Newsletter January 2012

1 2 RENEWABLE ENERGY MARKET DEVELOPMENTS IN THAILAND ................................................................. 1 RE PROJECT NEWS THAILAND ................................................................................................................... 5 SOLAR POWER ......................................................................................................................................................... 5 BIOMASS ................................................................................................................................................................ 7 3 4 5 EVENTS REVIEW AND COMING EVENTS IN THAILAND .............................................................................. 9 RENEWABLE ENERGY IN LAO PDR ........................................................................................................... 11 RENEWABLE ENERGY IN CAMBODIA ....................................................................................................... 13

1 Renewable Energy Market Developments in Thailand

Development Fund L.P., MBCDF Sources : http://www.dragoncapital.com/dragon-capital-funds/mekong-brahmaputra-clean-development-fund-lp http://climate-l.iisd.org/news/adb-invests-in-clean-development-fund-for-the-greater-mekongsubregion/ th Date : July 9 , 2010 Launched on 6 July 2010, Mekong Brahmaputra Clean Development Fund L.P. (MBCDF ) is the first fund focused on development using Clean Technology in the Mekong River Region, comprising Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and the Brahmaputra River Region, comprising Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka. The Fund has attracted commitments of US$45m in the first fundraising phase from leading financial institutions such as FMO, Asian Development Bank, Finnfund and BIO. The Asian Development Bank has invested US$15 million in the Mekong Brahmaputra Development Fund. This fund intends to invest in the clean energy and environment sectors in selected DMCs (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Vietnam) in the Greater Mekong Subregion and South Asia. The investment focus will mainly be on RE, EE, and conservation. The Fund aims for a 50% increase in power generation from renewable energy projects in these countries by 2020, based on 2007 levels.

2011 Asean+3 CDM cooperation programme Source http://www.ecct-th.org/activities (in Thai) Under cooperation of ASEAN + 3 Energy Cooperation, Korea has proposed The ASEAN+3 Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) programme, which is jointly coordinated by Korea Energy Management Corporation (KEMCO) and ACE. The programme is aimed to collect and analyze high potential CDM projects at least 5 projects in order to propose to Korean Investment Companies (KICs) for further investment. As surveyed by KEMCO, KICs are interested in projects as following. Project types Small Hydropower Biomass Landfill Methane Capture KICs interest > MV Necessary data Specific project data according to the Feasible Study Checklist Stakeholders benefit, profit sharing Government supported data, subsidies, incentives and government guarantee Possibility for future business expansion

Geothermal

> MV, whole year feedstock availability > million tons per year with area more than 70 hectare 2 , m > MV, surveyed and ready for investment

The project owners who are interested in joint-venture on RE and EE projects who does not submit yet for CDM project approval, can apply to join the programme by contact to The Energy Conservation Centre of Thailand Tel : +66-2621-8531-9 Fax : ++66-2621-8502-3 center@ecct-th.org The proposal has to be submitted within February 2012.

Thai Stock Exchange, pushing the alternative energy industry Source http://www.stockmarkettoday.cc/thai-stock-exchange-pushing-the-alternative-energy-industryth market.html, September 13 , 2011 The SET signs a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on August 29 with three organizations -- the Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency (DEDE) under Ministry of Energy, Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), and Provincial Electricity Authority -- covering a wide variety of activities to enable alternative energy businesses to better understand and utilize the capital markets financial tools to achieve their goals. SET President said: Alternative energy businesses, especially solar energy, are now gaining interest from both domestic and international investors. They have growth potential from the growing demand of electricity following a 5 percent rise in annual economic expansion. The public sector also encourages these firms to enhance the countrys energy security, while reducing the environmental impact from current electricity production. However, these industries need huge amounts of capital. Therefore, the Thai bourse is ready to provide full support in raising funds for these businesses. The exchange is now improving its listing criteria to attract more alternative energy businesses.

