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  • Mitsubishi Power Receives Contract to Upgrade Existing Boiler Equipment at the O Mon 1 Thermal Power Plant in Vietnam– Playing a Central Role in the Oil-to-Natural Gas Fuel Conversion Project —

    Mitsubishi Power Receives Contract to Upgrade Existing Boiler Equipment at the O Mon 1 Thermal Power Plant in Vietnam– Playing a Central Role in the Oil-to-Natural Gas Fuel Conversion Project —

    O Mon 1 Thermal Power Plant (Photo: EVNGENCO2)

    Tokyo, November 5, 2025 – Mitsubishi Power, a power solutions brand of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI), has received a contract to support the oil-to-natural gas fuel conversion project at the O Mon 1 Thermal Power Plant in Can Tho in southern Vietnam.

    Mitsubishi Power will provide the main equipment, such as the gas burners for the boiler at the core of the system, leveraging its technological capabilities as the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) of the existing boiler to carry out the fuel conversion, and contribute to reductions in CO2 emissions. In addition, Mitsubishi Power will install a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system to detoxify the NOx (nitrogen oxides) contained in exhaust gases, allowing the plant to meet stricter environmental regulations in the future.

    The O Mon 1 Thermal Power Plant comprises Units 1 (330 megawatts (MW)) and Unit 2 (330 MW), which started operation in 2009 and 2015, respectively. The total output is 660 MW, with the existing main equipment provided by Mitsubishi Power.

    The fuel conversion project is being conducted by Power Generation Corporation 2 (EVNGENCO2), a part of Vietnam Electricity Corporation (EVN) Group. The contractor for engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) is a consortium of LILAMA Corporation, a construction company under Vietnam’s Ministry of Construction, and Power Generation Corporation 3 (EVNGENCO3), also part of EVN Group. Mitsubishi Power received the contract for the main equipment from this consortium. Mitsubishi Power Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., a part of MHI Group based in Singapore, will carry out the EPC engineering support and dispatch personnel to provide technical assistance.

    Commenting on the contract award, Makoto Fujita, Senior General Manager, Steam Power Business Division, Energy Systems at MHI, said, “Since the start of operations for Unit 1 in 2009, the O Mon 1 Thermal Power Plant has played an important role in the development of the Mekong Delta region. As the OEM of the existing power plant, we are extremely proud to be able to contribute to the stable supply of energy and decarbonization in Vietnam through our participation in this fuel conversion project. We will devote our full effort to completing this project, and provide support for the long-term, stable operation of the plant.”

    In August this year, Mitsubishi Power received a contract to supply two advanced J-Series Air-Cooled (JAC) gas turbines as the core equipment for the O Mon 4 Thermal Power Plant, a gas turbine combined cycle (GTCC) facility with a designed capacity of 1,155 MW, which is adjacent to the O Mon 1 Thermal Power Plant. The project is scheduled for completion in 2028. Vietnam has formulated the Power Development Plan VIII (PDP8), which calls for diversifying the energy mix, reducing coal dependency, and expanding natural gas and renewable energy. Mitsubishi Power, in addition to providing GTCC technology for the O Mon 4 Thermal Power Plant, will further strengthen its support for Vietnam’s energy plan by providing boiler fuel conversion technology for the O Mon 1 Thermal Power Plant, contributing to Vietnam’s national target of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

    Akihiro Ondo, CEO and Managing Director of Mitsubishi Power Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., said, “Vietnam boasts the highest real GDP growth rate among the ASEAN-5 nations. We are committed to contributing to Vietnam’s economic development by leveraging cutting-edge technology and providing meticulous services.”

    Mitsubishi Power will further enhance its efforts for the widespread adoption of technologies with high performance and reliability, contributing to the stable supply of electric power essential for economic development around the world, and supporting the conservation of the global environment by promoting energy decarbonization.

    Group Photo at the Signing Ceremony

    Group Photo at the Signing Ceremony

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  • Singapore’s Jurong Island green energy plans ‘an opportunity’ for tech, infrastructure and energy firms

    Singapore’s Jurong Island green energy plans ‘an opportunity’ for tech, infrastructure and energy firms

    Jurong Island has traditionally relied on fossil fuels to generate the required power for the production of petroleum products, polymers and refineries, alongside other industries, that have made the island an industrial powerhouse for Singapore. Close to 300 hectares (ha) will be allocated for new energies, such as hydrogen-ready natural gas, ammonia and biogas.

    The government has also announced that Singapore will build a 700-megawatt (MW) data centre park on Jurong Island, which will be designed to meet efficiency standards, adopt advanced cooling systems and use green energy sources.

