Albania

Shala Energy plans construction of a hydropower plant cascade on Albanai's Shala River – (Balkans) has signed a Concession Agreement with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Energy of Republic of Albania for the construction of a hydropower plant cascade on Shala River in the northern part of Albania…

Cost of Mismanagement Rises in Albania – (Balkan Insight) The annual report of the High State Audit office says poor management of state-owned companies cost Albania twice as much in 2012 as it did the previous year…

EVN sells 50% stake in Devoll Hydropower joint venture to Statkraft – (EBR) Austria-based energy group operator EVN has inked an agreement to offload its 50% stake in joint venture Devoll Hydropower to renewable energy developer Statkraft…

Statkraft buys EVN AG's share in Devoll hydropower project – (Hydro World) Austrian energy group and hydro project operator EVN AG has agreed to sell its 50% share in Devoll Hydropower ShA to Norwegian utility Statkraft A.S…

Bulgaria

Bulgaria's Energy Watchdog Proposes 3.89% Decrease in Q2, 2013 Gas Prices – (Novinite) A working group of Bulgaria's State Commission for Energy and Water Regulation (DKEVR) has proposed a reduction in gas prices by 3.89% from April 1, 2013 from the current rate of BGN 656.47 to BGN 630.94 per 1000 cubic meters, VAT and excise duty excluded…

Bulgaria’s caretaker PM on energy issues, social spending steps – (Sofia Globe) The Cabinet has decided on an inquiry into the situation along the entire chain of how prices are determined in the energy sector, Bulgarian caretaker Prime Minister Marin Raykov said on March 20 2013 after the interim government’s first scheduled formal meeting…

Former Bulgarian Energy Minister Snubs Contracts with American TPPs as Disadvantageous – (Novinite) Traycho Traykov, former Bulgarian Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism, has commented that the long-term contracts for purchasing electricity from the American Maritsa Iztok 1 (AES Galabovo) and Maritsa Iztok 3 thermal power plants are unprofitable…

Bulgarian court overrules hefty fees on renewable energy – (Reuters) A Bulgarian court ruled in favour of three solar energy developers that appealed the hefty fees which the state energy regulator imposed on renewable energy installations last year, producers said on Friday.

EVN Threatens to Sue Bulgaria over Electricity Dispute – (Novinite) Energy company EVN has announced that it will take legal action against Bulgaria if it is unable to negotiate concessions over an electricity dispute…

Bulgaria missed to realise reform in energy sector and this led to severe consequences – (Focus) “One of the reforms was not brought to an end by the government of the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (CEDB) and it is the reform in the energy sector…

Bulgaria to Hold International Audit of Energy Sector – (Novinite) The Bulgarian government will within 10 days appoint an international auditor to review the country's energy sector, stated caretaker Minister of Regional Development Ekaterina Zaharieva…

New rallies against energy monopolies in Bulgaria – (Europe online Magazine) Hundreds of Bulgarians on Sunday staged renewed demonstrations against electricity suppliers, reviving street protests in this EU member state after a caretaker government took office last week…

Bosnia and Herzegovina

UNDP assists Bosnia Herzegovina with legal framework fro biomass heating – (Balkans) UNDP project "Employment and secure energy supply for the use of biomass in Bosnia and Herzegovina" and the Institute for Standardization of Bosnia  has made a significant contribution to the establishment of the legal framework in the field of biomass heating…

Croatia

Exec Warns of Obstacles to Investment in Energy Efficiency (interview) – (STA) Bled, 19 March (STA) - Eltec Petrol, a part of the energy group Petrol, has been growing at the rate of 150% for the past two years. Its boss Jože Torkar says the future of the energy sector lies in efficient consumption, but warns of obstacles preventing Slovenia from making a good use of EU funds for energy reconstruction…

Kosovo

Region tackles high electric bills – (Setimes) Regional governments are responding to claims of electricity bill overcharges after demonstrators took the streets to protest billing practices and increasing electricity costs of up to 200 percent…

Kosovo Privatization a Litmus Test of Country's Direction – (The Wall Street Journal) Several thousand Kosovars took to the streets Thursday to voice their objections to upcoming privatization of PTK, Kosovo's post and telecommunications company, a measure which is widely seen as a litmus test of the direction that development in Europe's newest state, and second poorest country, will take…

Kosovo 'Submitted request for resignation of the director of the CEC – (Ossevatorio Italiano) Pristina - The Government Commission on Public Enterprises, in the course of today's meeting, asked the Council of the CEC to deliver the resignation of the CEO, Arben Gjukaj. The request of this committee comes after the repeated protests of citizens because of unjustified electricity bills for the month of January…

World Bank commends KEK for the results – (KEK) World Bank (WB) has once again commended KEK for its actions and for meeting its commitments and has also pledged a strong support for the operation of KEK, especially for environmental projects that are implemented by the corporation…

KEK employee attacked while performing his official duty – (KEK) KEK J.S.C. reports that during the performance of hisofficial duties, KEK employee,LumniAdemaj,wasattacked. He was punched and grabbed by the throat by the customer,FetahBilalli,at KEK premises…

cement of the Kosovo Energy Corporation Board of Directors (KEK Board) to the customers in relation to their concerns as far as January 2013 bills – (KEK) Given the importance of the current situation after the customer concerns related to the possible failures in the billing of January 2013, KEK Board of Directors held today, 26-02-2013, the fourth extraordinary meeting to review the situation and to get proper information by the enterprise management…

Macedonia

Construction of “Bosava” hydro system begins – (MINA) The project “Bosava” is one of the most interesting projects carried out in Macedonia because it represents a connection of several important components, Deputy PM Vladimir Pesevski said Saturday attending the ceremony which marked the start of construction of this large project in Kavadarci…

Macedonia Begins Construction of Bosava Network – (Ooska News) The construction of Bosava water supply system in Kavadarci has been launched, a release on the website of the government informs…

Floods Threaten Dams in Macedonia – (Ooska News) Two dams in Macedonia are in danger of collapsing because of extensive flooding caused by four days of torrential rain, while authorities were airlifting supplies Wednesday to hundreds of people..

Romania

Wind Of Change On The Romanian Renewable Energy Market – (Energy and Natural Resources) Romania seems to be one of the most attractive CEE jurisdictions for renewable energy investments, due to the generous support scheme which generated increasing enthusiasm over the past few years…

Green energy growth in Romania's grid could distort prices – (Balkans) Although the renewable output has cut electricity prices on the whole sale market, the fast rate at which green capacities are introduced in the grid leads distorts the prices, according to Romanian PM Victor Ponta…

Romania Stands by Nabucco Pipeline – (Energy Tribune) Romania’s decision to sign off on a support agreement for the Nabucco West natural gas pipeline is indicative of the project’s progress, an executive said…

REC Acquires Project Rights For 8MW Solar Farm In Romania – (Energy Matters) REC has commenced construction on an 8 MW solar park in the north of Bucharest, Romania; building substantially on the existing 20MW capacity the company has sold in the country…

Chevron is close to starting exploration for shale gas in Romania, two more permits needed – (Romania Insider) American oil and gas company Chevron currently needs two more permits to start exploratory drilling for shale gas in Barlad, Romania… 

Serbia

Serbia Electric Company Facing Massive Debt – (Eurasia Review) Experts said that an infusion of capital or a price increase is the only way to keep the Electric Power Company of Serbia from failing…

Serbia prepares for electricity price increase – (Balkans) All necessary procedures for public supplier election are not done yet. Therefore, we don’t expect electricity price to rise on 1 April i.e. it is logical to expect electricity price increase since 1 May…

Greek Terna mulls gas-fired thermal plant in Serbia – (Capital.gr) Terna SA, the Greek builder with a portfolio ranging from highways to power plants, is interested in building a 400 million-euro ($522 million) gas-fired thermal electricity plant in Serbia…

Serbia and Turkey team up for energy sector – (ANSA) Turkey and Serbia agreed Wednesday to cooperate in the energy sector. Serbia's Minister without portfolio Sulejman Ugljanin and Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yildizthey discussed Turkish investment in Serbia's energy sector on the sidelines of an Ankara meeting of the Serbian-Turkish intergovernmental committee for economic cooperation…

Armenia

Ameriabank to receive $12-million loan from EBRD to support SME, renewable energy and energy conservation – (ARKA) The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development will allocate  a $12-million loan to Ameriabank to support the development of small and medium-size business, renewable energy and energy conservation…

Hikes in natural gas prices not to damage Armenia’s economy (ARKA) Armenia’s economy will not suffer in case the  prices for the natural gas hike in the republic, Tatul Manaseryan, a coordinator of Alternative research center, stated… 

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijani TPP generates over 1.5 billion kW/h of electricity in two months – (Trends) In January-February 2013, Azerbaijani TPP generated about 1.6 billion kilowatt/hours of electricity according to a report released on Friday by Azerenergy (production and distribution of electricity in Azerbaijan)…

Azerbaijani President: "Today Azerbaijan has last word in the transportation of energy resources of the Caspian Basin" – (APA) "Our energy diplomacy also very successful and glancing current processes related to energy resources in the world and Europe, once again we see that it is impossible to separate the energy policy from common diplomatic and political context…

Azerbaijani energy operators announce tender for construction of two power lines – (Trends) Azerbaijani energy operators announce tender for construction of two ... and distribution of electricity in Azerbaijan) has announced a tender to…

"TANAP marks revolution in energy history of Azerbaijan and Turkey" – (Turkish Weekly) Trans-Anatolian pipeline project (TANAP) marks a revolution in the energy history of Azerbaijan and Turkey, as it will be implemented at the expense of funding and infrastructure of these two countries, the head of SOCAR Turkey Enerji, a board member of Petkim Petrochemical Holding Kenan Yavuz told Trend on Tuesday…

Master Plan on electrical distribution systems to be ready in Azerbaijan this July – (abc.az) The Master Plan of modernization and development of electric distribution systems will be prepared in Azerbaijan by July…

