Albania Hopes to Become Important Energy Player in SEE – (Energetika) ʺAlbania still has many untapped water resources, and there is room for investments by foreign entrepreneurs,ʺ the minister is convinced. He mentioned that Albania is investing in energy sector transformation...

Albania Plans to Add 600 MW Hydro Capacity by 2020 – (Energetika) The minister stressed that Albania must increase its generation and transmission capacity to meet domestic energy needs, adding that there is also room for further development in the area of solar energy.Gjiknu...

Albanian government cancels the contracts with 30 power plants – (Balkan EU) The Albanian government has decided to cancel contracts for the construction and use of 30 power plants throughout the country. The licenses for these power plants were given by the government of former PM Sali Berisha…

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia's ERS cancels May power sale tender due to low bids – (Reuters) Elektroprivreda Republike Srpske (ERS) cancelled a tender for the sale of surplus electricity available for delivery in May after a single offer was deemed too low, Bosnia's second largest power utility said on Thursday…

Elektroprivreda Republike Srpske Cancels Tender for Electricity Surplus Sale – (Energetika) On 17 April, ERS published a tender for the sale of 22,320 MWh of surplus electricity in May. The bidding deadline was 22 April, SeeNews wrote, adding that the sole bid in the tender was filed by Sarajevo-based...

Bulgaria

Power line theft leaves Bulgaria’s Pleven without electricity – (Focus) Attempted theft of power line on the night of April 28 caused a fire in a cable shaft of CEZ near the railway line in the northern part of the town of Pleven led to a breakdown in the main power substation. The power substation provides electricity to nearly 12,000 subscribers of CEZ in the city. This was announced by the press center of CEZ-Bulgaria Electricity Distribution Company…

Nord Pool Spot to Operate Bulgaria's Energy Exchange – (Novinite) Nord Pool Spot, the energy exchange running Europe's largest electricity market, signed Wednesday an agreement also to manage activity at IBEX, the Independent Bulgarian Energy Exchange…

Romania and Bulgaria sign joint declaration on strengthening regional energy cooperation – (Business Review) Foreign affairs and energy ministries of Romania and Bulgaria signed a joint declaration on regional energy cooperation at the joint government meeting that took place in Craiova…

Romania, Bulgaria Sign Joint Declaration on Strengthening Regional Energy Cooperation – (Oil & Gas Eurasia) Foreign affairs and energy ministries of Romania and Bulgaria signed a joint declaration on regional energy cooperation at the joint government meeting that took place in Craiova…

No plans for Bulgarian electricity export tariff rise- regulator – (ICIS) There are currently no plans to increase Bulgaria’s electricity export tariff, according to the Bulgarian energy regulatory commission EWRC…

Turkey Ambassador Blames Bulgaria for Gas Link Delay – (Novinite) Turkey has stood ready for years to build its part of a gas interconnector to Bulgaria, the country's Ambassador to Sofia has said…

Bulgaria has reportedly inked a deal on a new “gas corridor” with Romania and Greece – (Balkans) Bulgaria has reportedly inked a deal on a new “gas corridor” with Romania and Greece which will be completed in 2018, and is expected to cut the country’s almost total dependency on Russian natural gas…

Bulgaria Says Signs Natural Gas Link Deal With Romania and Greece – (The Wall Street Journal) Bulgaria on Wednesday took a step toward reducing its dependence on Russian energy supplies by agreeing to build a link to natural gas grids in neighboring Romania and Greece, according to a senior government official…

Southern Gas Corridor of strategic importance for Bulgaria – (Azernews) The Southern Gas Corridor is of strategic importance for the EU and especially for Bulgaria and South East Europe, Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev told reporters April 28 in the sidelines of the 3rd Baku Global Shared Societies Forum in Baku…

Bulgarian President says Southern gas corridor is of strategic importance for EU – (Vestnik Kavkaza) Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev said at the 3rd Baku Global Shared Societies Forum that the Southern Gas Corridor is of strategic importance for the EU and especially for Bulgaria and South East Europe…

Bulgaria opens new tenders for Black Sea offshore oil and gas exploration – (Hellenic Shipping News) Bulgaria has opened new tenders to award five-year exploration licences for the Teres 1-22 and Silistar 1-14 offshore blocks on the Bulgarian Black Sea shelf, the country’s Energy Ministry said in a statement…