    William Stroll, an expert in energy projects at Pinsent Masons, said: “Following the lifting of the moratorium on new data centres in 2022, we’ve seen cautious growth of around 80MW of new capacity approved under strict sustainability criteria.” 

    “The announcement of 20ha on Jurong Island, roughly the size of 25 football fields, for a low-carbon data centre park marks a significant shift. Co-locating data centres with power-hungry, performance-driven workloads matching them to the availability of green energy sources, including four hydrogen-ready power plants, signals a bold step toward sustainable digital infrastructure, and meeting the fast-growing demands,” he said.

    “With recent assessments highlighting the sector’s economic contribution, this move is a welcome boost for Singapore’s digital and green ambitions.”

    Singapore remains Southeast Asia’s largest data centre hub, with over 1061MW of capacity currently in operation. The recently established Singapore–Malaysia Data Centre Economic Zone represents a strategic and pragmatic partnership, allowing Singapore to maintain its role as the “hub of the digital infrastructure wheel”, while leveraging Malaysia’s land and energy availability to fuel the next phase of regional growth.

    Tan See Leng, Singapore’s minister of energy, science and technology, stated that Jurong Island would be a global test bed for new low-carbon and technologies.

    Nicholas Hanna, an expert in technology ventures at Pinsent Masons, said: “The required energy consumption of the newly announced data centre park, along with the commitment that it must meet standards and predominantly utilise green energy, raises some possible challenges about where the power generation will come from, how it will be distributed, and how to compete against neighbouring countries on price. Singapore, as a nation, is no stranger to accepting challenges and turning them into world class solutions. This should be no different.”

    “Large, hyperscale data centres can have power demands of more than 100MW, which will require a significant expansion of power generation,” he said.

    “This is an opportunity for businesses looking to continue to expand their footprint in Singapore.”

    Roughly a third of Singapore’s greenhouse gas emissions are from the refining and petrochemical industries, and the country has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by between 45 million and 50 million tonnes by 2035, in line with reaching net zero emissions by 2050.

    David Clinch, an expert in energy infrastructure at Pinsent Masons, said: “Singapore is projecting forward and further innovating for the next phases of the development of Jurong Island, whilst taking into account how that interacts with the government’s sustainability targets. This is another exciting opportunity for businesses to be part of that development and work with the government to achieve those targets.”

    Mark Tan, an expert in commercial law at Pinsent Masons, said: “Jurong Island’s upcoming data centre project marks a pivotal step in Singapore’s digital and sustainability journey.” 

    “Designed to deliver up to 700MW of capacity with hydrogen-ready power and advanced tropical cooling, it appears to set a new benchmark for low-carbon infrastructure,” he said.

    “This initiative not only strengthens Singapore’s AI and cloud capabilities but also creates further engineering and technology jobs, reinforcing Singapore’s position as a global hub for green innovation.”

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  • The new Grand Seiko Elegance GMT SBGM255 Snowdrop and SBGM257 Moondrop

    The new Grand Seiko Elegance GMT SBGM255 Snowdrop and SBGM257 Moondrop

    Even without going back to the roots of the brand, when it was founded in 1960, there are more than one emblematic model within the current Grand Seiko catalogue. You can, of course, think about the Snowflake, the SBGW231…

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  • China will lift some tariffs on US agricultural goods from Nov. 10

    China will lift some tariffs on US agricultural goods from Nov. 10

    The Chinese Finance Ministry announced on Wednesday, “China will lift some tariffs on US agricultural goods from November 10.

    Additional takeaways

    China to suspend 24% US tariffs for a year.

    China to maintain 10% US tariffs.

    No further details are provided about the same.

    Market reaction

    The US Dollar Index (DXY) is unable to find any inspiration from these comments, trading modestly flat on the day near 100.20, as of writing.

    US-China Trade War FAQs

    Generally speaking, a trade war is an economic conflict between two or more countries due to extreme protectionism on one end. It implies the creation of trade barriers, such as tariffs, which result in counter-barriers, escalating import costs, and hence the cost of living.

    An economic conflict between the United States (US) and China began early in 2018, when President Donald Trump set trade barriers on China, claiming unfair commercial practices and intellectual property theft from the Asian giant. China took retaliatory action, imposing tariffs on multiple US goods, such as automobiles and soybeans. Tensions escalated until the two countries signed the US-China Phase One trade deal in January 2020. The agreement required structural reforms and other changes to China’s economic and trade regime and pretended to restore stability and trust between the two nations. However, the Coronavirus pandemic took the focus out of the conflict. Yet, it is worth mentioning that President Joe Biden, who took office after Trump, kept tariffs in place and even added some additional levies.

