Maxis: No service during power outages

It's not fair!

I could come up with lesser than decent comment but I would settle for that for the time being.

Quality of service in the area where I reside (Penampang) is just poor. Every time there's power failure, the internet and telecommunication services would be interrupted, leading me to believe that Maxis does not have standby power for the anticipated power outages. Frequent power disruption on the part of SESB should not translate into similarly poor performance by Maxis.


                                     Screenshot 1


                                     Screenshot 2


                                     Screenshot 3


Power supply failure would quickly be followed by interruption of 3G service (Screenshot 3), and if the power outage prolong, the wireless communication would completely stop (Screenshot 1 and 2).

Maxis should at least provide bigger energy storage (battery) to keep the services going at reduced mode. There's no point shouting about installing more 4G LTE stations if they become dis-functional during power failures!


Note: The other mobile phone which is on Celcom does not seem to be much affected.

How do plants grow towards the light?

You've learnt about this in your science subject during secondary/high school.

It's interesting and I bet it still is. Why would the upshot of a tree grow towards the light and not elsewhere? Sciencefocus has a simple way of explaining it.

                          A weed in our unkempt flower vase

Plant cells contain a protein called phototropin that is mostly concentrated in the growing tip of the plant shoot. This protein unfolds into an activated state when it absorbs blue wavelengths of light.

This sets off a cascade of interactions between different proteins in the cells, which ultimately changes the alignment of cellular scaffolding proteins, called microtubules.

The upshot of this is that the cells on the darker side of the shoot elongate, while those on the light side remain squat and boxy. As the dark side of the plant grows longer, the shoot as a whole bends away from that side and towards the light.

Recent research at the Carnegie Institution at Stanford University, and Wageningen University in the Netherlands, found that the rearrangement of the microtubules can happen surprisingly quickly. Within minutes of exposure to blue light, plant cells will start making new microtubules.


Source: Sciencefocus

SEDA Malaysia announced new degression and bonus rates for Biomass, Biogas and Solar PV

During the 2nd International Sustainable Energy Summit (ISES) 2014 last week, SEDA Malaysia was expected to announce the renewable energy (RE) quota for this year.

It was deferred, but there was an equally interesting announcement, which touches on the new rates of bonus and degression for three RE sources - Biomass, Biogas and Solar PV. This is to encourage take-up rate of biomass and biogas which has seen slow response.


Table1: Biogas and Biomass, effective January 1, 2014



Table 2: Solar PV effective March 15, 2014



Key changes: Biomass and Biogas

• Degression rates for both biomass and biogas have been reduced from 0.5% to 0%
• Increase of bonus rate for use of locally manufactured or assembled gas engine technology (biogas) and use of locally manufactured or assembled boiler or gasifier (biomass) from RM0.01 per kWh to RM0.05 per kWh for both technologies. 

Note: These new degression and bonus rates are effective from 1st January 2014.


Key changes: Solar Photovoltaic (PV)

• Degression rates adjusted to 10% across the entire Schedule, except for the bonus criteria of locally manufactured or assembled solar PV modules and solar inverters. 
• For the two bonus criteria, degression rates are retained at 0% and their bonus rates adjusted from RM0.03 per kWh (solar PV modules) and RM0.01 per kWh (solar inverters) to RM0.05 per kWh for each of them. 

Note: The new degression and bonus rates for solar PV are effective from 15th March 2014.


For complete reading of the press release, visit here.

Affordable personal clouds launched in Malaysia by Western Digital

Are you currently keeping tonnes of pictures, video clips, music or documents in your hard drives and intend to access them from anywhere, anytime? Why not create your own cloud storage?

Western Digital has announced the availability of two My Cloud devices that are meant for home users and small business owner who need some form of networked storage that is affordable.

They are Western Digital My Cloud and Western Digital My Cloud EX2.


Western Digital My Cloud - for personal (home use)


The My Cloud is a single drive network storage device that provides you with your own cloud storage solution without the need to register or pay for any cloud storage services. When connected to the internet via an RJ-45 cable, you can access My Cloud from anywhere in the world as long as your computer or smartphone or tablet is connected to the internet.

Meanwhile, the My Cloud EX2 is a two-bay variant of the older My Cloud EX4 four-bay network-attached storage (NAS). Similar to the EX4, the EX2 is designed for professionals and prosumers that need a reliable device to save, back-up, stream and manage large amounts of data.


