Electricity consumption in Thailand reached a record 26,942.1 megawatts on Wednesday afternoon, as the temperature touched close to 38 Celsius (100 Fahrenheit) in Bangkok, the Electricity Generation Authority of Thailand (Egat) said. The record electricity used occurred at 2.36pm, breaking the old mark of 26,598.1 Mw on May 16 of last year. Power usage on Wednesday was also higher than Egat’s own projection ...

Australia - Indonesia’s decision to start cancelling investment treaties with 62 countries has passed with little comment, but the move may have a greater impact than the recent banning of mineral ore exports. Indonesia last month kick-started the process of terminating all of its bilateral treaties by notifying the Netherlands that its agreement to protect and promote investment would end in 2015, and sign ...

The project will be built in Thatta District in Sindh province and will cost about $132 million, IFC said in an investment proposal in August. The 50-megawatt project will be developed by Karachi-based Metro Power Co. and generate enough electricity to supply about 270,000 people a year, according to a statement on IFC’s website. Metro Power is owned by the Iqbal Alimohamed family and InfraCo Asia Keenjhar ...

Environmental groups urged the United States on Wednesday to drop a challenge to India's massive solar program and said the World Trade Organization case would only hurt the growth of renewable energy resources. The United States is taking action at the WTO over the domestic content requirements in India's program, which aims to ease chronic energy shortages in Asia's third-largest economy. U.S. Trade Repre ...

China's government says it will open 80 projects in eight state-run industries to private and foreign investors as part of efforts to make its slowing economy more efficient ...

Thailand, known for its plentiful sunshine, has spent years developing its solar energy industry. Aside from the obvious environmental benefits, the motivation for using solar energy helps preserve the nation's economy and reducing energy imports from its South East Asia neighbours. The sector has become so successful that countries across Asia are now looking to replicate it. ...

Kyrgyzstan’s Toktogul hydroelectric power plant low water levels may cause water shortages this spring and summer for downstream Uzbek cotton farmers. Uzbekistan annually uses 53 billion cubic meters of water for irrigation and during the growing season the country needs an additional three billion cubic meters, which are provided by the Toktogul HPP. Kyrgyz authorities earlier said that this year the Tokto ...

A group of MIT scientists want to revive the nuclear industry in the post-Fukushima era by moving it offshore. Literally. In a paper to be presented at a conference this week, the MIT researchers argue that the way to make nuclear power plants impervious to earthquakes and tsunamis is to build them in shipyards and then tow the structures five to nine miles out to sea to the deep ocean. These Offshore Small ...

Alstom India, leader in power generation, power transmission and rail infrastructure, gained on Monday after it secured a contract from Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) worth close to Euro 30 million to supply components and services for the 2x660 MW Banharpalli Super Thermal Power Project (STPP) located in Jharsaguda, Orissa. Under the scope of the contract, Alstom will co-operate with BHEL in designing the ...

Nine million Vietnamese have been brought out of darkness with power from the national grid over the course of 15 years from 1998, the Vietnam Electricity (EVN) said last week in a summary report on a program that sought to electrify rural and distant areas across the country. From 1998 to 2013, EVN, the country’s power monopoly, invested some VND50 trillion (US$2.36 billion) to bring electricity to rural h ...