2010
September 14, 2010
While Japan is a big player in the Solar Energy Manufacturing Market,there are other significant players like USA,China,Germany which have not protested against this discrimination.So why is Japan so miffed as to approach the WTO over this issue.One reason that i can readily think of is the Huge Contract given to Samsung by the Ontario government.The agreement with Samsung gives it the subsidies to set up a huge solar and wind energy capacity in the province.The government will support the company through preferential grid access,subsidies and land.This has given a huge boost to the Green Ambitions of Samsung which wants to become a big player in the Renewable Energy Area.
September 13, 2010
China,India and South Korea have been leading the charge buying up Oil and Gas Assets at an incredible clip around the world.TEPCO plans to buy upto 50% of its Uranium needs from internal purchases as well raising LNG purchases.Japan lost out to South Korea in Economic Diplomacy when it lost out on Lucrative Nuclear Power Plant Contracts in UAE.It is now jostling with USA and China for building Nuclear Power in Vietnam.TEPCO is a leading member of Japanese Consortiums in international bidding
September 13, 2010
India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has been criticized by a parliamentary committee for missing out several targets on renewable energy installations and cost […]
September 13, 2010
Supreme Court which is India's topmost Judial Authority has accepted a petition to look into the aspects of the 2G Scandal.Note past experience does not instill much confidence that justice will be served.The prosecuting agencies such as CBI and CVC are known to be puppets in the hands of the Ruling Politicians and you can't expect a person to prosecute himself.India's Manmohan Singh who has a very clean image strangely has defended A.Raja damaging his own credibility instead of taking a high moral stance and firing the Minister
September 11, 2010
These risks are real and not going away any time soon.They are waiting tinderboxes which could flare up with a small spark.India has managed a substantial premium in valuations over other emerging markets over its Consumption Led Growth.Institutional Investors know no better than common ones as was apparent from the 2008 Lehman Crisis.They are playing the Emerging Market Game till the Music Lasts.Make Sure you are not the one who finds no chair when the Music Stops.
September 11, 2010
The Desertec Initiative is the Biggest Green Energy Project ever conceived with a vast scale and an ambitious vision.However Desertec falls short on many parameters which are described above for it to ever reach fruition.While small scale versions of this Concept can be implemented like that by Solar Millennium in Egypt,the massive energy framework conceived by Desertec is not feasible.The Huge Subsidies and High Costs make it uneconomical despite its Clean Energy Promise.
September 11, 2010
Renewable Energy JA Solar wins more than 500MW in cell supply contracts – Recharge News Solaria Raises $65M for CPV Development – RenewableEnergyWorld Vestas in Eye […]
September 11, 2010
The US Congress had got into the act in 2009 through 2 Bills to regulate the Hydraulic Fracking Process and told EPA to study the process.The Stakes are high for the Oil and Gas Companies as Shale Gas represent a Huge Opportunity.North America has been a pioneer in this Technology with Shale Gas Extraction expected to spread rapidly in different parts of the world.The EPA Study and US Regulations will be watched closely by other countries which are formulating their own regulations in this regard.
September 11, 2010
Siemens is one of the largest conglomerates in the world with a huge Green Division.This German Giant is present in almost all sectors of the upcoming […]
September 10, 2010
The Developers as usual are being brazen about it denying any wrongdoing despite tons of cash and incriminating documents being found.These Raids never result in convictions or prison terms and in India are generally politically motivated.Most of the Government officials are a part of the gravy train and would not touch connected Real Estate Developers without a push from their political masters.Expect these Developers to start their business as usual in a couple of months as India's Political and Business Elite toys with the country's laws with impunity.
September 10, 2010
Inflation continues to rule in the double digits as price of essential food commodities touches new highs.The Federal Government has stopped doing anything promising lower inflation figures in the next months thanks to lower base effect.However absolute prices as compared to 2 years are up almost 30-50%.The High Inflation has not affected the elite Indian classes as Stock Market make new highs and Industry maintains high growth rates.Naxalism is the direct outcome of this huge income inequality which is increasing every day.With no corrective measures being taken except some photo-ops by India's oppurtunistic politicians except internal strife to Increase in India.
