News

European aircraft maker Airbus and China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation Ltd or Sinopec are jointly developing a new aviation fuel made from biomass. The partners said the new renewable fuel will be first used in China. Sinopec is to develop the fuel with its own technology at a plant recently built in Hangzhou, near Shanghai. "The refinery is one of the few in the world that has the capacity to produce aviation fuel from biomass in large-scale," Airbus said. The company did not say when output would begin, but sources said it could take about a year. The partners are in the process of selecting the raw material for the biomass. This raw material will come 100% from China and will be sustainable. Among the raw materials being considered is agricultural waste such as straw. Sinopec will assist the central government establish a Chinese airworthiness certification for alternative aviation fuels made from locally grown feedstocks.

The Sustainable Energy Development Authority (SEDA) of Malaysia announced that it will accept applications for its Solar Home Rooftop Programme.

India has approved a bailout for cash-strapped power distributors who have accumulated US$17.35 billion in losses as of 2010-2011 financial year.

The European Union has signed a finance agreement with China that will help the latter's transition to a low-carbon economy.

China will celebrate a "National Low Carbon Day" beginning June 2013.

It will build a 135 megawatt circulating fluidized bed thermal facility in Iloilo.

Sharp Corp. plans to scale down its domestic and overseas solar cell and power generation operations, except for cell production at its plant in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture.

J-Power began work on a 20 megawatt wind power station in Uwajima, Ehime Prefecture, western Japan.

Thailand's goal of utilizing clean sources of energy for about a quarter of the country's energy needs by 2021 got thesupport of the IFC.

New Delhi's garbage pickers fear their lives are about to be upended as the city government sees electricity in trash.

Brunei is interested in the proposed liquefied natural gas facility to be put up in Mindanao.

Japan's 10 regional utilities emitted 409 million tons of carbon dioxide in fiscal 2011.

India is set to invest US$84 million to build the first of 60 solar cities where much of the electricity will be provided by solar installations.

PLN is seeking interested bidders for funding the construction of a $200 million gas-fired power plant in Arun, Aceh.

Vietnam President Truong Tan Sang had approved the supplementary protocol and necessary documents to join the  IAEA’s Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material.

China is attempting to restore growth in the weak solar power market by installing more solar panels domestically.