Showing posts with label IPP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label IPP. Show all posts

Thursday, December 4, 2008

2 get nod in principle for Bakun, cable jobs

2 get nod in principle for Bakun, cable jobs
Published: 2008/12/04
BT

Malaysia has given approval in principle to Tenaga Nasional Bhd and Sarawak Energy Bhd to carry out the Bakun Dam and undersea transmission projects, Energy Commission chairman Datuk Pian Sukro said.

Pian spoke at a luncheon organised by Citi Investment Research in Singapore on Monday."However, given the slower demand outlook now, first transmission from Bakun is now expected only by 2015 instead of 2013," Citi analyst Ng Yong Yin said in a report yesterday.In addition, there are plans to govern the electricity supply industry under one ministry or under one body.This will help facilitate a smoother and faster administration.

"The governance of the electricity supply industry is fragmented, with several ministries and government agencies overlooking different but related segments of the power industry."For example, the Economic Planning Unit approves new power projects and independent power producers (IPPs) and the Ministry of Energy, Water and Communications (to whom the Energy Commission reports) overlooks energy efficiency, tariff and capacity planning," Ng said.

The government is also unlikely to reintroduce the windfall tax. The tax had been a way to prompt contract renegotiations between the IPPs and Tenaga.The Energy Commission will now lead any renegotiation of power purchase agreements, if any.Malaysia's spare power capacity, currently around 40 per cent, will rise to 47 per cent next year when new plants in Jimah and Port Dickson, both in Negri Sembilan, are commissioned.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

TNB wants IPPs to review power pacts

By Zuraimi Abdullah, BTimes
Published: 2008/10/15

If TNB's finances collapse, the independent power producers will also collapse and bring with them another RM22 billion of (TNB) debts, says TNB CEO

TENAGA Nasional Bhd (TNB) wants independent power producers (IPPs) to renegotiate and revise downwards their power pacts with the utility company, stressing that they will be dragged down too if its finances collapse.Chief executive officer Datuk Seri Che Khalib Mohamad Noh said TNB has RM22 billion of loans versus less than RM10 billion debts owed by the IPPs in the country."If TNB collapses, the IPPs will also collapse and bring with them another RM22 billion of (TNB) debts," he told reporters at a National Utilities Summit in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.TNB has long complained that the power purchase agreements (PPAs) it has with the IPPs were lopsided and a financial burden. That burden is being passed on to consumers in quantum never seen before.

Che Khalib stressed that it was not about "TNB versus IPPs".Rather, the latter - some of which had proclaimed that they were efficient - should pass on some of the efficiency gains to consumers to ensure equality or level-playing field, he said.Industry observers said TNB's financial viability depends on its ability to pass on the PPA burden, but there will be a limit to how much can be passed on to the consumers.Eventually, TNB's financial viability will be adversely affected to a greater degree than it is now, they said.Meanwhile, Che Khalib refuted industry estimates putting TNB's planned two hydro-electric plants at a combined cost of RM4 billion."It is a lot less than that," he said, referring to the two projects in Pahang and Terengganu.He said TNB has enough money for now to fund the projects and that they were on track to be completed in 2012.

TNB is to build a 212-megawatt (MW) plant in Hulu Terengganu and a 372MW Ulu Jelai hydro-electric plant in Pahang.Che Khalib said TNB will discuss more with the government on the Bakun project in Sarawak, although it had already started preliminary works on the dam.

About Me

A seeker of success (whatever that means) treading on a path, searching, to return to the wholesomeness that was him when he was launched into this big school called Earth.