Latest Energy News
Policy & Regulatory
Saudi Arabia shortlists 49 bidders for 1.2 GW solar PV tender
24 Mar 2020
The Renewable Energy Project Development Office (REPDO) of Saudi Arabia has announced the pre-qualified bidders for the third round of the National Renewable Energy Program (NREP) that was launched in January 2020 and offered four solar PV projects with a combined capacity of 1.2 GW. The solar project includes the 700 MW Ar Rass, 300 MW Saad, 120 MW Wadi Al Dawaser and 80 MW Layla solar PV projects. The selected projects must contain at least 17% local content and two smaller projects are targeted for smaller companies.
SECI (India) issues tenders for 4 GW of solar and wind projects
24 Mar 2020
The state-owned Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has launched two new renewable tenders, totalling 4 GW of solar and wind projects. Under the ninth edition of national-level solar power auction, the para-statal will award 2 GW of solar PV capacity. The new tender will not include tariff caps, as requested by the recent order of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
South Africa moves forward with 13.8 GW power procurement
23 Mar 2020
The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) has issued two invitations to comment on the procurement by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) of nearly 2 GW of new power capacity.
Gujarat (India) launches tender for 700 MW of solar power projects
23 Mar 2020
Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd. (GUVNL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Gujarat Electricity Board and holding company of all the power utilities in Gujarat (India), has launched a tender for 700 MW of solar power projects to be set up in Dholera on a build-own-operate (BOO) basis, within the framework of a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA). The ceiling price has been set at INR2.92/KWh (US$3.84c/kWh). The submission of interest period will end on 18 April 2020 and the financial bid and reverse e-auction will open on 27 April 2020.
Companies
Petrobras (Brazil) postpones deadline for the sale of 8 refineries
24 Mar 2020
Petrobras has decided to postpone the deadline for bidding offers for eight of its refineries due to coronavirus prevention measures. The Brazilian national oil and gas company intends to give more time to investors to conduct due diligence.
Forecasts
AfDB will lend US$242m for the fund Cameroon-Chad power interconnection
24 Mar 2020
The presidency of Cameroon has authorised the government to sign two loan agreements with the African Development Bank (AfDB) totalling XAF148bn (US$243m) to finance the Cameroon-Chad power interconnection project. The project, which is estimated at XAF261bn (US$428m), also secured a European Union grant of XAF20bn (US$32m), while the remaining will be financed by the Word Bank.
Infrastructure & Investments
ANEEL allows 1.5 GW Porto de Sergipe I CCGT project to operate (Brazil)
24 Mar 2020
The Brazilian National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL) has authorised the 1,516 MW Porto de Sergipe I CCGT power project in north-eastern Brazil to operate. The project includes three 333 MW units and a 517 MW unit that will operate with a limited capacity of 445 MW.
LS Power plans 1 GW wind project in Idaho (US)
24 Mar 2020
Magic Valley Energy, an affiliate of LS Power, is planning the construction of an up to 1,000 MW wind project, the Lava Ridge Wind Project, in Southern Idaho (United States), which could cost more than US$1bn. The company recently started the authorisation process to instal the project on federal lands in parts of Jerome, Lincoln and Minidoka counties. The project would be located to close transmission lines and construction could start in 2022.
Total and ExxonMobil relinquish rights to deepwater oil block in Mexico
24 Mar 2020
Total and ExxonMobil have decided to relinquish their exploration and production rights to a deepwater block in the Mexican part of the Gulf of Mexico, citing disappointing results so far. The companies will have to pay a US$21m fine for failing to comply with the minimum exploration work mentioned in the contract.
Basra Oil (Iraq) selects CNPC to build Majnoon gas processing plant
24 Mar 2020
Iraq’s state-owned oil company Basra Oil has awarded China Petroleum Engineering & Construction Corp (CPECC, a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC)) a US$203m engineering contract to build a sour gas processing plant at the Majnoon oil field in Iraq. The proposed gas plant will have a capacity of 4.4 mcm/d (1.6 bcm/year) and is expected to be completed within 29 months, i.e. by the end of August 2022.
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