刁曼島上的平均每日產電0.3兆瓦，旱季產電量則減至0.1兆瓦。
“島上暫時不太可能完全依靠水力發電，大部分用戶尤其是商業用途如酒店，還是以柴油發電進行發電。”
目前，全國36座微型水力發電廠，大部分集中在霹靂、雪蘭莪、吉蘭丹一帶。
國能設在刁曼島上的整座發電廠則有1.65公里長的水管，駁接至發電廠，共高141公尺，當時建造成本約500萬令吉。
島上打工如天天渡假
都市人生活壓力重，想暫躲壓力？不妨考慮到海島上短暫地打打工，享受優閒工作環境。
“這就是島上聞名的鼻子樹（pokok hidung），仔細看超級像人的鼻子。”
說話的是負責為島上酒店接送住客的某位“大哥”，在刁曼島工作多年，對島上一草一木瞭若指掌。
忘了請教這位司機大哥的姓名，不過倒是記得他來自柔佛州豐盛港，到刁曼島工作討生活。
國內天然資源及環境部數據顯示，刁曼島每年有20萬國內外遊客到訪，但未知其中是否是否包括到當地工作的大馬人。
旅遊業為刁曼島主要的經濟活動和收入來源，因此與其他旅遊業旺盛的海島類似，會有許多來自鄰近州屬的人到當地工作。
另一位到當地工作，專門帶遊客出海浮潛的阿里指出，喜歡刁曼島的環境所以才會到當地工作。
“在旅遊勝地工作的好處就是，天天都有在度假的感覺，不會有太大的壓迫感。”
阿里來自彭亨關丹，原來並不擅于游泳，到刁曼島工作3個月后，即轉換工作成為浮潛員，負責帶遊客出海。
他指出，島上像他一樣來自外島的人很多，最大賣點應該就是工作環境。
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Save your environment: My land is under the sea now
Once upon a time, there is a village name Kampung Pulau Pak Amat, Kelantan in Malaysia where this old man, 62 years old in the photo born and grew up.
Now, he is holding the land title and showing that his land is disappearing and submerging by South China Sea. Poor little old man..
Lesson learnt:
Love your environment and try to reduce the CO2 emission by reducing the electricity usage daily.
Friday, May 20, 2011
SMEs told to include green growth strategies in plans
BIG SKY (Montana): Asia Pacific's small and medium businesses must include green growth strategies into their business development plans to increase their competitiveness globally said US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke.
"Green growth is more than just a solar company or a wind turbine plant, it's an entirely new way of economic growth," he said in a keynote address at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) 2011 SME Ministerial meeting.
Apec, which represents 21 member economies including Malaysia, will create a supportive environment to stimulate innovation and foster green growth.
The Competitiveness and Green Growth Forum discussed ways to help Apec economies incorporate green growth policies into the business development plans of SMEs.
It also paved the groundwork for the Apec SME ministers' discussions on green growth-focused technical and financial assistance programmes for SMEs.
Locke also met chief executives of US businesses to discuss the importance of SMEs in the global supply chain for large American companies and the critical role SMEs play in bringing innovative products and services to the marketplace.
Locke said that over the next few decades, world economies will need to rebuild and reinvent virtually every industrial activity - from power generation and transportation to manufacturing and construction.
In the US for example, buildings consume 40 per cent of energy and 73 per cent of electricity and they are responsible for about 39 per cent of carbon emissions, exceeding that of transportation or industrial sectors.
Greening these buildings can create immense economic opportunity, with the overall green building market projected to reach as much as US$140 billion (RM422.8 billion) worldwide by 2013.
A big part of the answer lies with the SMEs, which is why Apec member economies need to put the empowerment of small businesses at the very centre of the economic agenda.
However, small companies continue to face hurdles in the Apec region.
According to the International Trade Commission and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, excessive transportation costs and customs clearance delays, difficulty protecting intellectual property and preferential tariff rates, and lack of access to financing and information are the main culprits to growth.
Locke urged Apec member economies to pursue policies that unleash innovation and enable entrepreneurs.
He also said that policies need to be developed to give entrepreneurs the tools to succeed no matter where they live. -
Read more: SMEs told to include green growth strategies in plans http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/apik2/Article/#ixzz1Mtt20DLc
"Green growth is more than just a solar company or a wind turbine plant, it's an entirely new way of economic growth," he said in a keynote address at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) 2011 SME Ministerial meeting.
Apec, which represents 21 member economies including Malaysia, will create a supportive environment to stimulate innovation and foster green growth.
The Competitiveness and Green Growth Forum discussed ways to help Apec economies incorporate green growth policies into the business development plans of SMEs.
It also paved the groundwork for the Apec SME ministers' discussions on green growth-focused technical and financial assistance programmes for SMEs.
Locke also met chief executives of US businesses to discuss the importance of SMEs in the global supply chain for large American companies and the critical role SMEs play in bringing innovative products and services to the marketplace.
Locke said that over the next few decades, world economies will need to rebuild and reinvent virtually every industrial activity - from power generation and transportation to manufacturing and construction.
In the US for example, buildings consume 40 per cent of energy and 73 per cent of electricity and they are responsible for about 39 per cent of carbon emissions, exceeding that of transportation or industrial sectors.
Greening these buildings can create immense economic opportunity, with the overall green building market projected to reach as much as US$140 billion (RM422.8 billion) worldwide by 2013.
A big part of the answer lies with the SMEs, which is why Apec member economies need to put the empowerment of small businesses at the very centre of the economic agenda.
However, small companies continue to face hurdles in the Apec region.
According to the International Trade Commission and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, excessive transportation costs and customs clearance delays, difficulty protecting intellectual property and preferential tariff rates, and lack of access to financing and information are the main culprits to growth.
Locke urged Apec member economies to pursue policies that unleash innovation and enable entrepreneurs.
He also said that policies need to be developed to give entrepreneurs the tools to succeed no matter where they live. -
Read more: SMEs told to include green growth strategies in plans http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/apik2/Article/#ixzz1Mtt20DLc
B5 biodiesel in stages, starting with Putrajaya
KUALA LUMPUR: The government will introduce the biodiesel B5 in stages starting with Putrajaya early next month, Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities Tan Sri Bernard Dompok said.
"The price will be fixed and we have chosen the petrol stations to initially offer the product in Putrajaya," he told reporters at the Palm International Nutra-Cosmeceutical 2011 (PINC 2011) conference here yesterday.
The implementation of the biodiesel B5 mandate, he said, will not inconvenience motorists as the price mechanism will be determined by the Ministry of Finance (MOF).
B5 is basically a blend of 95 per cent regular petroleum-based diesel and five per cent palm oil-based biodiesel.
The government has put aside RM200 million to set up blending facilities nationwide to blend diesel with palm methyl ester from June 2011 to kick-start sales of the green fuel, after a five-year delay.
Malaysia has been struggling to implement a mandate to push the blended fuel and support the palm oil industry that was first introduced in 2007 as more taxpayers' money is needed to subsidise biofuel blends to match diesel prices at the pumps.
However, the country is committed to pushing the Green Technology (GT) agenda as a key source of sustainable economic growth while safeguarding the environment.
