Albania

Albanian parliament approves Host Government Agreement with TAP – (Azernews) The Albanian parliament unanimously ratified the Host Government Agreement (HGA) between Albania and the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) project on Monday in Tirana, TAP's website said…

Nabucco West seen as perfect answer to Europe's energy needs – (Azernews) The implementation of the Nabucco West project would contribute greatly to the achievement of the European Commission's policy priorities in terms of diversification and security of supply…

Seismic Ops Underway at Petromanas' Albania Blocks – (Rigzone) Petromanas Energy Inc. announced late Monday that its 2013 seismic program on Blocks 2 and 3 in Albania is underway…

TAP to boost EU energy security – (New Europe) The Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), which is competing with Nabucco West for transporting 10 billion cubic metres of gas from the second phase of Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz fields to Europe, can help boost EU energy security, especially in Southeast Europe by connecting with existing or planned pipelines, sources at the Greek Foreign Ministry told New Europe on 18 April…

Bulgaria

Bulgarian Energy Holding Welcomes 2 New Board Members – (Novinite) Bozhan Stoyanov and Todor Shopov have been appointed members of the Board of Directors of the Bulgarian Energy Holding (BEH)... 

Raiffeisenbank, EBRD Join Efforts on Sustainable Energy in Bulgaria – (Novinite) The Bulgarian branch of the Austrian Raiffeisenbank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) have signed a second line of credit under a program for energy efficiency and renewable energy…

Energy Minister Dismisses Kozloduy NPP CEO – (Standart) The CEO of Bulgaria's Kozloduy NPP, Valentin Nikolov, has been dismissed over the results of a probe. His replacement will be selected through a job competition, caretaker Economy and Energy Minister, Asen Vasilev, reported Friday…

Bulgaria's BEH picks Citi to lead manage 250 mln eur bond issue – (Reuters) Bulgaria's state energy holding company BEH picked Citigroup to lead manage a 250 million euro ($325.8 million) bond issue on international markets, needed to refinance debt which matures in May…

Bulgaria’s Public Council on Energy to hold a sitting – (Focus) The Public Council on Energy with the Bulgarian Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism will hold its third sitting at 1 p.m. on Friday, April 19, the press office of the ministry announced…

WSJ: Bulgaria govt fell because of failing to reform energy, healthcare sectors, says ex minister Dyankov – (Focus) The Wall Street Journal offers an article by former Bulgarian finance minister Simeon Dyankov, in which he protects the austerity measures adopted by the government of former Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, which handed in its resignation before finalising its term in office…

Bosnia and Herzegovina

EU willing to support Bosnia's connection to Croatian gas grid – (Dalje) The European Union (EU) supports the project to connect the existing gas network in Bosnia and Herzegovina to Croatia's grid and considers this to be a project of regional significance but action needs to be expeditious as the deadline to draw funds for a feasibility study is expiring soon, EU spokesperson in Bosnia and Herzegovina Andy McGuffie told Hina on Wednesday… 

EFT gets clearance to build 35 MW hydro plant in Bosnia – (Euronews) Britain-based trading and investment group Energy Financing Team (EFT) received a permit on Thursday to build a 35 megawatt (MW) hydro-power plant on the Neretva river in southeastern Bosnia at a cost of 120 million Bosnian marka (52 million pounds)…

Bosnia's Infrastructure Sector Has Low Growth Prospects – (Ooska News) Business Monitor International stated in its recent report about infastructure in Bosna Herzegovina that the lack of confidence from investors, combined with government infighting, means the constr…

Croatia

Energy experts support coal for Plomin C power plant – (Dalje) Coal is technologically, economically and ecologically an absolutely acceptable fuel for the future Plomin C thermal power plant, Croatian energy experts said at a round table discussion, "TE Plomin C - electricity power plant system, economics and environment", held on Friday and organised by the Croatian branch of the International Council on Large Electric Systems (HRO CIGRE) and the Vecernji list daily…

IFC to decide on $135 mln Balkan wind farm loans in May – (Reuters) International Finance Corporation (IFC) will decide in May whether to grant 104 million euros in loans to wind projects that will help Serbia and Croatia boost their energy mix and rely less on imports…

Kosovo

KEK achieves record in electricity production since the beginning of its production – (KEK) During 2012, KEK has reached a historical record of electricity production as compared to the period from the issuance of power plants in operation. Although over 50 years have passed since first unit of " power plant Kosova A" began working, while power plant "Kosova B" this year turns 30 years from the start of operations, this did not stop the corporation’s employees from  reaching this record production… 

World Bank commends KEK for the results – (KEK) World Bank (WB) has once again commended KEK for its actions and for meeting its commitments and has also pledged a strong support for the operation of KEK, especially for environmental projects that are implemented by the corporation..

