|
|
BRIEFING - Asia energy.
MICROBE TURNS COOKING OIL INTO BIODIESEL SAFE FOR ENGINES TOKYO — A Hyogo-Prefecture-based technology company has teamed up with Kobe University to devise a better way of turning waste cooking oil into biodiesel for vehicles. This technique makes use of a microorganism that has been genetically engineered to carry the enzyme lipase on its surface. When this microbe is mixed into the waste cooking oil and methanol is added a little at a time, the triglycerides in the oil are converted into methyl ester, which is the source for biodiesel. Glycerin is also synthesized as a byproduct. GASOLINE, KEROSENE, CRUDE FUTURES DROP ON TOKYO EXCHANGE TOKYO — Gasoline, kerosene and crude oil futures fell back across all contract months Monday on the Tokyo Commodity Exchange due to lower crude prices in New York. The most active August gasoline contract closed at 70,030 yen (US$657) per kilolitre on its first trading day. The July contract fell 1,370 yen to 70,200 yen per kilolitre. CHINA SHIFTS RAILWAY CAPACITY TO COAL TRANSPORT TO ENSURE POWER BEIJING — China's Railway Ministry issued an urgent announcement on Monday ordering all local railway bureaus to step up concentrated efforts in coal transport to ensure the operation of the nation's key electric power plants. It warned the shutting of some coal mines during the Spring Festival, which falls next month, tended to exacerbate supply tensions in the dry season when hydropower output declines. Thermal power plants also consume large quantities of coal, reducing stock sharply. AUSTRALIAN GOV'T EYES PLAN TO REOPEN MOTHBALLED OIL REFINERY MELBOURNE — The federal government is considering a plan to reopen a mothballed oil refinery in Adelaide's south to introduce greater competition and lower prices to the petrol market. Fairfax newspapers reported today that government sources had confirmed the federal and South Australian governments had discussed re-opening the Port Stanvac refinery, which closed in 2003. CHINA'S THIRD PETROLEUM EXCHANGE ESTABLISHED IN BEIJING BEIJING — China's third largest petroleum exchange after those in Shanghai and Dalian was established in Fangshan District, Beijing on Jan. 25, but the trading of oil product hasn't been listed as core business temporarily. With more than 20 large enterprises signed in in the first day, the Beijing Petroleum Exchange (BPE) will mainly engage in spot transaction of oil, chemical product and dangerous chemicals, and its main trading forms include spot trading by listing, trading by bidding, and medium and forward trading by matching. RUSSIA'S CRUDE OIL EXPORTS TO CHINA UNLIKELY TO RISE IN 2008 BEIJING — High international crude prices have become a barrier for China's oil imports from Russia. In 2007, China's crude import from Russia decreased 9 per cent from 2006 to 14.5 million tons despite bilateral trade in the year surging 44.3 per cent to US$48.16 billion. CHINA NOT TO RAISE PRICES OF OIL, GAS, POWER IN NEAR FUTURE BEIJING — China will not raise the prices of finished oil, natural gas, power, urban traffic, subway tickets and tickets to tourist sites in near future, said an official of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) in an interview.Meanwhile, the tuition and accommodation fees of schools will not be raised.
Date: 29.01.2008 Leave your comment
|
|
