[Top News] from [REUTERS]
[Green Business]
BEIJING
Wed Jan 6, 2010 8:15am EST
China power consumption up 5.96 pct in 2009
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's power consumption in 2009 rose 5.96 percent to 3,643 billion kilowatt hours, the National Energy Administration (NEA) said on Wednesday.
Growth was 0.47 percentage points higher than in 2008.
The administration did not provide power consumption data for last month, but official media said December power consumption grew around 30 percent from a year earlier, citing data from the State Grid Corporation of China, China's leading grid operator.
China's National Bureau of Statistics will publish power output data later, which is normally in line with consumption figures.
In 2009, the average utilization rate of power generators, each with capacity of 6,000 kilowatts and above, fell 121 hours from 2008 to 4,527 hours, the NEA said in a release published on the website of the National Development and Reform Commission (www.ndrc.gov.cn).
China's power generating capacity increased 89.7 gigawatts (GW) last year to 874.07 GW at the end of 2009.
The country closed 26.17 GW of small coal-fired power generators last year, bringing total closures to 60.06 GW since 2006, 10 GW more than the target of 50 GW for the five years through 2010, the administration added.
(Reporting by Jim Bai and Chen Aizhu; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)
[Green Business]
COPENHAGEN
Wed Jan 6, 2010 1:50pm EST
Denmark releases four "red carpet" climate activists
COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Danish police released four Greenpeace activists on Wednesday who were detained 20 days ago for sneaking into a gala dinner for heads of state to protest against what they deemed failed U.N. climate talks.
Three of them, dressed in evening gown and tuxedo, walked up the red carpet on December 17, duped guards and entered Copenhagen's Christiansborg Palace to unfurl banners saying "Politicians Talk, Leaders Act" before dignitaries and TV cameras.
The fourth man, who remained outside, was detained later for his part in the protest. Police held the Spanish, Dutch, Norwegian and Swiss activists in custody as a security risk, but said on Wednesday their detention was no longer necessary.
Climate talks in Copenhagen last month secured bare-minimum agreements that fell well short of original goals to reduce carbon emissions and stem global warming, after rich and developing economies failed to paper over differences.
Greenpeace welcomed the activists' release but poured scorn on the Danish police for holding them for three weeks.
"The unnecessary imprisonment of these four peaceful activists has effectively been punishment without trial," said Mads Christensen, executive director of Greenpeace Nordic.
"The length of their detention without trial is out of all proportion to what was a simple and harmless protest with a legitimate objective," his statement added.
The four have been charged with trespassing, impersonating a police office, falsifying documents and with a further charge that stiffens penalties in cases that occur in the vicinity of Denmark's Queen. They could still face trial and jail sentences.
(Reporting by John Acher; Editing by Jon Boyle)
[Green Business]
LONDON
Wed Jan 6, 2010 11:42am EST
EU carbon prices unchanged, eye UK auction
LONDON (Reuters) - European Union carbon emissions futures barely moved after a small German permit auction on Wednesday, but traders warned a UK auction on Thursday could push prices lower.
EU Allowances for December delivery were down 27 cents or 2.13 percent to 12.43 euros ($17.85) a tonne at 1509 GMT, with volume at 3,760 lots.
"The market has not reacted but today's auction was small. The bigger, British one tomorrow could impact prices," said an emissions trader.
EUAs touched a new six and a half month low on Wednesday but recovered to around two-week lows after players supported prices, traders said.
EUAs fell as low as 12.28 euros in morning trade, a level last hit on December 21 after U.N. climate talks failed to deliver a binding agreement.
EUAs last traded below that level on June 23, 2009.
"We could touch that again today or tomorrow. For now, there was a lot of support at 12.28," an emissions trader said.
Germany auctioned around 300,000 EUA futures at 1400 GMT on Wednesday and the UK government will auction of a revised total of 4.9 million spot EUAs on Thursday.
These could put more pressure on prices because the market is already 'long' in EUAs, they said.
