Daily Energy News
Policy & Regulatory
Germany’s Bundestag approves a national price of €25/t for CO2 emissions
9 Oct 2020The Bundestag, Germany’s lower house of parliament, has passed a text introducing a national price of €25/t of CO2 emissions in the transport and building sectors from 2021, which will be raised to €55/t by 2025. From 2026, the certificate price will be determined through auctions, with a ceiling price of €55/t and a maximum price of €65/t in 2026. Companies active in fuel (gasoline, diesel, heating oil) and gas sales will have to buy emission rights. Consequently, gasoline prices are expected to rise by €7c/l and diesel prices by €7.9c/l in 2021 (+€0.6c/kWh for gas).
Read moreEuropean Parliament votes for 60% GHG emissions cut by 2030
9 Oct 2020The European Parliament has approved a law to make climate neutrality mandatory by 2050 in both EU and member states and to achieve "negative emissions" after 2050. In addition, the parliament recommends reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 60% in 2030 compared to 1990, instead of the current 40% emission cut target for 2030 and instead of “at least 55%”, as the European Commission proposed. It also requires an interim target for 2040 to ensure the EU is on track to reach its 2050 target.
Read moreIndia vows to shift from coal-fired power capacity to renewables
8 Oct 2020According to the Ministry of Power, India is considering closing some of its coal-fired power plant, in a bid to cut the country’s carbon footprint. The coal-fired power plants would be replaced with renewable generating capacity.
Read morePolish antitrust agency fines Gazprom €6.5bn over Nord Stream 2 project
8 Oct 2020The Polish Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK), Poland’s antitrust agency, has fined Gazprom PLN29bn (€6.5bn) for building the 55 bcm/year Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline without its consent. In addition, the UOKiK imposed a penalty of PLN234m (€52m) on Engie, Uniper, OMV, Shell and Wintershall, which are each owning 10% in the project (50% Gazprom).
Read moreCompanies
Ampol (ex Caltex) could close its 109 kb/d refinery in Australia
9 Oct 2020Ampol (formerly Caltex) is considering closing its 109,000 bbl/d Lytton refinery in Australia due to the Covid-19 pandemic impact on global hydrocarbon demand and refiner margins. The company has announced a comprehensive review of the refinery, considering all options for the refinery operations, including closure and conversion into an import terminal.
Read moreEnergy & Climate Markets
Japan’s NRA approves Ikata-2 nuclear plant decommissioning plan
9 Oct 2020The Japanese Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) has approved Shikoku Electric Power’s decommissioning plan for the Ikata-2 nuclear in Ehime prefecture. The 538 MWe pressurised water reactor, which started operating in 1988, will be fully decommissioned by 2059. The plant was shut down in January 2012 for periodic inspections.
Read moreCenpower’s 350 MW oil-fired power plant will switch to gas (Ghana)
9 Oct 2020The Ghanaian Ministry of Finance has reached an agreement with Cenpower to convert the 350 MW Kpone independent (IPP) in the Tema industrial zone, near Accra, from light crude oil to natural gas. In addition, the IPP has signed a gas supply agreement with the national oil and gas company Ghanaian National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC).
Read moreInfrastructure & Investments
Lekela commissions a 110 MW onshore wind project in South Africa
9 Oct 2020The African renewable project developer Lekela has commissioned its 110 MW Perdekrall East onshore wind project in the Western Cape region of South Africa. Perdekrall East is the first wind project from Round 4 of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme to enter commercial operations. The project will use 48 Siemens SWT-2.3-108 turbines and will produce 360 GWh/year of electricity, enough to supply 111,000 households.
Read moreThe Baltica offshore wind project completes new milestones (Poland)
9 Oct 2020The Polish state-owned power utility PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna has awarded contracts to DHI and DNV GL to assist the group in the development of the 1,498 MW Baltica 2 and the 1,045 MW Baltica 3 offshore wind projects in the Polish Baltic Sea, located approximately 25-30 km from the coastal city of Łeba. In January 2020, PGE secured environmental permit for the two projects, which are expected to be commissioned in 2030.
Read morePVN gets 2 bids for its Dung Quat refinery expansion project (Vietnam)
9 Oct 2020Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical, an affiliate of Vietnam’s national oil company PetroVietnam (PVN), has received bids from two consortia led by Hyundai Engineering & Construction and Technip Italy to upgrade and expand its 130,000 bbl/d Dung Quat refinery’s capacity by 30% to 170,000 bbl/d (8.5 Mt/year) of crude oil. The expansion project is expected to cost US$1.8bn. Work is scheduled to start in August 2021 and the expansion project should be commissioned in 2024. PVN plans to list Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical on the Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh stock exchanges in 2020.
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