wiredinUSA September 2012

38-39 / 52

wiredInUSA - September 2012 wiredInUSA - September 2012
China Steel Corp (CSC), the largest
steelmaker in Taiwan, is reported to have
held a meeting with screw manufacturers
on 14th August to discuss its prices for steel
wire and bar for October and November
deliveries.
CSC reduced its list prices of steel wire
and bar for September but, apparently,
the Taiwanese screw makers have urged
CSC to further cut prices as received
order volumes from overseas markets
have continued to drop.
CSC has said it will consider the difficulties
that downstream buyers face, and the
current market situation, when adjusting
its prices.
CSC to consider
price cut
The Kenyan government has expressed
disappointment with the low utilization of
a multi-million fiber optic connection in the
country. Information Permanent Secretary
Bitange Ndemo has said that a huge
investment is “going to waste”, adding
that it has not achieved its intended
purpose of making Internet services
cheaper and more accessible.
Speaking in Murang’a town, during a visit
to the Murang’a postal corporation of
Kenya and county information offices, the
PS said most of the established resource
centers in the country are not operational.
“I am disappointed that the investment
that cost the government a lot of money is
not benefiting the public as it is supposed
to,” he said.
Ndemo said the government spent over
KSh7 billion to install the fiber optic Internet
connection in most of the 47 counties.
Hesaid it isawasteofgovernment resources
if resource centers are not assisting the
public to access information. He directed
the government officers concerned to
ensure that the resources are operational.
Low take–up
of fiber facility
38 ASIA / AFRICA NEWS 39
Orix Corp, a Japanese finance and leasing
firm, is planning to invest around $680
million in solar power projects over the next
three years.
Tamaki Shibata, spokeswoman for Orix,
was quoted by Bloomberg as saying that
the company will spend $378 million to
build solar power stations with a total
capacity of 100MW, and a further $302m
will be spent to lease rooftop space from
factories and warehouses for the installation
of panels to produce another 100MW of
capacity.
The move follows Japan’s recently
introduced incentive program for clean
energy, including solar and wind.
Bloomberg stated that Shibata also
confirmed a report in the Tokyo Shimbun
that theOrix Corpmay increase investment
to build as much as 400MW of capacity.
“We will closely monitor panel and land
prices,” she said.
Orix Corp is currently developing a 2MW
solar plant inKagawaprefecture, expected
to begin operations in January 2013.
Solar projects
for Japan
Iranian minister of energy, Majid Namjou,
has stressed that the country has no
shortfall in supplying its domestic power
needs, and added that Iran generates
sufficient electricity to meet the power
demands of its neighboring states. He
said that export of electricity indicates
that the country has satiated its domestic
needs and is exporting the surplus.
The minister further underlined Iran’s
domestic repair and maintenance
capabilities, and said all the necessary
repair and maintenance operations in its
power plants have been carried out by
domestic experts.
The Iranian energy ministry announced
that the country exported 3,949GW/h
of electricity in the first four months of
the current Iranian year (beginning 20th
March), a 46 percent increase over the
same period last year.
Iran has power agreements withArmenia,
Pakistan,Turkmenistan,Turkey,Azerbaijan,
Iraq, Afghanistan and the autonomous
region of Nakhichevan.
Iran confirms
its power capacity