Malaysia has targeted to reduce its carbon emission intensity by up to 40 per cent.
Meanwhile, chairman of Malaysian Palm Oil Council, Datuk Lee Yeow Chor expects Malaysian palm oil prices to remain relatively strong in the coming months at the back of a strong export demand for the commodity.
"For the first 15 days of this month, there has been growth of over 20 per cent in terms of export," he said, adding that the current unusual warm weather patterns would keep prices up for the commodity.
Malaysian crude palm oil futures climbed to a two-week high on Wednesday as traders bet on strong demand in the next few weeks as top vegetable oil buyers India and China restock.
PINC 2011, themed "Bioactives for a Healthy Lifestyle", is organised to highlight and showcase the Malaysian palm bioactive industry and revisit the numerous developments within the nutra-cosmeceutical industry.
There are presentations on the role and benefits of palm tocotrienols, carotenoids and phenolics during the two-day event.
Read more: B5 biodiesel in stages, starting with Putrajaya http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/biod19/Article/#ixzz1MrOlG6Dq
"The price will be fixed and we have chosen the petrol stations to initially offer the product in Putrajaya," he told reporters at the Palm International Nutra-Cosmeceutical 2011 (PINC 2011) conference here yesterday.
The implementation of the biodiesel B5 mandate, he said, will not inconvenience motorists as the price mechanism will be determined by the Ministry of Finance (MOF).
B5 is basically a blend of 95 per cent regular petroleum-based diesel and five per cent palm oil-based biodiesel.
The government has put aside RM200 million to set up blending facilities nationwide to blend diesel with palm methyl ester from June 2011 to kick-start sales of the green fuel, after a five-year delay.
Malaysia has been struggling to implement a mandate to push the blended fuel and support the palm oil industry that was first introduced in 2007 as more taxpayers' money is needed to subsidise biofuel blends to match diesel prices at the pumps.
However, the country is committed to pushing the Green Technology (GT) agenda as a key source of sustainable economic growth while safeguarding the environment.
Malaysia has targeted to reduce its carbon emission intensity by up to 40 per cent.
Meanwhile, chairman of Malaysian Palm Oil Council, Datuk Lee Yeow Chor expects Malaysian palm oil prices to remain relatively strong in the coming months at the back of a strong export demand for the commodity.
"For the first 15 days of this month, there has been growth of over 20 per cent in terms of export," he said, adding that the current unusual warm weather patterns would keep prices up for the commodity.
Malaysian crude palm oil futures climbed to a two-week high on Wednesday as traders bet on strong demand in the next few weeks as top vegetable oil buyers India and China restock.
PINC 2011, themed "Bioactives for a Healthy Lifestyle", is organised to highlight and showcase the Malaysian palm bioactive industry and revisit the numerous developments within the nutra-cosmeceutical industry.
There are presentations on the role and benefits of palm tocotrienols, carotenoids and phenolics during the two-day event.
Read more: B5 biodiesel in stages, starting with Putrajaya http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/biod19/Article/#ixzz1MrOlG6Dq
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Tenaga climbs on expectations of tariff hike
KUALA LUMPUR: Shares of TENAGA NASIONAL BHD [] rose to a high of RM6.18 in morning trade on Wednesday, May 18 on expectations of a tariff hike.
At 11.17am, it was up 17 sen to RM6.15 with 3.00 million shares done.
The FBM KLCI rose 5.35 points to 1,541.62. Turnover was 366.04 million shares done valued at RM708.63 million. There were 271 gainers, 303 losers and 262 stocks unchanged.
OSK Research said for TNB, there could be a small hike in electricity tariff as it needed a 1% hike to cover the Renewable Energy feed-in tariff (FiT) scheme.
“The 1% tariff hike to cover the costs associated with the FiT scheme is expected to have a very minimal impact to electricity demand. FIT. So a 3-5% hike is not out of the question,” said OSK Research.
http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/business/186698-tenaga-climbs-on-expectations-of-tariff-hike.html
At 11.17am, it was up 17 sen to RM6.15 with 3.00 million shares done.
The FBM KLCI rose 5.35 points to 1,541.62. Turnover was 366.04 million shares done valued at RM708.63 million. There were 271 gainers, 303 losers and 262 stocks unchanged.
OSK Research said for TNB, there could be a small hike in electricity tariff as it needed a 1% hike to cover the Renewable Energy feed-in tariff (FiT) scheme.
“The 1% tariff hike to cover the costs associated with the FiT scheme is expected to have a very minimal impact to electricity demand. FIT. So a 3-5% hike is not out of the question,” said OSK Research.
http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/business/186698-tenaga-climbs-on-expectations-of-tariff-hike.html
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Be transparent with solar licensing
IN the Malaysian energy sector, there is growing interest in building solar farms now that the feed-in-tariffs (FIT) have become clear.
That's essentially the special rates that the national utility will pay anyone who can produce and sell' electricity from a solar source back into the country's power grid.
According to some entrepreneurs venturing into this industry, the tariffs look attractive enough for them to make their business case. That's a good start for this clean form of energy to take off.
Incidentally Malaysia is one of the largest producers of solar panels but the production of electricity from solar is at negligible levels today. Hopefully, with the FIT in place now, things will change.
Also looking promising are the detailed steps applicants need to make in order to apply for a solar license (which in turn will entitle them to the special tariffs).
According to documents provided by officials from the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology & Water, applicants need to display their plant's design details and show proof of other technical capabilities. One also needs to display evidence of financial strength and produce clear milestones for the project.
The ministry officials also say that if the accepted milestones are not met, the governing body, the soon-to-be-formed Sustainable Energy Development Authority (Seda), will withdraw the licence issued.
Seda will certainly play a crucial role in ensuring that there is no favouritism in the issuance of solar licenses.
What we don't want to see are parties who are issued the solar licences going about trying to flip them to others for a higher price.
Apparently, this has happened in one neighbouring country, and that has marred the development of the whole solar power sector there.
In Malaysia though, the licences to be issued by Seda will be non-transferable, at least according to documents on the matter. While this is a good safeguard, it appears that if a company owns a licence to run a solar farm and receive the special tariffs, that company can be sold to other parties.
The rationale for this is that sometimes, existing shareholders who fund the project may have a need to cash out of the project. Typically these could be private equity investors, who had been willing to fund the greenfield project of the solar farm. Subsequently, when the farm is up and running and producing a cash flow, other investors with different risk appetites could be interested in buying into the company.
In such instances, it does seem that nothing is wrong if the original shareholders of the solar farm project sell their shares to other parties.
However, the situation is different if the original shareholders of the company didn't do much with the license they were issued, and after some time, sought to sell their company for a higher price. In such instances, Seda should revoke the licence and issue it to new parties willing to invest in this area of renewable energy.
Malaysia has a chance to get it right from day one by ensuring a transparent and fair process in the issuance of licences to parties keen on building solar farms. The country expects nothing less from Seda.
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/5/17/business/8696943&sec=business
That's essentially the special rates that the national utility will pay anyone who can produce and sell' electricity from a solar source back into the country's power grid.