Minister of Energy, said: This memorandum is the first step to enable the public and private sectors to move forward together and achieve the countrys mission of being the center of energy business in the region. Director-General, DEDE said: Todays MOU will help boost investment in the country and drive alternative energy production for domestic use. In addition, it will pave the way for Thailand to be the regional center of alternative energy production and a role model for its usage. Secretary General, ERC, said: This MOU is an essential step in supporting the efficiency of energy and alternative energy enterprise owners, increasing their strength by raising fund through the capital market and building good corporate governance through educational activities. EPPO Keeps Advancing Smart Grid Development rd Source http://202.44.52.249/thaienergynews (in Thai), Jan. 3 , 2012 The Ministry of Energy has a policy to strengthen energy security and has devised a plan for Thailands power system development to be a Smart Grid in the future. Consequently, in order to assess the impact in terms of stability and efficiency on the power system The King Mongkuts Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL) will develop computer programs for energy management, a website information database system, an information communication system and will create a smart metering system so that the designing would be compatible with the actual industrial manufacturing. In addition, 60 smart meters will be installed to trial each type of communication systems so as to accommodate actual applications. As for another policy-oriented project on Smart Grid Development, EPPO will act as a focal agency monitoring the system interconnection among the three power utilities, i.e. EGAT, PEA and MEA. The system will help increase the overall efficiency of the power generation system, modernize the pattern of electrical energy transmission and distribution, and encourage behavioral change in power utilization. Based on the outcome of analysis and assessment via the use of software, power consumers will realize the benefits and recognize the importance of energy conservation.

Thailand as biofuel regional hub Source http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2011/09/22/business/Thailand-as-biofuel-regional-hubth 30165877.html, September 22 , 2011 Thailand is ready to become the biofuel regional hub in ASEAN, thanks to advancement in biofuels in terms of output as well as the geographical location. Energy Minister Pichai Naripthaphan said that Thailand's potential will be highlighted as Asean targets to raise the alternative energy consumption to per cent of total consumption within Asean will embrace solar power, wind power, hydropower, geothermal power, biogas and biomass. Thailand's alternative energy policy would run in the same direction. I'm convinced that Thailand could become a hub," he said. Pichai attended the th Asean Ministers on Energy Meeting during Sept in Brunei. Asean energy ministers agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding with the International Energy

Agency, for cooperation in completing the Energy Technology Perspectives

and Technology

Prospects on the Asean Power Generation Sector. Plus an agreement with eight counterparties China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, India, Russia and the US, Asean is promised clean-energy technology transfer to help reduce the regional greenhouse gas emission. Energy would be one of the key topics of the World Economic Forum on East Asia be hosted by Thailand. , which will

2 RE Project News Thailand

Solar power
Capital increase for Ch Karnchang Plc (CK) power units th Source: http://www.bangkokpost.com/print/268332/, Nov.29 ,2011 SET-listed Ch Karnchang Plc (CK) will raise the registered capital of its subsidiary CK Power Ltd (CKPL) from million baht to billion by next year's first quarter and float shares of the power holding company on the local bourse by the end of Next year, the company will spend billion on power projects _ and million for ongoing solar farms. million for the Xayaburi project

Loxley to push ahead with solar power Source http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Loxley-to-push-ahead-with-solar-power30173572.html&sa=U&ei=AaQWT7v9D4nd8gOMwZGFAw&ved=0CBcQFjAA&usg=AFQjCNE9dSYyw th HF1ddhGFRf5d7p1U2tnaA, January , Loxley wants to build up its solar power business by joining hands with potential partners to build four plants requiring investment of Bt billion with combined capacity of megawatts, each of the four plants could produce MW. Solar projects are becoming more attractive due to the declining prices of solar cell equipment. However, the company is waiting for the government's complete announcement of the feed-in tariff rate. The Energy Regulatory Commission is studying the introduction of a feed-in tariff for solar power to replace the Bt -per-unit "adder". If the feed-in rate is equivalent to Bt per unit of adder, Loxley will forge ahead with the plan, due to its readiness in terms of technology, land and loans as well as the internal rate of return of more than per cent. If the rate is lower than Bt per unit equivalent of the adder rate, the new project will be barely commercially viable, due to the high interest rate, plus the higher insurance premium rate driven by the flood factor.