Macedonia

Macedonia interested in implementation of TAP project – (Trend) Macedonia is interested in the implementation of the Trans-Adriatic pipeline (TAP), Prime Minister of Macedonia Nikola Gruevski told journalists in Baku on Friday…

Montenegro

Montenegro holds talks with Albania on regional energy projects – (Sofia Globe) Montenegro and Albania have held talks on energy projects that have an impact on both countries, the region and Europe.  The talks were held in Tirana during an official meeting between the Albanian Foreign Minister, Aldo Bumçi and the Montenegrin Ambassador in Albania, Ferhat Dinosha…

EBRD Supports Montenegro’s Power Grid Upgrade, Link to Italy – (Bloomberg) The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development approved a 65 million-euro ($85 million) financing package to upgrade Montenegro’s power grid as it plans an electricity link to Italy across the Adriatic…

Romania

Romanian PM publishes list of high salaries in state – owned energy companies, asks for further taxation – (Romania Insider) Managers in several Romanian state-owned companies working in the energy field earn high salaries even if their companies are in dire financial straits…

Local investor in green energy takes over French supermarket chain Interex in Romania – (Romania Insider) Romanian businessman Sorin Bonciu, active in the real estate and renewable energy sectors, has bought the French supermarket chain Interex in Romania, via two companies…

Romania Senate will vote on new fund with states stakes in energy companies – (Balkans) A draft law proposes the setup of a new fund focused on the energy sector, subordinated to the economy ministry to the minister in charge of the energy sector…

Romania’s Petrom to award EUR 360 mln in dividends, approves EUR 1.4 bln investment plan – (Romania Insider) The shareholders in oil and gas company Petrom decided to award some EUR 360 million in dividends for last year, which is less than half of its record profit for the year, EUR 885 million… 

NewDev, EEPro to start construction on a 4 MW PV plant in Romania – (Solar Server) Construction works on the joint venture PV project “Tartasesti” by NewDev Projects GmbH & Co. KG (Hamburg, Germany) and the Bavaria based EEPro GmbH have begun, the partners announced…

Serbia

Serbia's unabated quest for coal causes tremors among mining communities – (Global Development) Vitomir Simić, 53, points at the faded, black and white photograph of his parents, still hanging on the wall of the home he abandoned in Radljevo, a village south-west of Belgrade, Serbia….

Plan For Srbijagas Will Not Jeopardize South Stream – (In Serbia) “Restructuring can only contribute to South Stream so that everything that depends on Srbijagas, and (a future) TransGas in particular, will be better and more efficient,” the minister said, responding to a reporter’s question as to whether the restructuring of that company will put the gas pipeline construction at risk…

UAE targeting Djerdap 3 hydro project says Serbia's energy minister – (Hydro World) Abu Dhabi: The UAE is targeting the Djerdap 3 project for a reversible pump-storage hydro power plant (HPP) in Serbia, which could help the European country to fulfil its own energy requirements along with the other countries located in the Balkan region, according to a Belgrade-based media…

Serbia has adopted regulations to facilitate investment in the energy sector – (Balkans) Serbia's Minister of Energy, Development and Environmental Protection Zorana Mihajlovic said yesterday that the members of the Energy Community of South East Europe aim to provide energy security in the region… 

Mihajlovic: Implement Energy Policy As A Team – (In Serbia) “We are one country, one team, and only as such can we achieve the goals of reducing harmful gas emission by 20 percent by 2020 and increasing the share of renewable energy source to 27 percent, which Serbia has committed to,” Mihajlovic said at a meeting of the Serbian Covenant of Mayors club in Nis…

Serbia to Split Up Srbijagas, Reschedule Its $1.5 Billion Debt – (Bloomberg) Serbia will divide its natural gas monopoly Srbijagas JP in two parts, separating trade and distribution from storage and transportation, as the company’s debt became “unsustainable” and liquidity dwindled…

Armenia

Clean Energy and SolArt sign cooperation memorandum to explore Armenia’s pure energy filed – (ARKA) Clean Energy non-governmental  organization said it has signed a memorandum of cooperation with  SolArt company to work together to explore renewable energy potential  in Armenia…

