<![CDATA[IIR Industry News Alerts]]> en-us <![CDATA[Belgium 'OKs' Restart of Two Nuclear Reactors]]>
The Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (FANC) has announced that the Doel 3 and Tihange 2 reactors have been cleared for restart after they were shut last summer after ultrasonic inspections discovered tiny cracks in the reactor pressure vessels.
]]> <![CDATA[Freeport LNG Export Terminal Wins Approval from U.S. Department of Energy, Next Stop is FERC]]> liquefied natural gas (LNG) took another step forward last week after the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) (Washington, D.C.) approved Freeport LNG's application to export LNG to nations that do not have a free trade agreement with the U.S. Freeport LNG Development LP (Houston, Texas) still requires approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) (Washington, D.C.), but that approval is expected later this year, possibly in the third quarter.

Other companies featured: Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG), BP plc (NYSE:BP), CB&I (NYSE:CBI)
]]> <![CDATA[Canadian Biomass Company Plans U.S. and Canadian Pellet Mills for this Summer]]> sustainable fuel producer Biomass Secure Power Incorporated (Abbotsford, British Columbia) has plans to construct two fuel pellet mills by this summer: a $123 million plant in Louisiana and a $20 million plant in British Columbia.
]]> <![CDATA[Fabricantes de Papel Tisú Invierten más de $800 Millones en Brasil pe 2013]]> Fabricantes de papel tisú planean invertir cerca de 800 millones de dólares en Brasil durante el año 2013. Grandes compañías realizarán inversiones en lo que respecta a la compra de nuevas máquinas, mejoras y optimizaciones de maquinarias existentes y también en la construcción de nuevas fábricas. La inversión de los proyectos varía entre los 20 y 60 millones de dólares en lo que respecta a nuevas máquinas, entre 4 y 8 millones para realizar mejoras y optimizaciones y 200 y 400 millones para la construcción de nuevas plantas. Los proyectos estarían completos a finales del 2013 y principios del 2014.
]]> <![CDATA[Philippines OKs 208 Megawatts of Wind Power Under New Incentive Tariffs]]> windfarm projects with a total generating capacity of 208 megawatts (MW).
]]> <![CDATA[Infigen Suntech's Solar Projects in Australia Hit with More Delays]]> solar farms in New South Wales, Australia, are still struggling to obtain the funding needed to progress to their next stages. Infigen Suntech is a joint venture consortium formed between Infigen Energy Limited (New South Wales), a leading specialist renewable energy business, and Suntech Power Australia Pty Limited (New South Wales), a leading, global producer of crystalline silicon solar photovoltaic modules.
]]> <![CDATA[Weather, Infrastructure, Labor Headwinds Reduce Vale's Mozambique Coal Exports by 30%]]> mining major Vale S.A. (NYSE:VALE) (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) has reduced its coal export target for the year by 30% from an estimated 4.9 million tons to 3.4 million tons following bad weather and chronic labor problems. Vale is projecting 6.4 million tons of coal production in 2014.
]]> <![CDATA[Construction of China Resources Power's Tangshan West Suburban Cogeneration Project Kicks Off]]> powerhouse foundation of China Resources Power Tangshan Fengrun Company Limited's (Tangshan, Hebei) Tangshan West Suburban Cogeneration Project (also referred as the Phase III Expansion of Tangshan West Suburban Thermal Power Plant) was placed by Anhui Electric Power Construction No.1 Engineering Company (AEPC1) (Hefei, Anhui), a subsidiary of China Energy Engineering Corporation (CEEC) (Beijing), on May 10, 2013. The construction of the project has kicked off, according to an announcement from the CEEC on May 13.
]]> <![CDATA[ZTPC Boxes Up Steam Turbine Cylinder for Unit 1 of Sanmen Nuclear Power Plant]]> steam turbine cylinder for Unit 1 of China National Nuclear Corporation's (CNNC) (Beijing) Sanmen Nuclear Power Plant on May 9, 2013, according to an announcement from the CEEC on May 13.
]]> <![CDATA[Tissue Paper Manufacturers Invest More than $800 Million in Brazil in 2013]]> Tissue paper producers plan to invest about $800 million in Brazil in 2013. Large companies will invest in the purchase of new paper machines, the upgrades of existing equipment, and the construction of new industrial complexes. The investments in the projects vary between $20 million and $60 million for new machinery, between $4 million and $8 million for upgrades, and $200 million and $400 million for the construction of new plants. The projects are expected to be completed at the end of 2013 and in early 2014.