"Carbon is adjusting to the introduction of German auctions, and with this in effect the market will see three days where EUAs will enter the market and many players will be looking to dump them," another trader said.
Industrial companies with surplus EUAs due to reduced output during the economic downturn are expected to sell those permits heavily in the coming weeks.
"There is no real industrial selling yet," a trader noted.
Spot EUAs on France's BlueNext exchange were down 2.48 percent to 12.20 euros a tonne with light volume at 776 lots.
Last February, heavy selling from industrial companies with surplus credits forced prices down to nearly 8 euros a tonne.
Some market players believe a continued European cold snap, which has stimulated the need for more carbon permits to cover emissions, could prevent prices from falling that low.
German Calendar 2011 baseload power was down 35 cents or 0.67 percent to 51.85 euros per megawatt hour.
U.S. oil remained below $82 a barrel on Wednesday after unexpectedly bearish U.S. inventory data on Tuesday, ending a 9-day rally that saw U.S. crude futures rise 14 percent on a mix of cold weather and geopolitical jitters.
U.N.-backed certified emissions reductions were down 22 cents or 1.98 percent to 10.90 euros a tonne.
(Reporting by Nina Chestney; editing by xxx
[Green Business]
Poornima Gupta
SAN FRANCISCO
Wed Jan 6, 2010 3:05pm EST
VC sees IPO promise for "quality" green firms
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Following a successful public debut of one of its companies last year, a San Francisco venture capital firm is now guiding two more of its green portfolio firms to raise money in the public markets.
CMEA Capital, an early stage investor in many green firms including battery maker A123 Systems that debuted successfully last year, is planning to brave the IPO market again with Silicon Valley companies Codexis and Solyndra.
"What A123 demonstrated is that the IPO market is available to companies that are very highly differentiated," said Tom Baruch, CMEA founder and managing director, in an interview.
Green start-ups that have distinct technology, and have demonstrated that their business model works, have a good chance of attracting investor interest, both in the public and private markets, Baruch said.
With oil prices moving up steadily and the U.S. economy stabilizing, investors and experts are forecasting that 2010 will be marked by some of the more mature green start-ups testing public enthusiasm for companies that have big growth potential, but little profit.
A123, which has yet to make a profit, was CMEA's first portfolio company to go public in nearly two years. In total, the firm manages seven funds representing investments totaling over $1 billion.
Solyndra, which builds thin-film solar tubes and secured $535 million loan guarantee from the U.S. government to build its second factory, filed for a $300 million IPO last month.
Codexis, which is working with Royal Dutch Shell on biofuel products, filed for an IPO last week.
Green energy was a small corner of the IPO market in 2009, and the deals had mixed results.
CMEA's portfolio company A123, which makes lithium-ion batteries for the automotive market, had a smash-hit debut with shares jumping over 50 percent in their first day of trading in September. It has a market cap of about $2.3 billion.
On the other hand, Chinese thin film solar panel maker Trony Solar Holdings Co Ltd postponed its IPO indefinitely last month.
Baruch, who honed his early-stage investment skills at the Battelle Development Corp and then at Exxon in the 1970s, said financial markets were looking for "good quality opportunities."
"For the last two years, investors have had their hands in their pockets," Baruch said. "With the global economy loosening up somewhat, some of that money is coming off the sidelines."
Baruch, however, does not believe there would be a deal rush this year.
"This is going to go very slowly," he said.
In recent months, green technology companies have managed to raise more capital, from sources including venture capital, private equity, public equity, and debt funds.
According to London-based New Energy Finance, investment in green companies -- from solar and wind power, other renewable energy, electric vehicles and energy storage -- jumped to $25.9 billion in the third quarter of 2009 from just $13.3 billion in the first quarter of 2009.
Going forward, Baruch said he is especially bullish about the solar industry.
"The price of energy is moving up and that's a very, very favorable trend for alternative energy," Baruch said.