According to some entrepreneurs venturing into this industry, the tariffs look attractive enough for them to make their business case. That's a good start for this clean form of energy to take off.
Incidentally Malaysia is one of the largest producers of solar panels but the production of electricity from solar is at negligible levels today. Hopefully, with the FIT in place now, things will change.
Also looking promising are the detailed steps applicants need to make in order to apply for a solar license (which in turn will entitle them to the special tariffs).
According to documents provided by officials from the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology & Water, applicants need to display their plant's design details and show proof of other technical capabilities. One also needs to display evidence of financial strength and produce clear milestones for the project.
The ministry officials also say that if the accepted milestones are not met, the governing body, the soon-to-be-formed Sustainable Energy Development Authority (Seda), will withdraw the licence issued.
Seda will certainly play a crucial role in ensuring that there is no favouritism in the issuance of solar licenses.
What we don't want to see are parties who are issued the solar licences going about trying to flip them to others for a higher price.
Apparently, this has happened in one neighbouring country, and that has marred the development of the whole solar power sector there.
In Malaysia though, the licences to be issued by Seda will be non-transferable, at least according to documents on the matter. While this is a good safeguard, it appears that if a company owns a licence to run a solar farm and receive the special tariffs, that company can be sold to other parties.
The rationale for this is that sometimes, existing shareholders who fund the project may have a need to cash out of the project. Typically these could be private equity investors, who had been willing to fund the greenfield project of the solar farm. Subsequently, when the farm is up and running and producing a cash flow, other investors with different risk appetites could be interested in buying into the company.
In such instances, it does seem that nothing is wrong if the original shareholders of the solar farm project sell their shares to other parties.
However, the situation is different if the original shareholders of the company didn't do much with the license they were issued, and after some time, sought to sell their company for a higher price. In such instances, Seda should revoke the licence and issue it to new parties willing to invest in this area of renewable energy.
Malaysia has a chance to get it right from day one by ensuring a transparent and fair process in the issuance of licences to parties keen on building solar farms. The country expects nothing less from Seda.
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/5/17/business/8696943&sec=business
Monday, May 16, 2011
Prius Balik Kampung: Prius's mileage Performance on RON95
In view of high fuel prices cause majority of car users from demand of RON 97 to drop to RON 95.
RON97 price is escalating based on global crude oil prices, up to date it costs Malaysian about RM2.90 per litre.
So, no surprise that majority of car owners in Malaysia are shifting from RON97 to RON95 for their daily use.
As Prius user, I really want to know how is the fuel affects performance of Toyota Prius if it is running on RON95?
Based on Toyota Prius manual,
Prius minimum fuel requirement is RON95..So there is no harm for Prius to run on RON95.
The performance of RON95 on Toyota Prius is moderate based on our recent findings.
Recently, my friend tested RON95 . He was able to cover 700KM for 35litre fuel( 35x RM1.90/litre = RM66.50 ) compared to RON97 is about 800KM for similar capacity.
For 35 litre of RON97 costs you as high as RM101.50.
Conclusion :
RON 95-Toyota Prius spent approximately RM0.095 for 1 KM
RON97 –Toyota Prius spent approximately RM0.127 for 1KM
RON97 price is escalating based on global crude oil prices, up to date it costs Malaysian about RM2.90 per litre.
So, no surprise that majority of car owners in Malaysia are shifting from RON97 to RON95 for their daily use.
As Prius user, I really want to know how is the fuel affects performance of Toyota Prius if it is running on RON95?
Based on Toyota Prius manual,
Prius minimum fuel requirement is RON95..So there is no harm for Prius to run on RON95.
The performance of RON95 on Toyota Prius is moderate based on our recent findings.
Recently, my friend tested RON95 . He was able to cover 700KM for 35litre fuel( 35x RM1.90/litre = RM66.50 ) compared to RON97 is about 800KM for similar capacity.
For 35 litre of RON97 costs you as high as RM101.50.
Conclusion :
RON 95-Toyota Prius spent approximately RM0.095 for 1 KM
RON97 –Toyota Prius spent approximately RM0.127 for 1KM
 |
| Photo shows: Sleeping Buddha at Cabang Empat, near Pengkalan Kubur, Kelantan (Malaysia) |
My Previous Posts
Saturday, May 14, 2011
RE push needs charging
Currently, RE accounts for less than 1 per cent of the energy mix. The country's energy demand is largely met by fossil fuels.
The "green" target is even more ambitious in the long term as by 2020, RE is envisioned to contribute 11 per cent or 2,080MW of overall electricity generation in the country.
We failed before under the Small RE Power Programme (SREP). Launched in 2001, SREP encouraged the private sector to undertake grid-connected small power generation projects using renewable resources. RE developers can sell a maximum of 10MW of electricity to the national grid while the total target was to generate 350MW of power.
It was not so successful. Out of the 22 companies that secured the licence for SREP, only two took off and we have yet to achieve the 350MW target," Professor Ir Dr Abd Halim Shamsuddin from Universiti Tenaga Nasional's Centre for RE told the writer and some other journalists during a media retreat in Tioman Island recently.
An RE eco-system is costly to build. It is a fact, not a notion. Many of us agree that the RE has a bright future here. But until the issue of high capital cost is resolved, the technology is no longer on the learning curve and design exclusivity is no more a setback, we know that Malaysia is not going to fully tap its green energy resources such as solar, biogas, biomass and hydro.
Of course, we also have to deal with reliability issue as well as transmission and integration of RE on the national power grid.
On the high capital cost, one of the primary reasons can be partially explained by the simple dynamics of demand and pricing.
The use of RE has yet to reach a large enough scale to become price-competitive. Thus, the private sector seems to be taking a wait-and-see attitude, particularly given that the economic viability of RE is also dependent on the price of fossil fuels. The more expensive fossil fuels are, the easier it may be for RE to compete.
RE needs intervention to grow. In other words, it needs support from the government and a proactive role from the private sector.
Fortunately, we have a push from the Renewable Energy Act. With the act, interested parties can develop RE in a safe and secured manner as the generation can be sold to Tenaga Nasional Bhd and other power utility firms over a guaranteed period.
The RE Act is expected to be enforced this month or June. Essentially, the Act will enable individuals to make money by selling electricity generated from renewable resources at home to utility companies.
In other words, if you have a solar photovoltaic (PV) generator at home, you can apply to connect this to the grid, and get paid for selling the electricity to utility firms over an agreed timeframe.
However, solar PV system is not cheap. You need to spend some RM20,000 for a 1KW of solar PV panel. A typical PV system at home boasts of five 1KW panels, and that means an investment of RM100,000.
Professor Halim said the 985MW target could be far-fetched unless a single large entity is established to take up the mammoth task of pulling the resources together and generating power efficiently. Perhaps, Sustainable Energy Development Authority (a key component of the RE Act) is the answer.
Read more: RE push needs charging http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/notes13/Article/#ixzz1MJ6M4bKb
The "green" target is even more ambitious in the long term as by 2020, RE is envisioned to contribute 11 per cent or 2,080MW of overall electricity generation in the country.
