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TC Energy (former TransCanada) has decided to sell interests in three gas-fired CCGT power plants in Ontario (Canada) to a subsidiary of Ontario Power Generation, for approximately CAD2.87bn (US$2.2bn). The power plants include the 683 MW Halton Hills power plant, the 900 MW Napanee power project that will soon be commissioned and TC Energy’s 50% stake in the 550 MW Portlands Energy Centre. The transaction is expected to close in late 2019 pending regulatory approvals and commissioning of the Napanee power project.

Following the sale of the three power plants, TC Energy will retain investments in six gas-fired power plants in Canada and the Bruce Power nuclear power plant, corresponding to an installed capacity of around 4,200 MW. The group is currently investing in extending the lifetime of its Bruce Power nuclear power plant by 2023 under a CAD2.2bn (US$1.7bn) investment programme, which could be raised by CAD 6bn (US$4.6bn) under a long-term agreement with the Ontario Independent Electricity System Operator.

British energy group Centrica has announced plans to divest its oil and gas activities by the end of 2020 to focus on Energy Services and Solutions. The group also plans to sell its 20% stake in British nuclear power plants by the end of 2020, as part of its strategic shift. The proceeds from the exit will be used to fund restructuring costs and underpin Centrica’s balance sheet. …

A consortium of Samsung C&T, Posco E&C, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Osaka Gas, Lithuanian gas company Klaipedos Nafta and two other European subcontractors has submitted a bid for long-term operation and maintenance services for the Cyprus LNG import terminal project.

The Ministry of Energy and Non-Renewable Natural Resources of Ecuador aims to attract around US$400m of private investment to develop two renewable power projects with a combined capacity of 310 MW. The 200 MW El Aromo solar PV project would be built in the coastal province of Manabí, while the 110 MW Villonaco wind power project would be built in the southern province of Loja.

The European Court of Justice has ruled that Belgium broke EU law by not carrying out the necessary environmental audits before prolonging the lifetime of two nuclear reactors (433 MW each) at the Doel power plant (Doel 1 and 2) near Antwerp. The court, however, ruled that the nuclear power plants could stay open provisionally to avoid an interruption on the power supply. …

Turkish independent power company Aksa Enerji has signed an agreement with Victoria Oil and Gas for gas supplies to Aksa Enerji’s 150 MW Bekoko gas-fired power project in Douala, western Cameroon.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has approved a €149m loan to support the upgrade of Ukraine’s power transmission network.

The partners in the Leviathan giant offshore gas project in Israel, namely Delek Drilling (45.34%), Noble Energy (39.66%), and Ratio Oil Exploration (15%), are considering developing a floating LNG (FLNG) facility to facilitate gas exports. The FLNG project would have a liquefaction capacity of 2.4 to 5 Mt/year.