Thailand

 Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said today that its ratings on Thailand-based power companies Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT; BBB+/Stable/--, axA+/axA-1) and Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding Public Co. Ltd. (RATCH; BBB+/Stable/--; axA+/--) are unaffected by large-scale flooding in the country. We understand that the flooding has not significantly affected EGAT's power generation plants and transmission networks. Nevertheless, we expect the company's sales will decline in the last quarter of 2011. The flood-related shutdown of several factories and warehouses will lower electricity demand from the industrial segment in the last quarter. RATCH's power generation plants are primarily located in Ratchaburi province, which has not been affected by the floods. In addition, the company's cash flows are protected from any demand-side risk because its power purchase agreements with EGAT ensure steady capacity payments against agreed levels of electricity availability and heat rate. Reuters

Bangchak Petroleum expects to lose about 80-100 million baht or $2.5-3.2 million in monthly revenue due to floods that forced it to temporarily shut its biodiesel and solar power plants.

Tenaga Nasional Bhd wants to raise funds for a coal power plant by establishing a RM5 billion Islamic Securities Programme in nominal value through an independent special purpose company, Manjung Island Energy Bhd.

Burma  vice-president Tin Aung Myint Oo will visit China to soothe tensions after the suspension of a $3.6 billion Chinese-backed dam in the country, reports the Financial Times.

The installations will range in size from one megawatt (MW) to 50MW, with a final total capacity of approximately 520MW.

Mr. LU Qizhou, President of China Power Investment Corporation, admitted he was totally astonished to learn that the Myanmar government will suspend the on-going Myitsone Hydropower Project.

The Burmese government has suspended a highly controversial hydroelectric dam project due to growing public opposition.

Sumikin Bussan Corp revealed that its Rojana Power Co joint venture plans to build a 24-megawatt solar power plant in Thailand for about 7 billion yen or $92 million.

Different frameworks in the Lao renewable energy sector have been achieved and development of hydropower  is now on focus, according to Laos Minister of Energy and Mines, Mr. Soulivong Daravong.

Banpu Pcl has offered to buy Mongolia-focused Australian coal explorer Hunnu Coal Ltd for A$423 million or US$443 million.

PTT has signed an agreement with affiliate IRPC to look into investing about 6 billion baht or $200 million in a solar power plant with capacity of 50-90 megawatts.

Nam Ngum II hydropower dam has started selling electricity to Thailand, according to Ratch-Lao Service Company Managing Director, Mr. Jatuporn Soparaksa.

The operators of Nam Theun 2 are preparing to resume power generation for export to Thailand.

 Nam Ngum II hydropower dam with a generation capacity of 615MW started selling electricity to Thailand but the official sale of electricity will be launched at the end of 2011, said Managing Director of Ratch-Lao Service Company, Mr. Jatuporn Soparaksa, on 24 August. Mr. Soparaksa explains about the Nam Ngum 2 Hydropower operation. Mr. Jatuporn also disclosed that Nam Ngum 2 Hydroelectric Power Plant is currently 90 per cent completed and started its initial operation in 2010. Nam Ngum 2 Hydroelectric Power Plant Project, Nam Ngum III hydroelectric dam, Hongsa electricity thermal plant and Se Pien-Se Nam Noi dam were invested by the RATCH-Lao Services Company. Nam Ngum 2 Hydroelectric Power Plant is located in Vientiane province. The Nam Ngum III hydroelectric dam, located in the north of Nam Ngum II hydroelectric dam with a generation capacity of 440-megawat in Saysomboun district, Vientiane province, has signed an agreement to sell electricity to the Electricity Generation Authority of Thailand. The power house is expected to export electricity in 2016. He said that the largest scale of Hongsa electricity thermal plant in Laos, situated in Sayaboury province, with a generation capacity of 1,878 MW has signed a 25-year agreement for electricity purchasing with the Electricity Generation Authority of Thailand (EGAT). The Hongsa electricity thermal plant will sell 1,473 MW to Thailand and the rest will be distributed for domestic consumption, and the project is scheduled for initial operation in 2015, added Mr. Jatuporn. In addition, the company also have another co-operation project of building a Se Pien-Se Nam Noi dam in Attapeu and Champassak provinces, southern Laos. Upon completion, the dam will have a generation capacity of 390 MW. Most of the electricity output will be exported to Ubon Ratchathani province, north-eastern Thailand, in 2017. The company also plans to provide 10 scholarships every year to Lao students studying on technical machine, electricity and electronic and will organise a short training course for technical schools such as Parkpasack Technical College, Lao-Germen Technical College and other college. This project will be started in academic year of 2011-2012. Source: KPL Lao News Agency

Energy firm PTT has signed an agreement with IRPC to invest THB6bn ($200m) in a solar power plant in Thailand. The company will take six months to study the prospects of investing in the project, which will have a capacity of 50-90MW, reports Reuters. PTT plans to increase its power generation capacity from its current 700MW to 6,000MW in the next ten years.  

The government of Nepal will formally request China for US $1.6 billion in loan to construct the 750 MW West Seti Hydro Project Limited.