Albania

Albanian government calls CEZ Distribution to meet contractual obligations – (Hydroworld) Albanian finance minister Ridvan Bode has called the country's single energy distribution company CEZ Distribution to fulfill the contractual obligations of its privatisation contract signed in 2009, local TV Top Channel reported…

Wholesale Electricity Trading In Albania: A Basic Primer To Electricity And Gas Wholesale Trading – (Mondaq) Albania has undergone deep reforms to adapt and open its electricity market to competition and to align the legal framework to the EU legislation…

Italy, Greece, Albania sign MoU for Trans-Adriatic Pipeline – (New Europe) An accord for building the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) that will carry Azerbaijani gas across Greece, Albania to Italy, which was signed in New York on 27 September, will give fresh impetus to the project, officials said… 

Vetro Energy rated best to buy Albanian oil firm – (Reuters) A bid of 850 million euros ($1.1 billion) by U.S.-based Vetro Energy has been rated as the best offer for Albania's state-owned oil firm, an official said on Friday…

Albania to use the proceeds from a planned sale of oil and gas rights to reduce government debt – (Balkans) The International Monetary Fund has told Albania to use the proceeds from a planned sale of oil and gas rights to reduce its government debt, which it warned had risen to levels that could pose risks to economic stability, newswires reported…

Albania plans to expand its energy sector – (Balkans) Albania pressed on with its efforts to expand its energy sector as the EBRD announced a loan for renewable projects, Russia's RusHydro paid a visit and the government approved a deal to build the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) gas project…

Bulgaria

Bulgaria sticks to green energy fees despite protests – (Sofia Globe) Amid continued protests by renewable energy companies against the power grid connection fees introduced in September, the head of Bulgaria’s energy regulator has warned that power producers might pay even higher amounts once the regulator has collected enough data to set the final size of the fee… 

Bulgaria sells 96.26% of energy distributor E.ON’s shares – (Focus) Bulgaria’s Privatisation and Post-privatisation Control Agency sold 96.26% of the shares of E.ON Bulgaria Networks (Energo-Pro Networks) launched for sale in the first day of the session of the Bulgarian Stock Exchange, the press office of the agency announced…

Bulgaria Energy Minister Vows Transparent Talks with US Tie-In Eying Belene NPP – (Novinite) Delyan Dobrev, Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism, expects a response next week from the US Department of Energy on Global Power Consortium, the US tie-in interested in building the Belene NPP… 

Bulgaria May Raise at Least $165 Million From Asset Sales – (Bloomberg Business Week) Bulgaria, struggling to keep a narrow budget deficit to contain the fallout from the euro-debt crisis, plans to raise at least 250 million lev ($165 million) from asset sales this year… 

Bulgaria's Parliament Turns Down Belene NPP Hearing of PM – (Novinite) Bulgaria's Parliament has turned down a request for a hearing of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov on issues related to the Belene NPP project… 

Bulgarian Ex-EU Commissioner Proposes Moratorium on Belene NPP – (Novinite) The Bulgarian government should impose a moratorium on the Belene NPP project until an overall energy strategy is drafted, according to Meglena Kuneva, former EU Commissioner and leader of the Bulgaria for Citizens party… 

Sofia denies South Stream fee claims – (UPI) The Bulgarian minister of economy challenged claims on the South Stream natural gas pipeline by saying transit fees would be secured…

There huge reserves in energy efficiency in Bulgaria and they should be used: Commissioner Georgieva – (Focus) There are huge reserves in energy efficiency in Bulgaria and we should use them, European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Kristalina Georgieva told journalists after the opening of the new academic year in Rakovski Defense Academy, FOCUS News Agency…

Bosnia

Bosnia's EPS, RWE unit in joint 210 MW hydro power project – (Reuters) Bosnian utility EPRS and RWE Innogy, a unit of Germany's second-largest utility RWE signed a joint venture deal on Wednesday to build four hydro power plants on Bosnia's Drina river with a combined capacity of 210 megawatts… 

