Albania

Bulgaria, Albania to Boost Trade Relations– (Novinite) Bulgaria's President Rosen Plevneliev is on a 2-day visit to Tirana, where he met with his counterpart Bujar Nishani on Thursday.  "Bilateral trade between our countries grew by 13% in 2013, but our goal is to broaden it even more, in the sectors of energy, transport infrastructure, and pharmaceutics", stated Plevneliev, cited by his press office…

 

Albania, Macedonia to promote cooperation in infrastructure, energy – (XinHau) Albania and Macedonia has vowed Thursday to promote cooperation in economy, infrastructure and energy through projects of mutual interest between the two countries.  The agreement was made when the Deputy Prime Minister of Macedonia in charge of implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement, Musa Xhaferi visited Tirana on Thursday…

Albania, Macedonia to promote cooperation in infrastructure, energy – (China.org) Albania and Macedonia has vowed Thursday to promote cooperation in economy, infrastructure and energy through projects of mutual interest between the two countries.  The agreement was made when the Deputy Prime Minister of Macedonia in charge of implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement…

Improving Energy Efficiency in Residential Sector in Albania – (Env-net) The workshop was organized by Co-PLAN, Institute for Habitat Development, in cooperation with three environmental organizations, namely Ekolëvizja, MilieuKontakt Albania dhe EDEN Center, in frame of the EU funded “Development of the ENV.net in West Balkan and Turkey: giving citizens a voice to influence the environmental process reforms for closer EU integration” project through the Partnership Programs for Civil Society Organisations…

Albanian energy sector to undergo major reform – (SinaEnglish) The Albanian Minister of Energy and Industry Damian Gjiknuri said on Monday that a new state energy law will be prepared in 2014.  Gjiknuri said the current energy legislation would be amended in the field of energy with an aim to improve the situation and reduce energy losses in the network…

Bulgaria

Bulgaria produces more energy than it consumes: President– (Focus) Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev, who is on an official two-day visit to Albania, discussed security in terms of electricity supply during a meeting with representatives of Albanian companies, the press centre of the Bulgarian Head of State announced…

President Plevneliev: Bulgaria Produces More Energy Than It Consumes – (IENE) Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev, who is on an official two-day visit to Albania, discussed security in terms of electricity supply during a meeting with representatives of Albanian companies, the press centre of the Bulgarian Head of State announced…

Ports of Varna and Bourgas to Keep Pipes for South Stream; Value of Transactions Not Announced by Project Company – (Energetika) On Wednesday the company announced that for the storage of the materials, agreements with the Port of Varna and BMF Port Bourgas were signed. The value of the transactions with the port operators is a trade…

Bulgaria applies to Brussels for over EUR 1.5 billion for energy projects– (Balkans) Bulgaria applied to Brussels for over EUR 1.5 billion for the implementation of projects in the energy sector. The money should come from the new mechanism named "Connected Europe", Standart daily reports citing mediapool.bg…

Bulgaria wants cheaper gas, while Russia and the EU negotiate South Stream– (Focus) A work group with representatives from Russia and the EU will negotiate the conditions for construction of the gas pipeline South Stream. This became clear after the meeting of EU Commissioner for Energy Gunther Oettinger and the Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak, BNR reports, as cited by Trud daily…

Bulgaria's Energy Ministry Inks 3 Agreements with EBRD – (Novinite) Three agreements were signed Friday between the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Bulgaria's Ministry of Economy and Energy. An agreement between the EBRD and the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Sources Fund was signed by Bulgaria's Economy and Energy Minister Dragomir Stoynev and Vince Novak from the EBRD…

Bulgaria's Energy Ministry Inks 3 Agreements with EBRD – (Expats Bulgaria) Three agreements were signed Friday between the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Bulgaria's Ministry of Economy and Energy. An agreement between the EBRD and the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Sources Fund was signed by Bulgaria's Economy and Energy Minister Dragomir Stoynev and Vince Novak from the EBRD…

Bulgaria to launch three tenders for hydro power plants upgrade – EBRD – (SeeNews) Bulgarian state-owned electricity company NEK will launch three tenders to award contracts for the rehabilitation of the Belmeken, Sestrimo and Chaira hydro power plants worth a  total 32 million euro ($43.3 million), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) said…