Relative size of the My Cloud EX2 (left) and My Cloud (right). Photo: Computerworld Malaysia


Both My Cloud and My Cloud EX2 has desktop and mobile apps that enable you to access the NAS from wherever you are and they can be downloaded for free on both Android and iOS stores.

Apart from the obvious, they can also serve as a home's digital entertainment hub that can then be streamed to any DLNA-certified multimedia device such as a WD TV Live media player, smart TVs, etc.


MyCloud and My Cloud EX2: Prices

These storage devices are now available at select retailers nationwide, with prices starting from RM499 for the My Cloud and from RM1,159 for the My Cloud EX2. The retailed prices are as follow:

My Cloud 2TB - RM499
My Cloud 3TB - RM649
My Cloud 4TB - RM799

My Cloud EX2, 4TB - RM1,159
My Cloud EX2, 6TB - RM1,459
My Cloud EX2, 8TB - RM1,959

To have an idea and expert opinion of these network-attached storage devices, you can read online reviews here:

1) Western Digital My Cloud - by Engadget and PC Magazine
2) Western Digital My Cloud EX2 - by Cnet and PC Magazine


TheGreenMechanics: I'm going to check them out at Low Yat Plaza a little bit later this evening to find out the street prices.

2014 FiT quota release announcement delayed

This is one conference I've really wanted to attend. Unfortunately the dates clashed with another pertinent event in Kuala Lumpur, the Asia Water 2014 Conference which is currently ongoing - 19th to 21st March 2014.


The Deputy Minister of KeTTHA and SEDA officials at the 2^nd International Sustainable Energy Summit 2014 in Petaling Jaya.


Earlier this month, SEDA Malaysia announced in its portal that the new quota for its Feed-in Tariff (FiT) for 2014 would be announced during the 2nd International Sustainable Energy Summit, held in Petaling Jaya Selangor few days ago.


Delayed to refine FiT proposal

The announcement of the 2014 quota for its FiT programme for renewable energy would now be expected to be in April, at the earliest. Energy, Green Technology and Water ministry said this is to make some administrative adjustments.

The Malaysian Reserve reported that  a government official said the release of quotas for 12kW and below may be made as early as April but for larger projects exceeding 12kW, these may now be included in the 2015 quota. One reason why quotas for larger projects may be delayed is the amount of time it will take for some amendments to the Renewable Energy (RE) Act 2011 to be gazetted.

New legislation is needed because the threshold defining larger commercial non-individual photovoltaic (PV) projects has been brought down from 72kW to 12kW. These larger projects would need to go through a power system connectivity check by Tenaga Nasional Bhd, that would take at least 6 weeks, which can only be started once the legislation is gazetted.

Solar PV installations under 12kW do not need to undergo the connectivity test.

Some of the amendments proposed for Renewable Energy Acts 2011 are:

• sections that involved the terms and operational requirements
• FiT approval and FiT rates
• recovery of money
• redefining large commercial solar PV projects to include those beyond 12kW
• regulating the solar PV service providers
• inclusion of geothermal sources as a new RE source in the FiT programme

The Green Mechanics' two cents:

Since gazetted in 2011, the Renewable Energy Act has been revised almost annually to accommodate changing needs of the industry, which is good as we are only at an early stage of the implementation of green technology projects.

With the delay in announcement, it is fair to request that this year's roll-out be spread or extended to 2015 to give individuals and non-individual commercial holders of FiT approval sufficient time to complete their projects.

Who can see your IP adress and what you can do about it

All Internet communications require Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. If a website you visit couldn't see your IP address, it would have no way to send you pages, images, files, and so on.


It's nothing personal, it's just location. Image source


To see how easily a site can see your IP address, visit What is my IP Address. Or just Google what's my ip address. It's easier to get than your telephone number.


It's not as scary as it sounds?

Who can see your IP address and how serious a problem that is? Assuming you're using a router, those web sites can only see the router's IP address, not your PC's. They can't tell who in the house is visiting them - which is just a small comfort - but this also protects you from certain drive-by malware attacks.

What can website administrators find out about you from your router's IP address? They can identify your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and figure out approximately where you're located. They will likely be able to identify your neighborhood, but not your home. And they can see how often you (or someone else sharing your router) visit their website.

But they won't be able to see that forever. Chances are your IP address is not a permanent fixture. Most home Internet accounts use a dynamic IP address, which your ISP changes from time to time.