We failed before under the Small RE Power Programme (SREP). Launched in 2001, SREP encouraged the private sector to undertake grid-connected small power generation projects using renewable resources. RE developers can sell a maximum of 10MW of electricity to the national grid while the total target was to generate 350MW of power.
It was not so successful. Out of the 22 companies that secured the licence for SREP, only two took off and we have yet to achieve the 350MW target," Professor Ir Dr Abd Halim Shamsuddin from Universiti Tenaga Nasional's Centre for RE told the writer and some other journalists during a media retreat in Tioman Island recently.
An RE eco-system is costly to build. It is a fact, not a notion. Many of us agree that the RE has a bright future here. But until the issue of high capital cost is resolved, the technology is no longer on the learning curve and design exclusivity is no more a setback, we know that Malaysia is not going to fully tap its green energy resources such as solar, biogas, biomass and hydro.
Of course, we also have to deal with reliability issue as well as transmission and integration of RE on the national power grid.
On the high capital cost, one of the primary reasons can be partially explained by the simple dynamics of demand and pricing.
The use of RE has yet to reach a large enough scale to become price-competitive. Thus, the private sector seems to be taking a wait-and-see attitude, particularly given that the economic viability of RE is also dependent on the price of fossil fuels. The more expensive fossil fuels are, the easier it may be for RE to compete.
RE needs intervention to grow. In other words, it needs support from the government and a proactive role from the private sector.
Fortunately, we have a push from the Renewable Energy Act. With the act, interested parties can develop RE in a safe and secured manner as the generation can be sold to Tenaga Nasional Bhd and other power utility firms over a guaranteed period.
The RE Act is expected to be enforced this month or June. Essentially, the Act will enable individuals to make money by selling electricity generated from renewable resources at home to utility companies.
In other words, if you have a solar photovoltaic (PV) generator at home, you can apply to connect this to the grid, and get paid for selling the electricity to utility firms over an agreed timeframe.
However, solar PV system is not cheap. You need to spend some RM20,000 for a 1KW of solar PV panel. A typical PV system at home boasts of five 1KW panels, and that means an investment of RM100,000.
Professor Halim said the 985MW target could be far-fetched unless a single large entity is established to take up the mammoth task of pulling the resources together and generating power efficiently. Perhaps, Sustainable Energy Development Authority (a key component of the RE Act) is the answer.
Read more: RE push needs charging http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/notes13/Article/#ixzz1MJ6M4bKb
TS Solar banks on tie-up with China's Himin
KUALA LUMPUR: TS Solar Energy Sdn Bhd (TS Solar), a new player in the renewable solar energy sector, is banking on its strategic partnership with China's Himin Solar Energy Co Ltd (Himin Solar) to take it to the next level in the country's renewable energy sector.
Executive director Sam Oh Yung Sim said the company's vision is to become one of the leading solar and photovoltaic (PV) solution providers in Malaysia within the next five years.
"Through our offerings, we intend to help businesses save on energy costs and in the process, increase their revenue and combat global warning," he said at the signing of a distribution agreement between TS Solar and Himin Solar here yesterday.
He added that the company will initially work closely with Himin Solar, focusing on commercial projects that will require more than just the supply and installation of solar and PV products.
Speaking to reporters later, Oh said the company can provide immediate and good services to the local market through its partnership with Himin Solar, China's largest solar enterprise.
"We are actually working with a very good and reliable partner from China. So in terms of technology and support services, we are very confident that we can provide good services immediately to the market.
"They (Himin Solar) have technology lab samples, solar developer and own so-called Solar valley, which means we actually would be able to provide immediate services to our business partners, developers and even government agencies, like city councils who are interested to implement this concept (renewable energy)."
On the local front, Oh said TS Solar is excited to be part of this growing green sector that is helping the country migrate from its reliance on finite supplies of oil and gas to renewable sources, such as solar power, so as to ensure maximum diversity and sustainability of its ecosystems.
The government's commitment to developing renewable energy in a more aggressive manner is reflected in the recent passing of the Renewable Energy Act 2011 in Parliament.
"I am confident and positive that with the government's backing, the renewable energy sector will certainly grow by leaps and bounds," he said.
Himin Solar chairman Huang Ming said Malaysians should not wait for the policy to be enforced and start implementing this renewable energy or green technology.
"We must not wait for the policy. We must begin our first step, not only for the industry, but also the utility and the public," he said.
Huang, a petroleum engineer turned crusader against the use of fossil fuels, has been instrumental in the implementation of the Law of Renewable Energy in China since 2006.
Prior to the implementation of the law, he had been championing the use of renewable energy, particularly solar and wind power in China.
Huang developed an ambitious "Solar Valley", which he envisioned to be a Silicon Valley-like project in Shandong province, by creating a hub for the entire renewable energy industry in China.
He said Himin Solar sees Malaysia as the ideal choice for the company to promote its "Solar valley" as well as other solar energy products and solutions to the other countries in Southeast Asia.
"Malaysia has become the business centre in Southeast Asia and is the most safest country in terms of security. So for business, it is the best choice I think," he added.
source:http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/samsolar/Article/
Executive director Sam Oh Yung Sim said the company's vision is to become one of the leading solar and photovoltaic (PV) solution providers in Malaysia within the next five years.
"Through our offerings, we intend to help businesses save on energy costs and in the process, increase their revenue and combat global warning," he said at the signing of a distribution agreement between TS Solar and Himin Solar here yesterday.
He added that the company will initially work closely with Himin Solar, focusing on commercial projects that will require more than just the supply and installation of solar and PV products.
Speaking to reporters later, Oh said the company can provide immediate and good services to the local market through its partnership with Himin Solar, China's largest solar enterprise.
"We are actually working with a very good and reliable partner from China. So in terms of technology and support services, we are very confident that we can provide good services immediately to the market.
"They (Himin Solar) have technology lab samples, solar developer and own so-called Solar valley, which means we actually would be able to provide immediate services to our business partners, developers and even government agencies, like city councils who are interested to implement this concept (renewable energy)."
On the local front, Oh said TS Solar is excited to be part of this growing green sector that is helping the country migrate from its reliance on finite supplies of oil and gas to renewable sources, such as solar power, so as to ensure maximum diversity and sustainability of its ecosystems.
The government's commitment to developing renewable energy in a more aggressive manner is reflected in the recent passing of the Renewable Energy Act 2011 in Parliament.
"I am confident and positive that with the government's backing, the renewable energy sector will certainly grow by leaps and bounds," he said.
Himin Solar chairman Huang Ming said Malaysians should not wait for the policy to be enforced and start implementing this renewable energy or green technology.
"We must not wait for the policy. We must begin our first step, not only for the industry, but also the utility and the public," he said.
Huang, a petroleum engineer turned crusader against the use of fossil fuels, has been instrumental in the implementation of the Law of Renewable Energy in China since 2006.
Prior to the implementation of the law, he had been championing the use of renewable energy, particularly solar and wind power in China.
Huang developed an ambitious "Solar Valley", which he envisioned to be a Silicon Valley-like project in Shandong province, by creating a hub for the entire renewable energy industry in China.
He said Himin Solar sees Malaysia as the ideal choice for the company to promote its "Solar valley" as well as other solar energy products and solutions to the other countries in Southeast Asia.