Bulgaria’s Electricity System Operator to be modernised with financial resources from EBRD – (Focus) Mr Vince Novak from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Shishman Chaushev, Executive Director of Bulgarian Electricity System Operator (ESO) have signed an agreement today, FOCUS News Agency reported…

BULGARIA SIGNS WITH" KOZLODUY " FOR 34.6 MILLION EURO GRANT – (AVIM) Bulgaria has signed the agreements with the International Fund " Kozloduy " for 34.6 million euro grant. "The last grant agreements under the International Fund "Kozloduy" (IFC ) will have a direct effect on the financing of the modernization of the key enterprises of Bulgarian energy and energy efficiency measures , which has not happened in years"…

Bulgaria’s Constitutional court is considering a 20% tax on renewable energy producers – (Meridian) It is being considered by Bulgaria’s Constitutional Court whether or not placing a 20% tax on renewable energy producers is unconstitutional. This is happening after the Prime Minister, Rosed Plevneliev has proceeded with a legal challenge against this…

Bulgaria: 20% Fee On Solar And Wind Power Plants Challenged Before The Constitutional Court – (Mondaq) On 14 January 2014, the President of the Republic of Bulgaria, Mr. Rosen Plevneliev, addressed the country's Constitutional Court, claiming that the 20% fee on solar and wind power plants does not comply with the Bulgarian Constitution and should therefore be revoked…

Two Companies Want to Manage Bulgarian Energy Exchange; License for Exchange Operator to be Issued at End of March – (Energetika) In December the Bulgarian Energy Holding (BEH) established the company Bulgarian Independent Energy Exchange with capital of €25,000, shows a reference to the Commercial Register. The company’s Board of Directors...

Bulgaria bids for EUR 1,5 billion Euro money for energy projects – (Standart) Bulgaria applied to Brussels for over EUR 1.5 billion for the implementation of projects in the energy sector. The money should come from the new mechanism named "Connected Europe", Standart daily reports citing mediapool.bg…

One Year, Three Energy Price-Cuts and Six Chairmen in Bulgaria – Is This Possible? – (Energy SCEE) The newly-elected chairman of the Bulgarian national energy regulatory agency, Mr. Boyan Boev, announced on December 20, 2013 during his first press-conference an unexpected “gift” for local consumers – a single-digit percentage price-cut to be implemented from January 1, 2014…

Bulgaria Seeks to Start Construction of New Nuclear Unit in 2016 – (Topix) The construction of Unit 7 of Bulgaria 's Kozloduy nuclear power plant may start in 2016, Bulgarian Economy and Energy Minister Dragomir Stoynev has said…

Energy needs to give Bulgaria regional advantage – (The European Geopolitical Forum) Over the past two decades Bulgaria has had no success with the so called ‘big energy projects’. The recent failure of NABUCCO was also a failure of the country’s efforts to diversify its gas supplies. The prospects for shale gas exploration and production look similarly grim after a moratorium was imposed by the Parliament in the beginning of 2012…

Plevneliev: RES Fee has Made Bulgaria an Unpredictable Partner; President Criticises Government for Lack of Transparency in Energy Sector – (Energetika) Plevneliev said that with the fee on “green” energy plants, Bulgaria has proven to be an unpredictable international partner and has caused huge problems for small producers who invest in such facilities…

Bosnia and Herzegovina

The first investments in the electricity network in BiH to begin– (Ekapija.ba) Prime Minister of the Republic of Srpska Željka Cvijanović and Prime Minister of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Nermin Nikšić agreed yesterday that the director of Elektroprenos BiH (Transco BiH) will be given approval and guidance to start with the first investment in the electricity network in BiH, worth about 50 million KM…

First Investments in Electricity Networks in B&H Begin– (Sarajevo Times) The Prime Minister of the RS Željka Cvijanović and Prime Minister of the FB&H Nermin Nikšić have agreed that the director of ‘Elektroprivreda B&H’ would be given approval and guidance to start with the first investments in the electricity network in B&H, worth around 50 million BAM…

Bosnia and Herzegovina breaches Energy Community Treaty commitments, says official NGO complaint – (CEE) Bosnia and Herzegovina is failing on its Energy Community obligations by allowing Stanari lignite plant to pollute 2-3 times more than EU standards, shows an official complaint (1) submitted today by NGOs Center for Environment from Banja Luka and ClientEarth to the Vienna-based Energy Community Treaty secretariat…