And, of course, if you take your laptop to a coffee house or library, you'll have an entirely different IP address there, although you now have to consider public network security issues.

If you're still worried, you can use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). Once you've set one up, your Internet connections travel encrypted from your computer to the VPN server, and from there, unencrypted, to their final destination. The sites you visit see only the VPN's IP address.


TheGreenMechanics: You can also use VPN to view websites blocked in the particular country you are surfing the interned from. For example, if you travel to Shanghai, China where blogger.com gets blocked from time to time, you may want to consider VPN.


Note: This article was published by Computerworld Malaysia on Mar 18, 2014. Source Link

US rolls out gasoline sulfur rule to cut automobile emissions

Starting from 2017 in the U.S., a rule to further limit sulfur in gasoline will be implemented in phases and is expected to be fully enforced in 2025 - a move described by the country's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as "a win for public health".

Sulfur or not, you don't want to be tailing a vehicle that smokes like this! Pic captured at Jln Penampang.

Ruling to phase in starting in 2017

The rolling out of a rule in the U.S., that would further limit sulfur in gasoline, is expected to cut automobile emissions, provide welcome relief to people with breathing problems and would be the equivalent of removing an estimated 33 million cars from its roads.

U.S. oil refineries will be required to purchase new equipment to remove sulfur, which builds up in vehicle emission-control devices, causing more pollution. 

Conservationists and automakers such as Ford Motor praised the move, while a trade group that represents the oil and gas industry blasted it as an unnecessary step that will hurt consumers.

The EPA said the requirement, when fully implemented in 2025, will cost consumers less than a cent per gallon more at the pump while preventing 2,000 premature deaths a year and lowering health-care costs by as much as $19 billion. It will increase the average price of a car by about $75.

Differences in opinion

Meanwhile, the American Petroleum Institute countered that complying with the rule will increase gas prices by up to nine cents a gallon. API Downstream Group Director Argued that the rule will not only become a threat to consumers, jobs and economy, but it will provide negligible, if any, environmental benefits.

Expressing support for the rule, American Lung Association estimated that the rule will prevent 19,000 asthma attacks and 300,000 missed days of work and school by 2030.

Source: The Washington Post

TheGreenMechanics: Aye, Sir! Let's do it.

Lenovo's LTE smartphone the Vive Z launched in Malaysia

Lenovo's new Vibe Z is now available in Malaysia but for the first month, this will be exclusive to Celcom customers only. It will then be available to the rest of us starting April 15.


Lenovo Vibe Z is equipped with 4G LTE connectivity


For the consumers, this will give them alternative to the expensive iPhone and HTC, and the market dominating Galaxy series. The Vibe Z screen size is 5.5-inch compared to Galaxy S5's 5.1-inch. So, this is more comparable to Galaxy Note 3 in terms of dimension.


Lenovo Vibe Z: Specifications

Screen	-	5.5-inch IPS LCD
Resolution	-	1920 x 1080 pixels, pixel density: 401 PPI
OS	-	Android 4.3 Jelly Bean
Storage	-	16GB
Processor	-	Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, quad-core 2.2GHz Krait 400 CPU
RAM	-	2GB
Connectivity	-	4G LTE, 3G, DC-HSDPA up to 42Mbps, WiFi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0, FM radio, A-GPS
Camera	-	Back: 13 MP with f/1.8 aperture lens, Front: 5 MP
Battery	-	3,000mAh
Dimension	-	149 x 77 x 7.9 mm
Weight	-	147 gram

Malaysia launching of the Lenovo Vibe Z. Photo: Computerworld


Lenovo says that the introduction of the Vibe Z further highlights how the Vibe series has begun to show a real impact in the premium segment of the smartphone market.

The Vibe Z focuses on the premium space of the smartphone market - gesture controls, photo enhancement software and other technologies in a razor-thin form, etc


Lenovo Vibe Z: Price

The retail price of the Vibe Z is RM1,799 but I've seen online price of as low as RM1,350 (iPmart) although this probably would not be equipped with 4G LTE connectivity.

For the early birds, they can get one from Celcom during the launch on March 15 for as low as RM688 ( I suppose this would come with a contract attached to it). You can go to Celcom website to find out more.


TheGreenMechanics:
With the rapid advancement in the manufacturing of mobile devices, prices should be going down and not up. Personal computers and laptops are good examples.

Are we paying too much for Renewable Energy fund?

