China has taken the lead in investment in clean energy, spending nearly twice as much as the US did last year, as it promotes projects in both renewable and traditional energy, a report said yesterday.
China’s investment in clean energy rose to US$34.6 billion last year, out of US$162 billion invested globally, according to the report by the nonprofit Pew Charitable Trusts. US spending ranked second at US$18.6 billion, with European nations also recording strong growth.
“Countries are jockeying for leadership. They know that investing in clean energy can renew manufacturing bases, and create export opportunities, jobs and businesses,” said Phyllis Cuttino, who directs the Pew Environment Group’s Global Warming Campaign.
The report comes as China is clinching a slew of energy and resource-related deals designed to help guarantee access to commodities needed to keep its fast-growing economy booming.
On Wednesday, China’s offshore oil and gas company CNOOC (中國海洋石油) agreed to buy 3.6 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas a year, for 20 years, from an Australian energy project operated by BG Group PLC.
Just days before, CNOOC announced plans for a US$3.1 billion joint-venture with Bridas Energy Holdings Ltd, a major Argentine energy firm.
On Tuesday, Royal Dutch Shell PLC said it plans to explore for natural gas with China National Petroleum Corp (中國石油天然氣) in China’s Sichuan Province. That followed news that Arrow Energy Ltd, an owner of gas assets in Australia, had accepted a joint takeover bid from Shell and PetroChina (中石油) worth US$3.15 billion.
Over the weekend, China signed 15 deals with Russia worth US$1.6 billion.
The US still leads the world in installed renewable energy, with 52.2 gigawatts of wind, small hydroelectric, biomass and waste generating capacity, the Pew report said.
But China is quickly closing the gap. A doubling in wind energy capacity alone boosted its own installed renewable energy capacity to 49.7 gigawatts last year. Germany trails with 30.9 gigawatts, the report said.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source
SHOT IN THE ARM: The new system can be integrated with Avenger and Stinger missiles to bolster regional air defense capabilities, a defense ministry report said Domestically developed Land Sword II (陸射劍二) missiles were successfully launched and hit target drones during a live-fire exercise at the Jiupeng Military Base in Pingtung County yesterday. The missiles, developed by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST), were originally scheduled to launch on Tuesday last week, after the Tomb Sweeping Day holiday long weekend, but were postponed to yesterday due to weather conditions. Local residents and military enthusiasts gathered outside the base to watch the missile tests, with the first one launching at 9:10am. The Land Sword II system, which is derived from the Sky Sword II (天劍二) series, was turned