Elektroprenos BiH unblocked– (Energetika) After the meeting in Sarajevo Prime Minister Cvijanović noted she was pleased that the investment cycle which had long been expected would finally start. She said that apart from that, projects in the country…

Croatia

Rok Vodnik, MSc from Petrol: Minimum margin does not ensure investments into infrastructure– (Energetika) Do you have the final 2013 results of Petrol? I cannot give exact figures, as we are a joint-stock company and we are committed to treating our shareholders equally in access to information. In the first nine…

Help launch an energy independence pilot project at an elementary school in Croatia– (Treehuger) Our future lies in the hands of our children, and with the limited budgets that most schools have (especially in areas of the world that are barely able to support the basics in their school systems), reducing the schools' energy costs so that more money can go toward…

Huge Demand for Incentives for Solar Plants in Croatia– (Energetika) The overall power of all those facilities for which the applications had been received would be 88 megawatts (MW), while the electricity producers from the solar plants have only 12 MW at their disposal for being…

Croatia to publish oil and gas exploration tenders in second quarter – (Reuters) Croatia will publish tenders for offshore gas and oil exploration in the central and southern Adriatic in the second quarter of this year, probably in April, after a survey revealed promising deposits there, its economy minister said…

Minister Vrdoljak: Croatia Sees Adriatic Oil – (Energetika) “Croatia has promising deposits of hydrocarbons, which we should take advantage of. I believe the first quantities of gas and oil from this area could be commercially exploited in 2019 or 2020,” Vrdoljak said…

Kosovo

Norwegians interested in Kosovo energy projects– (Ministry of Economic Development) The Minister of Economic Development, Fadil Ismajli, met today with a Norwegian delegation headed by the Norwegian Ambassador in Prishtina, Jan Braathu, and comprised of representatives of Statkraft enterprise, a company active in the sphere of energy generation projects…

'Progress in transport, environment and energy sector'– (Ministry of European Integration) Executive Committee "Infrastructure" that covers the sectors of Transport, Environment, Energy and Regional Development held the following meeting covering the sectors of Transport, Environment, Energy and Regional Development. The meeting was chaired by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Infrastructure…

Macedonia

Hydropower Struggle: Dams Threaten Europe's Last Wild Rivers– (Tehran Times) Two large dams are planned for Mavrovo National Park, one of those at Lukovo Pole. The place is perched high in the mountains, where the trees give way to dewy alpine meadows and biodiversity is at its apex. A nearby valley may become a candidate for UNESCO World Heritage status…

Hydropower Struggle: Dams Threaten Europe's Rivers – (OnIslam) Two large dams are planned for Mavrovo National Park, one of those at Lukovo Pole, Slavic Macedonia. The place is perched high in the mountains, where the trees give way to dewy alpine meadows and biodiversity is at its apex. A nearby valley may become a candidate for UNESCO World Heritage status…

Macedonia: Gov expects increased energy consumption in 2014– (Serbia Energy) Macedonia expects increased energy consumption in 2014…

Montenegro

Spain's Fersa Energias could start building Montenegro's first wind farm in May 2014– (Intellinews) The consortium of Spanish company Fersa Energias Renovables and local firm Celebic, which won back in 2010 a contract to build a 46MW wind farm in Montenegro, could finally start works on the project by mid-May 2014, daily Pobjeda reported…

EU Pushes for Balkan Gas Market– (Natural Gas Europe) Regional energy integration, specifically of gas markets, was the message at a recent international forum in Belgrade from the Energy Community…

Romania

Smart Energy Group commissions 5 MW PV park in Romania– (PV Magazine) Smart Energy Group, a renewable energy investment and EPC company, is pleased to announce that it successfully completed and connected a 5 MW PV park to the Romanian power grid in December 2013. Smart Energy Group is also an investor in the PV park through its Romanian subsidiary, SC Natural Energy Prod SRL…

Romania suspends hydropower projects in protected areas – (APF) Romania will suspend new hydropower projects in protected areas in a bid to preserve biodiversity, authorities and the conservationist group WWF said Tuesday.  The planned construction of thousands of small-scale hydropower stations across the Carpathian mountains in eastern Europe threatens hundreds of streams and rivers, the WWF has warned for years…

Thesan, Power-One partner on 9 MW PV project in Romania– (PV Magazine) "Romania offers the ideal topographical and political conditions for the installation of solar parks, which makes it a perfect investment target," says Power-One's Alessandra Romoli…

Romania might lobby Washington to import natural gas from the U.S. – (Romania-Insider) Romania and other Eastern European countries that are dependent on Russia for their energy supplies, are currently working on forming a lobbying coalition to convince the U.S. to allow them to import natural gas...