Bosnia: Signing of USAID 3E to be organized in Srebrenica – (Balkans) The signing of the USAID 3E project will take place on Thursday, September 27, 2012 in the Srebrenica Municipality building, at 12,00 hours. The Letter of Commitment will be signed by the representatives of USAID 3E project, UNDP BiH and Municipality Srebrenica…

Bosnia EPBiH extends bidding for 450 MW coal-fired unit – (Reuters) Bosnian power utility EPBiH has extended by two weeks to Sept. 28 the deadline for submission of non-binding bids for the construction of a 450 megawatt coal-fired unit at its Tuzla power plant…

Croatia

Croatia Receives $130 Million for New Development – (world Property Channel) Things are looking up for Croatia, a largely Roman Catholic country in Central Europe with an estimated population of 4.29 million…

Kosovo

World Bank making poverty worse in Kosovo – (Bretton Woods Project) Before joining civil society organisations (CSOs), I worked for Kosovo’s state-owned power company for many years. During my time there I learned how the coal industry works and how much it negatively affects every segment of our lives… 

Kosovo to Decommission Biggest Regional Air Polluter – (Turkish Weekly) The Kosovo government pledged to shut down one of the country's two thermal power plants, which is the biggest air polluter in the region and build a new one, but some experts are concerned the country may not meet the 2017 deadline… 

Eptisa wins World Bank energy efficiency contract in Kosovo – (Environment Analyst) Following on from its recent securing of a major EU-funded water management commission in Kosovo (Environment Analyst 18-Sep-12) Spanish-based multidisciplinary consultancy Eptisa has been appointed by the World Bank to compile an energy efficiency study within the country’s building sector…

Macedonia

FYR Macedonia will invest nearly 1.2 billion euros in the energy sector in the next 5 years – (Balkans) In the next five years, FYR Macedonia will invest nearly 1.2 billion euros in the energy sector…

Macedonia Terminates Sixth Unsuccessful Tender for $908 Million USD Hydro Project – (OOSKANews) The Macedonian government has canceled its its sixth attempt to tender the $908 million USD contract to build and manage the Cebren and Galiste hydropower plants on the Crna Reka (River) last week…

Montenegro

Montenegro: EPCG to cut KAP's electricity supply on 30 September – (Balkans) On 30 September, Elektroprivreda (EPCG) will stop supplying electricity to the Aluminium Plant Podgorica (KAP), the power company announced…. 

Montenegro's EPCG requests KAP to pay EUR 50mn debt by Sept 15 – (Balkans) Montenegro's power utility EPCG requested aluminium producer KAP to pay its debt by September 15, 2012, portalanalitika.me informed…

Romania

Romania's electricity market operator OPCOM opens special trade floor for large power users – (Balkans) Romania's electricity market operator OPCOM discusses with the interested players the setup of a special platform designed for the large industrial end-users, Adevarul daily reported… 

MECMA aims to connect national electricity market to European market by the end of 2014 – (ActMedia) The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Business Milieu (MECMA) targets a memorandum to connect the national electricity market to the European electricity market by the end of 2014, said Alexandru Sandulescu, director within MECMA, on Wednesday during a thematic conference…

Greenpeace activists mount a banner on the facade of Romania's Economy ministry in Bucharest – (trust.Org) Greenpeace activists mount a banner on the facade of Romania's Economy ministry in Bucharest September 19, 2012. The activists protested against the Romanian government's plans to build new coal-fired power plants, urging officials to consider more sustainable power resources… 

EBRD Studies Loan for Romanian Wind Farm Sought by ERG, Lukoil – (Bloomberg) The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is considering a loan for a Romanian wind farm being bought by a joint venture between Italy’s ERG SpA (ERG) and Russia’s OAO Lukoil…

New strategic investment plan could provide EUR 50 bln for EU infrastructure projects – (Romania Insider) Business leaders and policy makers in Europe have expressed strong support for the European Commission’s (EC) Connecting Europe Strategic Investment Plan during a meeting in Brussels, the EC announced yesterday (October 2 )…

