Greenpeace on Tuesday urged international funding agencies such as the World Bank to shift financing from large-scale, fossil-fuel projects to renewable energy to help stop global warming.
Gerd Leipold, executive director of Greenpeace International, said developing wind power, geothermal energy and hydropower would help reduce the levels of greenhouses gases.
However, he said international financing agencies, particularly the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, favor fossil-fuel energy projects, such as coal-fired power plants.
“I cannot emphasize enough the potential that is in shifting to a new technology and in emphasizing self-interest ... to protect one’s population and also to create a domestic industry,“ Leipold told reporters.
He said only American and European companies benefit from fossil fuel projects.
Carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases largely produced by the burning of fossil fuel--mainly oil and coal--trap heat in the atmosphere, raising global temperatures, enn.com reported.
Severe weather such as hurricanes in the Caribbean or flooding in Bangladesh is likely to become more frequent due to global warming, a coalition of environmental groups, including Greenpeace, said in a report released in October. The report also said climate change causes gradual damage by creating longer droughts that harm subsistence farmers, enn.com reported.
The report also said the developing world uses little renewable energy.
Red Constantino, Greenpeace’s regional energy campaigner, said verbal support by the World Bank and the Manila-based ADB of renewable energy has not been reflected in project financing.
He said the World Bank’s spends US$17 (euro12.82) for fossil-fuel energy projects for every US$1 (euro0.75) spent for renewable energy development.
“If they match their declarations and political announcements with regard to climate protection to actual financing, then the world would be a better place,“ Constantino said.
A spokesman for the ADB, who requested anonymity, admitted the bank supports fossil-fuel projects, especially in countries where the energy source is abundant, such as China, which has coal reserves.
&#8220But we always make sure that these projects include technology that minimizes pollution,“ he said. “On the other hand, we also support renewable energy projects,“ he said, adding that the bank could this year approve a hydropower project. He didn’t elaborate.
Constantino said the Philippines has the potential to produce 70,000 megawatts of electricity through wind power, about seven times its current consumption, but there is little funding to fully develop it.
Leipold acknowledged that investors in power generation will go where it is profitable.
“Investors will follow the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, that is why it is so important that they take the lead. If they say, ’Yes this is a viable sector,’ the investors will follow,“ he said.

Qatar Petroleum (QP) and Shell Chemicals (Shell) have signed in Doha a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the development of a world-scale ethane based cracker and derivatives complex in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar.
’The signing of the LOI marks an important milestone for Qatar in its efforts to diversify its economic base and further monetize its considerable hydrocarbon resources,’ said Qatar Second Deputy Premier and Energy and Industry Minister Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Attiyah.
’The project clearly provides Qatar with another viable alternative to optimize the use of the country’s natural gas resources.’
He signed the deal on behalf of Qatar Petroleum with Linda Cook, executive director Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies during the fifth Doha Conference on Natural Gas.
Also present at the signing were a number of senior executives of Qatar Petroleum and the Royal Dutch/Shell Group.
This is the realisation of the directives of Amir Shaikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al- Thani who has a vision to place Qatar among the leading petrochemical producers in the world, tradearabia.com reported.
Al-Attiyah also stated: ’We are pleased to have Shell, one of the leaders in this field, enter the petrochemical industry in Qatar, and to witness our relationship take another important step forward.
’This project represents an alignment of interests and objectives between the two parties and we are confident in its success.’
Through this agreement, QP and Shell will define the technical and commercial aspects of the petrochemical complex and determine the derivatives scope.
The complex will produce cost competitive petrochemicals products to be marketed into primarily Asian growth markets, with a start-up date early in the next decade.
This project strengthens Shell’s commitment to building a strong partnership with Qatar to deliver large-scale projects.
Linda Cook said: ’Shell is very pleased to partner with QP on the development of this world-scale ethane cracker project.
’The signing of this LOI is indeed an important milestone and marks the further development of the strong partnership between QP and Shell, building on the Pearl GTL project and the recently announced QatarGas 4 project.
’This project clearly combines the strengths of both QP and Shell in the petrochemical industry and represents the basis for delivering long-term value to both Qatar and Shell.’
QP and Shell signed an integrated Development and Production Sharing Agreement (DPSA) on July 8 2004 that provides for the fiscal and legal terms for the Pearl GTL project.