Eastern Europe eyes US gas exports – (UpStream) Countries in Eastern Europe keen to reduce dependence on Russian energy have an effort in the works to lobby Washington to ship more liquefied natural gas abroad, according to a local media report…

Fracking can ‘improve energy security, provide jobs and cut emissions’ – (The Parliament) The current situation in Europe suggests that we cannot replicate a US-style shale revolution and we are more likely to see a ‘bumpy European evolution’…

Could renewable energy trading solve the EU’s 2030 ambition problem? – (The Carbon Brief) High gas prices and crippling economic problems have left European countries unwilling to renew binding requirements to increase renewable energy generation in 2020…

Spotlight: Shale Gas Exploitation in Romania – (Balkans) Some 250 people took part in a rally against shale gas exploitation in the eastern Romanian town of Pungesti on Sunday. This was the first authorized protest movement this year. Protesters, both locals and ecologists, chanted slogans against the US company Chevron…

Romania: Fondul Proprietatea's update on sale of electricity, gas utilities – (Balkans) The litigation between EON and the Romanian state has reached an agreement, therefore FP restarted negotiations with EON regarding a possible buy-out.  The Romanian government's dispute with Enel goes on, therefore no negotiations are possible for the moment…

Competitiveness Has Caught Up With Climate Policy – (CleanTechnica) Behind the heated debate in Brussels about climate and renewable energy targets, what is really happening is that concern over high energy prices has taken precedence over climate concerns in Europe. Competitiveness has caught up with climate policy…

Five consortiums submit bids for Romania’s Hidroelectrica IPO – (Balkans) Romania’s Hidroelectrica, the state-owned hydroelectricity producer, announced on Monday five consortiums submitted bids for handling the initial public offering (IPO) of the company on the Bucharest Stock Exchange…

Serbia

Many Serbian customers in the medium-voltage network on auxiliary power supply– (Energetika) As of 1 January 2014, new customers on the free market include the users in the medium-voltage network as well as those on plus 1 kV voltage, as well as the users (enterprises) with over 50 employees…

Reservoir Capital about to Get Permit Brodarevo Hydroelectric Project in Serbia– (AZomining) Reservoir Capital Corp. ("Reservoir" or the "Company") is at an advanced stage of permitting for its Brodarevo Hydroelectric Project in Serbia, for which a positive Feasibility Study was completed in 2012 and Environmental Permits granted in 2013…

General Electric wants to take part in South Stream project– Mihajlovic – (inSerbia) Serbian Minister of Energy, Development and Environmental Protection Zorana Mihajlovic conferred on Monday with the delegation of U.S. company General Electric concerning the realisation of South Stream pipeline project through Serbia…

EU gives Gazprom preliminary 'OK' for South Stream gas pipeline – (Standart) Countries hosting Gazprom's European super pipeline will not have to revise earlier agreements that technically break EU law. Russia and the EU have agreed on further cooperation on a route that will satisfy Europe with 15% of natural gas needs by 2018…

Armenia

Energy produced by Armenia must be used rationally – Poghosyan– (Panorama) The energy produced by Armenia must be used rationally, chairman of the Union of Consumers Armen Poghosyan told reporters in Yerevan. According to him, Armenia is a favorable country in terms of energy and it must export energy…

Armenian government finalizes gas deal with Russia amid more concerns about energy sector prospects– (Armenia Now) On January 16, the Armenian government approved the agreement on transferring to Russia’s Gazprom the remaining 20-percent stake in local gas distribution subsidiary ArmRosgazprom and instructed Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Armen Movsisyan to sign the agreement with the Russian gas giant…

