Albania

Experts asses TAP’s role in European energy market – (Azernews) The significant role of the Southern gas Corridor both for Azerbaijan and the EU was a main topic for discussions during the Jamestown Foundation forum held last week…

New Albanian govt unveils program to promote growth – (Global Times) The new Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama of Socialist government said Wednesday that it has developed a blueprint for a new economic model to ensure sustainable growth…

SOCAR and Albania create working groups on establishing the gas market of this Balkan country  -(abc.az) Edmond Haxhinasto, the Minister of Economy, Trade and Energy of Albania is paying visit to Baku.  Yesterday Elshad Nasirov, SOCAR Vice President, announced that Premier Minister of Albania sent the Minister of Energy to Baku to start talks on gas supplies…

Bulgaria

Bulgaria's Ex-Energy Minister Denies Involvement in Privatization Fraud – (Novinite) Traycho Traykov, former Bulgarian Economy and Energy Minister in the center-right GERB government, has denied allegations that he is a defendant in a trial concerning large-scale fraud in the energy sector…

Bulgaria's Prosecuting Authority to Investigate Large-Scale Fraud in Energy Sector – (Novinite) Bulgaria's prosecuting authority received Monday a tip-off about fraud schemes worth BGN 230 M in the energy sector during the term in office of the center-right GERB government…

Many dark characters entered Bulgarian energy sector and drained it: minister – (Focus) A lot of people – and dark characters – have entered the energy sector and have been draining it. The Bulgarian people should understand that there is a government that wants order and control…

Bulgarian Min Reveals Huge Abuses in Energy Sector – (Novinite) Bulgarian Economy and Energy Minister, Dragomir Stoynev, is going to inform the prosecution in writing Monday about the draining of the public energy sector by BGN 230 M…

Bulgarian energy boss back in court for BGN 16m tax evasion – (Standart) Following a decision of Bulgaria's Supreme Court of Cassation, the case against Bulgarian energy boss Hristo Kovachki over charges of BGN 16 million tax is back in court just a year and a half after the businessman was acquitted…

Bulgaria Asks EC to Keep Reduced Excise Rate on Natural Gas for Motor-Fuel Use  - (Novinite) Bulgaria has sent a notification to the European Commission (EC) on the application of provisions of the EU Directive on the taxation of energy products and electricity under which it can apply a reduced excise tax rate on natural has used as motor fuel, according to Deputy Finance Minister Lyudmila Petkova…

Bulgarian government to say whether the latest invoice for Belene NPP is paid : ex minister – (Focus) Three invoices were submitted for the construction of Belene NPP, after which the project was suspended. The last of the invoices was shown in the day the new government entered into force…

Democrats for Strong Bulgaria Party Snubs South Stream Gas Pipeline Project – (Novinite) The right-wing Democrats for Strong Bulgaria (DSB) party has described the South Stream gas pipeline project as the "second huge corruption-ridden project of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), the Kremlin and the energy mafia."…

Bulgaria's GERB Blasts Govt Electricity Price Bill – (Novinite) Electricity prices are going down, but this is on the expense of the State budget with all taxpayers actually footing the bill…

Kodzloduy Hydropower Plant Starts Functioning in NW Bulgaria – (Novinite) The Kozloduy Hydropower plant has been connected to Bulgaria's power grid.  The launch operations for the facility started in the early hours of September 16, according to reports of the BGNES news agency…

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Reservoir Renews and Enlarges its Vranjska Banja Geothermal License – (Wall Street Journal) Reservoir Capital Corp. is pleased to report that the Ministry of Natural Resources, Mining and Spatial Planning, of the Republic of Serbia has renewed the Company's Vranjska Banja geothermal exploration license in southern Serbia for an additional 3-year period to August 16, 2016…

Croatia

Croatia Can Meet Green Goals With Less Subsidies, Officials Say – (Bloomberg) Croatia can achieve its climate-change goals by the end of the decade even as it plans to cut subsidies by as much as two-thirds, officials said…