(Reporting by Poornima Gupta; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)
[Green Business]
BEIJING
Wed Jan 6, 2010 8:15am EST
China power consumption up 5.96 pct in 2009
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's power consumption in 2009 rose 5.96 percent to 3,643 billion kilowatt hours, the National Energy Administration (NEA) said on Wednesday.
Growth was 0.47 percentage points higher than in 2008.
The administration did not provide power consumption data for last month, but official media said December power consumption grew around 30 percent from a year earlier, citing data from the State Grid Corporation of China, China's leading grid operator.
China's National Bureau of Statistics will publish power output data later, which is normally in line with consumption figures.
In 2009, the average utilization rate of power generators, each with capacity of 6,000 kilowatts and above, fell 121 hours from 2008 to 4,527 hours, the NEA said in a release published on the website of the National Development and Reform Commission (www.ndrc.gov.cn).
China's power generating capacity increased 89.7 gigawatts (GW) last year to 874.07 GW at the end of 2009.
The country closed 26.17 GW of small coal-fired power generators last year, bringing total closures to 60.06 GW since 2006, 10 GW more than the target of 50 GW for the five years through 2010, the administration added.
(Reporting by Jim Bai and Chen Aizhu; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)
[Green Business]
COPENHAGEN
Wed Jan 6, 2010 1:50pm EST
Denmark releases four "red carpet" climate activists
COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Danish police released four Greenpeace activists on Wednesday who were detained 20 days ago for sneaking into a gala dinner for heads of state to protest against what they deemed failed U.N. climate talks.
Three of them, dressed in evening gown and tuxedo, walked up the red carpet on December 17, duped guards and entered Copenhagen's Christiansborg Palace to unfurl banners saying "Politicians Talk, Leaders Act" before dignitaries and TV cameras.
The fourth man, who remained outside, was detained later for his part in the protest. Police held the Spanish, Dutch, Norwegian and Swiss activists in custody as a security risk, but said on Wednesday their detention was no longer necessary.
Climate talks in Copenhagen last month secured bare-minimum agreements that fell well short of original goals to reduce carbon emissions and stem global warming, after rich and developing economies failed to paper over differences.
Greenpeace welcomed the activists' release but poured scorn on the Danish police for holding them for three weeks.
"The unnecessary imprisonment of these four peaceful activists has effectively been punishment without trial," said Mads Christensen, executive director of Greenpeace Nordic.
"The length of their detention without trial is out of all proportion to what was a simple and harmless protest with a legitimate objective," his statement added.
The four have been charged with trespassing, impersonating a police office, falsifying documents and with a further charge that stiffens penalties in cases that occur in the vicinity of Denmark's Queen. They could still face trial and jail sentences.
(Reporting by John Acher; Editing by Jon Boyle)
[Green Business]
LONDON
Wed Jan 6, 2010 11:42am EST
EU carbon prices unchanged, eye UK auction
LONDON (Reuters) - European Union carbon emissions futures barely moved after a small German permit auction on Wednesday, but traders warned a UK auction on Thursday could push prices lower.
EU Allowances for December delivery were down 27 cents or 2.13 percent to 12.43 euros ($17.85) a tonne at 1509 GMT, with volume at 3,760 lots.
"The market has not reacted but today's auction was small. The bigger, British one tomorrow could impact prices," said an emissions trader.
EUAs touched a new six and a half month low on Wednesday but recovered to around two-week lows after players supported prices, traders said.
EUAs fell as low as 12.28 euros in morning trade, a level last hit on December 21 after U.N. climate talks failed to deliver a binding agreement.
EUAs last traded below that level on June 23, 2009.
"We could touch that again today or tomorrow. For now, there was a lot of support at 12.28," an emissions trader said.
Germany auctioned around 300,000 EUA futures at 1400 GMT on Wednesday and the UK government will auction of a revised total of 4.9 million spot EUAs on Thursday.
These could put more pressure on prices because the market is already 'long' in EUAs, they said.
