Daily Energy News
Policy & Regulatory
Algeria plans to tender 1 GW of solar projects in June or July 2021
7 May 2021
Algeria plans to tender 1 GW of solar capacity divided into ten slots of 100 MW each between June and July 2021. The auction will be open to projects planned with foreign financing and the authorities may possibly offer dollar-linked power purchase agreements (PPAs). The country will impose domestic requirements for cables, modules, and mounting structures. Algeria plans to tender another 1 GW/year of renewable capacity in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Germany aims to reach carbon neutrality by 2045
6 May 2021
The German coalition government has reached an agreement to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 65% by 2030 compared to 1990 level, up from a previous goal of 55%. In addition, the country aims to achieve climate neutrality in 2045 instead of 2050. The pace of renewable power installations should be accelerated too. The cabinet is expected to approve the new targets later in May 2021.
Angola launches auction for 9 oil blocks in Lower Congo and Kwanza basin
6 May 2021
The Angolan National Oil, Gas and Biofuel Agency (ANPG) has officially launched an oil bidding round for oil exploration in nine blocks in onshore basins of Lower Congo (blocks CON1, CON5 and CON6) and Kwanza (blocks KON5, KON6, KON8, KON9, KON17, and KON20). In the Lower Congo basin, reserves are estimated at 830 mbl (oil production over 30,000 bbl/d), whereas they are estimated at 400 mbl in the Kwanza basin (more than 82 mbl already produced). Under the 2019-2025 Bidding Strategy, the government of Angola plans to allocate 55 oil and gas blocks through 2025.
Companies
Buccleuch plans to sell a 210 MW hydropower and wind project (UK)
7 May 2021
Buccleuch plans to sell a 210 MW pumped-storage hydropower system (PSH), plus an adjacent wind plant project with a consented planning permission in Scotland (United Kindgom). The project, which is valued around £250m (€290m), is located on a former opencast coal mining site at Glenmuckloch on the Queensberry Estate in Dumfriesshire. Buccleuch represents the business interests of the Buccleuch family.
Equinor and Eni partner to bid for Utsira Nord offshore wind area (Norway)
7 May 2021
Equinor and Vårgrønn, a joint venture of Eni (69.6%) and HitecVision (30.4%), have signed a cooperation agreement to jointly bid for offshore wind acreage in the Utsira Nord area in the Norwegian North Sea. Norway plans to tender in 2021 two areas in the North Sea to develop up to 4.5 GW of floating and bottom-fixed offshore wind capacity. The first site, Utsira Nord, is located northwest of Stavanger. The second area, Sørlige Nordsjø II, borders the Danish sector of the North Sea. Both locations comprise deep water sections, which are more suite for floating turbines.
Energy & Climate Markets
Total starts producing oil from Zinia Phase 2 project (Angola)
7 May 2021
Total has produced first oil from the Zinia Phase 2 short-cycle project in Angola’s Block 17, connected to the existing Pazflor’s FPSO (Floating Production, Storage and Offloading unit). Zinia Phase 2 resources are located about 150 km from the Angolan coast in water depths from 600 to 1,200 meters and are estimated at 65 mbl of oil. The project includes drilling nine wells and is expected to reach a production of 40,000 bbl/d by mid-2022. Block 17 is operated by Total with a 38% stake, in partnership with Equinor (22.16%), ExxonMobil (19%), BP (15.84%) and Sonangol (5%).
Infrastructure & Investments
Kenya and Tanzania sign US$1.1bn gas pipeline agreement
7 May 2021
Kenya and Tanzania have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to start working on a gas pipeline between Mombasa (Kenya) and Dar es Salam (Tanzania). The project will cost KES121bn (US$1.1bn) and stretch over 600 km. It is expected to help Kenya improve its energy supply with Tanzania gas imports.
The Donghae-1 floating wind project moves forward in South Korea
7 May 2021
Korea National Oil Corporation (KNOC) has completed a preliminary feasibility study for the 200 MW Donghae-1 floating offshore wind project located off the south-eastern port of Ulsan in South Korea. In July 2019, Equinor, KNOC and Korea East-West Power (EWP) agreed to join forces to develop the project. Construction is expected to start in 2022 and the project could be commissioned in 2026.
EDF commissions a 344 MW wind power project in Brazil
7 May 2021
EDF Renewables has commissioned the 344 MW Folha Larga Norte wind project located in Campo Formoso, in the state of Bahia in Brazil. The French company undertook the construction of the project after winning long-term energy supply contracts during two Brazilian federal auctions launched in 2018 and signed corporate power purchase agreements (PPAs), most notably with the petrochemical group Braskem for a 20-year period.
Gazprom plans a 200 MW wind project in Serbia
7 May 2021
Gazprom is considering plans build a 200 MW wind project in Serbia along with other thermal power plants in the country. The group is currently building a 200 MW CCGT plant in Pančevo, which is expected to be commissioned in 2021.
Wind accounts for 4.5% of Serbia’s installed capacity, with less than 360 MW in 2020. Installed capacity (8 GW in 2020) mostly relies on coal (52%), hydropower (39%), wind (4.5%) and gas (3%).
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