September 10, 2010
Vestas is trading at historical lows with these repeated bad news taking huge chunks from the stock.However like Suzlon,Vestas is more like a Falling Knife than a Fallen Angel.Despite a major new order of 400 MW,Vestas stock has fallen even more.Like Nokia in Mobiles and Sunpower in Solar Energy,the industry has totally changed for these industry leaders.The structural issues with the major incumbent Wind Turbine Makers are too dire for short term order wins to help them
September 9, 2010
The South Korean Government has been one of the most proactive ones in promoting Green Industry.During the Global Financial Crisis,the Stimulus Program of South Korea had the highest percentage devoted to Clean Technology Initiatives.Driven by the Government,South Korean Conglomerates have been investing into Green Sectors.Samsung the biggest South Korean has already committed huge investments into CleanTech Sectors like Solar,Wind,LEDs.Korean Shipbuilders like Hyundai,Daewoo and Samsung are getting into manufacturing of Wind Turbines while Chemicals Giant Hanwha
September 9, 2010
India has divested small equity stakes in a number of state owned Commodity Companies this year and the trend is expected to continue in the future […]
September 9, 2010
Enbridge the Canadian Energy Company which is mainly into the business of Gas and Oil Distribution has been aggressively expanding into Renewable Energy in the past […]
September 9, 2010
China has overtaken the US and EU in Green Industry Leadership.US Utilities like Duke Energy have openly acknowledged Chinese primacy in this regard .Investment in the Renewable Energy Sector in China at $38 billion in 2009 was more than double that in the USA.Companies in the US are outsourcing Green Jobs to Mexico and China due to high costs and lack of Government support.2010 should see this gap widen further with Chinese plans to spend almost $760 Billion in Green Investments in the next decade.The Ernst&Young Ranking of the Most Preferred Green Investment Countries has further bolstered the case of Chinese Leadership.
September 9, 2010
One of the factors behind the Yen Rise is the Chinese record buying of Japanese Government Bonds (JGBs).The Japanese Finance Minister has become concerned as the Japanese cant reciprocally buy Chinese Government Bonds which are not freely traded.Note Japan has a huge government debt load of around 200% of Japans GDP which is mainly financed by domestic investors.China with its humongous Foreign Reserves is the biggest player in the Foreign Exchange Markets Today.
September 8, 2010
Increasing College Education in Developing Countries has led to Unemployement and Low Wages for White Collar Workers.The increasing number of people armed with College Degrees has […]
September 8, 2010
It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that stocks are being manipulated to the detriment of the small investors.Experienced people in SEBI would surely know of such manipulation but they are not doing anything.The Prakash Steelage has followed the "Pump and Dump" Script to the letter with the stock in the process of being dumped.The stock fell 13% for no apparent reason and I expect it to soon fall far below its issue price.Note the Promoters of this Stock have already been convicted of Tax Evasion.
September 8, 2010
India’s IT Sector had recently become a victim of new US Protectionist Policies when US Legislature imposed a $2000 Visa Fee on Companies with a Large […]
September 8, 2010
India’s Powerful Central Planning Commission has decided to give $500 million from next year to Indian States making the most Progress in Going Green.The Agency has […]
September 8, 2010
Finland is proposing to build a Billion Dollar Highway from its Capital Helsinki to a City near the Russian Border.This Highway will be the first Zero […]
September 8, 2010
The Indian Government had blacklisted Huawei and ZTE earlier this year on Security Concerns.These Firms were said to have close relations with the Chinese Government and […]
September 8, 2010
The Indian Electricity Regulator has reduced the Renewable Energy Plant Size for Grid Connection to 50 MW.This has been done after State Electricity Boards were not […]
September 7, 2010
Applied Materials which was the 800 lb Gorilla in the a-Si Thin Film Equipment raking in Billions of Dollars in Orders from established Solar Leaders like Q-Cells and Suntech also found itself in trouble.With its SunFab Division leading Millions of Dollars and fast losing its economic viability,AMAT was forced to conduct Euthanisia.Its customers like SunFilm,Moser Baer,Suntech also have pretty much shut down their factories writing off large investments.However Oerlikon is not giving up like AMAT
September 7, 2010
Germany is planning to extend the life of the nuclear reactors that are supposed to close in 2022 by an average of 12 years.Note extension will […]
September 7, 2010
India has recently seen 2 Nationwide Strikes in the past month on the issue of Inflation and Food Insecurity.These Strikes have been called by Opposition Parties […]
September 7, 2010
The country also has a 20% Energy Efficiency Improvement Plan for 2006-2010 which it is almost sure to miss.China energy reduction plans have gone haywire due its fast growing economy's dependence on fossil fuels.China has recently talked of increasing the percentage of Renewables to 15% by 2020 from the single digit figure now but the progress of Energy Efficiency has been not upto the mark.China's Energy Efficiency in fact decreased in the first half of 2010 instead of increasing.This decrease is due to the breakneck industrialization occurring in Chinese provinces determined to outdo each other in the Growth Game.Diktats by the Central Party Leadership have failed to rein in the provinces.
September 7, 2010
Polysilicon Demand has been skyrocketing in the recent years due to Exponential Growth of the Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells.This made Elkem decide on building a 5000 ton solar specific plant in Norway through a new cheaper process of refining Silicon called Metallurgical Silicon.However the 2008 GFC and poly Oversupply has made this process suspect as $400/kg poly prices went crashing down by 90%.Timminico,a Canadian Producer which was in the process of setting up a giant mg-Si plant has almost collapsed as orders for this less refined Polysilicon Form dried up.