From the few briefings conducted by the utility company (SESB), and other seminars in which SEDA Malaysia took part, I gathered that many feedbacks on the quantum of RE surcharge in the consumers electricity bills point towards disagreement.


Earlier article pertaining to the revision of surcharge from 1% to 1.6% effective Jan 1, 2014


Some say that we should maintain the 1% rate introduced in 2012. Some say we should not be charged anything at all.

At one of the briefings, the president of the Federation of Sabah Industry (FSI) argued that, while agreeing with the government effort  in promoting green technology, we should not be asked to pay the levy, having already hit hard by the electricity tariff hikes effective Jan 1 this year. Instead, the government should allocate budget for the purpose. To this, I tend to agree; the government should not stop at the RM300 million it contributed when the fund was set up at the end of 2011.

Are we paying too much, relatively? Paying 1.6% more for your utility bill may be a bit burdening but let's look at what are the rate in other countries implementing FiT mechanism:

COUNTRY		SURCHARGE IMPOSED
Germany	-	19%
Italy	-	8%
Portugal	-	5.6% (industrial), 6.2% (residential)
Thailand	-	2% (2013), 8% - 10% once 7GW of RE project is operational in few years time
China	-	3%
Japan	-	3%
United Kingdom	-	2% to 3%
Australia	-	2.4%
Malaysia	-	1.6%

*Data obtained during presentation by SEDA's Dr. Wei-nee Chen in Kota Kinabalu.


We have the lowest surcharge

Compared to others, we are actually paying much less. SEDA is looking at 2% but this, according to Dr Wei-née Chen, was not approved by the cabinet. I have no qualm if it will eventually be approved, but the government should also look at other ways of funding the RE, including setting aside some fund from its coffer.

Malaysian Photovoltaic Industry Association, MPIA's suggestion to make “carbon tax” as a source of funding for renewable energy is also interesting and is worth looking into.

By taxing carbon polluters, which include coal power plants, the transport sector and industries, these sector would be compelled to curtail their carbon emissions. An incentive may be given to those who make effort in reducing carbon emission, in the form of lower surcharge. The quantum is to be calculated after a careful study.

Notwithstanding, we should support the effort to promote sustainable energy in Malaysia.

DiGi modernises and improve networks in Malaysia

How is your personal experience with the services provided by your current telecommunication company? Many dropped calls? Intermittent loss of 3G/4G signals when internet-surfing? Limited broadband coverage? Or, are you satisfied?

All of the telcos boost about their products/services being the better ones, but is it always the case?

I'm currently using Celcom for non-broadband services, Maxis for broadband + voice, and DiGi for my broadband-only mobile device. Unfortunately I still experience dropped calls on both Celcom and Maxis on several occasions. I can't comment on DiGi as I don't have voice package with the telco.

If I surf the internet on my mobile devices with Maxis and DiGi, side by side, Maxis beats DiGi anytime, any location (or at least in my case when travelling around west coast of Sabah - Kota Kinabalu, Penampang, Tuaran, Papar). Again, it's a shame that both telcos offer good broadband experience only at selected areas. Talking about limited data coverage.

I remember that MCMC and the relevant ministry warned these telcos on numerous occasions to improve their services or face the music. It's high time they invest good money on better infrastructure rather than just focusing on increasing their customer base.


DiGi investing heavily on improving its network


Launching of DiGi's two new internet products. Photo: Computerworld Malaysia


It's good to learn that DiGi is spending money to provide high quality internet experience.

Computerworld reported that the company has invested about RM1.5 billion (US$460 million) in the last two years in capital expenditure to modernise its network as well as expand its footprint nationwide. In addition, DiGi has further committed up to RM900 million (US$276 million) in capital expenditure to further strengthen its network position.

This is translated into modernisation of electronic parts in more than 5,500 sites with new equipment, expansion of HSPA+ 3G network to more than 80% population coverage, and increasing its own and jointly built fibre network to more than 3,200 kilometres. Malaysia is not a big country, so, 3,200km of fibre optic is quite impressive.

The RM900 million will further improve DiGi's internet experience by increasing its HSPA+ 3G coverage to 86% of population coverage, growing its LTE footprint up to 1,500 sites, and expanding its fibre network.

Currently, DiGi claimed itself to be the fastest growing mobile internet service provider in the country, with mobile internet revenue growth of 47.5% year-on-year.

