Daily Energy News
Policy & Regulatory
Denmark allocates €1.1bn for energy transition
3 May 2021
Denmark has submitted its DKK11.6bn (€1.9bn) recovery and resilience plan to the European Commission as part of the Next Generation EU, a €750bn temporary recovery instrument (2021-2027) aimed at addressing the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
German onshore wind tender for 1.5 GW only attracts 718 MW
3 May 2021
The German Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur or BNetzA) has published the results of the latest tenders for onshore wind with a bidding date set for 1 February 2021 and solar capacity with a bidding date set for 1 March 2020.
Germany’s constitutional court demands rewriting of 2019 climate law
30 Apr 2021
The German Federal Constitutional Court has ruled that Germany’s 2019 climate law is partly unconstitutional, as the regulation irreversibly offload major greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction burdens onto periods after 2030. Consequently, the country must update its climate law by the end of 2022 to set up clearer reduction targets for GHG emissions for the period after 2030.
Companies
Russia’s Gazprom posts an 87% fall in profit in 2020 to US$2.2bn
3 May 2021
Gazprom has released its full-year 2020 results, posting a RUB162bn (US2.15bn) profit, down by 87% compared to 2019, partly due to lower sales volumes and declining prices. The company sold 475 bcm of natural gas in 2020 (6% less than in 2019), including 219 bcm to Europe and other countries (-6%) with an average price in RUB declining by 24%, 31 bcm to former Soviet Union countries (-19%, with an average price in RUB declining by 3%) and 225 bcm to Russia (-4.5%, with prices increasing by 1.4%).
Dominion Energy seeks 1 GW of solar and wind capacity in Virginia (US)
3 May 2021
Dominion Energy is seeking proposals for 1,000 MW of solar and onshore wind capacity in Virginia (United States). The company, which is also soliciting bids for 100 MW of energy storage projects above 3 MW, plans either to acquire these projects or to enter into power purchase agreements (PPAs) with third-party developers. In addition, Dominion Energy is seeking proposals for 175 MW of small-scale solar projects (80 MW for commercial operation in 2023 and 95 MW for 2024). The projects must 3 MW or smaller.
SWEPCO (AEP) issues request for proposals for 3.55 GW of capacity (US)
30 Apr 2021
Southwestern Electric Power (SWEPCO), an affiliate of American Electric Power (AEP), has submitted an informational filing to the Louisiana Public Service Commission (United States), including three draft Requests for Proposals for up to 3,000 MW of wind, up to 300 MW of solar and up to 250 MW of short-term capacity. Proposals are due by 12 August 2021.
Infrastructure & Investments
Elecnor will build a 322 MW wind power plant in Brazil
3 May 2021
AES Brasil has selected the Spanish group Elecnor to build the 322 MW Tucano wind project located in the municipalities of Tucano, Araci and Biritinga in the Bahía region, in the north-east of Brazil. The park will include 56 wind turbines rated 6.2 MW each and supplied by Siemens Gamesa. Construction should be completed by mid-2022.
Wind accounts for around 9% of Brazil’s installed capacity, with 15.4 GW in 2019 (15.9 GW in 2020).
Chile approves a 404 MW solar project developed by Enel
3 May 2021
The Chilean Environmental Assessment Service (SEA) has authorised Enel Green Power to start building its 404 MW Sierra Gorda solar project in the Antofagasta region (northern Chile). The US$400m project is expected to enter construction in June 2021.
Chile’s solar capacity increased 5-fold between 2015 and 2020 and reached 3.6 GW at the end of 2020 (+916 MW added in 2020), accounting for 12% of Chile’s installed capacity in 2020.
Tanzania seeks to relaunch a 10 Mt/year LNG export project
3 May 2021
The Tanzanian authorities intend to resume host government agreement discussions on the construction of the Tanzania LNG export project in May 2021 for a period of 6 months. Discussions with international investors were suspended in 2019 as Tanzania decided to review its production sharing agreement (PSA) regime but in early 2021, Equinor and Shell called for resuming talks.
The US BOEM starts Revolution Wind offshore wind project review
3 May 2021
The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has announced an environmental review of a 704-880 MW offshore wind project located offshore Rhode Island and Massachusetts (United States). If approved, Revolution Wind, a 50:50 joint venture between Ørsted and Eversource, will be authorised to build and operate the power plant. Construction may start in 2023 and the projet would provide at least 304 MW to Connecticut and 400 MW to Rhode Island.
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