Daily Energy News
Policy & Regulatory
Lithuania caps the capacity of its interconnector with Belarus at 262 MW
20 Sep 2021
The Lithuanian power transmission system operator (TSO) Litgrid has capped the amount of electricity that can enter its grid from Belarus at 262 MW, with throughputs calculated every day. The country, as well as Latvia and Estonia, aims to avoid importing power from the Ostrovets nuclear power plant in Belarus.
France preselects companies for a 250 MW floating offshore wind project
17 Sep 2021
The French Ministry of Ecological Transition has pre-selected ten companies or consortia for the construction of a 250 MW floating wind plant near Belle- Île-en-Mer in the south of Brittany (France). The project, which was officially approved in June 2021 after a public consultation, will the ninth offshore wind plant in France.
Companies
Gazprom and Lukoil create a JV to develop an oil and gas project in Russia
20 Sep 2021
Gazprom and Lukoil have signed an agreement to create a joint venture (JV) via Meretoyakhaneftegaz, an affiliate of Gazprom, to develop an oil and gas cluster in the Nadym-Pur-Taz region of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area in Russia. The cluster will have at its core the Tazovskoye field, which was put into production in June 2021. In addition, the new company’s activities will cover the development of the Severo-Samburgskoye and Meretoyakhinskoye fields, as well as two Zapadno-Yubileyny licensed blocks.
Tullow Oil details plan for the 120 kb/d Turkana oil project in Kenya
17 Sep 2021
Tullow Oil has presented its revised development plan for oil production in Turkana County in Kenya. A draft Field Development Plan (FDP) was submitted to the Kenyan Ministry of Energy & Petroleum. The company, which raised the project’s gross budget to about KES374bn (US$3.4bn), plans to produce 120,000 bbl/d. Tullow Oil aims to recover 585 mbl of oil from the project over the full life of the Turkana field. An 825 km long pipeline, whose construction is expected to last 3 years, will transport the crude oil from Turkana to the port of Lamu.
Energy & Climate Markets
The UK and Norway sign an agreement on cross-border electricity trade
20 Sep 2021
The United Kingdom has signed an agreement on cross-border trade in electricity and cooperation on electricity interconnection with Norway. The agreement will contribute to a predictable framework for cross border trade in electricity between the two countries after the United Kingdom’s exit from the EU and covers cooperation on the development of offshore wind and related infrastructure in the North Sea. The United Kingdom and Norway concluded a free trade agreement in June 2021.
Infrastructure & Investments
SSE merges 2 projects into a 4.1 GW offshore wind project (UK)
20 Sep 2021
SSE Renewables has combined the Berwick Bank and Marr Bank offshore wind projects off the east coast of Scotland (United Kingdom) into one single project with a potential output of 4.1 GW. The Berwick Bank Wind Farm project is at an advanced stage of development, with a planning application expected to go to the Scottish government in spring 2022. If consented and green lighted for construction, works could start as early as 2024 and the project could generate electricity by 2027.
BRF will build a 320 MW solar project in Ceará (Brazil)
20 Sep 2021
The Brazilian company BRF has entered into a partnership with Intrepid Participações to build a 320 MW solar project in the cities of Mauriti and Milagres, in Ceará (Brazil). The project requires an investment of BRL1.1bn (US$210m), including BRL50m directly invested by BRF. Commissioning is scheduled in 2024. BRF also signed a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Intrepid Participações for 80 MW from the project.
Saudi Arabia received bids for a segment of the Saudi-Egypt power line
20 Sep 2021
Eight companies have submitted bids for a 500 kV high voltage overhead transmission line (OHTL) project in Saudi Arabia. Bidders include Hyundai E&C (South Korea), National Contracting Company (Saudi Arabia), Saudi Services for Electro Mechanic Works (Saudi Arabia), Larsen & Toubro (India), National Petroleum Construction Company (United Arab Emirates), Aetcon (Saudi Arabia), a consortium of Al-Sharif Group and KEC (Saudi Arabia) and Alfanar (Saudi Arabia).
Romania seeks EU funding for 9 energy projects in the country
20 Sep 2021
The Romanian Ministry of Energy has sent applications to the Modernisation Fund managed by the European Investment Bank (EIB) for 9 energy projects in the country totalling €693m, including 8 solar power plants and one transmission line. Of the €693m, about €492m will be financed by the Modernisation Fund.
The 8 solar plants will be built by the state-owned power utility CE Oltenia, which operates 3.2 GW of lignite-fired power plants. The company plans to shut down all its lignite-fired capacity by 2025 and to build 1.4 GW of gas-fired capacities and 300 MW of solar.
Aquila Capital’s 400 MW onshore wind project in Norway secures financing
20 Sep 2021
The investment company Aquila Capital has placed two bond issues with a total volume of €315m to finance the 400 MW Øyfjellet onshore wind project in Mosjoen in the municipality of Vefsn in northern Norway. Commissioning is scheduled by the end of 2021. Most of the energy generated will be supplied to a nearby aluminium smelter operated by Alcoa Norway ANS.
No Comment