Daily Energy News
Policy & Regulatory
Egypt delays electricity sector privatisation to 2025
8 Sep 2020The Egyptian government has delayed from 2023 to 2025 the deadline to privatise the electricity sector and to transition from a market player to the electricity market regulator. In 2015, the country passed a law that required the government to privatise the state-owned electric companies and to separate power generation from transmission and distribution.
Read moreUK OGA awards 113 offshore blocks to 65 oil & gas companies
7 Sep 2020The UK Oil & Gas Authority (OGA) has awarded 113 licence areas over 260 blocks or part-blocks to 65 companies, including Shell, BP, Total, Eni, Chrysaor, EnQuest, Neptune and Equinor. The 32nd Offshore Licensing Round was launched on 11 July 2019 and closed for applications on the 12 November 2019. The awarded areas are located in mature, producing areas close to existing infrastructure in the Northern, Central, and Southern North Sea as well as in the West of Shetland area.
Read moreBelgian court confirms Tihange 2 nuclear unit operations can continue
7 Sep 2020The Court of First Instance of Brussels (Belgium) has confirmed the decision of the Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (FANC) of 2015 to restart the Thihange 2 nuclear unit. During an inspection in 2012, cracks were discovered in the walls of the reactor triggering the shut down of the 1,008 MW unit and restarted in November 2015 after the authorisation received from the FANC.
Read moreCompanies
Cairn Energy sells stake in RSSD oil project (Senegal) to Woodside
8 Sep 2020Woodside Petroleum has entered into a binding sale and purchase agreement to buy Cairn Energy’s 40% stake in the Rufisque Offshore, Sangomar Offshore and Sangomar Deep Offshore (RSSD) project in Senegal. In August 2020, Woodside Petroleum had pre-empted the sale by Cairn Energy’s wholly-owned subsidiary Capricorn Senegal to Lukoil of its project. Woodside will make an upfront payment of US$300m, along with contingent payments of up to US$100m. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2020.
Read moreEnergy & Climate Markets
Vattenfall may close its Moorburg coal-fired plant (Germany) in 2021
8 Sep 2020The Swedish state-owned power company Vattenfall intends to shut down completely or partially the 1.6 GW Moorburg coal-fired power plant in Hamburg (Germany). The power plant took part in an auction for the decommissioning of coal capacities, and could close in mid-2021 if it gets the contract.
Read moreDominion seeks license extension for North Anna nuclear plant (US)
8 Sep 2020US electric utility Dominion Energy has lodged an application with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to extend the operating license of the North Anna Power Station in Louisa County, Virginia (United States) for an additional 20-year term.
Read moreVitol could close its 128 kb/d Geelong refinery in Australia
8 Sep 2020Australian oil company Viva Energy, which is owned by the Swiss energy group Vitol since its acquisition from Shell in 2014, is considering closing its 128,000 bbl/d Geelong refinery in Victoria (Australia), due to the fall in petroleum products demand. The refinery is currently running at a reduced output and is not expected to return to full production before November 2020 at the earliest.
Read moreInfrastructure & Investments
CNNC starts loading fuel at Fuqing-5 nuclear reactor (China)
8 Sep 2020China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) has started loading fuel at the fifth unit of the Fuqing nuclear power plant in the Fujian province of China. In March 2020, the company completed hot testing at the 1,087 MW (1,150 MW gross) Hualong One reactor, the first of this kind in the world. The reactor is expected to be commissioned by the end of 2020.
Read moreThe Wieringermeer wind project completes new milestone (Netherlands)
8 Sep 2020The Nordex Group has completed the first part (180 MW) of Vattenfall’s 300 MW Wieringermeer onshore wind project, located 60 km north of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Construction started in 2018. The plant is expected to be fully commissioned by end-2020.
Read moreThe Gabonese government plans to develop 146 MW of hydro capacity
8 Sep 2020The Gabonese government intends to develop 3 hydropower projects with a combined capacity of 146 MW. The construction of the 58 MW Kinguélé Aval hydropower project is expected to start in 2020, while work on the 73 MW Ngoulmendjim and 15 MW Dibwangui dams should begin in 2021. In October 2019, the French infrastructure investment fund Meridiam signed a 33-year concession with the Gabonese government to develop the Kinguélé Aval project. Commissioning is scheduled for late 2023.
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