Serbia

EBRD honours companies with best energy projects in Serbia – (Financial) In its drive to promote energy savings and renewable energy solutions in Serbia, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is honouring companies that have substantially cut their energy costs, enhanced their production and become more competitive… 

Serbia's PM announces works on the construction of gas interconnection between Serbia and Bulgaria – (Balkans) Serbia's Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Ivica Dacic has announced the works on the construction of gas interconnection between Serbia and Bulgaria, from Nis via Dimitrovgrad to Sofia… 

SERBIA READY FOR THE DIALOGUE – (M-M@G) Aleksandar Vulin says that talks on Kosovo will be technical, not political, and they should include the electricity situation and telecommunications… 

Serbia Seeks 10% Russian Gas Price Cut Next Year – (RiaNovosti) Serbia expects Russian energy giant Gazprom to cut the price of natural gas supplies next year by a further 10 percent, Srbijagas CEO Dusan Bajatovic said on Monday… 

Serbia "moving toward" energy efficiency – (B92) Minister of Energy, Development and Environment Zorana Mihajlović says it would take "some time to issue a significant number of energy passports"…

Serbia and Bulgaria to Build Gas Pipeline, Diversify Supply – (Bloomberg) Serbia and Bulgaria will build natural gas pipeline, linking networks and improving energy security for both countries that now have single supply routes… 

Serbia presents priorities during presidency over the Energy Community in 2013 – (Balkans) Minister of Energy, Development and Environmental Protection Zorana Mihajlovic stated during the talks with Deputy Director of the Directorate for Energy of the European Commission Fabrizio Barbaso and Director of the Energy Community Secretariat Slavtcho Neykov that Serbia pays special attention to energy safety of the region…

Armenia

Natural gas price negotiations not yet over – Armenian Premier – (News.am) Armenia’s Energy and Natural Resources Ministry is continuing its talks with the Russian side, in connection with the price of natural gas being supplied to Armenia, PM Tigran Sargsyan announced at the National Assembly on Wednesday… 

Start date of hydropower station construction on Armenian-Iranian border to be determined in late October – (Trend) The deputy minister also said that the joint energy programmes with Iran are urgent for Armenia. However, the economic consequences of... 

Joint energy programs with Iran a priority for Armenia – (Tehran Times) Joint energy programs with Iran are a priority for Armenia, Deputy Energy Minister Ara Simonyan said in the parliament on Saturday…

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan restores operation of energy system – (Trend) Details added about the work on eliminating power outage and activity of banking system… 

Azerbaijan ready to start exporting electricity to Europe, despite today’s energy collapse – (ABC.AZ) Baku, Fineko/abc.az. Azerbaijan is ready to start exporting electricity to Europe, in spite of today’s energy collapse, that has affected up to 40% of the country’s territory…

Major events in Caspian countries' oil and gas industry for week – (Trend) According to the forecasts, around 45-47 million tons of oil will be extracted in Azerbaijan in 2012, head of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Industry and Energy's office Rasim Mammadov said… 

Azerbaijan’s energy operator to eliminate accident consequences – (Trend) Azerenerji is conducting repairs on a thermal power station in Mingachevir, was reported to Trend… 

Adriatic Pipeline MOU Signed – (The Moscow Times) Europe moved a step closer to loosening Russia's grip on European Union energy supplies after Italy, Albania and Greece signed an agreement supporting the construction of a pipeline to deliver gas from Azerbaijan. 

U.S., EU work closely on Azerbaijani gas supplies to Europe – (Trend) "We attach great importance to the cooperation with Azerbaijan in energy sector, including the development of Southern Gas Corridor, which.. 