Gazprom Completes Armenian Gas Takeover– (Asbarez) The Armenian government has formally completed the sale of its remaining 20 percent stake in Armenia’s natural gas distribution company to Gazprom, giving the Russian gas monopoly full ownership of the vital utility…

Armenia sells gas monopoly stake to Gazprom– (bne) Armenia has sold its 20% stake in monopoly gas operator ArmRosgasprom to Gazprom following approval of the deal at a meeting on January 16. The sale gives the Russian gas giant total control over the Armenian company…

Gazprom buys remaining stake of ArmRosgasprom– (NewEurope) Russia strengthened its control over Armenia after Yerevan sold its 20% stake in monopoly gas operator ArmRosgasprom to Russian gas monopoly Gazprom, following approval of the agreement at a meeting on 16 January,news agencies reported…

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan ups power export in 2013– (Azernews) Azerbaijan exported over 595.67 million kilowatt/hours electricity in 2013 on customs declaration compared to 482.7 million kilowatt/hours in 2012, Azerbaijan's State Customs Committee reported…

 

Power export from Azerbaijan grew by 23.4% in 2013– (ABC.AZ) Azerbaijan increased the export of electric power for 2013 by 23.4%. Last year power export provided, however, for the country only 0.104% of the total export proceeds ($23.975 bn)…

 

Azerbaijan increases electricity export by almost quarter in 2013 – (Trend) Azerbaijan exported over 595.67 million kilowatt/hours electricity in 2013 on customs declaration compared to 482.7 million kilowatt/hours in 2012, a report of Azerbaijan's State Customs Committee said on Jan.17…

ADB launches technical assistance to alternative energy sector in Azerbaijan– (ABC.AZ) The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has started after all the technical assistance in the alternative energy sector of Azerbaijan…

Azerbaijan temporarily suspends natural gas deliveries to Russia – (UPI) The State Oil Co. of Azerbaijan confirmed the transportation of natural gas to Russia was temporarily suspended because of border construction projects…

SOCAR upgrades Azerbaijan’s gas transportation infrastructure – (Azernews) The Azerigas Production Association of Azerbaijan's state energy company SOCAR constructed 9048.1 kilometres of gas pipelines in 2013 to enhance the capacity of the gas transportation infrastructure…

Azerbaijan increases oil and gas condensate production in 2013 – (Azernews) Azerbaijan increased oil and gas condensate production in 2013.  Azerbaijan extracted 43.1 million tons of oil and gas condensate in 2013 compared to 42.98 million tons in 2012, the State Statistics Committee said on January 17…

First presentation of EU energy efficiency manual for apartment houses to be held in Baku on 28 January – (ABC.AZ) The project “Energy Saving Initiative in the Building Sector in Eastern Europe and Central Asia” (ESIB) of INOGATE program of the European Union has prepared an energy efficiency manual for condominiums…

Baku is switching over to alternative energy using– (ABC.AZ) The Plan of Action for 2014-2016 implies that the State Agency for Alternative and Renewable Energy Sources (ABOEMDA) will take measures for expansion of using alternative and renewable energy sources in Baku…

Azerbaijan’s non-oil sector growth reached 10% with overall GDP rise of 5.8%– (ABC.AZ) Over the past year the non-oil sector of Azerbaijan kept the status of "engine" of the economy: growth in it exceeded overall economic growth by 72.4% against 4.4 times in 2012 and 94 times in 2011…

Azerbaijan exports oil worth over USD 20bn in 2013– (NewsAZ) During 2013, according to indicators of counters, Azerbaijan exported 34.245m tonnes of oil. Of this amount, 24.855m tonnes of oil for USD 20.244bn were exported on customs declaration, the State Customs Committee has told 1news.az…

Georgia

Georgian Partnership Fund Starts Construction on Thermal Power Plant– (SWF Institute) The US $4.3 billion Georgian Partnership Fund initiated construction on a 230 MW natural gas combined cycle thermal power plant 39 km south of the nation’s capital on January 17, 2014…

Construction of large TPP starts in Georgia – (Trend) The new thermal power plant (TPP) at Gardabani will become a part of the energy security system and energy independence of Georgia, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said on Jan.17 at the opening ceremony of the TPP construction…

 

