In Focus

Japan will set up a new nuclear regulatory agency under the Environment Ministry instead of the trade ministry.   This is meant to increase the body's independence after the country’s atomic disaster, officials said. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said the Cabinet was expected to approve the plan by Monday. The current Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency has been widely criticised for cosy ties with the nuclear industry under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, which promotes nuclear energy. “We expect to make the agency an affiliate of the Environment Agency,” Edano said. “Environment and nuclear issues have a certain affinity for each other.” Under the plan, drafted by Goshi Hosono, minister in charge of the nuclear crisis, NISA would be integrated with the Nuclear Safety Commission, an independent panel of experts under the Cabinet Office, to become a more independent entity distanced from the nuclear industry and other promoters of atomic power.

Saigon Asset Management Corp. plans to raise $300 million for an energy fund that would be the country’s largest.

Indian nuclear plants will be able to withstand “extreme natural events” like tsunamis, cyclones, floods and dam breaks, according to a nuclear safety review.

India's state-run NHPC would invest around Rs 15,000 crore for developing two hydropower projects in the neighbouring country Myanmar.

South Korea can now export atomic power plants to India after an agreement was reached by the two countries.

A United States Congressional report said that India could soon join a select group of countries in exporting nuclear reactors.

National Thermal Power Corporation would provide 14.32 MW to 118 villages located within a radius of five km from its two power stations- the 3000 Mw NTPC Kaniha and the Talcher Thermal Power Station. While the Kaniha plant would offer 4.55 MW, the Talcher station would provide 9.77 MW under a Central government scheme which will benefit about 1.4 lakh people belonging to 28458 families in 118 villages of the state. The scheme will cover five blocks in Angul district-Kaniha, Talcher, Orapada, Barjang and Banarpali. An agreement was signed between G Mathivathanan, state energy secretary, R Venkateswaran, regional executive director, NTPC and B C Jena, chairman cum chief executive officer of Cesu in the presence of state energy minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak. “The tripartite agreement signed by the state government with Cesu and NTPC will benefit about 1.4 lakh people in 118 villages including 5068 Below Poverty Line families around TTPS and 3318 BPL families around NTPC Kaniha. Under this project, two new 33 KV substations will be set up and 230 new Phase-III distribution transformers will be laid”, the minister said.

China is now the world leader in renewable energy investment according to the "Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2011."

The World Bank will provide a US$ 648 million loan to THDC India for constructing the Vishnugad Pipalkoti Hydroelectric Plant on the Alaknanda river.

The mayor of Genkai, Saga Prefecture, announced that he will agree to allow Kyushu Electric Power Co. to restart the Genkai nuclear power plant's No. 2 and 3 reactors.

China's five major state-owned power-generating firms lost a total of 12.16 billion yuan or US$1.88 billion from January to May period. This is a substantial increase 4.3 billion yuan in losses during the same period last year.

India surpassed its energy generation target for May 2011 by 3,065 million units, according to a report by the Central Electricity Authority.

South Korea plans to slowly increase the country's electricity tariffs gradually to curb inefficient consumption and to slow down power demand growth.

Bangladesh will add 15,000-MW electricity would be added to the national grid by 2016 through using liquid fuel, coal, duel fuel and renewable energy.

China is seeking to expand its solar-power capacity to 10 gigawatts by 2015, a government official said, as part of its efforts to expand the use of alternative energy sources.

Projects worth 17,191 MW capacity are likely to be commissioned in India this year.