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The Japanese government has adopted a long-term growth strategy under the Paris Agreement, with the aim of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. The plan, which doesn’t specify a timeline for phasing out coal-fired generation, aims to promote renewables, reduce CO2 emissions from thermal power in line with the long-term coals of the Paris Agreement, promote carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon capture and utilization (CCU), develop hydrogen and electricity storage.

The plan considers CO2 as a resource and aims to establish the first commercial CCU technology by 2023 and to use it broadly after 2030. Research will be conducted on suitable CO2 storage areas and CCS could be implemented at coal-fired power plants by 2030. CO2 could be used to produce hydrogen or raw materials. The strategy also aims to achieve a «well-to-wheel» zero emission target, by promoting electric vehicles, and to make building carbon neutral by 2050.

India’s largest thermal power producer NTPC has issued a tender for the development of up to 1,000 MW of grid-connected solar PV projects in India, under the Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU) program, Phase-II Tranche-I. Bidders can submit solar PV projects ranging between 50 MW and 300 MW until 15 July 2019.

Petrobras has filed a request with Brazilian regulators to sell shares in its fuel distribution subsidiary BR Distribuidora. BR Distribuidora is one of the largest fuel and lubricant distribution companies in Brazil, operating more than 8,000 service stations and serving around 14,000 large customers (industrial consumers, aviation products, etc.).

The Board of Public Utilities (BPU) of New Jersey (United States) has released a draft energy plan, which aims to make the state 100% «clean energy» by 2050.

Shell has exported the first LNG cargo from its 3.6 Mt/year (or 4.8 bcm/year) Prelude floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility in Western Australia. The project was launched in 2011 and suffered from long delays. The FLNG facility moored in Australia in August 2017.

Indian LNG group Petronet LNG has commissioned the fourth phase of its Dahej LNG terminal in Gujarat (north-western India), raising the import and regasification plant capacity from 15 Mt/year to 17.5 Mt/year. The Dahej LNG import terminal was commissioned in stages, with the first 5 Mt/year regasification train started in 2004, the second one in 2009 and the third one in 2016.

Total has started to produce gas from the Culzean gas condensate field located on Block 22/25a, in the British part of the North Sea off Aberdeen (Scotland). The project included the drilling of six wells, the construction of three bridge-linked platforms and of a Floating Storage and Offloading (FSO) unit. Gas production is expected to reach a plateau of 100,000 boe/d (i.e.