DuPont Apollo Collaborates with Loxley to Complete Megawatt Solar Farm in Thailand th Source http://us.aving.net/news/view.php?articleId=209142&mn_name=, September 15 , 2011 DuPont Apollo, a wholly owned subsidiary of DuPont specializing in silicon-based thin film photovoltaic (PV) modules, has announced the completion of an megawatt (MW) ground-mounted solar farm project in collaboration with Loxley Plc, one of Thailands largest conglomerates engaged in the trading and sales of information technology and telecommunication equipment, through a newly formed venture, L Solar Co., Ltd.

With the completion of its system installation, the solar farm will be grid-connected by the fourth quarter of and has an average production capacity of kilowatt hours (kWh) per year. To help advocate the use of PV technology, the L Solar project includes an education center at the solar farm which is open to external visitors interested in learning about PV technology innovations and the benefits of solar energy. L Solar Company Limited (L Solar is a joint venture between Loxley Public Company Limited, MFC Energy Fund, Leonics Company Limited and Dr. Prasert Shusang, a private investor. L Solar was established in with sole focus on VSPP projects, which allow up to MW of electric power to be produced and sold to the Thai grid for a favourable price. L Solar , costing more than Bt million, is rated at MW. The plant is estimated to generate revenue of Bt million-Bt million per year. It started feeding power to the Provincial Electricity Authority on December

IFEC invests in own solar power plants Source http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2011/02/03/business/IFEC-invests-in-own-solar-powerplants30147848.html&sa=U&ei=p6QWT6rQJ8HC8gPs1O2CAw&ved=0CBEQFjAA&usg=AFQjCNFpOsMKik rd xfdU6JV_RHU4g4jSnDWg, February 3 , 2011 Inter Far East Engineering Plc. (IFEC) is pouring Bt billion into its first two solar power plants with megawatts in capacity each confirming its commitment to penetrate in the renewable energy investment. The project's equity internal rate of return is estimated at per cent. IFEC - founded in as a sales agent for Konica copying machines and now with businesses in office automation, communications and IT - has invested Bt million for a per cent stake in Infinite Green, a new company set up to invest in solar power. Infinite Green, per cent held by Top Green, expects to invest million baht in total, including in a -megawatt project to supply power to the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA).

Four Us Technology (Thailand) agrees on B8bn pact for solar power plants Source http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/economics/270148/four-us-agrees-on-b8bn-pact, th December 12 , 2011 German-based Galip GmbH is joining with Four Us Technology (Thailand) to invest over 8 billion baht in solar power plants with a combined capacity of 84 megawatts in Thailand. The 8.2-billion investment will cover seven provinces in Thailand starting with a pilot project in Phrae province with 24 MW. Other potential project sites include Lampang, Uttaradit, Sukhothai, Surin, Chon Buri and Prachuap Khiri Khan provinces. Four Us, which has operated alternative energy and solar cells in Thailand for over 10 years, will hold a 60% stake, with Galip taking 40%. Alexander Galip, CEO of Galip Solar GmbH, said the company will provide the technology from Germany, while its partner - Korea-based SAK - will provide the wafers. Construction will start in January next year, with around 10 plants to be constructed in 2012 and nine plants in 2013.