"Malaysia has become the business centre in Southeast Asia and is the most safest country in terms of security. So for business, it is the best choice I think," he added.
source:http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/samsolar/Article/
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Tek Seng diversifying into solar cell business
TEK Seng Holdings Bhd is diversifying its business activities to include manufacturing and sale of photovoltaic solar cells.
In a filing yesterday, Tek Seng said the move is to build revenue sources and reduce dependency on existing core business of manufacturing and trading of polyvinyl chloride-related products.
Read more: Tek Seng diversifying into solar cell business http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20110510235155/Article/index_html#ixzz1M06erJur
In a filing yesterday, Tek Seng said the move is to build revenue sources and reduce dependency on existing core business of manufacturing and trading of polyvinyl chloride-related products.
Read more: Tek Seng diversifying into solar cell business http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20110510235155/Article/index_html#ixzz1M06erJur
Friday, May 6, 2011
'Mini-hydro plants viable energy alternative'
Mini-hydro power plants, once an unpopular method of generating electricity, seems to emerge as a viable alternative now spiralling fuel cost, especially coal, has had a hard hitting impact on power producers.
The importance of these plants have become more apparent now that Tenaga Nasional Bhd has started rehabilitating mini-hydro sites over the last few years as part of its green energy efforts.
The move will not only help the utility giant reduce its power generation cost and carbon dioxide emission, but also create awareness for renewable energy and fast track the government's aim to move towards green energy.
Last year, Chief Executive Officer Datuk Seri Che Khalib Mohamad said mini-hydro plants should be developed to supplement future electricity demand.
By 2015, TNB aimed to produce 330 megawatts (mw) of power from biomass, followed by mini-hydro (290 mw), solid waste (200 mw), biogas (100 mw) and solar photovoltaic (65 mw).
TNB has 36 mini-hydro plants but only 21 were operational, nationwide, TNB Energy Services Sdn Bhd Engineer Khirul Nizam Shamsudin told reporters at a media re-treat on the resort island recently.
The total capacity of the 36 mini-hydro plants is about nine mw, he said, adding that the remaining 15 mini hydro-plants were currently going through rehabilitation.
The good thing of mini-hydro plants is that it doesn't have the same kind of adverse effect on the environment as large-scale hydro dams.
Mini-hydro plants, in most cases, do not require a dam or barrage to store water, instead water is captured from a waterfall through a weir which is then chanelled through a 1.65 kilometre long pipeline which connects to the plant.
During the re-treat, participants had the opportunity to visit the Sungei Mentawak mini-hydro power station on Pulau Tioman which has an installed capacity of 0.5 MW.
Mini-hydro plants of such capacity require an investment of RM70 million. "We run the plant according to the amount of water received. Currently, the running capacity of the plant is 0.3MW," said Khirul, adding that during the dry season, capacity could reduce to as much as 0.1 mw.
Another advantage of hydro plants is that power can be generated, as per demand, by managing the flow of river water, which means less wastage of energy.
In the last 12 months, the plant generated 1,460,590 kilowatt hours of energy and helped reduce TNB's diesel cost and emission by RM864,698 and 11,684.72 kilogramme, respectively.
TNB operates a diesel power plant in Tioman with an installed capacity of 6.3 MW -- Bernama
Read more: 'Mini-hydro plants viable energy alternative' http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20110505182204/Article/index_html#ixzz1LU6IfL8w
The importance of these plants have become more apparent now that Tenaga Nasional Bhd has started rehabilitating mini-hydro sites over the last few years as part of its green energy efforts.
The move will not only help the utility giant reduce its power generation cost and carbon dioxide emission, but also create awareness for renewable energy and fast track the government's aim to move towards green energy.
Last year, Chief Executive Officer Datuk Seri Che Khalib Mohamad said mini-hydro plants should be developed to supplement future electricity demand.
By 2015, TNB aimed to produce 330 megawatts (mw) of power from biomass, followed by mini-hydro (290 mw), solid waste (200 mw), biogas (100 mw) and solar photovoltaic (65 mw).
TNB has 36 mini-hydro plants but only 21 were operational, nationwide, TNB Energy Services Sdn Bhd Engineer Khirul Nizam Shamsudin told reporters at a media re-treat on the resort island recently.
The total capacity of the 36 mini-hydro plants is about nine mw, he said, adding that the remaining 15 mini hydro-plants were currently going through rehabilitation.
The good thing of mini-hydro plants is that it doesn't have the same kind of adverse effect on the environment as large-scale hydro dams.
Mini-hydro plants, in most cases, do not require a dam or barrage to store water, instead water is captured from a waterfall through a weir which is then chanelled through a 1.65 kilometre long pipeline which connects to the plant.
During the re-treat, participants had the opportunity to visit the Sungei Mentawak mini-hydro power station on Pulau Tioman which has an installed capacity of 0.5 MW.
Mini-hydro plants of such capacity require an investment of RM70 million. "We run the plant according to the amount of water received. Currently, the running capacity of the plant is 0.3MW," said Khirul, adding that during the dry season, capacity could reduce to as much as 0.1 mw.
Another advantage of hydro plants is that power can be generated, as per demand, by managing the flow of river water, which means less wastage of energy.
In the last 12 months, the plant generated 1,460,590 kilowatt hours of energy and helped reduce TNB's diesel cost and emission by RM864,698 and 11,684.72 kilogramme, respectively.
TNB operates a diesel power plant in Tioman with an installed capacity of 6.3 MW -- Bernama
Read more: 'Mini-hydro plants viable energy alternative' http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20110505182204/Article/index_html#ixzz1LU6IfL8w
Metrojaya launches 'Go-Green' campaign
Metrojaya Department Stores Sdn Bhd today launched a "Go-Green" nature conservation campaign which will go on until June 30.
"Metrojaya has always strived to be a leading and caring retail group of companies in all that we do, and this obviously extends to caring for the environment.
"We believe that our role as a corporate citizen is to support the government's effort to promote green technology," Metrojaya Executive Director Pel Loh told reporters after the launch of the campaign.
During the campaign period, Metrojaya will highlight products that are eco-friendly. Over 20 per cent of the products in Metrojaya are going green.
In conjunction with the campaign, Metrojaya is giving away a Lithium-lon powered motorbike, sponsored by Eclimo, as a prize for the Go-Green contest.
To participate in the contest, customers have to purchase items worth up to RM100 in any of the seven Metrojaya outlets. -- Bernama
Read more: Metrojaya launches 'Go-Green' campaign http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20110505200505/Article/index_html#ixzz1LU2nKXGP
"Metrojaya has always strived to be a leading and caring retail group of companies in all that we do, and this obviously extends to caring for the environment.
"We believe that our role as a corporate citizen is to support the government's effort to promote green technology," Metrojaya Executive Director Pel Loh told reporters after the launch of the campaign.
During the campaign period, Metrojaya will highlight products that are eco-friendly. Over 20 per cent of the products in Metrojaya are going green.
In conjunction with the campaign, Metrojaya is giving away a Lithium-lon powered motorbike, sponsored by Eclimo, as a prize for the Go-Green contest.