Source: Computerworld Malaysia

TheGreenMechanics: That's something Celcom and Maxis need to better. For the 'better' speed offered by Maxis, it comes at premium prices in comparison to the other two service providers. Why don't (or why wouldn't) they do that - be competitive price-wise?

Fueling the growth of Malaysia's solar energy sector

We have learnt and heard on many roadshows and publications what SEDA thinks are the best ways to fuel the growth of the solar PV energy sector in Malaysia. It's mainly by incentivising the industry by implementing the feed-in tariff.

The feed-in tariff (FiT) mechanism works such that individuals and organisations are paid premium price per unit of energy produced from renewable sources.


MPIA Road Map: Snapshot of the presentation slide of MPIA president, Mr. Ahmad Shadzli Abdul Wahab during the "Konvensyen Tenaga Lestari 2013" in Kota Kinabalu back in November last year.

Malaysian Photovoltaic Industry Association, MPIA, on the other hand thinks there are other equally important means of boosting the sector. The Star quoted MPIA as suggesting two further methods:

• Implement net metering and establish utility-scale solar farms outside the FiT programme


• Implement fiscal incentive to make PV systems cheaper

Net metering

In this approach, the solar energy generator uses the power first and feeds the unused power to the grid. This differs from the present FiT scheme where all generated power goes to the grid.

Government is gradually withdrawing gas subsidy until 2015 and electricity prices are foreseen to hike further. Commercial and industrial premises will want to install PV systems to produce energy for their own use. The sector now consumes 70% of our electricity supply - 40,000GWh by commercial premises and 30,000GWh by industrial premises in 2010.

MPIA also suggests the installation of large-scale solar utilities of over 30MW as only such sizeable facilities can divert the current dependence on fossil fuel power plants. Currently, the largest solar farm in the country is of 10MW capacity.

Thailand, on the other hand, already has a 84MW solar farm, located in Lop Buri Province. The 10 billion Baht (US$335 million) solar farm was completed in May 2013.


Fiscal incentives

The association urges for fiscal incentives to make PV systems cheaper, such as expanding the current exemption on import duty and sales tax for solar modules and inverters to all PV system equipment and components.

With these incentives, the industrial and commercial sector will be able to get a return on their investment in under 10 years, noted the association. The tax exemptions will also make installation of PV systems more attractive for holiday chalets and small-scale food processing industries in remote areas, many of which now rely on diesel generators.

No doubt this will encourage more people and businesses to invest in PV systems.


Large scale operators vs. residential installation

MPIA also contended that current tax incentives assist companies but not house-owners. For instance, the waiver on sales tax for solar cells and inverters benefits only operators of big solar installations. It will be tedious for home-owners to fill numerous forms to obtain the waiver.

There is also financial support for companies under the Green Technology Financing Scheme whereby the Government subsidises 2% of the interest on loans taken to finance green projects.

Keen to see more houses with PV systems, the association disagrees with Sustainable Energy Development Authority’s (SEDA, the statutory body that administers the FiT scheme) current approach of emphasising commercial projects.

"In Germany, 80% of the quota goes to residential but in Malaysia, it goes to commercial set-ups. With a higher quota for residential, more people will get the opportunity to produce solar power. Since the money is from the people, they should be given the chance to install solar panels. More households will benefit instead of just one company.” - Malaysia PV Industry Association

Source: The Star Online


TheGreenMechanics: Recently during a Q&A session with one of the implementers of solar PV systems in Kota Kinabalu, I asked the gentleman if Kumpulan Melaka Berhad (KMB) got their 5MW quota from bidding or was it negotiated with SEDA? KMB is also already eyeing a second solar farm costing RM20 million, which I reckon would not be less than 2MW in capacity.

The gentleman answered it was through bidding but I could sense the lack of affirmitiveness in his body language. Maybe it is, but my point is that, we only have so much of quota every year and the big chunk of the cake goes to the commercial/industry players.

Samsung unveiled its new flagship phone the Galaxy S5

Korean electronic giant Samsung unveiled the new iteration of its Galaxy phone, the Galaxy S5, during a recent media event in Barcelona.

In a stark contrast to the rumours, the S5 doesn't have a 4K screen, it doesn't have a 3-sided display that tracks your head movement, and surprise surprise, it's not metal! It is more of a minor design and upgrades rather than a revolutionary ones.



