Latest Energy News
Policy & Regulatory
Cambodia will not build dams on the Mekong River for the next decade
20 Mar 2020Cambodia has abandoned plans to build new hydropower plants on the Mekong River for the next decade, according to a government master plan for the period 2020-2030. The country will instead bet on power supply from coal, LNG, imports and solar. Two large dam projects at Sambor (2,500 MW) and Stung Treng (1,200 MW) were announced and authorised, but the projects are now frozen.
Read moreIndian government plans to issue 20 GW of solar tenders by June 2021
20 Mar 2020The Indian government plans to issue tenders for 20 GW of solar capacity by June 2021, in order to meet the national target of 100 GW of grid-connected solar power capacity by the end of 2022. So far, over 35 GW of grid-connected solar capacity has been installed, with another 21 GW under various phases of execution and more than 31 GW under various phases of bidding process.
Read moreSECI (India) issues tender for 5 GW of renewable power projects
19 Mar 2020State-owned Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has released a tender to select developers, which would supply 5 GW of round-the-clock power from on-grid renewable projects under tariff-based competitive bidding. The minimum bid capacity is set at 500 MW but bidders can submit plans for up to 5,000 MW. Project developers will have to supply at least 51% of renewable electricity (including energy storage systems, in order to reach at least 80% of availability on an annual basis), with the remainder coming from coal-fired power projects.
Read moreVictoria (Australia) will allow conventional onshore gas drilling from 2021
19 Mar 2020The Australian state of Victoria has decided to remove the ban on onshore conventional gas drilling as of 1 July 2021, in an attempt to raise its local gas supply. Onshore conventional drilling was banned in Victoria in 2014 and the moratorium was extended in 2017 to June 2020, when hydraulic fracturing («fracking») and coal seam gas exploration were permanently banned. In March 2019, the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) announced that Eastern Australia could face a gas shortage by 2024 with production from Victoria’s Gippsland Basin fields expected to decline.
Read moreCompanies
Total buys stake in 96 MW floating wind project in the UK
20 Mar 2020Total has signed an agreement with Simply Blue Energy to buy an 80% stake in the 96 MW Erebus floating wind project located in the Celtic Sea, in Wales (United Kingdom). With this purchase, Total enters the floating offshore wind segment.
Read moreEnergy Prices & Taxes
Nigeria implements a partial liberalisation of fuel prices
20 Mar 2020The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) of Nigeria has instituted a “modulation mechanism” to allow fuel prices fluctuations following the international crude oil market, without providing further details. In addition, the government has lowered the price of gasoline by 14%, from NGN145/l (US$39c/l) to NGN125/l (US$34c/l).
Read moreInfrastructure & Investments
China’s NDRC approves 10 Mt/year Yantai LNG import terminal project
20 Mar 2020The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of China has approved the construction of the 10 Mt/year (13.5 bcm/year) Yantai LNG import terminal project in the Shandong province in eastern China) The project will be developed in two 5 Mt/year phases and the first one, which will cost US$1.1bn, is expected to be commissioned by 2023.
Read morePVN aims to develop LNG import infrastructure in Vietnam
20 Mar 2020The Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam, PVN) is studying the development of LNG import infrastructure and gas pipelines in Vietnam to meet rising gas demand, especially from the power sector. Many gas-fired power projects relying on LNG imports are expected to be developed in the country, requiring an import capacity of around 8 bcm/year by 2030 and around 15 bcm/year by 2045.
Read moreAtlas Renewable Energy seeks approval for a 726 MW solar project in Chile
20 Mar 2020Atlas Renewable Energy, an affiliate of the private equity investment firm Actis, has submitted an application to the Chilean environmental regulator to build a 726 MWp (854 MWac) solar PV power plant in the Antofagasta region (Northern Chile) for a total investment of US$450m. The project will require the construction of a new transmission line to be connected to the grid.
Read moreJERA awards contract to MHPS for 1,950 MW CCGT power project in Japan
20 Mar 2020JERA has selecteed Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS) to execute a full turnkey contract for the 1,950 MW Anegasaki CCGT power project in Ichihara, in the Chiba prefecture of Japan. MHPS has started work on the project, which will replace the four units of an existing gas-fired power plants with three 650 MW CCGT units, including MHPS’ M701JAC gas turbines. The project will be commissioned in stages, starting in early 2023.
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