To participate in the contest, customers have to purchase items worth up to RM100 in any of the seven Metrojaya outlets. -- Bernama
Read more: Metrojaya launches 'Go-Green' campaign http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20110505200505/Article/index_html#ixzz1LU2nKXGP
Thursday, May 5, 2011
RON97 petrol to cost 20 sen more
The price of RON97 petrol will go up by 20 sen to RM2.90 per litre effective midnight today according to the Petroleum Dealers Association of Malaysia (PDAM).
PDAM deputy president Datuk Zulkifli Mokti said the increase was due to the rise in the price of crude oil in the global market.
"But the price of RON95 and diesel remains unchanged," he said when contacted by Bernama tonight.
On April 2, the price of RON97, which was floated according to the prevailing oil market price, rose by 20 sen to RM2.70 per litre due to the crisis in the Middle East.
RON95 petrol remains at RM1.90 per litre. -- Bernama
Read more: RON97 petrol to cost 20 sen more http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20110504212523/Article/index_html#ixzz1LOLHbbTz
PDAM deputy president Datuk Zulkifli Mokti said the increase was due to the rise in the price of crude oil in the global market.
"But the price of RON95 and diesel remains unchanged," he said when contacted by Bernama tonight.
On April 2, the price of RON97, which was floated according to the prevailing oil market price, rose by 20 sen to RM2.70 per litre due to the crisis in the Middle East.
RON95 petrol remains at RM1.90 per litre. -- Bernama
Read more: RON97 petrol to cost 20 sen more http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20110504212523/Article/index_html#ixzz1LOLHbbTz
TNB earmarks 4 sites for geothermal power plants
PULAU TIOMAN: Tenaga Nasional Bhd has earmarked four sites to set-up up geothermal power plants which will utilise steam generated from hot springs to operate power turbines, said its Engineer for Renewable Energy, Generation Asset Development, Shahrina Abdullah on Thursday, May 5.
The project is currently at the initial stage of phase two whereby geophysics and sub-surface analysis has been carried out, she said, without revealing the locations for the plants.
"At this stage, we are 60 per cent confident the plants will take off," she said, adding that the next stage would include exploratory drilling which was similar to oil drilling and equally expensive.
Sharina said four medium-range sites have been identified and each geothermal plant would have the potential to generate more than two megawatts of electricity.
A large hot spring can generate up to 20 megawatts of power, she said during a recent media re-treat on this holiday resort.
She pointed out that the hot springs can co-exist alongside the power plants and serve as a tourist attraction.
As for the TECHNOLOGY [], Shahrina said binary cycle power plants were the most recent development and can accept fluid temperatures as low as 57 degrees calcius.
A secondary fluid will pass through the moderately hot geothermal water, at a much lower boiling point than water, causing the secondary fluid to emit vapour which will then drive the turbines.
Saying that the thermal efficiency of the plant was typically at about 10 per cent, Sharina said, at present, this was the most common geothermal plant being built. - Bernama
http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/business/186070-tnb-earmarks-4-sites-for-geothermal-power-plants.html
The project is currently at the initial stage of phase two whereby geophysics and sub-surface analysis has been carried out, she said, without revealing the locations for the plants.
"At this stage, we are 60 per cent confident the plants will take off," she said, adding that the next stage would include exploratory drilling which was similar to oil drilling and equally expensive.
Sharina said four medium-range sites have been identified and each geothermal plant would have the potential to generate more than two megawatts of electricity.
A large hot spring can generate up to 20 megawatts of power, she said during a recent media re-treat on this holiday resort.
She pointed out that the hot springs can co-exist alongside the power plants and serve as a tourist attraction.
As for the TECHNOLOGY [], Shahrina said binary cycle power plants were the most recent development and can accept fluid temperatures as low as 57 degrees calcius.
A secondary fluid will pass through the moderately hot geothermal water, at a much lower boiling point than water, causing the secondary fluid to emit vapour which will then drive the turbines.
Saying that the thermal efficiency of the plant was typically at about 10 per cent, Sharina said, at present, this was the most common geothermal plant being built. - Bernama
http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/business/186070-tnb-earmarks-4-sites-for-geothermal-power-plants.html
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Home Made Wind Turbine In Kelantan,Malaysia
Very simple Home Made Wind Turbine rated at 100W found in Kelantan, Malaysia...
Malaysia Boleh..!!!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
'Banks should explain greentech loan inadequacy'
Local banks must explain to the government the inadequacy of loan approvals for green technology projects, says Deputy
Finance Minister Datuk Donald Lim Siang Chai.
He said the government established a RM1.5 billion fund last year under the Green Technology Financing Scheme to encourage companies to invest in the innovative green technology sector.
"So far, we find that only RM204 million or below 20 per cent has been approved by the banks, which is quite far from our target," he told reporters after launching the Malaysian Debt Ventures Bhd Green Technology Financing programme here today.
Last year, the government invited local banks for a discourse on the lack of loan approvals, but the bankers did not state any reasons or problems they faced in disbursing loans for green technology projects, he said.
"This year, we will do some discussions with them again. We hope the allocated RM1.5 billion will be disbursed by the third quarter of this year.
"If the banks cannot do it, then they have to tell us why," he said.
Of the 109 loan applications received, 83 were awarded the "Green Certificate", making them eligible for financing, while 13 others have been approved for financing, he said.
Lim said the government had taken the responsibility to absorb two per cent of the loan interest in addition to providing a 60 per cent guarantee on the financing amount, with the remaining 40 per cent borne by the participating banks. -- Bernama
Read more: 'Banks should explain greentech loan inadequacy' http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20110503190114/Article/index_html#ixzz1LHscC01O
Finance Minister Datuk Donald Lim Siang Chai.
He said the government established a RM1.5 billion fund last year under the Green Technology Financing Scheme to encourage companies to invest in the innovative green technology sector.
"So far, we find that only RM204 million or below 20 per cent has been approved by the banks, which is quite far from our target," he told reporters after launching the Malaysian Debt Ventures Bhd Green Technology Financing programme here today.
Last year, the government invited local banks for a discourse on the lack of loan approvals, but the bankers did not state any reasons or problems they faced in disbursing loans for green technology projects, he said.
"This year, we will do some discussions with them again. We hope the allocated RM1.5 billion will be disbursed by the third quarter of this year.
"If the banks cannot do it, then they have to tell us why," he said.
Of the 109 loan applications received, 83 were awarded the "Green Certificate", making them eligible for financing, while 13 others have been approved for financing, he said.
Lim said the government had taken the responsibility to absorb two per cent of the loan interest in addition to providing a 60 per cent guarantee on the financing amount, with the remaining 40 per cent borne by the participating banks. -- Bernama
Read more: 'Banks should explain greentech loan inadequacy' http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20110503190114/Article/index_html#ixzz1LHscC01O
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Hospitals going green can boost solar panel industry
PETALING JAYA: The Health Ministry’s initiative to introduce green technology in Government hospitals can help boost the solar panel industry, said environment groups.
In welcoming the initiative, they said the Government would create an impetus in the market if it chose to implement that technology.