Half of Azerbaijan left without electricity after lightning strike – (Hydro World) A stroke of lightning that hit a substation of the Mingyachevir Hydroelectric Power Plant in Azerbaijan caused a breakdown of several power units, leaving almost half of Azerbaijan's territory without electricity… 

TANAP construction to be great step forward for Azerbaijan – (Trend) step forward for Azerbaijan, leading expert of the Heritage Foundation for Russian and Eurasian Studies and International Energy Policy and... 

Until 2020 alternative sources to produce 20% of Azerbaijan's energy – (News.AZ) Despite the presence of large hydrocarbon reserves, Azerbaijan attaches great importance to the development of alternative energy sources… 

Problems with electricity observed in Baku and regions of Azerbaijan – (Trend) Most of Baku and regions of Azerbaijan experience problems with electricity at approximately 7:00 am (local time). According to preliminary version, problems with electricity occurred as a result of power generation failure…

Georgia

TBC Bank and EBRD Sign a USD 10 Million Loan Agreement – (The Messenger Online) TBC Bank and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) have concluded a USD 10 million loan agreement under the Caucasus Energy Efficiency Program (CEEP)…

Moldova

Wholesale Electricity Trading In Moldova: A Basic Primer To Electricity And Gas Wholesale Trading – (Energy and Natural Resources) In May 2010 Moldova became a fully fledged signatory of the Energy Community Treaty.1 The general objective of the Energy Community Treaty is to create a stable regulatory framework in the EU neighbouring countries aligned with EU energy policies… 

€5 million to Moldindconbank for residential energy efficiency in Moldova – (Financial) The EBRD is continuing to support Moldovan households in increasing residential energy efficiency by providing a €5 million loan to Moldindconbank for on-lending to private individuals and condominium associations… 

Moldova Rejects Russia's Gas Ultimatum – (Turkish Weekly) Moscow's warning to Moldova to give up its co-operation with the EU in return for cheaper Russian gas was met with reticence in Chisinau and drew alarm calls from economic analysts who ruled out any possibility that the former Soviet republic will yield to the ultimatum…

Russia

Russia and Bulgaria fall out over Belene nuclear plant – (Telegraph) Bulgaria's decision to abandon construction of the Belene nuclear plant, which Russia’s state energy company Rosatom was building, could damage its economy and the environment… 

EU-Russia Energy Forum: no industrial alternative to gas energy – (ABC.AZ) Baku, Fineko/abc.az. The 3rd Russian-European Energy Forum has come to conclusions which are interesting from angle of the Azerbaijan’s fuel & energy complex prospects… 

Russia, Ukraine begin joint nuclear fuel plant project – (Europe Online Magazine) Kiev (dpa) - Russia and Ukraine on Thursday began construction on a nuclear fuel production facility in a project worth 460 million dollars… 

Russian utilities: back to square one – (Beyondbrics)  Its back to the drawing board for Russia’s utilities reform.  The Russian government admitted at the end of last week reforms designed to set the regulated tariff rates have been driving badly needed investors away from the sector…

 

Russian energy consumption up 0.9% in Sept – (Cogeneration) Energy consumption in Russia rose 0.9% year-on-year to 76.9 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) in September, OJSC UES Systems Operator (SO UES) said in a statement… 

Russia Energy Profile: Holds World’s Largest Natural Gas Reserves – (Eurasia Review) Russia is a major producer and exporter of oil and natural gas and its economy largely depends on energy exports… 

Lithuania suing Russian energy giant Gazprom – (Euobserver) Lithuania has highlighted that Russian energy giant Gazprom is facing a series of billion-euro lawsuits on alleged price-fixing, as well as the recently-opened European Commission probe… 

Russia discusses Arctic oil licenses for foreign companies – (Rt) Russia is considering allowing foreign oil companies not only to operate on its Arctic shelf, but also to own licenses for exploration in the country’s Arctic waters… 

Poland trims Russian influence with Qatar gas loan deal – (EurActiv) Poland sent a clear message of moving away from its dependence to Russia on Thursday (4 October), when it secured the final investments needed to start construction of its first liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, expected to start importing gas from Qatar in 2014…

Turkey

Turkish Energy Demand Indicators to 2020 Published – (Turkish Weekly) Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources has published indicators of natural gas and oil demand till 2020…

Azeri gas flow resumes apart from in Sarikamis area-Turkey energy min – (Reuters) Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz told Reuters the gas flow from Azerbaijan resumed on a pipeline carrying natural gas from the Shah Deniz field to Turkey on Thursday, apart from in the Sarikamis area in eastern Turkey's Kars province….

