Energy

CATL Chairman Robin Zeng sees his company as being well placed to help drive Indonesia's electric vehicle ambitions..
Automobiles

China's CATL to help Indonesia build 'green' battery industry

Japan's Toyota 'bullish' on nickel-rich country, but stresses decarbonization

14 November 2022
The Rama VIII bridge along the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok was illuminated ahead of the APEC Summit 2022 that kicks off on Friday.
Economy

Thailand asks business to power down as leaders arrive for APEC

Energy crunch dims Bangkok while global economic leaders convene

14 November 2022
A coal barge is pulled along a river in Indonesia, the Philippines' main source of imported coal.
Energy

Philippines' shift away from coal expands with Ayala deal

Government and companies aim high on renewables, but cost hurdles remain

10 November 2022
AGL operates three coal-fired power plants in Australia, including this one in the Hunter Valley.
Climate Change

Australia hastens coal plant closures to catch up on climate

Shift from coal could trigger tighter energy supplies, impacting Asia

8 November 2022
Japan will wait on introducing a carbon tax in light of soaring energy prices caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the weak yen.
Climate Change

Japan shelves carbon tax as energy prices soar

Lawmakers weigh emissions trading and power surcharge to fund green transition

8 November 2022
Japan lags Britain and other European countries in energy productivity gains due to economic stagnation and policy disarray.
Datawatch

A former leader in energy efficiency, Japan loses magic touch

Its 10% drop in greenhouse gas emissions due to slow growth, falling population

6 November 2022
A sugarcane farmer works in a burned field in Suphan Buri province, north of Bangkok. Sumitomo Corp. plans to build a plant that recycles sugarcane waste into biofuel.
Energy

Japan looks to Thailand for bioethanol that doesn't fuel food insecurity

Sumitomo, Kao explore projects to turn sugar and cassava waste into energy

4 November 2022
Tens of millions of Vietnamese depend on motorbikes to get to work and school, but many drivers in Ho Chi Minh City are now having trouble finding gas.
Supply Chain

With nothing to sell, Vietnam gas stations start to close

Deliveries fail to arrive, disrupting life in a nation that relies on motorbikes

1 November 2022
Japan counts on the Sakhalin-1 project in the Russian Far East as a geographically close source of natural gas.
Energy

Japan seeks to stay in Russia's Sakhalin-1 energy project after Exxon exit

Remaining investors forced to decide whether to accept Moscow's new terms

31 October 2022
Indonesian state electricity utility Perusahaan Listrik Negara plans to sell some of its aging coal-fired power plants. (Photo courtesy of Perusahaan Listrik Negara).
Climate Change

Indonesia's new SOE scheme puts focus on coal phasedown

Investors skeptical over potential cost of deal amid broader clean energy push

31 October 2022
David Crane, President Joe Biden's nominee for undersecretary of energy.
Energy

U.S. to invest $7bn in hydrogen hubs with eye on export to Japan

Washington plans to meet 10m tonne demand for the clean fuel by 2030

29 October 2022
Tugboats help a tanker to berth at an oil terminal in Zhoushan, China on July 18: This year's projected demand is well above that of 2020.
Opinion

China's slowdown will not slake its thirst for foreign oil

Global supply stability hinges on Mideast producers sticking to growth plans

28 October 2022
A company displays lumber in Vietnam, whose wood products industry is grappling with risks ranging from the Ukraine war to fake forest certificates and U.S. trade probes. (Photo by Lien Hoang)
Supply Chain

Vietnam's wood trade under pressure from logging, Ukraine war

Murky origins plague furniture sector coming down from COVID-fueled buying spree

28 October 2022
German Finance Minister Christian Lindner discusses his country's policy toward Russia and Ukraine at his office in Berlin. (Photo by Marlies Matthes)
Interview

Germany aims to phase out all Russian gas: finance minister

Christian Lindner vows 'not going to be pressured' by Moscow over Ukraine

26 October 2022
An LNG tanker arrives in Japan. A colder-than-expected winter could further tighten the world's gas market. (File photo by Kyodo)
Market Spotlight

Scramble for LNG brings winter risks for Asia

Supplies and storage levels look adequate for now but concerns remain for 2023

24 October 2022
Shizen Energy developed a wind power plant in the southwestern Japanese prefecture of Saga. (Photo courtesy of Shizen Energy)
Energy

Canada pension fund to pour $470m into Japanese renewables company

CDPQ takes note of Shizen Energy's overseas expansion

24 October 2022
Electric bills in Japan are rising on higher fuel costs. (Photo by Yuki Nakao)
Energy

Japan home power storage demand surges on high electricity costs

Kyocera and others boost output as consumers also weigh disaster risk

24 October 2022
Kaminoseki in western Japan’s Yamaguchi prefecture is home to 2,400 people and a long-frozen plan to build a nuclear plant on its coastline. (Photo by Sayumi Take)
Politics

Kishida's nuclear policy rekindles battle in small Japanese town

Opponents of planned power plant field mayoral candidate for first time in 11 years

22 October 2022
Gaw Capital is making its first-ever investment in clean energy. (Source images from Maoneng and Gaw Capital websites)
DealStreetAsia

Hong Kong's Gaw Capital targets Australian renewable energy

Private equity investor teams up with energy storage company Maoneng Group

20 October 2022
China's Hithium aims to reach 100 gigawatt-hours of annual production capacity by 2024, up from an estimated 45 GWh now. (Source image from Hithium website)
DealStreetAsia

Chinese battery startup Hithium raises $278m to boost output

Company offers products for utility, commercial and residential users

19 October 2022
Pertamina and Rosneft are working together on a refinery project in Indonesia. (Source photos by AP and Pertamina's website) 
Energy

Pertamina moves forward on $24bn Rosneft project

Indonesian, Russian state companies pursue energy cooperation amid Ukraine war

18 October 2022
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet on the sidelines of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia on Oct. 13.
Energy

Putin suggests Turkey become regional 'gas hub' to Europe

Russian president pitches Erdogan on new pipeline to increase energy flows

14 October 2022
Yoon Suk-yeol, now South Korea's president, announces a campaign pledge to resume nuclear power as he visits two reactors whose construction had been halted in the coastal county of Uljin, 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Dec, 29, 2021. (Yonhap)
Energy

South Korea industry faces biggest electricity price hike since 1980

Economy at turning point as energy rally and weak won drive up cost of power

14 October 2022
Australia had 69 major coal projects in the pipeline in 2021, according to the federal Department of Industry, Science and Resources. Around 60% of these were greenfield developments.
Commodities

Price rally spurs Australian coal expansion, risks climate goals

Some miners have been using windfall to pay down debt, draw up growth plans

14 October 2022
The Sendai Nuclear Power Plant in Kagoshima prefecture. Under current rules, 28 of Japan's 33 nuclear reactors will stop operating by the end of the 2050s.
Energy

Japan weighs scrapping 60-year life limit for nuclear reactors

Industry ministry explores options to bolster energy security and curb carbon emissions

14 October 2022