Croatia

EU state aid regulators to investigate power reserve subsidies – (Reuters) European Union regulators opened an extensive investigation on Wednesday into the way 11 European governments subsidise utilities to ensure against blackouts, concerned that such support schemes may breach state aid rules…

EU Opens Energy-Generation Compensation Inquiry – (Nasdaq) The European Union on Wednesday opened an inquiry into whether compensation for national utilities for providing extra energy-generation capacity in 11 EU countries violates the bloc's competition rules…

Subsidies to Prevent Power Blackouts Probed by EU’s Vestager – (Bloomberg Business) The European Union’s antitrust chief is starting a probe into whether subsidies governments offer power plant operators to avoid blackouts distort competition…

European Commission opens sector-wide investigation into power capacity mechanisms – (The Economic Times) European Union regulators opened an extensive investigation on Wednesday into the way European governments subsidise utilities to insure against blackouts to check that such support schemes do not breach state aid rules…

Kosovo

Zbogar: Electricitmmky price is expensive in Kosovo – (Kosovoa Press) The European Union representative in Kosovo, Samuel Zbogar, has said on Thursday in a conference organised by the Civil Society Consortium for Sustainable Development (KOSID) that the electricity price in Kosovo is expensive…

Macedonia

MACEDONIA SLAMMED FOR FAILING TO LIBERALIZE ENERGY – (Eurasia Review) Macedonia has breached its EU commitments to liberalize its energy market, the Energy Community has said, giving it only two months to rectify this failure…

EU energy body calls on Macedonia to liberalise electricity market – (dtt-net) The Energy Community yet again called on Macedonian authorities to align to the EU energy rules and liberalise fully the electricity market in the candidate country…

Secretariat requests Macedonia to rectify failure to liberalise electricity market in line with binding Energy Community deadline – (Energy Community) Today the Energy Community Secretariat submitted a Reasoned Opinion as the next step in the dispute settlement case against the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia for its postponement of electricity market opening…

Energy Community Asks FYROM to Fully Open Power Market in Two Months – (IENE) The Energy Community,a Vienna-based international energy policy organisation, said on Monday it has submitted a reasoned opinion as the next step in a dispute settlement case against FYROM for its failure to open its electricity market, requesting full market liberalisation in two months…

Montenegro

Croatia, Serbia companies at race for Montenegrin energy company – (dtt-net) Croatian and Serbian national energy companies are opting for purchase of Elektroprivreda Crne Gore (EPCG) co-owned by Montenegrin government and an Italian company…

Albania, Montenegro, Croatia companies to sign deal on EU gas pipeline stretch – (dtt-net) Main energy companies of the three countries from the Western Balkans held talks today over the Ionian-Adriatic gas pipeline project, the stretch of the Trans-Adriatic-Pipeline (TAP) which will bring Azerbaijan’s gas through Turkey, Greece and Albania to the region and the rest of the EU consumers…

Montenegrin TPP Pljevlja to Go Offline for 30-day Routine Maintenance – (IENE) Montenegrin state-controlled power utility EPCG said on Friday its 218 MW Pljevlja thermal power plant (TPP) will be taken offline on April 25 for scheduled 30-day annual maintenance…

Romania

State asks Romanian electricity distributor to revise investment plan – (Romania-Insider) The Energy Ministry rejected electricity distributor Electrica’s investment plan for 2015, in the general shareholders meeting on Tuesday, April 28…

Romania’s power surplus provides opportunity – (Interfax) Surplus electricity production and limited export capacity make Romania a peculiarity in Europe, the European Commission has said…

EC launches infringement against Romania in energy efficiency – (Business Review) The European Commission launches the infringement procedures (reasoned opinion) against Romania, Austria, Croatia, Ireland and Latvia, as these countries failed to ensure the full transposition of the Energy Efficiency Directive…

Romanian envoy highlights Azerbaijan’s role in Europe’s energy security – (Azernews) Daniel Cristian Ciobanu, the Romanian ambassador to Azerbaijan has highlighted Azerbaijan’s role for ensuring Europe’s energy security.  He delivered a speech at the international conference “Geopolitical review of the Caspian: new role for Azerbaijan”, organized in Baku by NATO International School of Azerbaijan on April 29…