Turkish ministry: Explosion on Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline a terror act – (Trend) An explosion on the Turkish section of the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline transporting Azerbaijani gas to Turkey took place as a result of a terror act, the Turkish ministry of energy and natural resources told Trend on Thursday. Last time the explosion hit this pipeline was on May 29, 2012.

Zorlu plans $1 bln energy investment in Turkey over 2 years – (Reuters) Turkish energy company Zorlu Enerji is planning investments of some $1 billion in Turkey's energy sector in the next two years and could issue stock or make a disposal to finance the plan, its general manager said…

Turkish bonds, lira little changed after energy price hikes – (Business Recorder) Turkish bond prices and the lira were close to flat on Monday, showing little reaction to hikes in natural gas and electricity prices that, while steep, were less harsh than expected…

Ukraine

DTEK starts up Botievo wind farm – (Power Engineering) Ukraine's biggest vertically integrated energy holding, DTEK, has launched the Botievo Wind Power Station (wind farm) in Zaporizhzhya Region…

Rosatom to Build Nuclear Fuel Plant in Ukraine – (The Moscow Times) Nuclear industry officials from Russia and Ukraine broke ground on a new nuclear fuel manufacturing plant in Ukraine on Thursday…

Rada puts off consideration of change in rules on renewable energy market until October 16 – (Power Engineering) The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, on Tuesday instructed its committee for fuel and energy to prepare for second reading on October 16 draft law No. 10183, which considerably changes the conditions of operation on the renewable energy market…

Poland Offers Import Capacity for 220 Megawatts of Ukraine Power – (Bloomberg) Poland’s power grid manager PSE Operator SA offered 220 megawatts of capacity to import electricity via a link with Ukraine in November, the company said on its website…

Ukraine’s DTEK Plans to Sell Coal to China as the Economy Slows – (Bloomberg Business Week) DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private coal and power producer, hopes to expand coal sales to China as the world’s second-largest economy slows and demand declines…

Ukraine nuclear fuel plant to boost energy security – (EurActiv) Russia and Ukraine began yesterday (4 October) the construction on a nuclear fuel plant. Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said the plant will contribute to the country’s energy independence and experts commented that the new facility was good news for East European countries with Russia-built nuclear reactors…

Concorde Capital Research: DTEK commissions its first wind power station – (Financial CBonds) Integrated energy holding DTEK (DTEUA) completed the construction of 20 wind turbines with a total capacity of 60 MW at its Botievo Wind Power Station…

Ukrainian president emphasizes development of renewable energy – (NZweek) Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych on Thursday emphasized the need to develop renewable energy technologies in order to improve the country’s environment…

Ukraine starts construction of 750kV power transmission line – (Utilities Network) Ukraine has begun construction of a 353km power line with transmission capacity of 750kV - a move that would help the country stabilise electricity supply to central Ukraine, Kyiv and Odesa…

EIB funds hydro upgrades in Ukraine – (International Water Power) The European Investment Bank (EIB) has announced it is lending EUR200M to finance the ambitious UkrHydroEnergo programme focused on modernising and upgrading hydropower resources in Ukraine…

EBRD to finance solar power plants in Ukraine – (ForUm) The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development will lend Rengy Development Company for the construction and commissioning of solar power plants in Vinnytsia region, Ukraine…

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to finance its first solar energy project in Ukraine – (KyivPost) The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is to provide a loan to Rengy Development to build and launch solar power facilities in Vinnytsia region…

 

   

 

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.