    The return of Donald Trump to the White House as the 47th US President has sparked a fresh wave of tensions between the two countries. During the 2024 election campaign, Trump pledged to impose 60% tariffs on China once he returned to office, which he did on January 20, 2025. With Trump back, the US-China trade war is meant to resume where it was left, with tit-for-tat policies affecting the global economic landscape amid disruptions in global supply chains, resulting in a reduction in spending, particularly investment, and directly feeding into the Consumer Price Index inflation.

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  • Meta releases WhatsApp app for Apple Watch

    Meta releases WhatsApp app for Apple Watch

    A fully functional version of Meta’s WhatsApp messaging platform is now available on the Apple Watch.

    Meta on Tuesday said the Apple Watch version of the app will include the ability to compose messages, record and send voice messages, and receive…

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  • Huawei Mate 80 RS could feature dual telephoto camera setup – Huawei Central

    1. Huawei Mate 80 RS could feature dual telephoto camera setup  Huawei Central
    2. Huawei Mate 80: What to Expect from Huawei’s Next Big Phone  PhoneWorld
    3. Huawei preps to launch Mate 80 series in four attractive colors  Huawei Central
    4. This exotic…

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  • It will take more than the new Children’s Booker Prize to arrest the dramatic decline in reading enjoyment

    It will take more than the new Children’s Booker Prize to arrest the dramatic decline in reading enjoyment

    The prestigious Booker Prize has announced a brand new category for children’s books worth £50,000.

    Open to books written in English and published in England or Ireland, the Children’s Booker will recruit three child judges to join…

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  • Oxford Unveils Air-Powered Brain-Free Sync Robots

    Oxford Unveils Air-Powered Brain-Free Sync Robots

    A team led by the University of Oxford has developed a new class of soft robots that operate without electronics, motors, or computers – using only air pressure. The study, published today (05 Nov) in Advanced Materials , shows that…

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  • Mega Rayquaza Raid Day glitches: Pokémon GO issues compensation over backlash; Details here

    Mega Rayquaza Raid Day glitches: Pokémon GO issues compensation over backlash; Details here

    Published on: Nov 05, 2025 09:07 am IST

    Widespread server issues during the recent Mega Rayquaza Raid Day in Pokémon GO have prompted developer Niantic, Inc. to issue compensation to affected players

    Widespread server issues…

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  • Nvidia joins $2 billion India deep tech alliance to mentor AI startups

    Nvidia joins $2 billion India deep tech alliance to mentor AI startups

    Co-founder and CEO of Nvidia Jensen Huang spoke to journalists during a trip to Beijing in July.

    Picture Alliance | Picture Alliance | Getty Images

    Nvidia will help train and mentor emerging deep tech startups in India as a founding member of a $2 billion investment alliance, deepening its presence in the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem.

    The U.S. chipmaker has joined the India Deep Tech Alliance (IDTA) — a group of private equity and venture capital investors pledging $2 billion for deep tech investments — as a founding member. Deep tech startups are an umbrella term for emerging companies in semiconductors, space, AI, biotech, robotics, and energy.

    The world’s most valuable company will offer technical talks and training through its Nvidia Deep Learning Institute to emerging startups in India.

    Nvidia wants to “provide guidance on AI systems, developer enablement, and responsible deployment, and to collaborate with policymakers, investors, and entrepreneurs,” Vishal Dhupar, Nvidia’s managing director of South Asia, said.

    Nvidia did not disclose any financial investment, timeline, or training targets, and did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment.

    “Nvidia’s depth of expertise in AI systems, software, and ecosystem-building will benefit our network of investors and entrepreneurs,” said Sriram Viswanathan, founding executive council member of the IDTA.

    He told CNBC that the pace of innovation is accelerating in India and there could be a “significant number of Indian deep tech companies of global repute” in the next five years.

    The Indian government is also actively encouraging research and innovation in the deep tech space through major initiatives, including over 100 billion rupees ($1.1 billion USD) under its AI Mission and a separate 1 trillion rupees ($11.2 billion) Research, Development and Innovation Scheme Fund targeting deep tech companies.

    On Monday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the country will host the AI Impact Summit in February next year.

    The event is likely to see the participation of heads of state and top policymakers, along with business leaders such as Jensen Huang, chief executive officer of NVIDIA, and Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind.

    Nvidia’s commitment in India coincides with rising global interest in India’s AI market, where OpenAI counts the country as its second-largest user base. U.S. rivals are also deepening ties: Google recently pledged $15 billion to build an AI hub in the southern city of Visakhapatnam.

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