Albania

ČEZ strategist has his plate full – (The Prague Post) There can be few people in the Czech Republic with as much on their plate as Pavel Cyrani, the chief strategy officer for ČEZ…

 TAP gets status of “National Importance” in Albania – (Trend) The Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) has been granted the status of "National Importance" by the National Territorial Council chaired by Albanian Prime Minister, Sali Berisha, TAP website reported…

 Albania seeks rehabilitation, modernization of 14 dams – (Hydroworld) Albania's Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Consumer Protection invites expressions of interest from consultants to supervise rehabilitation and modernization of 14 dams during 2013 and 2014. Responses are due January 17, 2013…

 CEZ: Needs Albanian Consent to Sell Local Unit, Damages Unclear ( Fox Business) Czech utility CEZ AS (BAACEZ.PR) Thursday said it must resolve disagreements with the Albanian government to sell its troubled distribution subsidiary there, but stopped short of recognizing claims that it must pay compensation…

 CEZ puts troubled Albanian unit on the block – (bne) With the Albanian energy regulator due to rule on a request by the government to revoke CEZ's operating license in the country, the Czech utility said on December 17 that it is putting its troubled Albanian subsidiary up for sale…

Bulgaria

Bulgarian metallurgists’ biggest problem is high electricity price: association chief – (Focus) The biggest problem metallurgists encounter every day in Bulgaria is the high electricity price, because metallurgy is an energy-consuming industry, Bulgarian Association of Metallurgic Industry Executive Director Politimi Paunova said in an interview with FOCUS News Agency…

 EC Probes Grid Fee for Bulgarian Renewable Energy Producers – (Novinite) The European Commission is examining the legality of the grid access fee for renewable electricity producers introduced by Bulgaria's State Commission for Energy and Water Regulation (DKEVR) in September…

 Pre-project studies on Bulgarian-Serbian gas connection finalized – (Focus) Bulgarian Deputy Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism Evgeniya Haritonova will take part in a press conference dedicated to the finalisation of the pre-project studies on the Bulgarian-Serbian gas connection, the press office of the Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism announced…

 Bulgaria’s electricity production up 13.2% in November vs October – (Focus) In November 2012 compared to October 2012 an increase is reported for the production of liquefied petroleum gases - by 9.1% to 12 thousand tonnes; as well as for production of electricity - by 13.2% to 3 851 GWh, Bulgaria’s National Statistical Institute announced…

 Bulgaria’s nuclear referendum: Official campaigning opens, with a month to go – (Sofia Globe) December 27 2012 sees the opening of the official campaigning period ahead of Bulgaria’s national referendum, a process that will cost close to 14 million leva (about seven million euro) and that critics deride as deliberately meaningless…

Bosnia

Total production of electricity in Bosnia and Herzegovina's Republic Srpska drops in 2012 – (Balkans) Total production of electricity in the Republic Srpska in 2012 will be slightly smaller than last year and five percent smaller than planned – said General Director of “Electric Power Industry of RS” Branislava Milekić. Milekić specified that hydro power plants achieved only 79 percent of planned production, while thermal power plants have surpassed the plan for seven percent…

 EBRD Invests in Renewable Energy in Bosnia and Herzegovina – (ELP) The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development issued the following news release: With a single investment in renewable energy, the EBRD is helping Bosnian pulp and paper producer Natron Hayat generate electricity and save money while also cutting its carbon emissions and reducing the environmental impact of the waste it produces…

 Bosnia and Herzegovina's TPP “Ugljevik” reports record amount of produced electricity – (Balkans) Director of Mines and Thermal Power Plant / TPP / “Ugljevik” Anto Gajic said that this year a record amount of electricity was produced, 98 percent of the total year’s plan, and a profit of eight million CM is expected…

 Bosnia and Herzegovina: Increasing energy efficiency in public facilities could save EUR420 million per year – (Balkans) Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Sarajevo by US Agency for International Development (USAID), German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), UN Development Program (UNDP) and EU Delegation to BiH on cooperation of donors active in area of energy efficiency in BiH…

EFT gets Chinese loan for 300 MW Bosnia coal-fired plant – (Reuters) Energy Financing Team (EFT) said it had received the first tranche of a 350 million euro loan from the China Development Bank to help fund the start of construction in spring of a 300 megawatt (MW) coal-fired plant in northern Bosnia…

