REC Singapore poised to face challenges ahead [News]

By Ronnie Lim, The Business Times, 31 Oct 2011.

RENEWABLE Energy Corporation’s S$2.5 billion integrated Singapore plant – its biggest and most efficient worldwide – remains one of the few bright spots for the Norwegian solar company which is facing a demand slump in Europe on one hand, and stiff competition from Chinese and Taiwanese rivals on the other.

‘Demand has not picked up to the extent we had expected,’ REC’s president and CEO, Ole Enger, reportedly said at the group’s third quarter results presentation last week. ‘Lack of financing availability is the biggest problem we have in the solar industry.’

In Europe, countries like Germany, France and Italy have cut subsidies to cap booming solar installations, while rival Chinese solar makers have expanded output capacity considerably with this causing wafer and cell prices to plummet to ‘dramatically low levels’, the group said. Read more

Consortium Appointed for Micro-grid Test-bed at the Jetty Area on Pulau Ubin [Press Releases]

The Energy Market Authority (EMA) has appointed a Singapore-based consortium comprising Daily Life Renewable Energy Pte Ltd (DLRE) and OKH Holdings Pte Ltd (OKH), to design, build, own and operate a micro-grid test-bed incorporating clean and renewable energy resources at the jetty area on Pulau Ubin.

About the Test-bed

Pulau Ubin is an island northeast of Singapore. Island residents and businesses currently rely on diesel generators for their electricity needs. These generators are expensive to operate and cause inconvenience to users when they break down. They are also noisy and pollutive.

Read more

Singapore’s strategies to meet its energy challenge amid an uncertain global energy future

Singapore is taking steps to address its energy challenge by diversifying energy mix, managing energy demand, and encouraging innovative technologies, amid an uncertain global energy future.

During his Opening Address at the Singapore Energy Lecture, which kicks off the annual Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) 2011, Mr S Iswaran, Minister, Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Home Affairs and Trade and Industry, shares Singapore’s three strategies in addressing its energy challenge, given its over dependence on energy imports and the need to secure reliable and affordable energy supplies.

Diversify Energy Supply

Mr Iswaran shared that the key thrust of Singapore’s energy strategy is the diversification of its energy supplies through Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and electricity imports. Singapore will also continue to explore other options like solar energy. Read more

S’pore can still be energy hub despite growing competition [News]

By Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia, 30 Oct 2011.

Former Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has said Singapore can continue to stand out as an energy hub despite growing competition because of its efficiency and stability.

He was speaking at a charity dinner on Sunday organised by Shell to mark its 120th anniversary.

The dinner was attended mainly by people in the energy industry.

And one of the themes of the dialogue was the impact of the increasing world population on energy, food and water security.

Mr Lee said the growing populations in India, China and the rest of the region will affect the South East Asian economy. Read more

Latest Green Jobs in Singapore [24 - 30 Oct 2011]

1. Director of Marketing and Corporate Relations, WWF Singapore
2. Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility, People Connection
3. Senior Product Related Environmental Protection (PREP) Engineer, Siemens Medical Instruments Pte Ltd
4. Project Engineer / Manager (Water Treatment), Renaissance Management Services Pte Ltd
5. (EHS) Engineer / Officer, Renaissance Management Services Pte Ltd
6. Sr Engineer, Site EH&S, Seagate
7. Manager / Sr Manager, Head Sustainability & SHE, Jim Hunter Pte Ltd
8. Senior / Principle Global Facilities Engineer, Water & Waste Water, Micron Semiconductor Asia Pte Ltd
9. Pilot Plant Operations Manager, Siemens Pte Ltd
10. Technology Researcher, Siemens Pte Ltd
11. Research Scientist, Siemens Pte Ltd
12. Health, Safety & Environment Manager, Ace Talent Consulting Pte Ltd
13. Manager (Education), National Parks Board
14. Assistant Manager (Environment Management Division), CTES Consulting Pte Ltd
15. Senior / Process and Mechanical Engineer (Thermal), Keppel Integrated Engineering Limited
16. Operation Engineer (Waste-To-Energy), Keppel Seghers Engineering Singapore Pte Ltd
17. Technician (Waste Water / Water Treatment / Reverse Osmosis), Manpower Staffing Services (S) Pte Ltd
18. Management Support Officer, National Climate Change Secretariat
19. Senior / Assistant Directors (International Trade Cluster), Ministry of Trade and Industry
20. Engineer (Operations), National Environment Agency

If your company would like to post a green job opening on our site (free), send us the job description and details through our contact form.

