Latest Energy News
Daily Energy News
Policy & Regulatory
Lithuania plans to create a 700 MW offshore wind zone by 2030
18 May 2020The Lithuanian government has launched a public consultation on a decree to create a 700 MW offshore wind project, which would be located in a 137 square kilometres area 29 km from shore in Baltic Sea. The 700 MW offshore wind zone is expected to produce 2.5-3 TWh of electricity per year, which is 25% the country’s current electricity demand. The country is currently preparing legislation regulation a support scheme for wind in coordination with the European Commission.
Read moreIndia presents a US$11.9bn aid package for power distribution companies
15 May 2020The Indian government has proposed an INR900bn (US$11.9bn) aid program for the power distribution sector, as part of an INR20,000bn (US$265bn) stimulus package. Distribution companies have accumulated significant late payments due to power generating companies, liquidity issues due to restricted cash flow, uncertain income due to closure of industrial and commercial operations and low power demand in the wake of the ongoing lockdown due to the coronavirus epidemic.
Read moreTurkey plans to auction 1 GW of solar capacity during the third quarter 2020
15 May 2020As part of Turkey’s economic recovery plan, the government expects to tender 1 GW of solar capacity before October 2020, under the national Yeka (Yenilenebilir Enerji Kaynak Alanları) renewable energy program. Turkish authorities will auction PV projects with a capacity comprised between 10 and 50 MW across 40 of the country’s provinces. The tender was originally planned in April 2020.
Turkey aims to produce 50% of its electricity from renewables by 2023. As of May 2020, solar installed capacity reached 6 GW, accounting for 7% of Turkey’s installed capacity.
Read moreCompanies
South Africa’s Eskom intends to delay the closure of 3 coal-fired plants to 2030
18 May 2020Eskom is planning to delay the closure of the Groovtlei (1.1 GW), Camden (1.5 GW) and Hendrina (1.6 GW) coal-fired power plants to 2030. The three plants, which have a combined capacity of 4.2 GW and accounts for almost 10% of Eskom’s total capacity, were scheduled to close between 2020 and 2026. They started operations in the 1960s and 1970s.
Read moreOman takes control of the 264 MW gas-fired Al-Manah IPP
18 May 2020The Government of Oman has taken control of the 264 MW gas-fired Al-Manah power plant after the power-purchase agreement (PPA) signed between the state-owned Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP) and the project company United Power Company (UPC) ended.
Read moreEnergy & Climate Markets
Ukraine seeks to secure LNG deliveries from Lithuanian and Polish import terminals
18 May 2020Ukraine’s gas transmission system operator has entered talks with its Lithuanian counterpart Amber grid over the possibility of using the 2.9 Mt/year Klaipeda LNG terminal in Lithuania. It would require either a swap deal with Russia gas or to wait for completion of the Gas Interconnection Poland-Lithuania (GIPL), which is scheduled by end-2021.
Read moreInfrastructure & Investments
German regulator refuses to exempt Nord Stream-2 to EU unbundling rules
18 May 2020The German Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) has refused to grant a derogation from EU unbundling regulations to Nord Stream 2 operators for the section of the gas pipeline located in Germany. According to the regulator, the project did not qualify for exemptions as it was not completed before the 23 May 2019. The developers consider that the project is "economically functional" since they started to invest in the gas pipeline. They have now a month to evaluate the decision and to consider further action.
Read moreThe 219 MW Northwester 2 offshore wind project enters commercial operation (Belgium)
18 May 2020The 219 MW Northwester 2 offshore wind project in the Belgian North Sea is now fully operational and has entered commercial operation. The offshore wind park consists of 23 MHI Vestas 164-9.5 MW turbines, the largest wind turbine so far. The project, owned by a consortium of Parkwind (70%) and the Japanese conglomerate Sumitomo Corporation (30%), was developed at cost estimated at €700m. The first turbine started to generate power and to send electricity to the grid in January 2020.
Read moreUS EXIM bank reduces by US$300m its loan to the Mozambique LNG project
18 May 2020The Export-Import Bank of the United States has amended and reduced by US$300m its previously approved US$5bn loan to support the export of US good and services related to the development the US$20bn Mozambique LNG project.
Read morePakistan awards a US$2.8bn contract for the 4.5 GW Diamer-Basha hydro project
18 May 2020The Pakistani government, through the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), has awarded a PKR442bn (US$2.8bn) contract to a joint venture made of the Chinese state-owned company Power China and subsidiary of Pakistan’s army Frontiers Work to build the 4.5 GW Diamer-Basha hydropower project on the Indus river.
Read more
No Comment