Sustainable Energy for Rural Communities and the North-West Croatia Regional Energy Agency – (The Energy Collective) The SUSTAINCO project—funded by Intelligent Energy Europe —aims to support the implementation of the Recast EPBD into national legislation. The project will raise awareness of NZEBs in rural areas and facilitate knowledge transfer between partner countries through capacity building efforts—seminars, training for project developers, site visits, demonstrations, etc…

Mott Mac steers 42MW in Croatia – (Re News) Surrey-based Mott MacDonald is acting as lenders’ technical advisor to Erste Group Bank AG, Unicredit Bank and EKF at the 42MW Obrovac wind farm in Croatia…

Slovenia, Italy and Croatia to Cooperate in Energy Projects – (STA) The prime ministers of Slovenia, Italy and Croatia will meet in Venice on Thursday, calling for a stronger economic cooperation in energy and infrastructural projects in the north of Adriatic…

Macedonia

Macedonia: Long-term returns in energy prove difficult – (FT) With a click on his computer, Kocho Angjusev projects a map of Macedonia on to his flat screen monitor in his Skopje office. The map highlights each of his 14 mini-hydro plants located on rivers round the country, varying in capacity from 3.5MW to just 120kW...

Russian energy giant Gazprom is interested in cooperating with FYR Macedonia – (Balkans) Russian energy giant Gazprom is interested in cooperating with (FYR) Macedonia, which is already part of the company's development plans, Gazprom President Aleksey Miller said  at a meeting with Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski…

South Stream project discussions in Macedonia and Croatia – (Pipelines International) Representatives from global energy company Gazprom recently met with officials from the Republic of Macedonia to discuss co-operation in the energy sector, placing a focus on the progress of and the prospects for interaction within the South Stream project, which involves the construction of a gas pipeline running under the Black Sea to Southern and Central Europe…

Romania

Greenwood Biosar To Install Five Santerno PV Inverters at New Romanian Solar Power Installation – (Digital Journal) New Contract for Delivery of Five Santerno TG760 1000V Solar Power Inverters Expands Santerno Penetration Into Eastern Europe with New 5 MW Photovoltaic System…

Transelectrica: Power consumption to decline 4 pct a year to 2017, no longer to reflect economic development  -(Act Media) Romania's power consumption will drop by 4 per cent a year by 2017, but this indicator no longer reflects the economic development of the country, as it used to, Director General Stefan Bucataru of Romania's national electricity transmission operator Transelectrica stated on Wednesday…

Romania implements a 2.5MW Solar plant – (Altenergymag) A solar park project of 2.5 MW produced by the company Energy Day has been installed and connected to the Romanian utility, Electrica, 35 km north-west of Bucharest in just 50 days…

Ponta: We will keep supporting Romania's energy independenceThursday, September 12, 2013 – (Actmedia) Prime Minister Victor Ponta said on Wednesday he will keep on supporting Romania's energy independence, as he stressed Romania should learn from the experience of Poland, that has announced it chiefly places emphasis on coal and shale gas…

Romania hints at foreign interests behind anti gold mining and shale gas protests – (Sofia Globe) Romanian prime minister Victor Ponta said on September 17 2013 that he has information that foreign interests are seeking to prevent Romania from re-starting its mining sector and becoming energy independent in a moment when the political class remains deadlocked in a debate whether the gold mining project at Rosia Montana should go on amid widespread street protests…

Austria investors raise transparency issues in Romania – (Balkans) Rudolf Lukavsky, commercial counselor for Romania and Moldova at the Austrian Embassy, says that unpredictable political decisions affecting the business environment and the lack of transparency spark mistrust in the ranks of the Austrian business community, which is the second biggest foreign investor in Romania…

Lights out for nuclear power? – (Macleans) Japan’s Fukushima disaster and the rise of shale gas have the developed world running from nuclear power…