 Bosnia and Herzegovina: TTP Ugljevik 600MW and HPP Mrsovo constructions to start in 2013 – (Balkans) TTP „Ugljevik“ 600MW and Hydro Power Plant “Mrsovo” constructions are announced to start in 2013. Investments are worth 1 billion euros. Company “Comsar Energy” got concession for it…

Croatia

Croatia to unbundle electricity TSO from HEP by 1 July 2013  -(ICIS) Croatia will unbundle its electricity transmission operator (TSO) HEP Operator Prijenosnog Sustava (HEP-OPS) from state-owned utility HEP by 1 July 2013…

 National energy operator plans HRK 27 bln in investments by 2016 – (Dalje) Croatia's national power operator HEP by 2016 plans to construct and refurbish its existing plants with investments valued at HRK 27 billion, reduce its number of employees by about 3,000 through restructuring and cut operating costs by HRK 2.2 billion, CEO Zlatko Koracevic said on Friday at a presentation of the company's business plan 2012-2016…

 Croatia plans $4.8 bln in power investments by 2017 – (Reuters) Croatian state power board HEP plans to invest more than 27 billion kuna ($4.76 billion) in electricity generation to become self-sufficient in power by 2017, Chief Executive Zlatko Koracevic said on Friday…

Macedonia

Macedonia's Balkan Energy Group, ELEM-MEPSO eye Skopje heating energy market – media – (COSPP) Macedonia's Balkan Energy Group and three firms set up by state-owned power transmission operator MEPSO and power producer ELEM plan to enter the heating energy market of the capital Skopje, on which the only player is local heating utility Toplifikacija, local media reported.

 Macedonia gets three candidates for Skopje district heating licences – (COSPP) Three candidates have applied for licences to providing district heating to the Macedonian capital city of Skopje, Dnevnik daily reported. Bids were invited after Skopje-based heating utility Toplifikacija gave up its licence for producing, distributing and supplying heating energy, reportedly due to the lack of financing for this activity…

Romania

Romania's electricity prices to go up 6% in January 2013 – (Balkans) The electricity prices will go up by 6 percent next month as the energy regulator (ANRE) has recognized higher costs of state-owned producers…

Romanian power market operator OPCOM trades almost 1 mln green certificates in 2012 – (Romania Insider) Over 30,000 green certificates were traded in the first session in December 2012 on the Centralized Green Certificate Market, according to data published by the Romanian power market operator OPCOM…

3 New Wind Farms For Romania – (Energy Matters) 3 new wind farms have been grid-connected in Romania; which will add an extra 206MW of wind capacity hosted in the country…

Black Sea "Perfect Storm" Damages Romanian Nuke Plant, Wind Farm  -(Oilprice) Unprecedented storm wreaks havoc on Romania’s energy sector – yet another sign of changing global weather patterns?..

Romania opens Europe’s biggest onshore wind farm – (PEI) The CEZ Romania-owned wind park is powered by 240 GE turbines and is the largest onshore wind power project on the planet…

Enel commences operations at three wind farms in Romania – (Energy Business Review) Italian renewable energy company Enel Green Power has connected three wind farms in the Dobrogea region of Romania to the national grid thereby commencing commercial operations…

Naming of Romania’s Energy Regulation Agency management triggers European criticism – Romania Insider) The recent naming of Romania’s National Regulation Energy Authority (ANRE) general management triggered criticism from high up in the European Commission… 

Serbia

Serbia, Switzerland reportedly in biomass deal – (Renewable Energy Magazine) Serbian and Swiss officials have signed an agreement to undertake a joint pilot biomass project…

Serbia to reduce the number of permits for investors in energy sector – (Balkans) Minister of Energy, Development and Environment of the Republic of Serbia, Zorana Mihajlovic presented the Plan of priority projects in the field of energy and environmental protection and invited interested investors to invest in these projects…

Serbia Sees Up to $16 Billion in Energy, Environment Investments – (Bloomberg) Serbia expects investments in its power and recycling plants may be worth 7 billion euros ($9.2 billion) to 12 billion euros over the next 10 years…

Serbia raising incentives for hydroelectric development – (hydroWorld) A new renewable energy development plan could reward small hydroelectric development with higher incentives, HydroWorld.com has learned…