Energy Authority: Gas price up by 8% in Romania this summer – (Romania-Insider) The final price of natural gas will increase from July 1 by 5 – 8% in Romania, said Niculae Havrilet, president of the country’s energy authority (ANRE)…

Kobolev says Ukraine negotiating opening corridor for gas supplies from Romania – (Kyiv Post) Ukraine has resumed the talks with Romania on the possibility of opening a corridor for natural gas shipments from that country, Naftogaz Ukrainy CEO Andriy Kobolev told journalists in Kyiv on April 23…

Household consumed natural gas is expected to increase 5-8% in Romania – (Balkans) The final price of natural gas paid by household consumers will increase by 5-8 percent as of July 1, said on Thursday Niculae Havrilet, president of the Romanian Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE), according to Mediafax…

Serbia

Renewable energy coordination meeting focuses on overcoming challenges for renewables uptake in Energy Community – (Energy Community) The two-day event “Progress in the Promotion of Renewable Energy in the European Community” took stock of the state of play of implementing the Renewable Energy Directive in the Energy Community Contracting Parties and assessed how existing barriers to the uptake of renewables could be overcome…

Serbian Montenegrin Bosnian Power TSOs Set Up Security Coordination Center – (IENE) Serbian state-owned power grid operator Elektromreze Srbije (EMS) and its Bosnian and Montenegrin counterparts, HOS BiH and CGES, have signed an agreement to set up a Security Coordination Center (SCC), EMS said on Thursday…

Serbia’s EPS Electricity Output Falls 14.6% in 2014 – (IENE) Serbian state-owned power utility Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) said on Thursday its electricity output fell 14.6% to 31,963 GWh in 2014.  Record floods damaged the Balkan state's energy infrastructure in May last year, disrupting power production and the operation of coal mines that supply EPS' biggest power stations…

Serbia Tenders Feasibility Study, Concept Design For Kostolac Wind Park – (IENE) Serbian state-owned energy utility EPS has invited bids for a consultant on a feasibility study and concept design for a project for the construction of a wind park in the central town of Kostolac…

Serbia's TENT TPP Reconnects to Grid B1 Unit, B2 Offline for Routine Repairs – (IENE) Serbia's biggest power generating complex, TENT, said on Monday it has reconnected to the grid its 650 MW B1 unit, which was taken offline in March for a regular overhaul…

Armenia

Armenia’s wind energy potential estimated at 250-400 megawatts, deputy minister says – (ARKA) Armenia’s wind energy potential is estimated at 250-400 megawatts, including 250 proven megawatts, deputy energy and natural resources minister Areg Galstyan told a parliament Q&A session today…

Deputy Minister: Energy unit of Armenian NPP will be ready by 2026 – (News.AM) New energy unit of Armenia's nuclear power plant will be ready by 2026, Deputy Energy Minister Areg Galstyan said in parliament on Wednesday…

Armenia plans to commission up to 70 megawatt solar power stations by 2025 – (ARKA) Armenia plans to commission up to 70 megawatt solar power stations by 2025, deputy energy and natural resources minister Areg Galstyan told a parliament Q&A session today…

Agreement on Extension of NPP Energy Block Exploitation discussed in Armenia’s Parliament – (ARMENPRESS) The National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia discusses the Agreement on Extension of Energy Block Exploitation of Armenia’s Nuclear Power Plant…

Armenia’s Energy Deputy Minister: Armenian NPP has got investors – (News.AM) Perspectives of investments in the new Armenian nuclear power plant unit are already emerging, Energy and Natural Resources Deputy Minister Areg Galstyan said in the Parliament Wednesday, when presenting the draft of the financial agreement with Russia on prolonging the Armenian NPP operation ($270 loan and grant of $30 million)…

Deputy energy minister has no information about alleged rise in electricity price – (ARKA) Armenian deputy minister of energy and natural resources Areg Galstyan said today he had no information that Armenia’s Russian-owned Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA) power distribution company is going to ask the Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC) to allow it to raise the price of electricity…

Russia to reduce gas price for Armenia – (ARMENPRESS) An agreement on discount for the gas tariff for Armenia has been reached at the course of the meeting with the President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan with the Chairman of the Management Committee of OAO Gazprom…

Russia Agrees To Deeper Gas Price Discount For Armenia – (Azatutyun) Gazprom has agreed to cut the price of its natural gas delivered to Armenia, the chief executive of the state-owned Russian gas monopoly announced on Tuesday following negotiations with the Armenian government…

Armenia needs 30% energy resources to reach out Russia – (News.AM) Prior to moving to the parallel regime of electric power system of Georgia, and via it to that of Russia, Armenia will have to save roughly 30 per cent of energy power capacity in its stock pile, Energy and Natural Resources Deputy Minister Areg Galstyan said in the Parliament Wednesday, when presenting the draft of the financial agreement with Russia on prolonging the Armenian NPP operation (USD $270 loan and grant of USD $30 million)… 

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan starts assessment of mass electricity export efficiency – (ABC.AZ) Azerbaijan starts assessment of mass electricity export efficiency.  Today all conditions are ready for such export.  The material is distributed only on private subscription conditions. If you are interested in it please contact the Marketing Service of Fineko Agency…

Baku Invites Kazakhstan to Join Trans - Anatolian Pipeline – (IENE) Kazakhstan can surely take part in the construction of the Trans-Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) that will transport Caspian natural gas to Europe, Ambassador of Azerbaijan in Astana Zakir Gashimov told New Europe in an interview…

Daniel Ciobanu: Azerbaijan plays important role in increasing European energy – (News.Az) Ambassador of Romania to Azerbaijan, Daniel Cristian Ciobanu made the remarks Wednesday at the international conference “Geopolitical Review of the Caspian: new role for Azerbaijan”, organized in Baku by NATO International School of Azerbaijan, APA reports…

Azerbaijan is Only New Source of Natural Gas for Europe, Aliyev Says – (Oil & Gas Eurasia) For Europe, Azerbaijan is the only new source of natural gas, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said, speaking at the opening of the 3rd Baku Global Shared Societies Forum in Azerbaijani capital Baku on April 28…

ADB to assist in developing Azerbaijan's energy supply – (Azernews) Azerbaijan urged international organizations, such as the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank, to render financial assistance to improve the country's energy supply…

Azerbaijan insists on shale oil and gas production – (Azernews) Azerbaijan, the second-largest oil producer in the former Soviet Union, has a potential to produce oil and gas from shale, said Khoshbakht Yusifzade, the first vice-president of Azerbaijan’s energy giant SOCAR on April 29 in Baku…

Azerbaijan believes that it can produce more than 25 cu m of gas from Shah-Deniz-2 – (ABC.AZ) Azerbaijan will be able to maintain current volumes of gas production for 90 years more.  According to Natig Aliyev, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Energy, Azerbaijan implements all the programs on development of the oil and gas sector…

Azerbaijan announces total volume of oil and gas reserves – (APA) Today, Azerbaijan’s oil reserves make 2 bln tonnes, said the SOCAR first Vice-President Khoshbakht Yusifzade.  According to him, Azerbaijan’s proven gas reserves make 2.550 bcm: “Moreover, we have forecast reserves. Total gas reserves together with gas condensates in Zefer and Meshel, Asiman-Shafag, Nakhchivan structures make 6 trillion cm…

Turkey could triple Azeri gas buying by 2026 – (Today’s Zaman) Plans call for the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) to initially carry 16 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas a year by mid-2018. Some 6 bcm of that will be for Turkey, with the rest transiting to Europe. "Once the flow in the pipeline reaches 31 bcm, Turkey will be able to buy 21 bcm of this if it wants to. Both BOTAS or Turkish private companies can buy this," Saltuk Düzyol said in an interview…

Turkey could triple Azeri gas buying via TANAP by 2026 – (Reuters) Turkey could more than triple its purchases of Azeri natural gas once the planned $10 billion TANAP pipeline reaches full capacity in 2026, the general manager of the project told Reuters on Wednesday…

Georgia

Georgia reduces imports of Azerbaijani products – (EIN News Desk) Georgia imported products amounting to $150.7 million from Azerbaijan in January-March 2015 or by 16.6 percent less than in the same period of 2014, the Georgian National Statistics Service’s report on foreign trade as of Jan.-March 2015 said…

Moldova

Moldova Energy and Biomass Project has been introduced to the Energy Community at a Reunion held in Vienna – (AEE) The Energy and Biomass Project has been introduced today to the European Energy Community as a Model Project aimed at promoting and accessing the renewable energy sources, being funded by the European Union…

Turkey

New electricity transmission system to come on stream in Turkey – (Caspian Energy) Turkey aims to see out 2015 with a new electricity transmission system which will have a capacity of 4,000 megawatts, Turkey's Energy and Natural Resources Minister said in a statement on Monday, Caspian Energy News (www.caspianenergy.net) reports with reference to Anadolu Agency…

Turkey aims to upgrade its energy grid technology – (Daily Sabah) Science, Industry and Technology Minister Fikri Işık said that Turkey would produce twice as much energy as it currently does by 2023; therefore, it is necessary to transform current networks into smart networks based on information and communication technologies…

Falling energy prices could squeeze Turkey-SEE cross-border trading – (ICIS) Falling energy prices in Turkey could pare cross-border trading profits to wafer-thin levels and change market dynamics in the region in the medium term, traders in southeast Europe said…

Why Turkey won't go nuclear – (Qantara) In this analysis, George Perkovich and Sinan Ulgen explain why Turkey is working hard to build its nuclear energy programme, but is not interested in developing a nuclear weapons system…

Minister: Turkey ‘courageous’ enough to have nuclear plant – (Hurriyet Daily News) Turkey is not less courageous than other countries which have nuclear power plants, the country’s energy minister has said, as concerns lingered over the safety of Turkey’s first nuclear power plant, which is being constructed in the southern province of Mersin…

Turkey aims to benefit from biomass energy – (Daily Sabah) Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yıldız said three large biomass facilities will open next month, adding that solar energy licenses for a combined capacity of around 600 megawatts would be submitted to their addresses by the end of this month as well…

Turkey: Natural gas imports up 9.8 percent in February – (Hellenic Shipping News) Turkey’s natural gas imports increased by 9.83 percent to 4.7 billion cubic meters compared to February 2014. The Energy Market Regulation Board (EPDK) announced the Natural Gas Market Sector Report for February…

Kurdish regional gov’t to raise oil exports to Turkey – (Hurriyet Daily News) The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq will increase its oil exports to Turkey and deliver up to 625,000 barrels per day starting from June, an official from the KRG parliament announced on April 29…

Ukraine

Forest fire near Ukraine's Chernobyl nuclear zone under control: Prime Minister – (Reuters) Ukrainian fire fighters have contained a large forest fire that threatened to spread toward the abandoned Chernobyl nuclear power plant and radiation levels in the area are normal, Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk said on Wednesday…

AP: Ukraine says radiation levels not affected by Chornobyl fire –(Ukraine Today) There has been no change in background radiation levels in the Ukrainian capital as a result of nighttime fires in woodlands in the exclusion zone around the destroyed Chornobyl nuclear power plant, Ukrainian authorities said Wednesday…

Chernobyl disaster: Ukraine marks 29 years since worst nuclear accident in history – (ABC News) Ukrainians have marked 29 years since the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, placing wreaths and candles near the plant where work to lay a new seal over the reactor site has been delayed…

Ukraine must stop fraud on its energy market - EU Commissioner Hahn – (Kyiv Post) EU Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn has urged Ukraine to bring its energy efficiency in line with EU standards…

European, U.S. energy companies interested in privatization in Ukraine – energy minister – (Interfax-Ukraine) European and American energy companies have shown interest in the privatization of Ukrainian energy assets and could participate in their privatization, Energy and Coal Industry Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Demchyshyn told reporters while commenting on meetings held as part of the International Support for Ukraine Conference in Kyiv on Tuesday…

Naftogaz accuses Gazprom of thwarting merger of Ukraine's energy systems with neighbors – (Kyiv Post) Naftogaz Ukrainy has said that Gazprom is hampering the process of merging Ukraine's energy systems with those of its European Union neighbors, which could help start virtual reverse flows of natural gas…

Gazprom hampering Ukraine connection to Europe – Naftogaz – (Interfax) Naftogaz Ukrainy said Gazprom is hampering the process of merging Ukraine’s energy systems with its EU neighbours, which could help start virtual reverse flows of gas…

European Commission vice president for energy to visit Ukraine on April 27-28 – (Kyiv Post) Vice President of the European Commission for Energy Maros Sefcovic will visit Ukraine on April 27-28, and Turkmenistan on April 28, according to the European Commission website…

European Commission: Ukraine may become energy hub – (Ukrinform) Following the successful implementation of the energy saving and efficiency program Ukraine can transform from being importer into becoming natural gas exporter…

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