Other companies featured: Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE:KMB)
]]> <![CDATA[EDF Spins Scottish Onshore Windfarm]]>
The Fallago Rig windfarm has a generating capacity of 144-megawatts (MW) from its 48 turbines, enough to power around 90,000 homes.
]]> <![CDATA[Ireland's Largest Windfarm Underway]]>
Wind turbine and equipment manufacturer Nordex (Hamburg, Germany) has broken ground on the project which will have a generating capacity of up 87.5-megawatts (MW) when it is completed at the start of next year.

]]> <![CDATA[Mill Creek Coal Unit in Kentucky Remains Offline for Repairs]]> Power Station, which is located in Louisville, Kentucky, and owned by Louisville Gas & Electric Company (LG&E) (Louisville), has extended an outage that began two months ago.
]]> <![CDATA[Construction to Start on Congo's 40,000-Megawatt Grand Inga Hydro Project in 2015]]> Hydropower Project on Africa's Congo River now appear to be definitely on, following a meeting in Paris last weekend that was organized by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). All the stakeholders, including South Africa, were present.

Other companies featured: Posco (NYSE:PKX), SNC Lavalin (TSX:SNC)
]]> <![CDATA[Domestic User Consumption to Support New South Korean LNG Terminal]]> LNG terminal in South Chugcheong province, GS Engineering & Construct (GSEC) (KSX:006360) (Seoul) said that it will seek to expand its market for liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals by pursuing opportunities overseas.
]]> <![CDATA[Singapore's Sembcorp to Provide Centralized Utilities to Oman's SEZ Companies]]> centralized utilities units for the Duqm Special Economic Zone (SEZ).
]]> <![CDATA[India to Tap Offshore Wind Potential, Begins to Formulate National Policy]]> Offshore Wind Energy Policy," inviting comments and suggestions from stakeholders and the general public on the development of a national policy for offshore windfarms.
]]> <![CDATA[Ag Processing Incorporated to Close Antiquated Fuel Ethanol Plant in Hastings, Nebraska]]> fuel ethanol plant due to poor margins. This week, the company announced that the plant will close permanently.
]]> <![CDATA[European Oil Giants in Price Fixing Probe]]>
The E.U. investigation started with raids on the offices of...
]]> <![CDATA[Dwindling U.S. Tobacco Market May Find New Life with Biofuels]]> biofuels market. The U.S. tobacco market has grown only 1.2% over the past six years, and that's due to international growth. Domestic sales of cigarettes, cigars and smokeless tobacco fell an estimated 2.5% over the past year, as many U.S. smokers are quitting or turning to alternatives like electronic cigarettes.
]]> <![CDATA[Palisades Nuclear Unit in Michigan Remains Offline for Repairs]]> Nuclear Station has delayed the restart of its 788-megawatt unit due to extended repairs. The delay is expected to last a couple of weeks. The station is located in Covert, Michigan, and is owned by Entergy Nuclear Generation, a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation (NYSE:ETR) (Jackson, Mississippi).
]]> <![CDATA[Oil India to Undertake Exploratory Drilling at Hydrocarbon Block in Rajasthan]]> exploratory wells at the RJ-ONN-2005/2 block in Rajasthan. The hydrocarbon block, located in the Jaisalmer District of Rajasthan, was awarded to Oil India by the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) (New Delhi) in the seventh round of bidding, under the country's New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP). The block has an area of 1,517 kilometers.
]]> <![CDATA[Turkish Current Account Deficit Narrows in March with Lower Energy Imports]]> ]]> <![CDATA[Meridian Energy Evaluates Market Conditions for Proposed Hydro Projects in New Zealand]]> hydro projects proposed and operating across Australia and New Zealand, one of which is the 35-megawatt (MW) Amuri Hydro Project. It will be managed and operated by Meridian, on behalf of a joint venture with Ngai Tahu Property (Christchurch, New Zealand).
]]> <![CDATA[Power Plants Feature in Trade and Investment Ties Between South Korea, Indonesia]]> project agreements, paralleled by bilateral trade treaties, is increasing, and interlocking networks of techno savvy, resource-rich and resource-hungry national interests are growing. South Korea is looking to broaden its industrial and trading ties with Indonesia and is negotiating the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the two countries, which should be implemented soon.
]]> <![CDATA[California's AAE Systems to Invest $1.2 Billion in Ugandan Geothermal Plant]]> geothermal power plant, which AAE will build in Uganda.
]]> <![CDATA[TEPC Completes Generator Rotor Erection for Unit 1 at China Datang's Hutubi Thermal Power Plant]]> Electric Power Construction Company Limited (TEPC) (Tianjin), a subsidiary of China Energy Engineering Corporation (CEEC) (Beijing), completed the rotor erection for Unit 1 of Datang Hutubi Energy Development Company Limited's (Hutubi, Xinjiang) 600-megawatt (MW) Thermal Hutubi Power Plant Project on May 14, 2013. This will allow for the steam turbine box-up of the unit in the next stage, according to an announcement from the CEEC on May 15.
]]> <![CDATA[Rajasthan Extends RFP Deadline for 300-Megawatts of Wind Power]]>
RRECL earlier this year issued Request for Proposal (RFP) document, inviting developers of wind power projects to establish, maintain and operate windfarms with an aggregate capacity of 300 MW during the ongoing 2013-14 financial year.
]]> <![CDATA[First Unit of Panbei Coal Gangue Power Plant Begins Operations]]> Power Generation Company Limited's (Liupanshui, Guizhou) 600-megawatt (MW) Panbei Coal Gangue Power Plant was connected to the grid and put into operation on May 14, 2013, according to an announcement from Anhui Electric Power Construction No.1 Engineering Company (AEPC1) (Hefei, Anhui), the construction contractor and a subsidiary of China Energy Engineering Corporation (CEEC) (Beijing), on May 15.
]]> <![CDATA[Cheap Gas Fuels More Plant Conversions]]>
This is particularly notable in the U.S. where the shale gas boom has led to abundant supplies of cheaper natural gas becoming the new fuel of choice at many of the nation's coal-fired power plants.
]]> <![CDATA[Boardwalk Pipeline Partners Wrapping Up Texas Natural Gas Projects]]> Boardwalk Pipeline Partners LP (NYSE:BWP) is set to start up a natural gas pipeline and processing facility that expands the company's gathering and processing capacity for liquids-rich gas produced in the Eagle Ford Shale. The projects are part of Boardwalk's South Texas Eagle Ford Expansion, which the company announced in early 2012.