Serbian grid operator, EPEX mull setting up SEE power exchange – (Reuters) Serbian grid operator EMS and the Paris-based EPEX power exchange are exploring how to set up a regional Southeast Europe power exchange to boost competition and security of supply in the Balkans, EMS said on Friday…

Armenia

Germany to assist Armenia with more than EUR 100 million – (Armen Press) Germany will provide Armenia with EUR 15 million bailout for Sustainable Economic Development plan and about EUR 75 million for construction of Armenia-Georgia high-voltage transmission line substations…

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan exports over 470 million kW/h of electricity between Jan.- Nov. – (Trend) Azerbaijan exported 473 million kilowatt/hours of electricity between January and November compared to 737.74 million kilowatt/hours during…

Azerbaijan, Georgia to discuss cooperation in power engineering field – (Trend) Azerbaijan and Georgia are going to discuss cooperation between the two countries in the energy field. Georgian Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Kakha Kaladze is in Azerbaijan on a working visit, Georgian Energy Ministry told Trend…

Azerbaijan energy export makes $24,202,000 – (News.az) In January-November of this year Azerbaijan exported 329,193,500 KW/Hs of energy (according to control-measurement devices)…

Top Azerbaijani official: Main goal of energy strategy is delivery of Azerbaijani gas to world market – (Trend) Despite the rapid development of the non - oil sector, the energy sector remains the leading segment of Azerbaijan's economy, Head of Azerbaijani Presidential Administration's Social and Political Department Ali Hasanov told the official website of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party (NAP) on Thursday…

WB prepares proposals for development of alternative energy in Azerbaijan on basis of AREA ideas – (abc.az) The State Company for Renewable & Alternative Energy Sources (AREA) begins assistance to international financial institutions in the planning of their operations in the sector of renewable energy in Azerbaijan…

Azerbaijan, Georgia to continue joint energy projects – (News.az) The Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline will be expanded to 25bn cubic meters a year after 2017…

Baku Electric Network to cease power supply of subscribers from 12 am 17 December – (abc.za) The main retail supplier of electricity in Azerbaijan, Bakielektriksebeke (Baku Electric Network; BEN) has resumed its drastic methods in respect to customers with arrears on power bills…

Azerbaijan's energy potential discussed in Washington – (news.az) The US policy in the South Caucasus, Russia's role in the regional balance of power, the prospects for peace efforts in Karabakh and the EU Southern Corridor - these topics were the focus of discussion in Washington on Monday at an international conference organized by the Jamestown Foundation, reports The Voice of America…

Georgia

Georgia cuts electricity price by a quarter – (DFW) Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili promises that electricity prices will be reduced by around 25 percent from January 1, 2013.

Georgian electricity prices to drop – (Vestnik) The Georgian Energy Ministry, Telasi and Energo-Pro have agreed to reduce prices for electricity by 3.5 tetri on January 1…

Georgian Energy Minister examines energy system transition schedule – (Trend) Georgian Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Kakha Kaladze is visiting the Gardabani 500 substation. The Ministry of Energy reported that the minister has examined the current operations being conducted at the substation…

Georgian National Regulatory Commission approves decision to reduce electricity tariffs – (Trend) The Georgian National Commission for Energy and Water Regulation today approved the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources' initiative to reduce the electricity tariffs…

Georgia will receive additional 600 MW from Azerbaijan within the first three months of the new year – (Vestnik) The Georgian authorities have agreed to supply 200 MW per month in the first quarter of the forthcoming year 2013. "We have agreed with Azerenergy that in January, February and March the company will deliver enough electricity to make up for shortfalls," Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze said upon his return from Baku…

Russia

Gazprom may lose its position – (Industry) The outgoing year turned out to be a rather difficult one for the Russian gas giant Gazprom. Whereas, in 2011, it was the world’s most profitable company, the results for 2012 suggest that it may lose its top ranking…

Putin criticises Union's energy policy – (Europolitics) Following what European Council President Herman Van Rompuy called a “positive and constructive" EU-Russia summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin strongly criticised the bloc’s stance regarding its third energy package…

As Rosneft overtakes Gazprom, end of an era in Russian Energy – ( Globe and Mail) When Rosneft formally completes its acquisition of TNK-BP to become the world's biggest listed crude producer next year, it will cement a major..