Biomass
Ratchaburi Holding in biomass venture Sourcehttp://www.nationmultimedia.com/2011/09/10/business/Ratchaburi-Holding-in-biomass-venture30164934.html&sa=U&ei=Q6UWT9vvJ8mA8gPykJmRBg&ved=0CBEQFjAA&usg=AFQjCNHB1VrdoI th Ka8Eq4z4EjvkTqeq8mCQ, September 10 , 2011 Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding announced that it had entered shareholding and sharepurchase agreements in Songkhla Biomass Company with Precise Power Producer Co. The -megawatt biomass power plant fuelled by rubber-wood slabs and roots will be developed. The plant is in Songkhla province and is scheduled to be operational in The plant would require an investment of Bt million. It meets the company's strategy of increasing its capacity of renewable energy to MW by It is planned to develop this plant as a community-based and as such the investment will also be opened for community. The suitable for investment form is at present under studying. It is expected that the project will be the prototype for further development with participatory approach in order to create communitys positive attitude toward a biomass power plant in the future. EforEs Signed the shareholders agreement of MWe Biomass Power Plant of Plan Eco energy Co.,Ltd th Source http://www.efe.or.th (in Thai), October 7 , 2011 Energy for Environment Foundation (E for E) and Plan Ecoenergy Co.Ltd., the subsidiary of Plan Creation Co.Ltd. (called PlanToys), had signed the shareholders agreement on developing the biomass power plant project. E for E as an ESCO Fund Manager will support the project in total Million Baht under the DEDEs ESCO Fund phase II. The MW biomass power plant uses root from rubber tree as its main fuel. The plant locates in Trang province, southern part of Thaialnd which uses root from rubber tree as its main fuel. E for E as an ESCO Fund Manager will support the project in total Million Baht under the DEDEs ESCO Fund phase II project The plant investment is 340 mio bt under BOI promotion fuelled by pellet biomass developed from rubber root. It is expected for operation start at the end of 2012 with capacity of 5 MW per day.

Biomass power to help push Mitr Phol revenue to Bt th Source THE NATION, January ,

bn in three years

Mitr Phol Group targets revenue of Bt billion within three years, driven by sugar-related businesses such as ethanol and the biomass power plants it is investing in here and in China, Laos, and possibly Australia. At present, Mitr Phol has altogether 307 MW from 5 biomass power plants. From 2012-2013, the company plans to invest in 3 biomass power plants where the two with 67 MW, 44 MW, respectively will be located in north-eastern part of Thailand. The other one will be located in China. The company also plans to invest in Australia in biomass power plants and ethanol through MSF, an Australian sugar miller. Thailand can produce million tonnes of sugar cane per year, while the sugar industry is valued at Bt billion per year. Waste from the sugar-milling process can be used to produce biomass power, which can reduce import of electricity by Bt billion per year. If the government increased the proportion of biomass electricity it purchased to more than megawatts, the value of electricity from this source could go as high as Bt billion per year.

3 Events Review and Coming Events in Thailand

Thailand Sustainable Development Symposium 2011 Organiser : SCG Date : 19 Sep 2011 Venue : Plaza Athenee Bangkok Description : Special Presentation by Bjrn Stigson, President WBCSD Speech by the Prime Minister and Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, Secretary General of ASEAN http://www.scg.co.th/sdsymposium/ Combined business and study trip to Germany: Energy from Biomass in Germany Technology and Market Development Organiser: GIZ Date. 5-9 March 2012 Description: The combined biomass business and study trip offers participants from Thailand the unique opportunity to participate in a tailor-made group visit to Germany and benefit from a comprehensive information and visitor programme. The round trip with on-site visits to lighthouse projects and applied best practices all over Germany will be guided by technical experts who will provide a variety of inputs. World Economic Forum on East Asia 2012 Shaping the Regions Future through Connectivity Date : 30 May - 1 June 2012 Venue : Bangkok, Thailand Description : The 10 member countries of the ASEAN together form a region of strategic and economic importance with a combined population of over 600 million and a nominal GDP exceeding US$ 1.8 trillion. With its ASEAN Economic Blueprint, the bloc has established concrete targets to form a single market and production base by 2015. Energy would be one of the key topics. http://www.weforum.org/s?s=energy Renewable Energy Asia Bangkok Date: 6-9 June 2012 Venue: Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Center Description: Renewable Energy Asia is an international event for renewable energies and their applications. The exhibition encourages this promising new market offering operational and reliable alternatives for the housing, service sector and individual markets. The renewables Made in Germany initiative will take part with a German booth informs about the performance ability of German renewable energy technologies