The Pearl GTL project comprises the development of upstream gas production facilities as well as an onshore GTL plant in Ras Laffan City that will produce 140,000 barrels per day (bpd) of GTL products as well as significant quantities of associated condensate and liquefied petroleum gas. The project will be developed in two phases with the first phase operational in 2009.
QP and Shell signed a Heads of Agreement (HoA) on February 27 for the development of Qatargas 4, a large-scale Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project located in Ras Laffan City, Qatar.
The Qatargas 4 project comprises the integrated development of upstream gas production facilities to produce 1.4 bcf/d of gas including substantial quantities of associated liquids from Qatar’s North Field, a single LNG train, yielding about 7.8 million tons per annum of LNG for a period of 25 years, and shipping of the LNG to the intended markets in North America and Europe.
Qatargas 4 is a joint venture between Qatar Petroleum and Shell with a 70 per cent and 30 per cent equity interest respectively.

A 15-year scheme to update Bahrain’s power network will begin next year, it was revealed.
It will include a BD40 million ($106.1 million) renovation of the Riffa power station, said Electricity and Water Minister Shaikh Abdulla bin Salman Al- Khalifa.
In the meantime, the ministry is doing all it can do to meet the demand this coming summer, he told villagers during his visit to Askar, Jaw and Al Dur.
But old equipment and other problems meant there could be no guarantee against breakdowns in the power or water supply, said Shaikh Abdulla.
’The equipment we currently use is tested in countries where temperatures don’t exceed 40 degree Celsius when compared to Bahrain’s climate, which exceeds 50 degree Celsius during the summer,’ he said.
’Other equipment is very old and anything could go wrong, because it is not designed to meet the high demand of today’s population.
&#8217But everything has been accounted for as the ministry has already laid down its new plan, which will start next year and continue for the next 15 years.&#8217<br> Shaikh Abdulla was accompanied by Southern Governorate deputy governor Khalifa Al-Binali, Southern Municipal Council chairman Khalid Al-Buainain, area MP Mohammed Al Ka&#8217abi, other MPs, municipal councilors, ministry officials and villages dignitaries.<br> He said that the Riffa power plant would be upgraded to meet international environmental standards and facilitated with the newest technology, tradearabia.com reported.<br> &#8217We believe that it will cost BD40 million and whenever we receive the required funding, we will accept tenders for it,&#8217 said Shaikh Abdulla.<br> He said people would be soon able to pay electricity and water bills through post offices.<br> &#8217The Transportation Ministry is planning to open 20 new offices and will accept bills. It will hopefully decrease the load on the current customer service centers in Manama, Isa Town and Muharraq,&#8217 said Shaikh Abdulla.<br> &#8217This will help people paying through banks save BD1, which they pay as a service charge.&#8217<br> He said the first phase of work to light up Hawar Highway, which begins from Alba roundabout and goes through the three villages, had been already completed.<br> Shaikh Abdulla promised that what remains of Jaw and Al Dur coastlines would be lit up soon.<br> &#8217There are no plans to have underground cables at the moment, due to problems in the budget, but this could be looked at in the future.&#8217<br> Shaikh Abdulla said that Alba&#8217s extra water was being supplied to residents of the three villages rather than being put back into the sea.<br> Shaikh Abdulla said that an investigation into a water leak nearby Alba would be carried out soon, after residents informed him that it had been going on for two months.<br> But the minister also said residents also shared the blame for water wastage, because of bad storage systems at their homes.<br> &#8217We have distributed 250 model tanks to needy families around the kingdom as an example of how a tank should be and these can store water for more than four days.&#8217<br> Residents illegally tapping into water mains are regularly to blame for weak supplies to other homes, said Shaikh Abdulla.<br> &#8217We don&#8217t punish those stealing water as other countries in the world, all we do is disconnect the line, warn the user and write it down in our books as unaccounted,&#8217 he said.<br> </div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0> <tr> <td width=20 align=right valign=middle> <a href="energy.htm#top"> <img src="../../../logo/UpArr.gif" border=0 align=left width=10 height=10 vspace=0 hspace=0 alt=""> </a> </td> <td align=center width=530> <hr width="80%"> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td align=left> <a name="48489"></a> <div class=surtitle3> </div> <div class=title3> Russian Oil After Yukos <br> Implications for the US<br> </div> <div class=subtitle3> </div> <div class=detail3> <table class=RightImage border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 width=340> <tr> <td align=Right> <img src="017526.jpg" border=1 width=340 height=244 alt="017526.jpg"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <div class=caption3> The Kremlin wants to play a major role in Russia's domestic and global energy markets while keeping foreign investors at bay.