Ten more years for Smolensk reactor – (WNN) The Russian nuclear safety regulator has agreed to extend the operating licence of Smolensk 1 by ten years, enabling nuclear generation to continue until a replacement plant is built… 

Gazprom wants special case for its pipelines from EU energy package – (RT) Gazprom wants its two major projects – South Stream and Nord Stream – to be granted exceptions from the EU third energy package, seeking to retain control over their transportation capacity…

Russia's energy disputes with Ukraine and Belarus – (Chicago Tribune) Russia has had repeated disputes over gas and oil supplies with Ukraine and Belarus, ex-Soviet countries through which pipelines carry much of its energy exports, leading to disruptions of flows to European Union countries…

Turkey

Anticipated Renewable Energy Targets for the Turkish Republic’s 100^th Anniversary – ( Balkanalysis) Turkey’s AKP government plans to base its election campaigning on the slogan “Turkey is Ready: The Target is 2023.”  The importance being given to the renewable energy sector by the government…

Turkey: Challenges in renewables  -( Oxford Business Group) As the Turkish government drums up support for investment in renewable energy, international firms continue to face significant challenges in conducting environmental impact studies, securing funding and acquiring licences…

Sunergy starts production at 150MW Turkish module plant – (ReCharge) China Sunergy (CSun) has kicked off production at a 150MW module plant in Istanbul, as it looks to circumvent the rising tide of protectionist measures in the EU and gain a foothold in the burgeoning Middle Eastern solar market…

UAE's TAQA said to eye Turkish coal field deal – (Arabian Business) Turkey is set to sign a major coal field and power plant development agreement with Abu Dhabi Energy Company, also known as TAQA, it has been reported…

Turkey will continue buying Iran gas: Energy minister – (PressTV) Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz says Turkey will continue buying natural gas from Iran despite sanctions imposed against the Islamic Republic by the West…

Taqa Sees Accord on $12 Billion Turkish Energy Project Next Week – (Bloomberg Business Week) Abu Dhabi National Energy Co., the Emirati oil and power company known as Taqa, plans to sign a cooperation agreement on energy production in Turkey next week…

Turkey privatisation plan boosted by sale – (FT) Turkey’s stuttering privatisation programme was given a well-needed boost with the sale on Friday of the country’s biggest regional electricity distribution company…

Ukraine

Ukraine’s energy reforms will be supported by EU – (New Europe) On 21 December, the European Commission announced that it will support Ukraine’s energy reforms and local development with additional funding of €68 million…

EBRD’s $70m loan for Ukrainian coal sector – (Energy Live News) A London-based bank has provided a loan worth $70 million (£43.5m) for a mining group in Ukraine…

Ukrainian energy company to get $3.7bn loan from China – (PanArmenia) Ukraine’s national energy company Naftogaz will receive a $3.7 billion loan from China to finance a program to substitute gas with coal, the Ukrainian government’s press office said on Wednesday, Dec 26, according to RIA Novosti…

Coal fired 1,200 megawatts power plant takes off Q1 2013 – (Business Day) The Federal Government has concluded plans for the take-off of a coal fired electricity power plant that will add 1,200 megawatts of electricity to the national grid in the first quarter of 2013, and also supply power to Ajaokuta Steel Complex in Kogi State…

Ukraine looks to replace gas with coal – (UPI) The Ukrainian government said it secured a loan from the Chinese government to back a program aimed to substituting natural gas with coal…

EBRD's loan to Сoal Energy to be signal for investing in Ukrainian coal sector – (KyivPost) The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Coal Energy S.A. (Luxemburg) with assets in Ukraine on December 21, 2012 signed documents on a $70 million financing…

21 billions attracted in Ukraine’s energy efficiency – (Forum) Ukraine has attracted 21 billion USD of investment funds in field of energy efficiency and renewable energy for the last two years, chairman of the State Agency for Energy Efficiency Mykola Pashkevych told a briefing before the Cabinet’s meeting, ForUm correspondent reports…

Alternative Energy Ups Ukraine's Energy Independence - Industry Expert – (PR NewsWire) The use of renewable energy will allow to significantly cut the volume of energy import in Ukraine, as well as strengthen the independence of the country, reckons Rainer Hinrichs-Rahlwes , the President of the European Renewable Energy Federation…

EBRD lends to Ukraine’s Coal Energy – (Financial) The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is lending up to $US 70 million to Ukrainian mining group Coal Energy SA, which will use the loan proceeds to improve the efficiency and safety of its production capacities, located in eastern Ukraine , as part of an overall modernisation programme…

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.