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The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed new rules under the 2020 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) programme, which will set the minimum amount of renewable fuels to be supplied to the market in 2020. The final rule on blending requirements will be issued at the end of November 2019.

The EPA has proposed to raise the volume of biofuels refiners must blend into their fuel sales by 0.6%, from 19.92 billion gallons (75.4 billion liters) of renewable fuels to 20.04 billion gallions (75.8 billion liters). This volume includes 5.04 billion gallons (19.07 billion liters) of advanced biofuels (+2.4% on 2019) and 0.54 billion gallons (2 billion liters) of cellulosic biofuels (+29% on 2019). The volume requirement for biomass-based diesel for 2021 is set at 2.43 billion gallons (9.19 billion liters), unchanged from 2020.

Biofuel producers are contesting these amounts, considering that they are below demand and claiming that the number of waivers to the renewable quotas have quadrupled since the new administration took office. Under the Small Refinery Exemption (SRE) programme, small refining facilities proving that the RFS would harm their finances are exempted from applying them.

Equinor has reached an agreement with Lundin Petroleum to sell around 54.5 million shares in Lundin – corresponding to a 16% stake in the company – at a price of SEK 266.4 per share, i.e. a total consideration of SEK 14.5bn (around €1.37bn, i.e. over US$1.5bn).

Petrobras has started the opportunity disclosure stage (teaser) for the sale of its entire working interest in gas exploration and production assets located in the Espírito Santo Basin, in Brazil.

The Presidents of Kenya and Tanzania are considering trading gas and will start discussing the required policies and infrastructures for exporting Tanzanian gas to Kenya. Tanzania is estimated to hold more than 57.5 tcf (over 1,600 bcm) of recoverable gas reserves and could supply gas to its neighbour, which is planning to import gas from outside East Africa develop gas-fired power projects. …

The Indian state of Gujarat has raised its renewable target to 30 GW by 2022, which would represent 17% of India’s 175 GW renewable capacity target by 2022. Of this 30 GW objective, 20 GW would supply the state’s power demand and 10 GW would generate power to be exported to other states..

Three large solar PV projects have been commissioned recently in Vietnam, adding 529 MW of solar capacity to the country. …

The French government has requested an independent audit of the 1,650 MWe Flamanville-3 nuclear project, after the French nuclear regulator Autorité de Sûreté Nucléaire (ASN) mandated EDF to repair welds in the main steam transfer pipes before the reactor is commissioned.

EDEN Renewables India, the Indian joint venture of Total Eren and EDF Renewables, has signed four 25-year Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) for four solar power projects totaling 716 MWp in northern India. EDEN Renewables India will sell power generation from a 450 MWp (300 MWac) PV project in the State of Rajasthan to the Federal governmental agency Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI).