Weekly collection of energy news articles for the region.  Click on the links for access to original publications

 USAID/USEA ETAG Upcoming Events

June 12              Joint Working Group Meeting: USAID/USEA Black Sea Regional Transmission System Planning Project (BSTP) & USAID/NARUC Black Sea Regulatory   Initiative (BSRI) Tbilisi, Georgia

June 13              USAID/USEA Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey (AGT) Power Bridge Project Working Group Meeting Tbilisi, Georgia

June 13              USAID/USEA Armenia-Georgia (AG) Working Group Meeting Tbilisi, Georgia

Prague ready to block Albania´s EU alignment over CEZ dispute – (CESKE Noviny) The Czech Republic is prepared to block the granting of the EU candidate land´s status to Albania over a dispute between the CEZ Czech state-controlled power utility and the Albanian state, high-ranking EU sources told CTK today… 

TAP issues contract notice for construction of compressor stations in Greece, Albania – (Trend) Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) continues its pre-qualification of potential suppliers for the construction of the 870km-long high pressure natural gas pipeline with its associated infrastructure across Greece, Albania, and Adriatic Sea with landfall in Southern Italy, TAP reported on June 5…

Tap issues notice for onshore pipeline construction services in Greece and Albania – (Balkans) Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) is continuing its pre-qualification of potential suppliers for the construction of the 870km-long high pressure natural gas pipeline with its associated infrastructure across Greece, Albania, and Adriatic Sea with landfall in Southern Italy…

Bulgaria 

Another encroachment on CEZ facility in Bulgaria cuts electricity supply to 253 customers – (Focus) Another encroachment on CEZ facility in the frames of two weeks has left some 253 customers of the company without electricity supply in the villa zone of Voynegovtsi on the night of June 6 to June 7, the press centre of the company announced…

Bulgaria should upgrade nuclear reactors, build more: expert – (Shanghai Daily) Bulgaria should upgrade its two operating nuclear reactors and build four more, the head of country's only nuclear power plant said here on Wednesday…

Europe Faces Green Power Curbs to Stop Grids Overloading – (Bloomberg) Europe’s drive toward a power system based on renewable energy has gone so far that output will probably need to be cut within months because of oversupply…

Europe faces green-power curbs after expansion – (Business Mirror) EUROPE’S drive toward a power system based on renewable energy has gone so far that output will probably need to be cut within months because of oversupply.  Network operators are likely to curb solar and wind generation at times of low demand to prevent overloading the region’s 188,000 miles of power lines, Entso-e…

Life Extension of Units 5, 6 of Kozloduy NPP to Cost EUR 500-600 M – (Novinite) The projected cost of the extension of the lives of units 5 and 6 of the Bulgarian Kozloduy nuclear power plant has been increased to EUR 500 – 600 M.  The evaluation of Stanislav Antipov, Deputy Director-General of Rosenergoatom has been increased from the forecast of EUR 400 M announced in the beginning of 2014 and the EUR 266 M estimate presented in 2012…

South Stream gas project irreversible - Bulgaria’s Energy Minister – (RT) South Stream gas pipeline is irreversible, Bulgaria’s Energy Minister Dragomir Stoynev said Monday, stressing that Bulgarian authorities have not given up plans to proceed with the project. South Stream gas pipeline is irreversible, Bulgaria’s Energy Minister Dragomir Stoynev said Monday, stressing that Bulgarian authorities have not given up plans to proceed with the project…

Energy Minister: Bulgaria Has Not Given Up on South Stream – (VOA News) Bulgaria has not given up on plans to build the South Stream pipeline delivering Russian natural gas to Europe and sees the Gazprom-led project as irreversible, Energy Minister Dragomir Stoynev said on Monday.  Bulgaria said on Sunday it had halted work on the pipeline after the European Union and United States expressed concerns about the project…

Bulgaria has not given up on South Stream -energy minister – (Reuters) Bulgaria has not given up plans to build the South Stream pipeline delivering Russian natural gas to Europe and sees the Gazprom-led project as irreversible, Energy Minister Dragomir Stoynev said on Monday…

BRUSSELS SHUTS DOWN BALKANS TO RUSSIAN PIPELINE PROJECT – (Daily Sabah) Bulgaria's Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski ordered on Sunday a halt to construction work on the Gazprom-led South Stream pipeline project planned to bypass Ukraine as a transit country and consolidate Russia's energy grip in Europe just on the eve of the EU-mediated gas talks in Brussels. Oresharski said work on the project would continue pending consultations with Brussels…

Bulgaria freezes work on South Stream pipeline – (EU Observer) Bulgaria has frozen construction on Russia’s strategic South Stream gas pipeline due to EU and US pressure.  Bulgarian PM Plamen Oresharski announced  the move on Sunday (8 June) after meeting three US senators in Sofia…

Bosnia and Herzegovina 

Signed Concession Agreement for Development and Exploitation of HPP Janjići – (Energetika) The agreement was signed by Federal Minister of Energy, Mining, and Industry, Erdal Trhulj, General Manager of Elektroprivreda BiH, Dr. Elvedin Grabovica, and executive director for capital investments…

Bosnia and Herzegovina Taking Steps Towards Compliance with Requirements of Energy Community Treaty – (Energetika) Construction of new domestic lignite-fired thermal power plants (TPP) in Bosnia and Herzegovina has been a very controversial topic for almost one decade. However, considering age, the plants’ efficiencies…

Croatia 

Technical assistance project on energy statistics completed – (Energy Community) Today the Secretariat published the performance report on the technical assistance project completed in April 2014 aimed at assisting the Energy Community Contracting Parties and Observers to fully implement the Energy Community acquis on energy statistics by the 31 December 2013 deadline…

Croatia's biggest windfarm to supply enough power for 22,000 homes, developer says – (Reuters) Vienna-based renewable energy developer RP Global has put on stream a 43.7 megawatt (MW) wind farm, the biggest so far in Croatia, to help the newest European Union member country boost its energy mix and meet the bloc's emission standards…

Kosovo 

Blast rocks Kosovo main power plant, casualties reported– (PanArmenian) A huge explosion rocked Kosovo's main power plant Friday, June 6, causing casualties and damaging nearby houses, the Associated Press reported…

UPDATE 4-Two killed in Kosovo power plant blast, supplies hit – (Reuters) A hydrogen tank exploded at Kosovo's second biggest power plant on Friday, killing two people and injuring 14, officials said. The 40-year-old Kosovo A plant, considered one of the worst polluters in Europe, was shut down following the blast that was heard in the capital, Pristina, some 10 km (6 miles) away…

Kosovo power plant blast kills three, many injured – (Gulf News) Pristina: At least three people were killed and many more were injured in a suspected gas explosion at a major power plant outside the Kosovo capital Pristina on Friday.  “Until now we have three confirmed dead and many injured,” Derat Rukiqi, the chairman of plant’s management board told AFP…

Kosovo thermal plant blast kills three – (The Hindu) A blast in a Kosovo thermal plant near Pristina has killed at least three people and injured several more, local media reported on Friday.  The explosion, which took place in a fuel production line, occurred because of a gas leak, Berat Rukiqi, a member of the Kosovo Energy Corporation board, told the Serbian Beta news agency…

Macedonia 

Electricity Forum sets deadline for Bulgaria, Macedonia and Serbia – (Energy Community) This year’s Electricity Forum of the Energy Community on 2 and 3 June in Athens focused on the liberalization of electricity markets on both wholesale and retail level. Making local and regional electricity sectors more efficient through opening and integrating markets lies at the very heart of Energy Community…

Macedonia has no clear decision on South Stream pipeline – (Sofia Globe) Authorities in Skopje are yet to decide on the South Stream Russian gas pipeline project.  Aleksandar Dukovski, head of the State Agency on Energy, said that state authorities are deliberating on the project, following Bulgaria’s and Serbia’s decision to suspend the project…

 Montenegro

Montenegro utility EPCG's Q1 profit falls 33 pct on lower hydro – (Reuters) Montenegro's power utility EPCG said on Tuesday its core profit fell 33 percent in the first quarter, weighed down by lower hydro power generation.  First quarter adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBIDTA) fell to 20.3 million euros ($27.62 million), EPCG said. Revenues dropped 17 percent to 64.5 million euros…

Montenegro Grants Concessions for 10 Small HPPs – (Energetika) “Montenegro’s plan is to produce surplus of electricity to be exported. This will be of particular importance after the construction of the submarine cable line between Montenegro and Italy,” Minister Kavarić…

Romania 

Romanian wind farm secures €57m grant – (Energy Live News) The Romanian renewable energy market is getting a boost with a €57 million (£46.2m) loan towards the development of a wind farm.  The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing the finance for the Topolog-Dorobantu wind farm located in Romania’s southeast…

EBRD provides loan for 84 MW wind power farm in Romania – (Penn Energy)  The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) announced it will provide Romania with a loan worth €57 million (US$78 million) to fund its eighth wind power project in the country. LUKERG Renew, a 50-50 joint venture headed by Italy-based ERG Renew and LUKOIL-Ecoenergo in Russia…

Romanian Energy Awards 2014: may the best player win – (The Diplomat) As the energy sector represents one of the most important drivers of Romania's economy, The Diplomat – Bucharest continued the annual tradition of acknowledging high accomplishments in the Romanian energy sector by organizing the third edition of the ‘Romanian Energy Awards'. Taking place at Radisson Blu Hotel in Bucharest…

State energy company in Romania prepares for acquisition in region – (ACT Media) A state energy company in Romania will make, by this year's end, an acquisition in the region, Minister-Delegate for Energy Razvan Nicolescu told on Wednesday the Bucharest Forum Energy. 'I hope that by end of the year we will be in a situation where, for the first time, a state company in Romania will make an acquisition in the region…

Romania to establish targets for energy consumption reduction, according to energy efficience directive – (ACT Media) Romania's Parliament will adopt a law of energy efficiency, in order to transpose into national law a European directive, that must contain targets for energy consumtion reduction, said…

Romanian wind farm secures €57m grant – (Energy Live News) The Romanian renewable energy market is getting a boost with a €57 million (£46.2m) loan towards the development of a wind farm.  The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing the finance for the Topolog-Dorobantu wind farm located in Romania’s southeast…

€57 million syndicated loan to boost Romanian wind power sector – (Balkans) The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is boosting Romania’s renewable energy market with a €57 million loan for the development of the Topolog-Dorobanțu wind farm in the south east of the country…

EBRD invests in Rumanian wind farm – (Renewable Energy Magazine) The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is to provide a 57 million euro loan for the development of the Topolog-Dorobanțu wind farm in south east Rumania…

Romania: EBRD to provide 57 million euro loan for a wind power project – (Balkans) The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (BERD) announced it will provide Romania with a loan worth EUR 57 million (USD 78 million) to fund its eighth wind power project in the country. LUKERG Renew, a 50-50 joint venture headed by Italy-based ERG Renew and LUKOIL-Ecoenergo in Russia, is responsible for the wind farm’s development, Penn Energy reports…

EBRD has 57 million Euro for wind farm in South Eastern Romania – (The Diplomat) The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is boosting Romanian renewable energy market with a 57 million Euro loan for the development of the Topolog-Dorobantu wind farm in the south east of the country, according to official data of the institution…

Serbia 

Serbia has to suspend construction of South Stream gas pipeline — deputy PM – (ITAR TASS) Serbia will have to suspend construction of the South Stream gas pipeline, Serbia’s Deputy Prime Minister Zorana Mihajlovic has said in a statement. “Bulgaria is the center. Until Bulgaria finishes negotiations with Brussels and the European Union and Russia, the project is suspended…

Serbia forced to halt South Stream gas project over EU's stance on Ukraine – (The Voice of Russia) It has been reported that, following Bulgaria, Serbia has halted work on the South Stream gas pipeline, a joint project with Russia’s Gazprom. Serbian Deputy Prime Minister of Transport Zorana Mihailovich said Monday that had nothing to do with politics: the delay was due to Bulgarian stance on the pipeline route…

Serbia Suspends Works on South Stream Project Over Bulgaria’s Stance – (Ria Novosti) Serbia is putting its participation in the South Stream pipeline project on hold due to Bulgaria’s decision to suspend its involvement, Serbia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Construction Zorana Mihajlović said Monday…

South Stream gas pipeline meets Serbia’s interests — Serbian foreign minister – (ITAR TASS) Construction of the South Stream gas pipeline meets the country’s interests, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic has said. “As the prime minister [Aleksandar Vucic] said Serbia had not taken a decision to stop the works. We wait and see what will happen,” Dacic said on Monday…

Armenia 

Armenia concerned about weak energy security – (Azernews) Armenia is keen to improve its energy security by diversifying energy sources and is exploring ways for this aim with international organizations.  The government's attempts to diversify energy sources have failed so far because the country's energy security fully depends on Russia…

Electricity tariffs to be raised in Armenia, regulator says – (Armenia Now) Another wave of concern rises in Armenia with expectations of electricity price increase – the second within a space of just one year. Several days ago at the National Assembly discussion of last year’s State Budget fulfillment opposition lawmaker Khachatur Kokobelyan raised a question regarding a possible price increase…

Blessing or curse?: Armenian environmentalists concerned about “overexploitation” of Armenian water resources by HPPs – (Armenia Now) In Armenia that lacks natural energy resources the government attaches great importance to renewable energy developing small Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP) system. This causes dissatisfaction and complaints of environmentalists and the public at large…

Armenian Energy Tariff Set For Further Rise – (Azatutyun) Armenia’s state utility regulators have announced plans to raise the price of electricity for households by more than 10 percent one year after sanctioning an even sharper increase in the key energy tariff…

Azerbaijan  

Solar powered traffic signs appearing in Baku – (Azernews) The installation process of solar powered traffic signs is underway in Baku."The first solar powered crosswalk sign has been installed on Huseyn Javid avenue in Sabayel district," the Interior Ministry's Central Traffic Police Department reported. The main advantage of the modern traffic signs is its better visibility during the day and at night and in cloudy weather…

Fitch affirms Azerbaijani energy operator at 'BBB-'; Outlook Stable – (Trend) Fitch Ratings has affirmed Azerenerji JSC (Azerbaijani national energy operator) Long-term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at 'BBB-' with a Stable Outlook and its Short-term foreign currency IDR at 'F3'…

In 1st quarter Azerbaijan’s oil and gas export exceeds $7.1 bn, including $6 bn at expense of AIOC – (ABC.AZ) The Central Bank of Azerbaijan running payment balance statistics says of keeping dependence of the country’s foreign trade on fuel-energy complex for 2014…

Azerbaijan renewed gas supply to Russia – (The Messenger Online) Azeri state oil company SOCAR president Rovnag Abdulaev stated that on June 3 the country resumed its natural gas supply to Russia. The export of Azeri gas to Russia was temporally suspended due to the reconstruction and rehabilitation of works on the road connecting Azerbaijan with the Russian Federation…

SOCAR to reconstruct catalytic cracking unit at Baku Oil Refinery – (Azernews) Azerbaijan's state energy company SOCAR intends to implement the project on reconstruction of a catalytic cracking unit at Baku Oil Refinery named after Heydar Aliyev in 2017, a source in the company told Trend Agency…

Azerbaijani oil prices up on June 9 – (Trend) The price of AZERI LT CIF Augusta was $112.41 per barrel on June 9, or $1.33 per barrel more compared to the previous price, according to the State Oil…

Georgia 

Georgia starts construction of new HPP– (Azernews) Georgian Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze, representatives of the government and energy companies attended the groundbreaking ceremony of the Kintrishi hydro power plant (HPP). The HPP will be built on the Kintrishi River (Adjara) in Georgia's Kobuleti district by the Hydro Development Company…

Georgia starts construction of Kintrishi HPP– (Trend) Georgian Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister of Energy, Kakha Kaladze, representatives of the government and energy companies took part in the groundbreaking ceremony of the Kintrishi hydro power plant (HPP)…

Tbilisi to host International Investment Conference – (Vestnik Kavkaza) President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso and Georgian Prime Minister Irakly Garibashvili will open the International Investment Conference in Tbilisi on June 13, said Deputy Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani, News Georgia reports…

EBRD allocates $65 million to Georgian company to expand gas stations infrastructure – (Trend) The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will finance the expansion of gas stations in Georgia.  Under the corresponding agreement, executed with the Georgian company Wissol on June 6, EBRD allocated a syndicated loan worth $65 million worth to it…

Moldova 

Revenues from Electrica's listing to be used for Romania-Rep. Moldova energy infrastructure – (ACT Media) Prime Minister Victor Ponta said on Monday that all financial resources obtained from the sale of shares of Electrica company, which may be actually listed on the stock exchange at end-June, will be used to invest in the energy infrastructure connecting Romania to the Republic of Moldova…

 Turkey 

Turkey Positions Itself as Regional Energy Player – (World Politics Review)  The controversial first shipment of oil from the Kurdish region of Iraq was exported through Turkey last month; meanwhile, Turkey is trying to expand its energy cooperation with Central Asian states. In an email interview, Gareth Winrow, an independent Turkey analyst, discussed Turkey’s energy priorities and key energy partners…

TURKEY, SOMA, AND ENERGY MARKET DYNAMICS – OPED – (Eurasia Review) The Soma mine disaster which took place on the 13th of May, 2014 resulted in the highest loss of human life caused by a man-made structure in the last 40-years globally. It is for sure that the accident occurred…

Turkey: Game Changer Discovery: Leviathan Gas Field And Turkey's Energy Projection – (Mondaq) Current gas field discoveries covering Leviathan and Tamar gas fields induced Israel to scrutinize applied energy strategies in Mediterranean Sea. In the light of these regional developments…

Turkey signs largest fund deal for refinery – (Daily News) SOCAR Turkey, the Azerbaijani energy giant’s Turkish venture, has signed a $3.3 billion credit deal for its STAR refinery project, marking Turkey’s largest and longest-term financing deal for its first privately built oil refinery…