Georgia launches construction of new power station – (Azernews) The construction of a new combined cycle thermal power station with a capacity of 230 MW was launched in Georgia.  A groundbreaking ceremony was held in Gardabani (Kvemo Kartli region) on January 17, the Georgian Oil and Gas Corporation reported…

PF to construct Combined Cycle Thermal Power Plant in Gardabani – (Georgia Today) The Partnership Fund (PF), a state-owned shareholding company in cooperation with its daughter company, Georgian Oil and Gas Corporation (GOGC) launched the construction of a 230 MW Combined Cycle Thermal Power Plant in Gardabani…

Georgian Presidential Administration accused of illegal gas consumption– (Vestnik) Georgian Deputy Energy Minister Ilya Eloshvili said at a press conference in KazTransGas that the Georgian Presidential Administration was accused of illegal gas consumption at the president’s residence, Georgia Online reports…

Moldova

Minister-Delegate for Energy Constantin Nita pays official visit to Republic of Moldova– (Bsanna News) Minister-Delegate for Energy Constantin Nita is paying on Monday an official visit to the Republic of Moldova to discuss the situation of interconnections between the two countries in the electricity and natural gas sectors.  The Romanian minister is scheduled, as part of the visit, to have a working meeting with Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova, Valeriu Lazar…

Why the EU Needs to Help Georgia and Moldova Now– (Carnegie Europe) A year is a very long time. It is not until the end of 2014 that Georgia and Moldova intend to sign the EU trade and association agreements that the two governments initialed last November in Vilnius, Lithuania. Both countries will need intensive EU help to stay the course over this long stretch…

Russia

Analysis: Russia set to power beyond 14MW – (WindPower) Russia could be set to enter the wind industry in earnest, despite having a current installed capacity that is among the lowest in the industrialised world. However, the unique nature of both the country's energy market and renewable energy auctions presents its own challenges…

FAULKNER: Russia's energy market is running on fumes – (The Journal) Russian president Vladmir Putin has won some begrudging admiration for his strategic triumph during the Syria crisis. Let him have his moment. It won't last long. A new development threatens to rob Putin of a significant part of his international heft…

Russia's Energy Market Is Running on Fumes – (Wilson County News) Russian president Vladmir Putin has won some begrudging admiration for his strategic triumph during the Syria crisis. Let him have his moment. It won't last long. A new development threatens to rob Putin of a significant part of his international heft…

Here’s what to expect from Russia’s energy sector in 2014 – (Russia Direct) Russia is taking steps towards improving the state of global energy security, including diversification of its energy sector away from Europe and development of new technologies…

EU, Russia to set up task force on South Stream – (New Europe) On 17 January, European Commissioner for Energy Günther Oettinger met Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak in Moscow and both sides agreed to set up a task force to discuss all the legal and technical issues, relating to the South Stream natural gas pipeline…

Natural Gas Seen as Antidote to Warming – (The Moscow Times) As a major exporter of fossil fuels, Russia may seem an unlikely candidate for global environmental champion, but macro-economic experts believe the country can play a vital role in reducing carbon emissions and the impact of climate change…

EU needs Russian energy but rejects Moscow integration efforts in Eurasia – (The Voice of Russia) It looks like the Europeans have been seriously offended with Moscow’s assistance to Ukraine, which had frozen the signing of the agreement on the associated membership in the EU and had made a choice in favour of developing relations with its Eastern neighbor…

Energy issues in focus as Commissioner holds talks in Moscow – (EU Neighbourhood) EU Commissioner for Energy, Günther Oettinger, and Greek Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Change, Yiannis Maniatis, are in Moscow to take part in the 8th meeting of the EU-Russia Permanent Partnership Council on Friday, 17 January, according to a press release from the Greek Presidency of the Council of the European Union…

South Stream to follow European gas pipeline rules – (UPI) Russia's deputy energy minister said the planned South Stream natural gas pipeline will operate according to European energy laws…

Turkey

EBRD helps sustainable energy take off in Turkey– (The Financial) The first phase of the EBRD’s Turkish Sustainable Energy Financing Facility (TurSEFF) shows how, with the right mix of financing mechanisms, one can achieve substantial changes in energy use, emissions, and fuel mix in middle income countries…

