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German energy group RWE has cancelled plans for the 1,100 MW BOAplus lignite-fired power project at the site of the existing Niederaussem coal-fired power plant in Germany. Indeed, RWE has decided that it would no longer invest in the development of new (brownfield or greenfield) coal-fired power plants and that it would instead focus on renewable power generation. Following the completion of the asset swap transaction with E.ON, RWE aims to become one of the world’s largest renewable energy players.

The €1.5bn BOAplus project was unveiled in 2012 and aimed at replacing 1,200 MW of ageing units at Niederaussem. However, the project was delayed due to adverse market conditions, which did not allow for the project to be realised in the last years. It was expected to have an efficiency of 45%, a level never achieved before for a lignite power plant.

French energy group Engie has agreed to sell its shares in four coal-fired power plants totalling 2,345 MW in Germany and the Netherlands to the global energy-focused investment firm …

Global oil and gas company ExxonMobil has reached final investment decision (FID) on the expansion of the 261,000 bbl/d Fawley refinery, the largest in the United Kingdom (UK). The project will require US$1bn of investment and will increase the production of ultra-low sulfur diesel by around 45%.

Brazil’s state-run oil and gas company Petrobras has outlined long-awaited plans to sell eight Brazilian refineries with a total refining capacity of 1.1 mb/d and other assets as the company needs to cut debt and concentrate on its core oil and gas exploration business.

The United States Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has issued a final environmental impact statement (EIS) for NextDecade’s Rio Grande LNG …

The Danish Energy Agency (DEA) has completed a study to investigate the country’s offshore potential and has identified a suitable offshore wind area that could accomodate a minimum of 40 GW of offshore wind power capacity.

Polskie LNG, the operator of Poland’s only LNG import terminal in Świnoujście, has signed an agreement on an EU grant for expanding the terminal by 50% by 2021 under the EU State aid rules. Polskie LNG will receive a PLN553m (€218m) support from the European Regional Development Fund and the Cohesion Fund, under the 2014-20 Infrastructure and Environment Operational Programme. …