Latest Energy News
Policy & Regulatory
India is considering mandatory hydropower purchases for States
16 Apr 2020The Indian government is considering introducing mandatory hydropower procurement targets for State distribution companies, which would have to meet part of their power requirements with hydropower. The proposed obligation would be similar to renewable power purchase agreements (PPAs), with power sourced from hydropower plants commissioned after March 2019 and that have not signed any PPA so far. This hydropower purchase target would apply until 2030 and is expected to promote new power projects.
Read moreVirginia’s new renewable law targets over 20 GW of renewable capacity (US)
15 Apr 2020The governor of the US state of Virginia (8.5 million inhabitants) has signed the Virginia Clean Economy Act into law that aims at boosting the state’s renewable power capacity, by raising the limit for generation capacities that are declared to be in the public interest from 5,000 MW to 16,100 MW for solar and onshore wind and from 16 MW to 3,000 MW for offshore wind.
Read moreIREDA replaces SECI for 12 GW CPSU solar PV scheme (India)
15 Apr 2020The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) of India has transferred the implementation of the second phase of the 12 GW Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU) scheme from the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) to the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA). Under this scheme, India plans to add 4 GW per year of new solar capacity between 2019-2020 (April 2019-March 2020) and 2022-2023.
Read moreEnergy & Climate Markets
New Zealand’s net GHG emissions rose by 57% over 1990-2018
16 Apr 2020According to the Ministry for Environment of New Zealand, gross greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions decreased by 1% in 2018, to reach 79 MtCO2eq. The drop in GHG emissions was mainly due to a decline in emissions from the energy sector (-3%), driven by outages at the Pohokura natural gas field and higher levels of hydro generation (60% in 2018). In 2018, CO2 accounted for 44% of total emissions, followed by methane (43%, mainly biological methane from livestock), nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases (2%).
Read moreEnergy Prices & Taxes
Indonesia introduces gas price cap for energy-intensive industries
16 Apr 2020The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of Indonesia has introduced a US$6/MBtu cap on the gas price for seven energy-intensive industries, namely fertilisers, petrochemical, oleochemical, steel, ceramics, glass, and rubber gloves. The industries, which currently purchase gas from the state-owned gas utility PT Perusahaan Gas Negara (PT PGN) between US$7/MBtu and US$10/MBtu, will benefit from the measure, while those having secured lower prices will continue to pay less than US$6/MBtu. The price cap took effect retroactively on 6 April 2020.
Read moreInfrastructure & Investments
Harbin starts building a 1.3 GW coal-fired power project in China
16 Apr 2020The construction of the 1,320 MW (2×660 MW) Liaocheng Xiangguang ultra-supercritical (USC) coal-fired CHP project has started in Liaocheng, in the Shandong Province (China). The project is developed by a consortium comprising Harbin Power Group, Shandong Energy Group and Xinfengxiang Group. The thermal efficiency of the plant will be 61.8%, and the average annual coal consumption for power generation should reach 235 g /kWh. The project is expected to generate 6.6 TWh/year of electricity and 11.4 PJ/year of heat.
Read moreSterlite Power commissions the GPTL power transmission project in India
16 Apr 2020Sterlite Power has commissioned the INR10,270m (US$134m) Gurgaon Palwal Transmission Project (GPTL) in Haryana State (Northern India), which will improve the transmission capacity of the Gurugram and Palwal areas by nearly 2,000 MW. The GPTL project includes four 400 kV double circuit transmission lines with total length of 143 km and three substations in Prithla, Kadarpur and Sohna Road (total transformation capacity of 3,000 MVA). It is a part of the Inter State Transmission Scheme (ISTS), which comprises 270 km of 400 kV transmission lines in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan.
Read moreDarlington-2 nuclear reactor reaches first criticality (Canada)
16 Apr 2020The second unit of the Darlington nuclear power plant in Bowmanville, Ontario (Canada), has reached first criticality and its operator, the Canadian power group Ontario Power Generation (OPG), will now carry out a series of heat up and low-pressure tests over the next few weeks, before ramping up the 878 MW reactor and reconnecting it to the power grid in the spring of 2020.
Read moreNorthwester 2 offshore wind park (219 MW) reaches completion (Belgium)
16 Apr 2020Parkwind, MHI Vestas and Jan De Nul Group have completed the installation of all turbines at the 219 MW Northwester 2 offshore wind project in the Belgian North Sea. The offshore wind park consists of 23 MHI Vestas 164-9.5 MW turbines, the largest wind turbine so far. The project is developed by a consortium of Parkwind (70%) and the Japanese conglomerate Sumitomo Corporation (30%) and its cost is estimated at €700m. The first turbine started to generate power and to send electricity to the grid in January 2020. Commissioning is scheduled by summer 2020.
Read moreQatar starts drilling campaign for its North Field East LNG Project
16 Apr 2020Qatar’s oil and gas company Qatar Petroleum (QP) has started a drilling campaign for the North Field East Project – previously known as the North Field Expansion Project – and has spudded the fist of 80 development wells for the project.
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