Serbia

NIS launches construction of first wind farm in Serbia – (B92) The Petroleum Industry of Serbia (NIS) launched the construction of the first wind farm in Serbia in the municipality of Plandište…

The price of electricity in Serbia should reach the market value in a couple years – (Balkans) In the next two or three years, the price of electricity in Serbia should reach the market value and, should it be adjusted now, would be higher by 20 to 30%. The current price is below the development and sustainable level, which is why price increase is inevitable…

AERS - Energy Agency of the Republic of Serbia : 19.8.2013 - Energy Agency Approved Natural Gas Transmission System Code of PE “Srbijagas” – (4 Traders) The Council of the Energy Agency has approved Natural Gas Transmission System Code of PE "Srbijagas" which was prepared by this transmission system operator…

Armenia

Energy minister links price of Russian natural gas with Armenia’s membership in Customs Union – (Armenia Now) Armenia’s membership in the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan will lower the increased cost of Russian natural gas supplied to the country, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Armen Movsisyan said on Wednesday…

Armenia’s accession to Customs Union must be preceded by working out road map, expert says – (ARKA) Armenia’s accession to the Customs Union must be preceded by drawing up a roadmap that will take into account its political and economic realities and will give also an  answer to a  question what it will gain from its membership, Alexander Markarov,  director of the Armenian branch of the CIS Institute, said today during a Yerevan-Moscow video conference…

Armenia to extend life of ageing Metsamor nuclear plant until 2026 – (Daily news) Armenia said Sept. 13 it would extend the life of its ageing nuclear power plant, despite safety concerns over the Soviet-era facility in an active seismic zone…

Armenia: Does Gas Explain Decision to Join Customs Union? – (Eurasianet) Some Armenian officials would have you believe that Yerevan's surprise decision to join the Russia-led Customs Union all came down to economic moxie. And, in a way, perhaps it did. But in gaseous form…

Hrant Bagratyan: Decision on joining the Customs Union should be made through a referendum  -(Public Radio of Armenia) Ex-Prime Minister, member of the Armenian National Congress Hrant Bagratyan considers that the decision to join the Customs Union should be made through a referendum. The referendum will legitimize the decision, irrespective of the outcome…

Armenia hopes to receive cheap gas from Russia – (Messenger) Armen Movsisyan, Armenia's energy minister, has spoken about the possibility of gas from Russia being subsidized. Movsisyan explained that Russian state energy company Gazprom has decided to sell natural gas to Armenia at $270 per thousand cubic meters…

EBRD appoints new head of Yerevan office – (ARKA) The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has appointed Mark Davis as the new head of the Yerevan Resident Office, the bank’s press office reported on Wednesday…

Azerbaijan

DESFA to be used as launch pad for Socar’s Balkan expansion  -(Elathimerini) Azeri energy company Socar is processing plans for the development of natural gas networks in other Balkan countries, placing priority on Albania and Montenegro, which do not have any such networks, as well as Serbia, which faces serious shortfalls…

EIA: Azeri natural gas influential – (I Stock Analyst) Azerbaijan's importance as a natural gas producer and exporter is growing with developments at its Shah Deniz field, the U.S. Energy Department said…

Pieces moving into place for Azerbaijan-to-Europe gas pipeline – (Oil and Gas Journal) Prospects for completing a natural gas pipeline from Azerbaijan to Europe improved significantly in June when the Shah Deniz consortium selected the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) proposal as the project’s final link, experts at a Sept. 13 Jamestown Foundation forum agreed…

Nearly $4 billion invested in Azerbaijan’s energy sector in 10 years – (Trend) Currently, Azerbaijan not only independently meets domestic demand for all energy resources, in particular for electricity, but also started to export electricity, Azerbaijani Minister of Finance Samir Sharifov said in his interview to the official website of New Azerbaijan Party published on Tuesday…

Azerbaijan to build new hydropower plants – (Azernews) Azerbaijan plans to build 34 small hydropower plants with a total capacity of 239.9 megawatts over the short and long term, the Ministry of Industry and Energy said on September 12…