Turkey: EBRD’s TurSEFF helps transform energy use, emissions and fuel mix– (Balkans) The first phase of the EBRD’s Turkish Sustainable Energy Financing Facility (TurSEFF) shows how, with the right mix of financing mechanisms, one can achieve substantial changes in energy use, emissions, and fuel mix in middle income countries…

Hard coal output in Turkey decreases over 10 percent– (Daily News) Hard coal production in Zonguldak Coal Basin on the northwestern Black Sea coast of Turkey decreased more than 10 percent in 2013, according to the Turkish Hard Coal Enterprise (TTK)…

Turkey Finds High Grade Oil on its Border with Iraq – (OilPrice) The past decade has seen Turkey’s economy take off, but one significant drag on its performance is the country’s paucity of indigenous hydrocarbon resources, resulting in massive energy import bills. Turkey’s booming economy is the envy of its Middle Eastern and European neighbors…

Turkey is predicting a massive adoption of wind and solar potential– (Balkans) Turkey is predicting that massive adoption of wind and solar potential in the next 10 years will turn the country into a renewable energy powerhouse.  Wind power is expected to account for 20,000MW of the country’s planned 120,000MW total installed capacity by 2023…

EBRD helps sustainable energy take off in Turkey– (EBRD) The first phase of the EBRD’s Turkish Sustainable Energy Financing Facility (TurSEFF) shows how, with the right mix of financing mechanisms, one can achieve substantial changes in energy use, emissions, and fuel mix in middle income countries…

EU Commissioner meets with Turkey Minister for EU Affairs – (Caspian Energy) The European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy Štefan Füle and the Turkish Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu met in Strasbourg for an open and constructive first meeting, Caspian Energy News reports with reference to the press service of European Commission…

Ukraine

Power prices in Ukraine expected to double to pay for nuclear safety– (EurActiv) Electricity prices in Ukraine are expected to double to help pay for a series of safety upgrades to old Soviet nuclear power stations, according to a leaked report by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)…

 

Regional Development Ministry improves energy efficiency– (ForUm) Gennady Temnik, Minister of Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Communal Services has denied claims that cheaper Russian gas will deprive Housing and Utilities sector of an incentive to save. Temnik says, on the contrary, they will continue working in this direction, the Information-Analytical Bulletin of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine informs…

Ukraine posts 2.3% fall in electricity generation in 2013–(Interfax) Ukraine's integrated power grids decreased electricity output by 2.3% or by 4.556 billion kilowatt-hours year-over-year in 2013, to 193.563 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), an Energy and Coal Industry Ministry source told Interfax-Ukraine…

Russia is getting queasy about Ukraine's shale plans– (Mining) Russia – the world's second biggest producer of dry natural gas – is concerned about Ukraine's plans to develop shale gas through hydraulic fracturing…

Russia concerned by Ukrainian fracking– (UPI) The Russian Natural Resources Ministry said Friday it was concerned hydraulic fracturing in neighboring Ukraine could pollute regional water supplies…

Russia Concerned About Pollution From Ukraine Fracking – (The Moscow Times) Russia said Friday that gas drilling technology likely to be used by Ukraine could pollute water supplies for Russians living near the border between the two countries.  Ukraine is expected to employ hydraulic fracturing, a widely used but controversial process that involves blasting a chemical solution into rock formations to release gas, Russia's Natural Resources and Environment Ministry said in a statement…

Ukraine cuts gas consumption for heating by 6 pct in 2013– (Global Times) Ukraine's heating enterprises reduced their natural gas consumption by around 6 percent year on year in 2013, Vice Prime Minister Oleksandr Vilkul said in Kiev Thursday.  "Last year, gas consumption for thermal energy generation decreased to 10.1 billion cubic meters, down from 10.8 billion cubic meters in 2012," Vilkul told a conference on energy issues here…

Reverse flow of gas to Ukraine not guaranteed – (Spectator) THOUGH Ukraine signed a draft agreement over receiving transports of gas via Slovakia, it is not sure whether the country will really transport the gas from the west. The final agreement will also depend on the prices of gas it gets from Russia, the Sme daily wrote in its January 17 issue…

Ukraine again exempts natural gas imports from VAT– (Kyiv Post) The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, has again exempted natural gas imports to Ukraine from value added tax (VAT), after the exemption was suspended in late 2013…               

 

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