EU won’t fund alternative energy sources in Armenia in exchange for closing NPP, Latvian MP says – (ARKA) The European Union cannot provide Armenia with funds for alternative energy sources in exchange for shutting down Armenian nuclear power plant, member of Latvian parliament, chairman of the board of National association for democratic values and integration Nikolay Kabanov said…

AUA Study: Mining in Armenia Creates Poverty, Income Inequality – (hetq) While mining contributed to economic growth in Armenia between 2004 and 2010, it simultaneously created income inequality and poverty, according to a recent study by the AUA Acopian Center for the Environment (ACE), conducted in cooperation with the AUA College of Business and Economics (CBE)…

Russian gas supplies to Armenia to be temporarily halted – (Trend) The transit of Russian gas to Armenia via Georgia will be halted on April 25, the Georgian Gas Transportation Company said on Tuesday. This company is the operator for the transit of Russian gas in Georgia…

Armenia and Belarus to cooperate in atoms for peace – (Trend) The Government of Armenia approved the signing of the Armenian-Belarusian intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy at its meeting held on Thursday, News-Armenia reported…

Azerbaijan

Hybrid power plants may be set up across Azerbaijan – (Azernews) Azerbaijan is rich in energy resources, including considerable alternative and renewable sources, such as wind, solar and geothermal energy, European Union Delegation head Roland Kobia has said at a press conference…

European Union sees Azerbaijan as a strategic partner in the field of energy – (News.az) “The European Union sees Azerbaijan as a strategic partner in the field of energy,” head of the EU delegation to Azerbaijan Roland Kobia said at the press conference on the outcomes of the Energy Reform Support Programme in Azerbaijan, APA reports…

Paet: new connections with Azerbaijan and Central Asia will increase EU’s energy independence – (The Baltic Course) Strengthening the external aspect of the European Union’s energy policy would also help to develop the internal market, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet said today at the European Union foreign ministers’ discussion on energy, informs LETA,…

IFC to grant first credit for renewable energy in Azerbaijan – (Trend) International Finance Corporation (IFC) is going to provide a credit to Azerbaijani Bank Respublika for financing projects in the field of…

Georgia

Georgia to increase its transit role in Caspian energy supplies to Europe – (Azernews) Georgia will make every effort to increase its transit role in supplying Caspian and Asian energy resources to Europe, Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili said during his speech at PACE on Apr. 23…

Georgian NOC and SOCAR signed cooperation memorandum – (Trend) The National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Georgia and SOCAR signed a memorandum of cooperation. The signing ceremony was held on Wednesday at the head office of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan in Tbilisi…

Georgian Energy Minister discusses EU prospects with Vice-President of the European Commission  -(Trend) Minister of Energy of Georgia Kakha Kaladze held a meeting with the Vice-President of the European Commission Fabricio Barbosa, Director General of the Energy Association Genesio Kopacz and a representative of the EU in Georgia Philip Dimitrov…

Georgian Energy Ministry signed MoU with Turkish Anadolu Group – (Hydro World) Georgian Energy Ministry signed on Wednesday memorandum on the construction of new hydroelectric power with the Turkish Anadolu Group…

SOCAR's oil terminal in Georgia to create new infrastructure – (Azernews) Azerbaijani state energy company SOCAR's Kulevi oil terminal located on the Black Sea coast of Georgia intends to create breakwater infrastructure, a statement posted on the website of the terminal says…

Russia

Russia unveils draft renewable energy law – (PV Magazine) Russia’s Energy Ministry submitted a draft renewable energy law to Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev for approval on 15 April. It is aimed at supporting the deployment of renewable energy sources including solar, wind and hydroelectric power plants across the country…

Alstom, Soyuz partner on modernizing Russian power grid – (PennEnergy) Alstom Grid and Soyuz Holding have signed a joint venture agreement to manufacture and commercialize high voltage switchgear as part of ongoing efforts to modernize the Russian electrical grid…

Medvedev approves Russia power grid complex strategy – (Electric Light and Power) Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has approved the strategy for the development of the country's power grid complex. The press service of the Cabinet of Ministers reported that the corresponding executive order and the plan schedule for adopting the normative legal acts for the implementation of the strategy were developed by the Russian Energy Ministry pursuant to the RF presidential decree of November 22, 2012…