Other companies featured: Statoil Natural Gas LLC (NYSE:STO), Talisman Energy USA Inc. (NYSE:TLM)
]]> <![CDATA[Solid Farm Equipment Sales Boost Deere & Company in Second-Quarter 2013, Agricultural Market to Improve]]> Deere & Company (NYSE:DE) (Moline, Illinois), a leading agricultural, construction and forestry equipment manufacturer, reported steady gains in revenues and profits in the second quarter of the company's fiscal year 2013, as improving conditions in the global farming industry boosted sales for farm machinery. Industrial Info is tracking $306 million in active projects involving Deere.
]]> <![CDATA[Turkey's Biggest Wind Power Plant Begins Operations]]> wind power plant, which has a 143-megawatt (MW) electricity generation capacity. Enerjisa expects output of 524 gigawatt-hours annually, across 52 turbines of 2.75 MW each, at the Balikesir Wind Power Plant (BARES) in western Turkey.
]]> <![CDATA[Turkey's Hattat and China's Harbin Sign $2.4 Billion Coal Plant Agreement]]> coal-fired power plant in Amasra, in northern Turkey. The plant is planned to have a capacity of 2,640 megawatts (MW).
]]> <![CDATA[Wood Group Kenny Wins Key Subsea Contract on Bonaparte Floating LNG Project]]> Floating LNG project. GDF Suez Bonaparte, a subsidiary of GDF Suez S.A. (GSZ:FP) (Paris, France), and Australian company Santos (ASX:STO) (Adelaide, Australia) are developing the Bonaparte Floating LNG project.

Other companies featured: Kellogg Brown & Root (NYSE:KBR)
]]> <![CDATA[India's BHEL Strong on Research & Development Innovation and Capacity, but Needs State for Orders]]> power equipment fabrication plant at Bhandara, in Maharashtra. It is a greenfield project and will create 700 direct jobs.
]]> <![CDATA[Compliance, Regulations Biggest Risks for Power and Utilities Market, Ernst &Young Reports]]> power and utilities (P&U) market were the three top-ranked risks identified by 110 senior P&U executives worldwide. The executives were surveyed in Ernst &Young's 2013 "Business Pulse Power and Utilities Report," which was published this week.
]]> <![CDATA[Oldest French Nuclear Plant Gets 10 More Years]]>
The decision to grant the 10-year lifetime extension for Reactor 2 at the Fessenheim nuclear plant comes with a number of conditions that must be met by owner, Electricite de France S.A. (EPA:EDF) (EDF) (Paris, France), which owns and operates 58 reactors in the country.
]]> <![CDATA[Are Community Wind Projects the Sign of Things to Come in Canada?]]> windfarm projects are in late-stage development in Nova Scotia, with open house meetings set for this month. All are being developed by Community Windfarms Incorporated (Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia) and juwi Wind (Boulder, Colorado), with local communities taking majority ownership upon completion. The four windfarms are fairly small, with outputs ranging from 4.4 megawatts (MW) to 10 MW.
]]> <![CDATA[Columbia Pacific Bio-Refinery Uses Former Ethanol Plant to Move Bakken Oil in Oregon]]> fuel ethanol plant at Port Westward, near Clatskanie, Oregon, has been quietly converted into a transloading and bulk liquids storage and shipping facility on the Columbia River.
]]> <![CDATA[Pharmaceutical-Biotech Industry to Pull Plug on 30 North American Sites in 2013]]> Pharmaceutical-Biotech Industry is forecast to shed 30 sites across North America during 2013. Eighteen already have closed, and the remainder are targeted to end operations by the end of December.

Other companies featured: Pfizer Incorporated (NYSE:PFE)
]]> <![CDATA[ThyssenKrupp Sees Slow Demand Amid Companywide Overhaul in First Half of 2012-13 Fiscal Year]]> steel giant ThyssenKrupp AG (OTC:TYEKF) (Duesseldorf, Germany) saw a drop in orders for the first half of the company's 2012-13 fiscal year, following the disposal of key assets and a tumultuous crisis in the eurozone. Industrial Info is tracking more than $6.8 billion in active projects involving ThyssenKrupp.
]]> <![CDATA[India Envisages 30 Gigawatts of Renewable Capacity Addition by 2016-17]]> renewable-power capacity addition goal for the country's 11th Five Year Plan period, the current 12th Five Year Plan target of an additional 29,800 megawatts (MW) of capacity from renewable sources by March 2017 is seemingly an overambitious goal.
]]> <![CDATA[Japan Launches Major Industrial Investment Program for Six Sectors in Vietnam]]> industrial sectors in Vietnam. The sectors that were selected are household electricity, food processing, shipbuilding, agricultural machinery, energy saving, and the automobile and spare parts production industry.
]]> <![CDATA[China's Power Consumption Up 6.8% in April 2013]]> overall social power consumption reached 416.5 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), an increase of 6.8% from April 2012, according to the Instant Statistic Report, which was announced by the National Energy Administration on May 14, 2013.
]]> <![CDATA[Europe Drags Down Tata Steel]]>
The write-down comes as European steel demand continues to suffer and raises the possibility that Tata will have to start making serious cuts to its Tata Steel Europe operation, which employs around 33,000 workers, more than half of which are located in the U.K..

]]> <![CDATA[U.K. Tidal Barrage Gets New Backers]]>
Hafren Power, a company formed by a number of British entrepreneurs and investors, is behind the plan to build the Â?29 billion ($37 billion) tidal energy project which will see 18km electricity generating barrage built across the Severn estuary, running between Brean in England and Lavernock Point in Wales.
]]> <![CDATA[Balaclava Island Coal Terminal Project Cancelled in Queensland]]> Coal Export Terminal (BICET) in Queensland was expected to add 35 million tonnes per year of additional coal export capacity to the state when it came online in late 2016 and early 2017. Xstrata plc (Zug, Switzerland) originally planned to use the new terminal as the export hub for its proposed Wandoan coal mine, but that project's future is now also in doubt, with the announcement yesterday that development of the Balaclava Island terminal has been cancelled.

Other companies featured: BHP Billiton Limited (NYSE:BHP), Rio Tinto Limited (NYSE:RIO), Vale S.A. (NYSE:VALE)
]]> <![CDATA[AGL Negotiates with Shortlisted Tenderers for Silverton Windfarm]]> Windfarm is a 1,000-megawatt (MW) project developed by AGL Energy Limited (New South Wales, Australia), which recently completed the construction on the 420-MW Macarthur Windfarm in Victoria. Silverton was proposed and initially owned by Epuron Pty Limited (New South Wales, Australia). It was bought by AGL in 2010.
]]> <![CDATA[What Does the Future Hold for Australia's Browse Natural Gas Fields?]]> Royal Dutch Shell's (NYSE:RDS.A) (The Hague, Netherlands) regional business, Shell Development Australia (Melbourne, Australia), and Woodside to look into floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) technology for the exploitation of the massive Browse assets.
]]>