Experts see strategic role of TAP in European energy market – (Trend) The Southern Gas Corridor was the topic of discussions during the Jamestown Foundation forum at the end of last week. During the forum the significant role of the Southern gas Corridor both for Azerbaijan and the EU was stressed…

Azerbaijani TPP generates over five billion Kw/h of electricity in January-August – (Trend) The Azerbaijani Thermo Power Station generated around 5.16 billion kilowatt of electricity per hour in January-August, according to a message from Azerenergy JSC (production and distribution of electricity in Azerbaijan) published on Wednesday…

Investments in Azerbaijan's oil and gas sector reached almost $47 billion – (Trend) Until now $46.9 billion were invested in Azerbaijan's oil and gas sector, Azerbaijani Ministry of Industry and Energy told Trend on Tuesday…

Georgia

Energy for sustainable development discussed at international forum – (Messenger online) The 4th International Forum: Energy for Sustainable Development, took a start at the Sheraton Metechi Palace in the Georgian capital on September 17…

New Head of Energy Regulatory Agency Appointed – (Civil) Irina Milorava has been appointed by PM Ivanishvili as a new chairperson of Georgian National Energy and Water Supply Regulatory Commission (GNERC) for a six-year term…

Georgia, Kazakhstan prepare meeting on management in KazTransGas-Tbilisi  -(Trend) Georgia and Kazakhstan plan to hold a workshop on the transfer of management in KazTransGas -Tbilisi company to the Kazakh side in late October, Georgian Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Mariam Valishvili told Trend on Monday…

Construction of Shuakhevi power station launched  -(Messenger online) PM Bidzina Ivanishvili Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili and Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze participated in a ceremony to launch the construction of a new Shuakhevi HPP in Adjara on September 16. The Prime minister claims that the new HPPs will provide energy independence for the country…

Georgian Prime Minister urges population not to oppose water power plant construction  -(Trend) Prime Minister of Georgia Bidzina Ivanishvili urged the people not to oppose the construction of water power plants over the entire country…

Georgia to host ceremony for launching HPP construction  -(Trend) Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili and Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze on Monday will take part in a ceremony to launch the construction of a new HPP in Adjara…

KFW intends to implement two more projects in Georgia –(Trend) KFW is actively cooperating with the Georgian side in the fields of energy and environmental protection. We agreed that negotiations will continue and I hope…

Russia

Can anyone break Russia's hold on Europe's gas? – (Christian Science Monitor) Europeans want cheaper natural gas to jumpstart an economy crippled by high energy costs. The trouble is, alternatives to Russian gas are plenty in theory, but few in reality…

U.S., Russia agree to work on nuclear energy, nuclear security – (Electric Light and Power) U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz and Director General of the Russian Federation State Corp. (Rosatom) Sergey Kirienko signed "the Agreement between the government of the U.S. of America and the Government of the Russian Federation on Cooperation in Nuclear- and Energy-Related Scientific Research and Development" on the margins of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) General Conference in Vienna, Austria…

Fitch: Russian Natural Gas Export Opens Eastern Horizons – (The Energy Collective) Real alternative to EU exports is born during recent talks in Moscow. Representatives of Chinese National Petroleum Company and Russia’s oil & gas giants Gazprom and Novatekhave inked the agreement to sell abundant Siberian resources to the fast-growing Eastern market…

Russian gas reform proposal would open up LNG exports  -(Daily News) Russia’s Energy Ministry has drafted a proposal that would liberalize exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and allow companies other than Gazprom to sell abroad…

Turkey

FED's decision a potential threat: Turkish Energy Minister – (World Bulletin) Yildiz said that Fed's decision would continue to pose a potential threat to economies which have lots of foreign capital…

Turkey’s energy sector is ripe for foreign investments – (Focus) With a continuously growing economy and an ever- rising demand for power, Turkey’s energy sector is ripe for foreign investments.  A hundred billion dollars worth of investment is necessary to double the country’s installed capacity to over 100,000 megawatts, one of the key goals of the Turkish government to be reached within the next decade…