Russia might decommission 7 GW of nuclear power early by 2019 – (Power Engineering) Russia might decommission 7 GW of nuclear power capacity ahead of schedule in the period to 2019, but gradually replace it with new capacity, according to a draft plan and program for the development of the country's Unified Energy System (UES) in 2013-2019, posted on the Energy Ministry's website…

Rosneft, Exxon reveal plans for $15bn Russia LNG project – (Gulf Times) Rosneft and ExxonMobil yesterday unveiled details of a $15bn liquefied natural gas project to supply Asia-Pacific markets that would challenge Gazprom’s monopoly on Russian gas exports…

Turkey

Turkey plans more investments in mining sector: energy minister – (World Bulletin) Turkey's Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz has said the government was planning to make more investments in the country's mining industry to increase the share of sector's contribution to economy from 1.5 percent of the GDP to 2 percent, the world average…

Government wants an energy sector without subsidies – (Turkish Weekly) Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yildiz on Wednesday said they wanted to establish an energy sector without any subsidies…

Cogeneration faces a difficulty in Turkey – (Cogeneration) Turkey’s energy difficulties are well-documented. With a huge dependency on imported energy the case for cogeneration as a way of minimising its energy bill would seem strong but one of its strongest advocates in the country says much work needs to be done for it to get a fair hearing…

Japanese-French consortium, China still in running for nuclear plant: Turkish energy minister – (The Daily News) A Japanese-French consortium and a Chinese company are still racing to build Turkey’s second nuclear power station, slated for the Black Sea province of Sinop, Turkey’s energy minister has said…

High quality oil in KRG holds ‘Turkish interest’ – (The Daily News) Turkey cannot remain indifferent to the oil and natural gas resources in northeastern Iraq, an executive of Genel Energy has said, as Genel Energy and Petoil have discovered quite high quality oil in the Chia Surkh site…

Number of electric power stations increases in Turkey – (Trend) Earlier, the Turkish state-owned electricity transmission company reported that the generation of electricity decreased by 5.2 percent amounting…

Turkish energy output doubles within 10 years – (The Daily News) Turkey has almost doubled its installed power in the energy sector with implemented projects in the past 10 years, as the resource-deficient country seeks alternatives to eliminate its import dependency on energy….

Ukraine

Ukraine Fuels Energy Cooperation With the EU  -(PR Newswire) Ukrainian government has developed an action plan to intensify cooperation with the EU in the energy sector in 2013. The plan is based on the 7th joint Ukraine-EU report on the implementation of the 2005 energy cooperation memorandum of understanding during 2012…

Ukraine needs to make more progress on energy efficiency to boost economy – (Kyiv Post) Few topics are as sensitive in Ukraine – economically, politically and socially – as energy. Rising prices, particularly for natural gas which accounts for some 40 percent of the nation’s energy consumption, are straining an already overburdened budget to the brink…

The coal-mining racket threatening Ukraine's economy – (News Europe) Sometimes, they are little more than holes, in the woods outside villages or even in backyards and under houses, but Ukraine's illegal coal mines can also be huge, open-cast operations. What started as hand-to-mouth survival, 20 years ago, is now big business…

Unique Hr 2.5 million energy efficiency research center opens in Kyiv University – (Kyiv Post) The merger of business and academia – a widely used model at the world's top research institutions – has finally come to Ukraine…

Electricity Commission Issues Bolhrad Solar Licence For Electricity Generation – (Power Gen) The National Electricity Regulatory Commission of Ukraine has issued Bolhrad Solar LLC (Odesa region) a licence for electricity generation. The Commission produced this decision at its sitting on April 18…

Think tank: EU, Ukraine speak different languages on energy – (EurActive) Representatives of a Ukrainian think tank deplored the lack of understanding between Kyiv and Brussels on energy issues and called for a permanent expert panel to be created to improve communication…

Excelerate Energy to Build FSRU in the Black Sea (Ukraine) – (Dredging Today) American LNG solutions company Excelerate Energy will place a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) in the Black Sea near the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa…

EU Countries Show Interest in Ukraine's Gas Transportation System – (PR Newswire) Poland, Hungary, Italy, Germany and other European states are currently negotiating the use of Ukraine's underground gas storage facilities. This was announced by Ukraine's Minister of Energy and Coal Eduard Stavytskyi at a press conference in Kyiv…

  

This program is made possible by the support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of the United States Energy Association and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.