LATEST REPORT
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
Content
- Northeast Asia Natural Gas Corridor
- Oil Pipeline Construction in North East Asia
- Energy Security in Northeast Asia
- Russia Energy Security: IEA View
- APEC Study: Electric Power Interconnection
- Japan Leery of PRC Nuclear Energy Plans
- Mixed Forecast for Oil Prices
- Rural Renewable Energy (RRE) in Western China
- Business and the Environment Symposium & Workshop, Kobe, Japan
1. Northeast Asia Natural Gas Corridor
OJSC Russia Petroleum (Neil Beveridge, KOVYKTA AS THE ANCHOR PROJECT FOR EAST SIBERIAN GAS DEVELOPMENT, May 2004) released this presentation for the Asian Energy Security Conference hosted by the Nautilus Institute May 11 14, 2004 in Beijing China. The presentation lays out the strategic context for Gas Export and the background of the Kovykta project. Beveridge states the need for Russia to diversify export options and points to the PRC and ROK as the fastest growing markets in Northeast Asia. In conclusion, the consistency of the Kovykta project with long-term policy objectives in the region is stressed. These policy objectives include: opening up new export routes; strategy for economic development of Eastern Siberia and NorthEast PRC; and promoting cross-border cooperation and regional stability by bringing Russia, the PRC and the ROK into a common energy framework.
2. Oil Pipeline Construction in Northeast Asia
Korea Energy Economics Institute (Chang-Won Park, Dal-Sok Lee, A Study on the Oil Pipeline Construction in Northeast Asia”, March 2004) released this study of oil pipeline construction and oil supply and demand in Northeast Asia. The report summarizes potential crude oil supply and pipeline routes in Northeast Asia and includes an economic assessment of the pipeline projects. The authors emphasize the need for active participation in the development of oil resources in Northeast Asia by countries with high demand for oil as well as cooperation between governments and oil companies for increased energy security.
View the full report here.
3. Energy Security in Northeast Asia
The International Energy Agency (IEA) and Korea Energy Economics Institute (KEEI) (Sergey VASILIEV, REGIONAL ENERGY COOPERATION IN NORTHEAST ASIA AND ITS IMPACT ON WORLD ENERGY SECURITY, March 12, 2004) released this presentation for the Joint Conference on Northeast Asia Energy Security and Cooperation held in Seoul, Korea from March 16 17, 2004. The author states that scenarios of the development of the energy situation in the world are based on very optimistic and ideal (presumptions) that supply will meet demand in the future. He argues that conservative estimates are rather far from reality such as in the estimation of prices for leading energy sources including coal and oil. Vasiliev proposes the creation of a joint detailed inventory of pending, perspective big-scale multilateral projects in every possible filed related to energy. This inventory should be provided to concerned governments along with an agenda for action including the establishment of a Northeast Asia Energy Community.
View the presentation here.
4. Russia Energy Security: IEA View
The International Energy Agency (Noé van Hulst, GLOBAL ENERGY SECURITY AND RUSSIA, AN INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY VIEW, October 26 28, 2004) released this presentation for the 4th Russian Oil and Gas Week in Moscow from October 26 28, 2004. The presentation discusses the broad objectives of IEA-Russia cooperation including development of a market-oriented energy policy and increase of the flow of data and information on the Russian energy sector. Hurst states, Russia will need more than $1 trillion of energy investment to 2030. To improve the investment climate, government efforts are needed to stabilize the legal and tax regime and improve the investment climate.
View the full presentation here.
5. APEC Study: Electric Power Interconnection
Asia Pacific Energy Research Center (ELECTRIC POWER GRID INTERCONNECTIONSIN THE APEC REGION, 2004) released this study to give policy makers a better understanding of the potential benefits from strengthened power interconnections in the APEC region, as well as some practical steps that might be taken to help ensure that those benefits can be realized. The study focuses on enhanced transmission links in Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, North America and South America. The report assesses possible benefits of stronger power grid links in terms of the reliability of service, power system economics, and the environmental impacts of power production. It also describes some of the legal, regulatory and institutional obstacles to enhancement of power grids, as well as ways to streamline regulations and harmonize laws to deal with these obstacles effectively. Finally, it examines how power grid expansion might be affected by economies having different degrees of power market competition.
The study can be viewed here.
6. Japan Leery of PRC Nuclear Energy Plans
Asia Times (Phar Kim Beng, JAPAN LEERY OF CHINAS NUCLEAR ENERGY PLANS, November 10, 2004) reported that Japan is ” worried that China’s voracious appetite for energy, its poor record of industrial safety and its plan to build more nuclear reactors could mean major accidents affecting North Asia. According to reports, China currently has nine nuclear reactors, with two more Russian models under construction and plans to purchase up to 20 more reactors from the United States.
7. Mixed Forecast for Oil Prices
The New York Times (Jad Mouawad, RISE AND FALL OF OIL PRICES RESULT IN A MIXED FORCAST, November 11, 2004) reported that The International Energy Agency, an advisory body to oil-consuming nations, indicated yesterday that crude oil prices might have peaked but that it is too early to tell. Prices have risen 50 percent this year, spurred by strong demand, tight production and geopolitical uncertainty in many oil-producing regions. The increase in prices have had an effect on economic growth and have led many countries to revise gross domestic product estimates downward.
Read the article here for more information.
8. Promotion of Rural Renewable Energy (RRE) in Western China
The Sino-Dutch Company has developed a project in connection with the China Association of Rural Energy Industry (CAREI) to promote the use of renewable energy in rural areas of the PRC. “Through integrated development and utilization of RRE resources, the overall objective of the project is to improve the energy use structure in rural areas of the western regions, to upgrade farmers’ energy consumption level, to establish rural energy development and utilization system that is in conformity with the objectives of sustainable development, to improve the ecological environment, to increase farmers’ income, to reduce poverty and to promote the realization of the strategic plan of developing the western regions in China.”
9. Business and the Environment Symposium & Workshop, Kobe, Japan
The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies announced its upcoming Symposium and Workshop INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM & WORKSHOP 2004 ON BUSINESS AND THE ENVIRONMENT to be held at the International Conference Center in Kobe, Japan on November 16 17, 2004. The workshop on “Research on Environmentally-sound Business Model” is held prior to the symposiumwith an aim of exploring issues to be challenged by [Business for Sustainable Society] BSS Project and examining points of discussion for the symposium. The objective of the symposium is to explore best possible options towards sustainable society for industry and government under the increasing global environmental constraints, identifying current status of research in related fields in Japan, Asia and Western countries and to discuss issues to be challenged by Business for Sustainable Society (BSS) Project.
Read the announcement here.
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Produced by the Nautilus Institute.