"Carbon is adjusting to the introduction of German auctions, and with this in effect the market will see three days where EUAs will enter the market and many players will be looking to dump them," another trader said.
Industrial companies with surplus EUAs due to reduced output during the economic downturn are expected to sell those permits heavily in the coming weeks.
"There is no real industrial selling yet," a trader noted.
Spot EUAs on France's BlueNext exchange were down 2.48 percent to 12.20 euros a tonne with light volume at 776 lots.
Last February, heavy selling from industrial companies with surplus credits forced prices down to nearly 8 euros a tonne.
Some market players believe a continued European cold snap, which has stimulated the need for more carbon permits to cover emissions, could prevent prices from falling that low.
German Calendar 2011 baseload power was down 35 cents or 0.67 percent to 51.85 euros per megawatt hour.
U.S. oil remained below $82 a barrel on Wednesday after unexpectedly bearish U.S. inventory data on Tuesday, ending a 9-day rally that saw U.S. crude futures rise 14 percent on a mix of cold weather and geopolitical jitters.
U.N.-backed certified emissions reductions were down 22 cents or 1.98 percent to 10.90 euros a tonne.
(Reporting by Nina Chestney; editing by xxx
[Green Business]
Poornima Gupta
SAN FRANCISCO
Wed Jan 6, 2010 3:05pm EST
VC sees IPO promise for "quality" green firms
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Following a successful public debut of one of its companies last year, a San Francisco venture capital firm is now guiding two more of its green portfolio firms to raise money in the public markets.
CMEA Capital, an early stage investor in many green firms including battery maker A123 Systems that debuted successfully last year, is planning to brave the IPO market again with Silicon Valley companies Codexis and Solyndra.
"What A123 demonstrated is that the IPO market is available to companies that are very highly differentiated," said Tom Baruch, CMEA founder and managing director, in an interview.
Green start-ups that have distinct technology, and have demonstrated that their business model works, have a good chance of attracting investor interest, both in the public and private markets, Baruch said.
With oil prices moving up steadily and the U.S. economy stabilizing, investors and experts are forecasting that 2010 will be marked by some of the more mature green start-ups testing public enthusiasm for companies that have big growth potential, but little profit.
A123, which has yet to make a profit, was CMEA's first portfolio company to go public in nearly two years. In total, the firm manages seven funds representing investments totaling over $1 billion.
Solyndra, which builds thin-film solar tubes and secured $535 million loan guarantee from the U.S. government to build its second factory, filed for a $300 million IPO last month.
Codexis, which is working with Royal Dutch Shell on biofuel products, filed for an IPO last week.
Green energy was a small corner of the IPO market in 2009, and the deals had mixed results.
CMEA's portfolio company A123, which makes lithium-ion batteries for the automotive market, had a smash-hit debut with shares jumping over 50 percent in their first day of trading in September. It has a market cap of about $2.3 billion.
On the other hand, Chinese thin film solar panel maker Trony Solar Holdings Co Ltd postponed its IPO indefinitely last month.
Baruch, who honed his early-stage investment skills at the Battelle Development Corp and then at Exxon in the 1970s, said financial markets were looking for "good quality opportunities."
"For the last two years, investors have had their hands in their pockets," Baruch said. "With the global economy loosening up somewhat, some of that money is coming off the sidelines."
Baruch, however, does not believe there would be a deal rush this year.
"This is going to go very slowly," he said.
In recent months, green technology companies have managed to raise more capital, from sources including venture capital, private equity, public equity, and debt funds.
According to London-based New Energy Finance, investment in green companies -- from solar and wind power, other renewable energy, electric vehicles and energy storage -- jumped to $25.9 billion in the third quarter of 2009 from just $13.3 billion in the first quarter of 2009.
Going forward, Baruch said he is especially bullish about the solar industry.
"The price of energy is moving up and that's a very, very favorable trend for alternative energy," Baruch said.
(Reporting by Poornima Gupta; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)
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