So, here's how the new Galaxy S5 is summed up:

Design

Looks almost similar to the S4 but slightly bigger and heavier. Remember iPhone 5 and iPhone 5S? They are pretty identical, so, yeah what's the big deal, right.

The plastic back panel is a textured matte finish, with 4 choices of colours.


Specifications

The Galaxy S5 sports newer processor, bigger battery, and a slightly larger display. The 0.2GHz bump in processing power shouldn't make a lot of difference. Samsung claimed the new device will provide 20% better battery life than the Galaxy S4.

The Galaxy S5's 5.1-inch display uses the same 1920-x-1080-pixel resolution as the GS4's 5.0-inch screen. Samsung claimed the S5 includes a new advanced auto-brightness system that adjusts colors based on the lighting in your environment.




Camera

The S5 has a new 16MP camera, up from 13MP in the S4. The camera can auto-focus in 0.3-second and you can expect speedier photo taking.

The live HDR preview mode is a new feature and it allows you to check out how HDR mode will look on an image before you press the shutter button.


User experience

It is dust- and water-resistant. And it has a heart rate monitor and fingerprint scanner. Not sure if this one will work, but let's just see when the phone goes on sale.

The USB 3.0 interface should allows for faster charging and data transfers, while the new Download Booster mode that combines LTE (4G) and Wi-Fi should make for faster data transfers.


Would you upgrade?

The Galaxy S5's user interface has not been changed drastically and is seen to be more of a refinement.

If you've been using Samsung's flagship phones for a while, the Galaxy S5 looks like a little step forward from the previous generation, but not a total rebirth of a new one. Until we see the slab and feel it with our own hands, I think it is too early to tell if a S4 owner should upgrade.



Source: Computerworld

Malaysia's first geothermal power plant ready by May 2016

Malaysia’s first geothermal power plant at Apas Kiri, Tawau is expected to deliver 30MW of electricity to the Sabah State Grid in May 2016.

The first news of this venture came to light in 2011 when Tawau Green Energy (TGE) inked a deal with SESB for sale of electricity generated from geothermal for a period of 21 years.

Back in 2011, TGE showed the site of the proposed geothermal power plant in Tawau. Photo: TGE 

The project hit a snag the next year upon claim by Tawau Municipal Councilors that they were not informed/aware of the potentially environment-impacting activities related to the plant setup.

Fast forward to 2014, latest news tells us that drilling operations are now expected to commence at the end of April this year. Also, TGE was reported to have signed a MoU with the University of Auckland on the development of the geothermal energy industry here.


Collaboration with foreign experts

Under the MoU, the two parties agreed to facilitate the provision of the university’s expertise in geothermal training and research. The University of Auckland is one of the leaders for applied research and training in geothermal energy.

The collaboration will pave the way for the setting up of Geothermal Resource Centre (GRC) in Tawau, which would benefit us, among others, by way of:-

• Capacity building for the Malaysian geothermal energy industry


• Providing specialised training in all aspects of geothermal energy including applied geosciences, steamfield design, power plant technology, power plant engineering and design, operations and maintenance, environmental compliance


• Providing a platform for local universities and institutions of higher learning to collaborate with foreign institutions


• Conducting seminars, short courses and other training programmes for Malaysian engineers and scientists keen to involve themselves in this new field of renewable energy


• Encouraging local and foreign universities to collaborate on joint-research activities on the Apas Kiri Geothermal field.

"(We hope that with the setting up of the GRC, Malaysia’s human capital and expertise in the geothermal energy field would be strengthened). This is especially so as we want to promote use of renewable energy and reduce our dependency on fossil fuel. Currently renewable energy accounts for 0.85% of our country’s energy mix and we hope to increase that to 5.5% in the nearest future.”
- Dr. Maximus Ongkili, Minister of Technology, Green Energy  and Water, Malaysia.

It was reported that TGE will engaged the services of Iceland Drilling Company, IDC, for the drilling operations of the proposed Apas Kiri project on a turnkey basis. IDC has good track record both in Iceland and New Zealand.

Delegation from Dr. Maximus' ministry visited New Zealand recently to look at the operations and maintenance of geothermal power plants there. Geothermal currently contribute about 15% of New Zealand’s total energy needs.


TheGreenMechanics: Let's look ahead and get similar arrangements for local universities to get into some sort of MoU with TGE. We could perhaps start with UMS. Afterall this is the only facility of such nature in Malaysia and it would be a waste if transfer of technology is not accelerated.


Source: The Borneo Post