<br> </div> </td> </tr> </table> The Russian oil and gas sector&#8217s new paradigm can be summarized in two words: &#8220state domination.&#8220 The free-market paradigm has been abandoned. In December 2004, the tax authorities bankrupted YUKOS, a major oil company, for alleged tax arrears and sold its main production unit, Yuganskneftegaz, to the state-owned oil company Rosneft, using a straw company as an intermediary. Chinese state banks apparently financed the purchase with $6 billion in loans. To top it off, Rosneft is merging with state-owned Gazprom, the largest natural gas company in the world.<br> The Bush Administration and US oil companies need to recognize that the Russian energy sector is now operating on a new model of state domination and control. Successful US-Russian energy cooperation depends on the US and Russia arriving at a framework agreement during President George W. Bush&#8217s visit to Russia in May to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Allies&#8217 victory in Europe. Washington should condition US agreement to Russia&#8217s entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) on the creation of transparent rules and investment protection for US companies that invest in Russia. President Bush should specifically request that US companies participate in construction of the Murmansk pipeline and the Shtokman natural gas projects in the Barents Sea, heritage.org reported.<br> The Kremlin, not the private sector, has become the key decision maker in licensing oil fields, determining the location of pipelines, and approving consortia for production and transportation. The biggest problems in the post-YUKOS Russian oil sector are the intrusive role of the state, overregulation, the violation of property rights, opaque transactions, and xenophobia toward foreign investors. Exxon and Total, a French firm, recently announced that they would scale down involvement in Russia&#8217s oil markets, and capital flight from Russia has increased from $2.9 billion in 2003 to $9 billion-$12 billion in 2004.<br> Vladimir Putin&#8217s economic adviser Andrey Illarionov called the sale of Yuganskneftegaz the &#8220swindle of the year&#8220 and warned that Russia is on its way to joining the Third World economically. While Illarionov was demoted for his candor, he was not fired. Clearly, the Russian elite is deeply divided over energy policy.<br> Global Ambitions. The Kremlin wants to play a major role in Russia&#8217s domestic and global energy markets while keeping foreign investors at bay. The government-owned Gazpromneft (the combined Gazprom and Rosneft) will be a major global company, bigger than Petroleas de Venezuela (PVDSA) and comparable to Saudi Arabia&#8217s Aramco (both state monopolies), and will become an instrument of Russian foreign policy throughout the region and around the world.<br> After September 11, 2001, it was hoped that Russia and Eurasia could provide a welcome addition, if not an alternative, to Middle East oil, but this hope seems to have been premature. Russia&#8217s real challenges, beyond government re-nationalization, are the antiquated pipeline network, which is a government monopoly, and high production and transportation costs. In December 2004, the Russian government committed to building the Taishet-Nakhodka pipeline, a gargantuan 4,300 kilometer project that will cost $12 billion and is designed to provide 80 million tons of oil per year to the Asian Pacific market, including up to 30 million tons to China. The Russian government seems to have lost interest in the pipeline from Western Siberia to Murmansk--the easiest way to export oil to the United States.<br> The US Response. The Bush Administration and US companies need to push energy cooperation issues at the highest level, beginning at the Bush-Putin Summits in Moscow in May and following up at the G-8 Summit in Scotland in July. Specifically, the Administration should:<br> Recognize that the Russian energy sector is operating on a new model predicated on total state domination and control. All future dealings in Russia must receive full Kremlin blessings. If the US wishes to maintain an interest in Russian oil, the US government must become a participant in assuring the viability of future deals. <br> Arrive at a framework agreement on US-Russian energy cooperation. The US should insist that such a framework include a key role for the private sector in developing Russian energy resources and infrastructure. Investment stability and recognition of Western investors&#8217 property rights need to be acknowledged at the highest level. <br> Condition US agreement to Russia&#8217s entry into the WTO on the creation of transparent rules and investment protection for US companies that invest in Russia. <br> Request that US companies participate in construction of the Murmansk pipeline and the Shtokman natural gas projects in the