Industrial Energy Efficiency Organiser : Reed Tradex Date: June 2012 to June 2012 Venue: Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC), Bangkok, Thailand Description : Thailands Only International Trade Exhibition and Conference on Energy Efficiency for Manufacturing Industry. ASEAN's Only International Trade Exhibition and Conference on Renewable Energy and Environmental Management Technologies and Solutions for Manufacturing Industry, It will be hosted by Reed Tradex. http://www.biztradeshows.com/thailand/thailand Clean Energy Expo Asia Date: 12 Sep 2012 to 14 Sep 2012 Venue: Bangkok Convention Centre, Bangkok, Krung Thep, Thailand Description : Participated by more than 170 professional exhibiting participants, from as many as 24 countries across the globe.The range of items exhibited at the show is extensive,and varies from solar energy equipments,wind turbines and biogas and fuels,to sustainable mobility solutions,heat pumps, geothermal power generation tools and tidal energy systems.Expert consultancy,legal and insurance services are showcased at the event as well. http://www.biztradeshows.com/thailand/thailand

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4 Renewable Energy in Lao PDR

Renewable Energy Development Strategy in Lao PDR Source http://www.sunlabob.com/documents/energy_issues/LGRenewable_Energy_Development_Strategy_in_Lao_PDR.pdf, October 2011 Potential of biomass in Lao PDR includes energy crops and organic wastes. Energy crops comprise oily crop, sugar, starch, quick growing trees and aquatic cultures. It was estimated that utilizing of livestock wastes for biogas production could generate around 2.8x108 m3 of biogas per year,or equivalent to 5x108 kWh electricity (about 216 MTOE). Organic wastes include residues of agriculture-Forestry production, By-products of agro-forestry industry(sawdust, wood chips, rice husk, corn cobs, livestock manures...) and municipal wastes. Hydropower is the most important energy resources in Lao PDR, which technical potential was estimated around 26,000 MW, where yet counted small scale hydropower sites below 15 MW and estimated potential around 2000 MW. In the Lao PDR hydropower projects with capacity bellow 15 MW are classified as small-scale hydropower. Solar irradiance on Lao PDR is between 3.6-5.5 kWh/m2, with sunshine 1800-2000 hrs/year. With such solar energy potential, if photovoltaic technology was used (overall efficiency of 10%), it would generate 146 kWh/m2/year, or 1.5x108 kWh/km2/year ( 13 MTOE/km2/year). There is lack of data on wind energy potential, particularly at a height above 50 m. At the present Ministry of Energy and Mines is ongoing installation wind data logger in four sites in these province and plan to install in other provinces. Lao PDR has rather low geothermal energy potential. There some small geothermal resources in the form of hot spring only. The LaoPDR Government aims to increase the share of renewable energies to 30% of the total energy consumption in 2025 and increase rural electrification coverage area from 70% to 90% in 2020.

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Fact sheet : Clean market mechanism in LaoPDR http://enviroscope.iges.or.jp/modules/envirolib/upload/984/attach/laos_final.pdf Below chart is showing the overview of renewable energy projects in LaoPDR via CDM approach which are already approved by the DNA (as of November 2011).