Georgia

Georgian Energy Minister calls on KazTransGas to deal with company’s debt – (Trends) Georgian Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze suggested representatives of Kazakhstani company KazTransGas, come to Tbilisi in order to start negotiations with the new Georgian government…

EU-Georgia subcommittee meeting on energy, transport and environment held in Tbilisi – (Trends) The third meeting of the EU-Georgia cooperation subcommittee on energy, transport and environment was held in Tbilisi…

Russia

Gazprom to build LNG plant, resource base near Vladivostok, Russia – (EBR) Russia-based natural gas extractor Gazprom has approved the construction of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant near Vladivostok in the country…

Russia Shuns LNG Options for Europe – (Energy Tribune) Russian energy company Gazprom shouldn’t dilute its position in the Asia-Pacific by sending liquefied natural gas to Europe, the energy minister said…

European energy security is not up to Europe – (EUOB Server) It is no secret that Russian dominance of European natural gas markets has splintered the Union… 

Turkey

Last phase of Turkey electricity gird sell out set for Friday – (World Bulletin) Over two dozen companies have expressed interest to buy the operating rights of the remaining state-owned electrical grids…

Privatization of Dicle Electricity Distribution Company ends – (Turkish Press) Iskaya Dogu OGG offered the highest bid - 387 million USD - at the final bargaining meeting for the privatization of Dicle Electricity Distribution Company, on Friday…

Turkish electricity law shapes exchange trading – (Cospp) Turkish policy-makers are still to clarify the status of the country's burgeoning over-the-counter market after the country's General Assembly passed amendments that regulate the establishment of exchange trading…

Birol: Nuclear power key to Turkish energy future – (Turkish Press) Turkey should build “as much nuclear power as possible” to help meet its growing energy needs, International Energy Agency Chief Economist Fatih Birol said in Brussels on Sunday night…

Four distribution networks privatization brings Turkey USD 3 billion – (Steel Guru) Trend reported that Turkey's AYEDAŞ electricity distribution network serving the Anatolian side of Istanbul has been privatized by Enerjisa Elektrik Dagıtım AS Company for electricity distribution for USD 1.2 billion…

Privatization auctions for four electicity grids in Turkey have fetched around $3.5 billion – (Balkans) Turkey has raised $3.5 billion by selling its four remaining electricity grids, completing the last stage of a complete privatization of the electricity distribution sector…

Turkey wants Turkmen gas in TANAP – (Trends) Turkey wants to incorporate 5-6 cubic meters Turkmen natural gas into TANAP project, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yildiz said in Ashgabat on Wednesday, Anadolu Agency reported…

Turkey's energy ministry initiates ESIS project – (World Bulletin) Yildiz said, via the new system monthly, in energy, daily, hourly data even data of each minute will be assessed…

Turkish energy: not enough storage – (Beyondbrics) There is an oft-repeated mantra used to help explain Turkey’s perennially problematic current account deficit: “A $10 rise in the oil price adds $4bn to the current account deficit and half a percentage point to the inflation rate”…

Ukraine

Ukraine's energy policy should be aimed at enhancing energy efficiency, says Energy Charter Secretary General – (Interfax) Ukraine could have completely ended its purchases of Russian gas if it had raised its energy efficiency level to that of neighboring Slovakia, which, in turn, lags behind a number of other European countries in this indicator, according to Secretary General of the Energy Charter Urban Rusnak, who has for long been the ambassador of Slovakia to Ukraine…

Ukraine, Russia may agree gas price reduction in 2013, says energy minister – (Kyiv Post) Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Minister Eduard Stavytsky thinks that his country and Russia will agree to a price reduction for Russian gas this year…

Ukraine gets €600m for nuclear safety upgrade – (Energy Live) Ukraine is getting a loan worth €600 million (£519m) in total to help upgrade nuclear power plants in the country…

Price of electricity for Ukrainian enterprises should not exceed exporting price, says Firtash – (Interfax) The price of electricity for Ukrainian enterprises should not exceed its export price, Chairman of the Federation of Employers of Ukraine Dmytro Firtash has said…

More than 60 towns and villages in Ukraine remain without power – (KyivPost) As of early morning on Saturday a total of 64 settlements remain without power in Ukraine. In six regions bad weather (rain, snow and sleet) caused power outages in 64 towns and villages, the press service of the state emergencies service has reported…

New Market Report Now Available: Ukraine Power Report Q1 2013 – (SBWire) Ukraine's dependence on Russia for gas is a problem, as it exposes the country to import volatility and ongoing price disputes, which have been exacerbated by the government's power price subsidies…

Energy Ministry improves outlook for renewable energy in draft Energy Strategy 2030 – (Interfax) The share of renewable energy in the energy balance of Ukraine could reach 18% by 2030, and 10% in the structure of power generation, according to a forecast in the draft Energy Strategy of Ukraine until 2030, the head of the department for strategic policy, investment and nuclear energy at the Energy and Coal Industry Ministry, Mykyta Konstantinov, has said…  

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