Energy

Morocco’s Jorf Lasfar Energy Company has awarded the contract for the development of a 700MW coal-fired power plant in Morocco.

The engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract has been awarded to a consortium of Japan’s Mitsui and South Korea-based Daewoo E&C. The consortium will construct two new units (5&6), each with a gross capacity of 350MW, at the existing Jorf Lasfar power plant site (currently four units each generating 350MW) near El Jadida.

The UK has the potential to capture just under a quarter of the global marine energy market, according to analysis released today by the Carbon Trust.

Becoming a global leader in the marine energy market would be worth the equivalent of up to £76 billion to the UK economy by 2050, and generate over 68,000 UK jobs, the Trust said.

New jobs would develop on the back of growing export markets in countries such as Chile, Korea and America, as well as European states facing the Atlantic Ocean, which benefit from powerful waves or currents.

French-owned energy group Total is offering $1.37 billion for a majority stake in California-based solar panel manufacturer SunPower, to create a partnership that could help the solar industry move to the next stage of its development.

The boards of both companies have approved the deal, and SunPower will continue to operate with its current management team after it is concluded. Total will also provide SunPower with up to $1 billion of credit support over the next five years.

As April draws to a close, the world’s major oil companies are coming out with their first quarter results for 2011, with ConocoPhillips, BP, EXXON and Shell all reporting this week.

Reporting yesterday, the third largest US oil company ConocoPhillips reported a 43 per cent year-on-year rise in quarterly earnings to $3 billion, but said it was disappointed not to have achieved its production and refining targets.

Express Integrated Technologies, a US-based manufacturer of heat transfer and combustion engineering equipment for the energy exploration industry, has today opened a Canadian office in Calgary, Alberta.

A new company, Express Integrated Technologies Canada, Ltd, has been created to provide technical expertise, aftermarket support and business development personnel to support the ongoing oil sands recovery projects using EIT's once through steam generators (OTSGs).

Jürgen Hendrich, CEO and MD of MEO Australia, talks to Jayne Flannery about the importance of creative thinking to build shareholder and environmental value through the exploration and commercialisation of hydrocarbon resources.

Raghav Jindal, managing director of Jindal Drilling & Industries Limited, explains to Jayne Alverca why the company should be a preferred partner for international oil and gas corporations wishing to create a footprint in the Indian market.

With Eskom’s New Build Programme forging ahead, Jeff Daniel talks to Johan Bornman, acting general manager for Power Delivery Projects (PDP), the Eskom department responsible for the building and refurbishment of transmission lines and substations in South Africa.

The Export-Import Bank of the United States has given preliminary approval for an $805.6 million direct loan to South Africa’s state-owned utility Eskom.

The financing, if eventually approved, will support Eskom's purchase of engineering and construction management services which will be used to construct the Kusile power plant, located in the Emalahleni area of Mpumulanga Province.

The loan includes a business contract for Kansas, US-based Black & Veatch to provide the engineering and construction management services to Eskom.