Turkey to Install 16MW wind energymills in Punjab – (The News Tribune) The Punjab government signs six agreements and MoUs with the investors in Turkey in Ankara and Istanbul Cities…

Turkish, Sino firms join energy forces – (Daily News) Chinese energy giant NARI group has inked a $3-billion investment deal with Turkey’s CS group to conjointly enter into the Middle East and Turkish energy markets, starting with a solar power generation project…

PM’s mission to Turkey brings legal dispute with Turkish energy firm to forefront – (Pakistan Today) Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif‘s visit to Turkey this week has once again brought to the forefront the multi-million dollar legal dispute between the Government and the Turkish energy company, Karadeniz Holding's subsidiary KARKEY…

Turkey Wants Israel's Natural Gas And Is Offering To Construct An Undersea Pipeline To Get It  -(International Business Times) A Turkish energy company has offered to construct a 292-mile pipeline for transferring Israeli natural gas to a southern province in Turkey, Turkey's Hurriyet Daily reported Monday…

Turkey Key to Future European Energy Security – (Oil Price) With gas from the Caspian Sea set to move from the Southern Caucasus to Europe through Turkey by 2019, the EU-candidate country is destined to evolve into a more robust economic and political power…

Turkey’s Big Electricity Plans – (oil Prices) Turkey’s booming economy is the envy of its Middle Eastern and European neighbors. No less an authority than the World Bank noted, “Turkey is one of the largest middle-income partners of the World Bank Group (WBG)…

Welcoming The New Electricity Market Law  -(Mondaq) The long awaited, new Electricity Market Law, published on 30 March 2013, introduces a number of new features to Turkey's dynamic electricity market, including the preliminary licence and the incorporation of a new market operator, EPİAŞ…

Ukraine

Shale Gas Development By the US In The Ukraine Can Help Promote Energy Security – (International Business Times) The United States will actively cooperate with Ukrainian authorities to strengthen their nation's energy independence, the U.S. ambassador in Kiev said Wednesday…

Energy Community hopes Ukraine will adopt new rules of capacity distribution for electricity exports – (Kyiv Post) The Energy Community hopes that Ukraine will adopt new, more simple and transparent rules for distributing the capacity of interstate power grids for electricity exports, Energy Community Secretariat Legal Counsel and Deputy Director Dirk Buschle has said…

Ukraine designates 45 coal mines for sale in privatization push – (UPI) Ukraine has designated 45 coal mines for privatization under a law adopted last year meant to modernize the country's chronically unprofitable coal sector…

US ambassador sees cooperation in strengthening Ukraine's energy independence as his priority – (NRCU) U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt intends to actively cooperate with the Ukrainian authorities on the road to strengthening Ukraine's energy independence…

Ukraine's energy policy aimed at diversifying gas supplies  -(NRCU) This is what Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych said this at a meeting with candidates for the posts of heads of district state administrations. He said that Ukraine had already started buying natural gas on the European market, which is much cheaper, and reduced the consumption of Russian gas…

Kiev plan would have European energy companies store natgas in Ukraine – (Ukrainian Journal) Ukraine seeks to let European energy companies store natural gas in its massive underground gas storage facilities as part of the country’s energy sector integration effort, Energy ands Coal Industry Minister Eduard Stavytskiy said…

Ukrainian Naftogaz and RWE Sign New Agreement – (PR Newswire) A new agreement between German electric utilities company RWE and Ukrainian state oil and gas managing company Naftogaz has been signed on September 5, 2013, informed Eduard Stavytskyi, Minister of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine, as quoted by rbc.ua…

Ukraine aims to resume direct supplies of Turkmen gas – (Azernews) Ukraine intends to resume direct deliveries of Turkmenistan's gas from 2015, Ukrainian media reported citing Prime Minister Mykola Azarov…

 

  

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.