Centre for Environment, Technology and Development (Cetdem) executive director Anthony Tan said this would in turn stimulate demand and help lower prices to make solar panels more affordable for the middle-class.
“The onus is on the Government to take the lead. Solar panels are manufactured in Malaysia yet all are exported at the moment,” he said.
He said such a move would also boost the banking sector’s confidence in energy service companies, which came up with plans to reduce energy usage.
“One of the biggest barriers for these companies today is funding. Government support will give the banking sector a benchmark in supporting it,” he said.
Tan stressed that optimal management of air-conditioning units in hospitals was also vital in maximising energy efficiency.
He was responding to a statement by Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai that public hospitals would turn to green technology in a bid to reduce their electricity bills, which now amounted up to thousands of ringgit a month.
He said the “greening exercise” would be carried out by the private sector and encouraged companies to propose the best possible ways to help the Government reduce electricity costs at hospitals.
Environmental Protection Society president Nithi Nesadurai said it fully supported the move, describing it as “the right way to go”.
He said the ministry would have to appoint a suitable leader to guide this shift towards green technology.
source: The star
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/4/28/nation/8568474&sec=nation#13042212658751&if_height=362
In welcoming the initiative, they said the Government would create an impetus in the market if it chose to implement that technology.
Centre for Environment, Technology and Development (Cetdem) executive director Anthony Tan said this would in turn stimulate demand and help lower prices to make solar panels more affordable for the middle-class.
“The onus is on the Government to take the lead. Solar panels are manufactured in Malaysia yet all are exported at the moment,” he said.
He said such a move would also boost the banking sector’s confidence in energy service companies, which came up with plans to reduce energy usage.
“One of the biggest barriers for these companies today is funding. Government support will give the banking sector a benchmark in supporting it,” he said.
Tan stressed that optimal management of air-conditioning units in hospitals was also vital in maximising energy efficiency.
He was responding to a statement by Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai that public hospitals would turn to green technology in a bid to reduce their electricity bills, which now amounted up to thousands of ringgit a month.
He said the “greening exercise” would be carried out by the private sector and encouraged companies to propose the best possible ways to help the Government reduce electricity costs at hospitals.
Environmental Protection Society president Nithi Nesadurai said it fully supported the move, describing it as “the right way to go”.
He said the ministry would have to appoint a suitable leader to guide this shift towards green technology.
source: The star
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/4/28/nation/8568474&sec=nation#13042212658751&if_height=362
Go for green options
Only pettiness stands in the way of safe and sound development of renewable energies.
RECENT events have sharpened the focus on a chilling scenario spooking the international community.
Turmoil in several oil-rich West Asian countries, with the triple whammy of Japan’s 9-point earthquake, tsunami and radiation fallout from Fukushima’s nuclear plant, set against escalating crude oil prices augur badly for the world’s economies.
The common factor is ever-increasing demand for energy. Today’s world is so different in that almost every aspect of our lives requires energy.
As populations increase and technology advances, we need increasing amounts of cheap and abundant energy. The most common sources are fossil fuels, typically oil, gas (LNG) and coal.
Unfortunately, these are not getting cheaper or more abundant. Prices of crude oil escalated more than five-fold in the past two decades.
There are of course other sources like time-tested hydroelectric power. There is also energy from the sun (solar-thermal and photo-voltaic), and wind, geothermal, tidal and wave sources, and more esoteric sources like organic waste or methane.
But nuclear is unclear. Yet, somehow untold resources have been spent on nuclear energy. Why people choose to go the nuclear road is unclear. It is definitely not cerebral.
It is expensive, dangerous and poses a multitude of unanswered questions, chief amongst which is the disposal of hazardous by-products.
The United States has upwards of 70,000 tonnes of nuclear waste planned for storage in Nevada’s Yucca Mountain, but now that is over. There is no long-term storage site for the accumulating highly toxic waste hazardous to life for thousands of years or more.
Deep suspicions prevail that world energy supply and demand are closely linked to control, dominance and hegemony among nations. Countries that control energy supply for the rest of the world hold sway over lesser nations.
Take fossil fuels. For much of the past century, economically dominant countries were those which controlled energy supply, e.g. large stocks of oil/natural gas/coal, either as their own natural resource or under their control in “client” countries with compliant governments.
Unfortunately fossil fuels are fast disappearing and becoming more expensive to extract. Nuclear was thus introduced some 70 years ago despite ever-present radiation dangers.
Why? It was by then known that fossil fuels were not a dependable energy source as they were non-renewable.
It was then decided to harness energy from nuclear reactors. Besides, some of the by-products also had military applications (e.g. depleted uranium shells the US used in Iraq and Libya).
While other energy sources such as hydro, solar, wind and geo-thermal are more site- or country-specific and so allow less developed nations to be independent of dominant countries, this would not sit well with the world’s existing power equation.
Even within the nuclear energy lobby, there are two schools: the uranium and the thorium. The safer thorium model was discovered about a decade after the uranium model but was not fully developed.
One of the reasons was that by then massive amounts of money and human resources had been used to develop the more dangerous model. Much lobbying was done for the uranium model at the expense of the thorium model by developed nations such as the United States, Russia and Britain.
Lately both China and India have started developing the safer model. Yet however safe the thorium model, it is still nuclear and thus less safe than renewable sources of energy.
Germany is a developed, technology-savvy country that has decided to abandon nuclear power altogether, while less developed countries still hanker after it. There is the saying that fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
To understand energy supply and demand, we must acknowledge that the fundamental energy source is the sun. The Egyptians worshipped Ra the Sun God centuries ago when they were at the peak of world civilisation.
To derive energy from the sun would be getting energy almost directly from the mother source without resorting to other more complicated, dangerous, costly and outlandish models.
Some may oppose solar energy or any other renewable energy source. They may do so out of ignorance or some hidden agenda.
They would say that solar energy is expensive and not well developed. That is not true; we have lived with solar heaters in our homes for years.
Many countries have solar farms generating electricity from photovoltaic cells. Today, China produces the world’s largest number of photovoltaic panels for industrial and home applications.
With the life cycle of the mobile phone as an example, the advances we can expect to see in photovoltaic energy generation will be just as dramatic. Energy from the sun will be cheap, clean, renewable, efficient and ubiquitous within the next decade.
Wind energy is now more widely used and more sophisticated than many expect. Britain now has wind turbines producing 1.3 gigawatts, with plans to construct 400 more turbines.
We in Malaysia have had hydroelectric dams long before independence. China’s state-of-the-art Three Gorges Dam producing hydroelectricity is the world’s largest.
Yet some people still push for nuclear reactors. After the accidents in Three Mile Island in the United States in the 1970s, Chernobyl in Russia in the 1980s and today’s Fukushima, it is difficult to understand those who are still pro-nuclear.
very time an accident happens, promises are made that it would be the last, as more stringent designs would be incorporated. Why then Chernobyl and now Fukushima?
Will Fukushima be the last? Very unlikely. There are nuclear reactors built on California’s fault lines just waiting for another Fukushima to happen.
Those who still seek the nuclear option are certainly not the brightest. Would these misguided souls volunteer to join the brave “Fukushima Fifty”, fighting radioactive spillage on site?