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5 Renewable Energy in Cambodia

New business up 20% in 2011 Source: http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2012011253903/Business/new-business-up-20-in2011.html, 12 January 2012 New business registrations increased by more than 20 per cent in 2011 compared to a year earlier, data from the Ministry of Commerce showed. The rise in new business registrations reflects the countrys economic attractiveness. A total of 3,090 businesses registered with the ministry as of December 2011, compared with 2,572 in all of 2010. Of these, 30-40 per cent were foreign-owned companies a jump of about 10 per cent, according to the ministry. The political stability and good business environment that we have here have drawn more investors and new businesses, said Chan Nora, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Commerce Infrastructure development and an increased power supply for industry is also contributing, according to the official. Due to high electricity costs as a barrier for attracting investors Cambodia try to increase power supply from hydro-dams to become more attractive to investors in the near future. The majority of registered foreign companies are from South Korea, Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, and are operating in the agriculture, service and tourism industry sectors.

Cambodia renewable energy policy detail 2010 Source: http://www.reeep.org/index.php?id=9353&text=policy&special=viewitem&cid=30 Energy Framework: Cambodia ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in December 1995 and signed the Instrument of Accession to the Kyoto Protocol in July 2002. For this purpose, the Environment Protection and Natural Resource Management Law from 1996 requests all energy power projects to be subject to Environmental Impact Assessment procedures. An Environmental Steering Committee and Project Review Teams were established. Rural Electrification by Renewable Energy Policy The Rural Electrification by Renewable Energy Policy aims to create an enabling framework for renewable energy technologies to increase access to electricity in rural areas by achieving a 100% level of village electrification, including battery lightning, by 2020; achieving a 70% level of household electrification with grid quality electricity by 2030. Renewable Electricity Action Plan 20022012 (REAP) The REAP aims to provide cost-effective and reliable electrification of rural Cambodia through renewable energy technologies. The Plan is being implemented by the MIME, and consists of three

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phases: market preparation, early growth and market scale-up. The first six years of the REAP, Phase I and II, will be characterized by the following four components: 1.Technical Assistance for Policy and Regulation 2.Public and Private Sector Human Resource and Institutional Capacity Building 3.National Awareness and Market Structure Development 4.Priority Renewable Electricity Projects Renewable energy Solar The current utilization of solar power in the country is low. The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation used a 10-year annual average solar irradiation of 5.0 kWh/m2/day, based on readings of 4.7 kWh/m2/day average in the lowest area and 5.3 kWh/m2/day in the highest area. It is estimated that the theoretical maximum potential surface solar irradiation could reach as much as 21 GWh/day (13 times the power generated by the national power utility in 2002. Solar photovoltaic systems in Cambodia currently produce 200250 kWh. Biomass Natural forests are the main source of fuel-wood in Cambodia. This resource has been severely degraded over the past 20 years due to widespread logging and conversion of forestland for various purposes. Biomass energy resources also include residues from plantation forests (rubber wood), agricultural crops (rice husk), livestock (cattle manure), municipal waste, and sewage. Hydropower The technical potential of hydropower resources in Cambodia in terms of installed capacity is estimated at 5,0008,600 MW. Around 50% of these resources are located in the Mekong River Basin, 40% on tributaries of the Mekong River, and the remaining 10% in the south-western coastal areas. Current use of hydropower resources is, however, relatively limited. At present, only two projects are operating, with an installed capacity of 13 MW, while four projects are being developed. Previous studies have identified 42 potential hydropower projects, with a total installed capacity of 1,825 MW, being capable of generating around 9,000 GWh/year of electricity. Wind The Wind Energy Resources Atlas Report in South-east Asia that covers Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam shows that the theoretical wind energy resource potential in the country amounts to 1,380 MW. The report indicates good sites for the future development of wind energy, but the potential values must be taken cautiously, since the simulations to determine them were based on global winds, and were not supported by ground measurements. Pilot projects, in part financed by the government of Belgium and the European Commission, are currently in place in the country. Biofuels The Jatropha and Cassava appear to be a particularly suitable source of biofuel as it already grows commonly in Cambodia and has no other commercial value. Biofuel could be produced in Cambodia from Jatropha on a commercial basis as its price compares favorably with the price of fossil fuel diesel. And the production cost of the biofuel is not likely to follow the rising trend of the international oil price.

