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The Japanese government has adopted its new Energy White Paper, which details progress to be made for the reconstruction of the Fukushima nuclear power plant and sets up the country’s strategy through 2030. The plans aims to raise the share of renewables in the power mix to 22-24% in 2030 (from 16% in 2017) and that of nuclear to 20-22% (from 3% in 2017), in order to cut Japan’s CO2 emissions by 26% by 2030, compared to 2013 levels. The share of thermal generation should then reduce significantly, from 35% in 2017 to 26% in 2030 for coal and from 39% to 27% for gas. On the demand side, the final energy intensity (final energy consumption per unit of GDP) should decrease by 35% by 2030 compared to 2012.

The shareholders of the Brazilian power group Neoenergia, namely Iberdrola (52.45%), pension fund Previ (38.21%) and Banco do Brasil Investimentos (9.34%) have decided to sell part of their stakes in the company through an initial public offering (IPO) that will be carried out on 1 July 2019.

The Supreme Court of Brazil has allowed state-run oil and gas company Petrobras to sell some major subsidiaries, considering that the state-owned companies don’t need congressional approval to sell their affiliates.

Shell and Gazprom Neft have decided to create a joint venture to develop license blocks in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, in Russia.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global gas demand should continue to increase over the next five years, spurred by a dynamic demand in Asia and by the steady development of the international gas trade. Gas consumption would then rise by 10% between 2018 and 2024 (around +1.6%/year). …

The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) of the United Kingdom has approved ScottishPower Renewables’ request to increase the capacity of its 1,200 MW East Anglia III offshore wind park to 1,400 MW. The project, developed off the Suffolk coast (England), will still include 172 turbines, whose capacity will be raised.

Chinese and Russian state-owned nuclear corporations China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) and Rosatom have signed the general contract for two Rosatom’s VVER-1200 reactors to be installed at the third and fourth units of the Xudabao nuclear power project, in the Liaoning province of China. The units are expected to be commissioned as soon as 2027-2028. …

Chinese power transmission network operator State Grid has selected ABB to provide converter transformers and high-voltage equipment for its 800 kV Shanbei-Wuhan ultrahigh-voltage direct current (UHVDC) power line project in central China. The 1,100 km long line will stretch between Shanbei (Shaanxi province) and Wuhan (Hubei province) and will transmit up to 8,000 MW of power.