Research and Markets: Strategic Analysis of Renewable Energy Market in Turkey 2014 – (Business Wire) Turkey's renewable energy market is posed for rapid expansion as the country is pushing to reach its ambitious 2022 target for renewable energy deployment.  As the energy demand is forecast to continue growing, a strong mix of local and international participants has emerged to put the government plants into reality…

Turkey pipeline not on agenda: Greek Cypriot energy min. – (World Bulletin) Greek Cypriot Energy Minister Yorgos Lakkotripis has said that a gas pipeline from Cyprus to Europe across Turkey is not among the options the administration is currently considering…

Eastern Mediterranean Energy: Challenges and Opportunities – (German Marshall Fund) Offshore energy discoveries in the eastern Mediterranean offer Israel and Cyprus a comparatively clean, low cost, indigenous source of energy that will provide for their needs well into the second half of the 21st century…

Ukraine mulls transferring natural gas via Turkish straits to bypass Moscow – (Turkish Weekly) Ukrainian companies are in talks with their Turkish counterparts over how to transfer LNG through Turkish straits to bypass Russia, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Turkey, Sergiy Korsunsky…

Turkey increases its gas export-import operations– (Trend) In January-April 2014, Turkish state-owned pipeline company BOTAS imported 15.01 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas from various sources versus 12.61 bcm in the same period of 2013, according to a message from the company…

TURKEY CRUCIAL TO TRANSPORT OF EAST MEDITERRANEAN GAS – (Daily Sabah) International Energy Agency (IEA) Chief Economist Fatih Birol has said Turkey is economically the most convenient energy line for exporting the energy resources found in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea…

Ukraine  

Energy will be more explosive than territory in Ukraine’s crisis – (The National) Last week France hosted the commemorations of the 70th anniversary of D-Day, the allied landing in Normandy that marked the beginning of the end of the Second World War. On the margins of the ceremonies, Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, shook hands with the newly elected Ukrainian leader Petro Poroshenko…

Ukraine-Russia gas row: No deal as talks to continue – (BBC News) Resolving the disagreement between Ukraine and Russia over gas prices could take days, the European Commission has said. "Maybe in next days, not tonight," EU energy commissioner Guenther Oettinger said, talking about a possible deal…

Ukraine-Russia gas-pricing dispute persists – (Al Jazeera) Eight hours of talks between Russia, Ukraine and the EU have ended without a deal on resolving a natural gas-pricing dispute between Russia and Ukraine, raising the risk of supply disruption to the EU member states…

Ukraine's energy minister says no significant progress in gas talks with Russia – (Kyiv Post) The mechanism for a gas discount for Ukraine proposed by Russia is unacceptable, therefore the last round of trilateral talks involving the EU was not fruitful enough, Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Minister Yuriy Prodan has said…

Russian gas keeps flowing to Ukraine as deadline passes – (The Globe and Mail) Natural gas supplies to Ukraine and the European Union were stable on Tuesday after a Russian deadline passed for Kiev to pay off some of its debts or face a supply cut, sources at Russian exporter Gazprom said…

Ukraine to pay debt to Russia after gas price agreed – Energy Minister – (RT) Kiev is to pay the debt for the Russian gas after the gas price is confirmed, the country’s energy and coal industry minister Yury Prodan said as talks to avoid a new round of gas war kicked off in Brussels. The stance might bring the talks to a dead end…

Russia, Ukraine, EU gas talks fail to reach deal – (RT) Russia, Ukraine and the EU have failed to reach an agreement during gas talks in Brussels. Negotiations will continue on Tuesday or Wednesday, EU Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger said after the fifth round of the three-party talks…

Air strikes by Ukrainian army leave Sloviansk without electricity – (ITAR TASS) Practically the entire town of Sloviansk in Ukraine’s southeastern Donetsk region has been left without electricity after a massive air strike staged by the Ukrainian army, a spokeswoman for the people’s mayor of Sloviansk told ITAR-TASS on Friday…

Ukraine's new pricing formula not to send electricity price in Crimea upward – (Kyiv Post) Ukraine has linked the pricing formula for electricity supplied for Crimea to that for electricity sold in the Ukrainian market, but this does not mean that the Crimean price will go up, Crimea's energy minister said…

Ukraine: shifting energy gears from east to west – (Financial Times) With pressure from the east piling up, Kiev’s pro-western government is shifting gears to more swiftly integrate its vast but financially-troubled energy sector with the west…