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The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources of Turkey plans to launch four 250 MW Renewable Energy Resources Zone (YEKA) tenders (reverse auctions) by the end of 2018 for wind power projects in Balıkesir, Çanakkale, Aydın and Muğla (Turkey). The 1,000 MW new capacity is estimated to require US$1bn in investments. Successful bidders will have to use turbines rated at least 3 MW and with a local production content of 46% to construct a power plant of 170 to 325 MW. The power projects will each receive a 15-year power purchase agreement from the Ministry and a 49-year power plant license.

Turkey is currently trying to decrease its dependence on energy imports and wants to develop wind and solar parks. In August 2018, a consortium including Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE), Kalyon İnşaat (Turkey) and Türkerler Enerji Grubu (Turkey) won the second tender under the YEKA framework for 1,000 MW; the consortium won the tender with a proposal of US$3..8//Wh, well below the bid limit of US$7..0//Wh.

In June 2018, the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources unveiled a new 1,200 MW wind offshore project, whose applications will be accepted until the end of October 2018. The bidding cap price has been set at US$8c/kWh (€6.9c/kWh) and the applicants are scheduled to compete for the lowest bid in a reverse auction as well.

The French National Assembly has approved plans to reduce the share of the State in the French energy group Engie below the 33% threshold. The State could then sell its stake in the group (part of it or its entire interest)…

The Indian government is confident that the country can achieve a 40% non-fossil fuel share (including a 20% non-hydro renewable share) in its power generation mix by 2030 if it harnesses its vast solar and wind power potential.

The Ministry of Energy of South Korea estimates that the government’s plan to phase out nuclear power will result in electricity costs increasing by 11% by 2030, with the early closure of Wolsong-1, the country’s oldest nuclear reactor, that is expected to cost state utility Korea Electric Power KRW851bn (US$760m).

The Natural Gas Public Company of Cyprus (DEFA) has officially invited bidders to design, build and operate an LNG import terminal project at Vasilikos Bay, in Limassol (Cyprus). A request for expression of interests (EoIs) will be issued shortly, paving the way for a full early tender process in 2019.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has agreed to lend €100m to the Hungarian power company Magyar Villamos Művek (MVM) to modernise its power transmission network and upgrade Hungary’s power interconnection capacity with Slovakia. The loan will be guaranteed by the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) and is the first direct EFSI corporate loan in Hungary.

The United States Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has given its consent to the US-based interstate gas pipeline operator Williams for the commissioning of the US$3bn Atlantic Sunrise gas pipeline expansion project in Pennsylvania (United States). It will increase gas deliveries by 1.7 bcf/d (48 mcm/d or 17.5 bcm/year) to a total of 15.8 bcf/d (446 mcm/d or 163 bcm/year).