Daily Energy News
Policy & Regulatory
South Korea raises renewables obligation for power companies to 25%
20 Apr 2021
The South Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has increased the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) from 10% to 25%. The RPS obliges power companies with a capacity higher than 500 MW to produce 25% of their total output from renewables (including waste heat). 13 power companies are concerned by the measure. The RPS system was introduced in 2012 with an initial mandatory quota of 2%, which has been gradually raised to 9% in 2021. The policy, implemented through a system of certificate, should be effective from October 2021.
The Israeli authorities release two different climate plans
20 Apr 2021
Two Israeli Ministries have release their own plans to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. According to a draft climate bill unveiled by the Ministry of Environmental Protection, Israel plans to cut GHG emissions by at least 27% in 2030 and by at least 85% in 2050 compared with 2015 levels. The plan includes new energy saving standards but lacks economic provisions such as a carbon pricing due to disagreements with the Ministry of Finance.
Solar and wind should account for 11% of China’s power demand in 2021
20 Apr 2021
China plans to raise the share of solar and wind in power demand from 9.7% in 2020 to around 11% in 2021, according to a draft rule from the National Energy Administration (NEA). The target is expected to increase every year and should reach 16.5% in 2025. China intends to boost the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption to around 25% by 2030.
Poland will separate lignite-fired plants from state-owned energy groups
20 Apr 2021
Poland plans to create a parastatal to take over and lignite-fired power plants from state-owned energy group PGE (57.4% state-owned), Enea (51.5% state-owned) and Tauron (30.1% state-owned). The reform, which should be introduced to the agenda of the government, is expected to help power companies raise funds for green projects, as banks have shed away from backing coal-dependent companies.
EU ETS GHG emissions declined by 13.3% in 2020
19 Apr 2021
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from operators covered by the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) fell by 13.3% in 2020, due to an 11.2% decrease in emissions from stationary installations (power plants and manufacturing plants) to 1.331 MtCO2eq and a 64.1% decrease in emissions from aviation, a sector which was severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, to 24.5 MtCO2eq.
Japan plans to add 23 GW of inter-regional transmission capacity
19 Apr 2021
Japan intends to double its current inter-regional power grid capacity of 24 GW by adding 23 GW of new transmission lines to accelerate the development of wind capacity in Hokkaido, Honshu and Kyushu. Indeed, the country plan to connect Hokkaido and Tokyo via undersea cable with a capacity of 8 to 12 GW, to link up Hokkaido and Honshu via undersea cable, and to couple the northern area of Tohoku and greater Tokyo via landlines. In addition, the transmission capacity between Honshu and Kyushu would be expanded. Construction may start in 2022 at the earliest.
Energy & Climate Markets
Switzerland’s power demand declined by 2.6% in 2020
20 Apr 2021
Switzerland’s electricity consumption declined by 2.6% in 2020 to 55.7 TWh, according to the Swiss Federal Office of Energy.
Infrastructure & Investments
Vietnam commissions a 152 MW wind project
20 Apr 2021
The Vietnamese construction company Trung Nam Group has completed a 152 MW wind power plant in the Thuận Bắc district, in the province of Ninh Thuận. The project, which required a VND4,000bn (US$170m) investment, is combined with a 204 MW solar plant. The complex is expected to produce between 950 GWh/year and 1 TWh/year.
Pakistan completes four power transmission projects
20 Apr 2021
The National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC) of Pakistan has completed four 500 kV transmission line circuits to connect power plants in southern parts of the country. Two of them are connecting the 1,320 MW Port Qasim coal-fired power plant to the Matiari HVDC converter station and the other two are connecting this converter station with the existing 500 kV Jamshoro-Dadu Circuit-I.
J-Power cancels a 1.2 GW coal-fired project in Japan
20 Apr 2021
J-Power has cancelled a 1.2 GW coal-fired project in the city of Ube (Yamaguchi Prefecture) in Japan, due to an expected flat electricity demand and the competition from renewable power generation.
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