Sembcorp Shares Details Of Sino-Singapore Nanjing Eco Hi-Tech Island, One Of Nanjing’s Largest Foreign Collaborations [Press Releases]

Singapore, October 25, 2011 – Sembcorp Industrial Parks, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sembcorp Industries, has through its associate, revealed details of the Sino-Singapore Nanjing Eco Hi-tech Island (SNEI) during the Nanjing Investment Seminar held at the Marina Bay Sands. The SNEI is one of Nanjing’s largest foreign collaborations. The SNEI occupies the entire 1,521- hectare Jiangxinzhou, the only island located in downtown Nanjing just 6.5 kilometres away from the city centre. To be developed over more than eight years, the SNEI is envisioned as a worldclass eco hi-tech new township on a green intelligent island.

Of the island’s 1,521 hectares, only 715 hectares will be developed, while the remaining 809 hectares will be preserved for eco-tourism. The SNEI’s ecology planning system includes the use of renewable energy such as wind and solar power, untraditional water source, waste recycling and processing, green transportation through the use of trams and electric buses, green architecture and landscape ecology. Read more

Global Energy Luminaries Meet in Singapore for 4th Singapore International Energy Week [Press Releases]

1. The Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) 2011, from 31 October to 4 November, is set to become the focal point for high-level energy dialogue in the region. Into its fourth year, SIEW is the leading platform for senior policymakers, industry leaders and academics to deliberate and exchange perspectives, strategies and solutions to major issues impacting the global energy agenda.

2. This year, developments in the Middle East, North Africa and Japan have thrown the spotlight on energy security. In Asia, economic expansion is driving countries to find a mix of energy options that is able to sustain growth while being clean and secure. As a small city-state with no natural resources, Singapore is acutely aware of its energy challenges. These challenges have informed this year’s theme of “Securing Our Energy Future”, which emphasises the need to rethink policies to ensure a stable supply of energy for the future. Read more

Driving innovation with strategic sustainability [News]

By Rachel Kelly, Channel NewsAsia, 27 Oct 2011.

Environmental sustainability may be the next mega trend for businesses when it comes to keeping one step ahead of the competition.

But one report said top level executives should not confuse Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reporting with strategic sustainability.

CSR reports may highlight things like the amount of paper a company has saved by recycling, fair employment policies, or even the training its security team has received, but what many do not include is how much the company may have saved or made through sustainable initiatives.

Dr David A. Lubin, Chairman of Esty Sustainability Network, said: “The research that we have done suggests that most companies are in what we would call a defensive position – they are trying to reduce their risks and reduce their cost of waste. And the minority is in an offensive situation – really using sustainability as a driver of innovation. And an even smaller percentage are using it as a defining concept of their brand.” Read more

Raffles Institution engage NEC to deploy real-time energy monitoring solution campus-wide [Press Releases]

Raffles Institution (RI) announced today that it has engaged NEC Asia Pacific (NEC APAC), a wholly owned subsidiary of NEC Corporation (HQ: Japan), to deploy real-time energy monitoring solution throughout its entire campus, as part of its bigger plan to improve energy efficiency and to achieve cost savings.

This initiative is part of RI’s continuous efforts towards creating a more environmentally-friendly campus. In August this year, RI was named the first recipient of the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) Green Mark GoldPlus Award [1], the second highest Green Mark rating under the BCA Green Mark for Existing Schools, which places stronger emphasis on raising the awareness among students and educating our future generation on the importance of environmental sustainability and conservation. Read more

Singapore’s Green Label Gets A Global Boost [Press Releases]

Singapore’s Green Label, which turns 20 in 2012, is certified by Global Ecolabelling Network’s Internationally Coordinated Ecolabelling System

Singapore, 27 October 2011 – Singapore’s most recognised eco-label, the Green Label, which is administered by the Singapore Environment Council, today received a global boost when it was officially accredited by the Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN), an international non-profit association of third-party, environmental performance recognition, certification and labelling organisations.

2 The certificate of accreditation was awarded to SEC at the 2011 GEN Annual General Meeting and International Conference of the Global Ecolabelling Network in Yilan, Taiwan, this afternoon. Read more

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