It is not that we lack alternatives to nuclear energy. We have a vast number of alternatives.
It is not that we find nuclear cheaper, it is definitely not – Britain has declared that it is scrapping future nuclear plans simply because they would be too expensive with extra safety measures designed into them following the Fukushima disaster.
Sunlight is free and freely available; wind is free and easily accessible. Geothermal energy is freely bubbling from hot springs and easily used to drive turbines, water runs down hills and mountains giving us hydroelectricity.
Waves and tides have been around since life began. These energy sources staring us in the face are so obvious, yet we choose to ignore them for the dangerous, expensive and non-renewable options.
Any argument against developing alternative, green and safe energies, coupled with continued lobbying for nuclear, will be a classic example of gross irresponsibility. It will also reinforce “politics in power and power in politics”.
There are people who believe that the world is flat; that what happened in Fukushima is because the Japanese were not environment friendly, or were not green enough, but these are “fringe” people who probably smoke some powerful stuff.
Then there are those who do so because of politics. Imagine a world where energy is abundantly and cheaply available for everyone.
The world order as we know it today will stand on its head. No one would go to war for oil, yet some countries could still go to war to prevent this change in world order.
source: The star
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/5/1/nation/8577701&sec=nation
RECENT events have sharpened the focus on a chilling scenario spooking the international community.
Turmoil in several oil-rich West Asian countries, with the triple whammy of Japan’s 9-point earthquake, tsunami and radiation fallout from Fukushima’s nuclear plant, set against escalating crude oil prices augur badly for the world’s economies.
The common factor is ever-increasing demand for energy. Today’s world is so different in that almost every aspect of our lives requires energy.
As populations increase and technology advances, we need increasing amounts of cheap and abundant energy. The most common sources are fossil fuels, typically oil, gas (LNG) and coal.
Unfortunately, these are not getting cheaper or more abundant. Prices of crude oil escalated more than five-fold in the past two decades.
There are of course other sources like time-tested hydroelectric power. There is also energy from the sun (solar-thermal and photo-voltaic), and wind, geothermal, tidal and wave sources, and more esoteric sources like organic waste or methane.
But nuclear is unclear. Yet, somehow untold resources have been spent on nuclear energy. Why people choose to go the nuclear road is unclear. It is definitely not cerebral.
It is expensive, dangerous and poses a multitude of unanswered questions, chief amongst which is the disposal of hazardous by-products.
The United States has upwards of 70,000 tonnes of nuclear waste planned for storage in Nevada’s Yucca Mountain, but now that is over. There is no long-term storage site for the accumulating highly toxic waste hazardous to life for thousands of years or more.
Deep suspicions prevail that world energy supply and demand are closely linked to control, dominance and hegemony among nations. Countries that control energy supply for the rest of the world hold sway over lesser nations.
Take fossil fuels. For much of the past century, economically dominant countries were those which controlled energy supply, e.g. large stocks of oil/natural gas/coal, either as their own natural resource or under their control in “client” countries with compliant governments.
Unfortunately fossil fuels are fast disappearing and becoming more expensive to extract. Nuclear was thus introduced some 70 years ago despite ever-present radiation dangers.
Why? It was by then known that fossil fuels were not a dependable energy source as they were non-renewable.
It was then decided to harness energy from nuclear reactors. Besides, some of the by-products also had military applications (e.g. depleted uranium shells the US used in Iraq and Libya).
While other energy sources such as hydro, solar, wind and geo-thermal are more site- or country-specific and so allow less developed nations to be independent of dominant countries, this would not sit well with the world’s existing power equation.
Even within the nuclear energy lobby, there are two schools: the uranium and the thorium. The safer thorium model was discovered about a decade after the uranium model but was not fully developed.
One of the reasons was that by then massive amounts of money and human resources had been used to develop the more dangerous model. Much lobbying was done for the uranium model at the expense of the thorium model by developed nations such as the United States, Russia and Britain.
Lately both China and India have started developing the safer model. Yet however safe the thorium model, it is still nuclear and thus less safe than renewable sources of energy.
Germany is a developed, technology-savvy country that has decided to abandon nuclear power altogether, while less developed countries still hanker after it. There is the saying that fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
To understand energy supply and demand, we must acknowledge that the fundamental energy source is the sun. The Egyptians worshipped Ra the Sun God centuries ago when they were at the peak of world civilisation.
To derive energy from the sun would be getting energy almost directly from the mother source without resorting to other more complicated, dangerous, costly and outlandish models.
Some may oppose solar energy or any other renewable energy source. They may do so out of ignorance or some hidden agenda.
They would say that solar energy is expensive and not well developed. That is not true; we have lived with solar heaters in our homes for years.
Many countries have solar farms generating electricity from photovoltaic cells. Today, China produces the world’s largest number of photovoltaic panels for industrial and home applications.
With the life cycle of the mobile phone as an example, the advances we can expect to see in photovoltaic energy generation will be just as dramatic. Energy from the sun will be cheap, clean, renewable, efficient and ubiquitous within the next decade.
Wind energy is now more widely used and more sophisticated than many expect. Britain now has wind turbines producing 1.3 gigawatts, with plans to construct 400 more turbines.
We in Malaysia have had hydroelectric dams long before independence. China’s state-of-the-art Three Gorges Dam producing hydroelectricity is the world’s largest.
Yet some people still push for nuclear reactors. After the accidents in Three Mile Island in the United States in the 1970s, Chernobyl in Russia in the 1980s and today’s Fukushima, it is difficult to understand those who are still pro-nuclear.
very time an accident happens, promises are made that it would be the last, as more stringent designs would be incorporated. Why then Chernobyl and now Fukushima?
Will Fukushima be the last? Very unlikely. There are nuclear reactors built on California’s fault lines just waiting for another Fukushima to happen.
Those who still seek the nuclear option are certainly not the brightest. Would these misguided souls volunteer to join the brave “Fukushima Fifty”, fighting radioactive spillage on site?
It is not that we lack alternatives to nuclear energy. We have a vast number of alternatives.
It is not that we find nuclear cheaper, it is definitely not – Britain has declared that it is scrapping future nuclear plans simply because they would be too expensive with extra safety measures designed into them following the Fukushima disaster.
Sunlight is free and freely available; wind is free and easily accessible. Geothermal energy is freely bubbling from hot springs and easily used to drive turbines, water runs down hills and mountains giving us hydroelectricity.
Waves and tides have been around since life began. These energy sources staring us in the face are so obvious, yet we choose to ignore them for the dangerous, expensive and non-renewable options.
Any argument against developing alternative, green and safe energies, coupled with continued lobbying for nuclear, will be a classic example of gross irresponsibility. It will also reinforce “politics in power and power in politics”.
There are people who believe that the world is flat; that what happened in Fukushima is because the Japanese were not environment friendly, or were not green enough, but these are “fringe” people who probably smoke some powerful stuff.
Then there are those who do so because of politics. Imagine a world where energy is abundantly and cheaply available for everyone.
The world order as we know it today will stand on its head. No one would go to war for oil, yet some countries could still go to war to prevent this change in world order.
source: The star
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/5/1/nation/8577701&sec=nation
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