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Fact sheet : Clean market mechanism in Cambodia Source: http://enviroscope.iges.or.jp/modules/envirolib/upload/984/attach/cambodia_final.pdf, Nov. 2011 The snapshot of renewable energy projects in Cambodia can be partly reflected from CDM projects information as seen below.

CDM Projects under development

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Report on the status of biomass gasification Source http://gasifiers.bioenergylists.org/content/report-status-biomass-gasification-thailand-andcambodia, October 2010 Excerpts from the report: In Cambodia, there are many more plants (90) and they are primarily used for rural electric power generation. Technology for most of the plants is from Ankhur Technologies - India and most plants are 200 kW in capacity. Almost all the gasifiers use producer gas and diesel in a dual fuel mode. Most of the time, used diesel engines are modified and used for these. Producer gas replaces about 75% of the diesel usage and approximately 6kg of rice husk replaces about 1 litre of diesel. The feedstocks for gasification are rice husks or corn cobs, wood chips, coconut shells, cane sugar residues (bagasse), peanut shells, etc. Barriers to development in Cambodia are fewer, but telling: Even though plants are managed to remove tar by using several gas cleaning mechanisms such as wet scrubbers, moisture removal, course filter (rice husk), passive filters (saw dust), bag filter, the wastewater treatment is a major concern in Cambodia." and ash removal is seen as a major concern. Cambodia also needs more technical training to develop it's own skilled gasification plant workers and operators.

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Rural Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos biomass usage to be boosted Source http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/indochina/fullstory.php?nid=1666004579,July 11th , 2011 Asian Development Bank and the governments of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia are starting an initiative to boost biomass waste use for energy and fertilizer. The ADB says biomass waste (such as rice husk and animal manure) is abundance in the Greater Mekong region, but they are under-utilized. The ADB is starting a project with a 4 million dollar grant from the Nordic Development Fund and 600,000 dollars from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia governments to start pilot projects in biogas systems, biochar kilns and improved cooking stoves. The project will conduct studies, build human and institutional capacity on biomass investment, and promote regional exchange among the Greater Mekong area countries and harmonize biomass and bio energy standards. The ADB says the growing practice of large-scale crop production for biofuel poses a threat to food security by reducing food production and forest land. Analysts say fossil fuels are generally cheap but governments tax them at various points including at extraction and retailing pushing their prices up. At the same time renewable energy advocates have managed to divert billions of dollars of taxpayer money into bio fuels and related fields giving incentives to use food crops as fuel and cut down forests to expand agriculture. Kamworks and Green Ventures propose to install Cambodias first large solar system Source http://www.kamworks.com/news/120.html, Jan 5th , 2011. A proposal for a 100kWp solar system has been evaluated by EEP Mekong and has been made it through the first round of selections. Kamworks and GreenVentures are now looking for a suitable location for installing the 1,000 m2 solar system. Bio-fuelled power plant to go online Source: http://hccgroups.com/local-news~643~2011-09-12.html, http://www.phnompenhpost.com, September 12th , 2011 A RICE husk-powered power plant will officially open in Kampong Speu at the end of the year, set to provide electricity to the districts rice millers. The US$2 million generator is set to supply power to all of Golden Rice Cambodias mills throughout Oudong district, with further plans to expand the output to the public in the future. The plant will consume 5 tonnes of rice husk per hour, which is expected to generate around 3 megawatts of electricity, he said, adding that the companys rice mills currently require a daily supply of 2.5 megawatts to operate. Ministry officials also highlighted the importance of the introduction rice husk-powered mills to increasing the Kingdoms productivity. "I think rice exports are set to increase, due to the more competitive prices from using this alternative power source, said by Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy Industry Department Director General.

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