Barents Sea. <br> </div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0> <tr> <td width=20 align=right valign=middle> <a href="energy.htm#top"> <img src="../../../logo/UpArr.gif" border=0 align=left width=10 height=10 vspace=0 hspace=0 alt=""> </a> </td> <td align=center width=530> <hr width="80%"> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td align=left> <a name="48492"></a> <div class=surtitle3> </div> <div class=title3> China Will Start Major Gas Field in 2006<br> </div> <div class=subtitle3> </div> <div class=detail3> Top Chinese oil and gas firm, PetroChina , plans to start up a huge gas field in the remote northwest by the end of 2006 to supply China&#8217s flagship West-East pipeline, an official said on Wednesday. <br> The Dina field, in the Tarim Basin in Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, is set to produce 5.1 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas a year from end-2006, making it China&#8217s third-largest gas field, said the official and a company Web site (www.cnpc.cn). <br> The Dina field, comprising three production blocks, will also pump 300,000 tons of condensate, a super light crude, a year. <br> &#8220Dina will then join the West-East pipeline, which is seeing faster-than-expected demand,&#8220 the Beijing-based company official said, yahoo.com reported. <br> China, the world&#8217s No.2 energy consumer is boosting its under-developed gas sector as it faces declining domestic oil reserves and surging demand. The country aims to raise natural gas to 8 percent of its energy mix by 2010 from 3 percent. <br> China&#8217s top gas field is Jingbian in northwest Shaanxi province, followed by the Kela-2 field, which is also in Xinjiang and lies adjacent to the new Dina field, the PetroChina official said. <br> Both fields are currently feeding the $8.5 billion West-East pipeline. <br> PetroChina started full commercial operation at the 4,000-km (2,485-mile) pipeline two months ago, feeding gas from the poor western regions to industries, power plants and households in the booming east. <br> Gas sales via the pipeline is expected to rise to 4.0 bcm this year--about one-tenth of China&#8217s total gas production--from 1.3 bcm in 2004. <br> PetroChina said in December it aimed to raise sales to full designed capacity of 12 bcm by 2007, a year ahead of schedule. <br> China&#8217s gas production rose much faster than oil in 2004, up 18.5 percent on the year to nearly 41 bcm, driven by soaring consumption by rapid urbanization and booming manufacturing sector.<br> </div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0> <tr> <td width=20 align=right valign=middle> <a href="energy.htm#top"> <img src="../../../logo/UpArr.gif" border=0 align=left width=10 height=10 vspace=0 hspace=0 alt=""> </a> </td> <td align=center width=530> <hr width="80%"> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <!-- Begin Bottom TOC --> <table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%"> <tr> <td> <hr width="100%"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td align=center> <div class=htoc> | <a class=htoc href="../../../1383/2228/html/index.htm">Front Page</a> | <a class=htoc href="../../../1383/2228/html/national.htm">National</a> | <a class=htoc href="../../../1383/2228/html/economy.htm">Domestic Economy</a> | <a class=htoc href="../../../1383/2228/html/science.htm">Science</a> | <a class=htoc href="../../../1383/2228/html/panorama.htm">Panorama</a> | <a class=htoc href="../../../1383/2228/html/focus.htm">Economic Focus</a> | <a class=htoc href="../../../1383/2228/html/dotcoms.htm">Dot Coms</a> | <br> | <a class=htoc href="../../../1383/2228/html/energy.htm">Global Energy</a> | <a class=htoc href="../../../1383/2228/html/politic.htm">World Politics</a> | <a class=htoc href="../../../1383/2228/html/sports.htm">Sports</a> | <a class=htoc href="../../../1383/2228/html/ieconomy.htm">International Economy</a> | <a class=htoc href="../../../1383/2228/html/art.htm">Arts & Culture</a> | <br> </div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td align=center> <table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0> <tr> <td> <hr width="100%"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td align=center> <div class=htoc> | <a class=htoc href="../../../1383/2228/html/index.htm#Identification"> Identification </a> | <a class=htoc href="../../../archive.htm"> Archive </a> | </div> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <!-- End Bottom TOC --> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <!-- Begin Bottom --> <hr width="100%"> <table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=1 width="100%"> <tr> <td align=left valign=top width="50%"> <div class=footer> Copyright 2004, Iran Daily Newspaper <br> </div> </td> <td align=right valign=top width="50%"> <div class=footer> Contact us: <a href="#" ONCLICK='window.open("../../../feedback.htm","popup","width=500,height=500,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,resizable=no,scrollbars=yes,status=no,toolbar=no");return false'>iran-daily@iran-daily.com</a><br> </div> </td> </tr> </table> <!-- End Bottom --> </td> </tr> </table> </body> </html>