Albania

Shell, Petromanas find light oil, gas in Albanian exploration – (Reuters) Royal Dutch Shell and Petromanas Energy Inc plan to drill more wells at an Albanian site to determine its production capacity after test flows from the first well found good quality oil and gas, a Petromanas official said…

 

Moving to Green Growth in Emerging Europe, Central Asia and the Greater Middle East– (Georgia Today) As global temperatures rise, weather patterns shift and a natural disaster dominates headlines seemingly every other week, climate change has become a priority for policymakers across the globe…

Bulgaria

CEZ Bulgaria officially opens a new 110 kW cable line in Sofia – (Focus) CEZ Bulgaria will officially open new Geshov 110 kW cable line at 11:00 am in the yard of Sredets power substation on Ohridsko Ezero Str in Sofia, press centre of the company announced…

Bulgaria: Brussels Recommends Renewable Subsidies in the Future to be More Market Oriented – (Energetika) In September, nine of the leading energy companies in the EU demanded the suspension of subsidies for green energy. The reasons are the risks to the energy supply and the deteriorating competitiveness of the in…

Brussels: Bulgaria is the Weakest Link in the EU in Terms of Energy Independence – (Energetika)In a letter from the Directorate General "Energy" to Bulgaria, Brussels said that Bulgaria was the weakest link in the EU in terms of energy independence. The letter was confirmed to Capital by sources within t…

Bulgaria is the weakest link in the European Union's energy independence plans– (Focus) Capital weekly questions the statement of Bulgarian Minister of Economy Dragomir Stoynev that the South Stream gas pipeline project is a “unique success”. The “success”, the weekly continues, has already been marred by a letter from the European Commission (EC) sent to the government stating that “Bulgaria is the weakest link in the European Union as far as energy independence is concerned”…

Black Sea holds promise as nations seek energy independence – (Offshore) Despite the occasional setback – political and exploratory – the Black Sea continues to draw interest from international oil companies, including heavy hitters such as ExxonMobil, Total, Shell, and Repsol. Fewer than 100 offshore wells have been drilled in the Black Sea and, until recently, its deeper waters remained mostly unexamined by seismic surveys…

Bulgarian Power Exchange AD Applies for Manager of the Future Energy Market– (Publics) Bulgarian Power Exchange AD (BPE) is the company which applied before the State Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (SEWRC) for obtaining a license to organise the future electricity exchange in Bulgaria…

Bulgaria looks for Western investor for its Belene NPP – report – (Standart) "We are analyzing the long-term electricity needs in Bulgaria and the region as well as the possibilities of attracting a strategic Western investor," Bulgarian Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski told Bloomberg about the country's plans about a second nuclear power facility…

Belene NPP proft-making project but time is important: Bulgaria’s ex-President– (Focus) “Belene NPP is a highly profitable project but time is very important,” Georgi Parvanov, former Bulgarian President in the period 2002 – 2012, said speaking before journalists in Pleven at a discussion themed “For national agreement on the growth of the Bulgarian energy sector as a top priority”, FOCUS News Agency reporter informed…

Greenpeace: Bulgaria 1st in Europe by Air Pollution– (Novinite) The highest in Europe air pollution with sulfur dioxide and fine dust particles per produced kWh of electricity has been registered in Bulgaria, according to the Bulgarian office of the international eco-organization Greenpeace…

Construction beginning on Serbian gas pipeline– (SETimes) Construction of the Serbian section of the South Stream gas pipeline will begin on November 24th, Prime Minister Ivica Dacic announced after meeting Gazprom officials in Belgrade…

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia's EPBiH sells 1,260 GWh power surplus for $77 mln– (Reuters) Bosnia's largest power utility EPBiH has picked seven companies to buy 1,260 gigawat-hours (GWh) of its 2014 power surplus for a total of 57.3 million euros ($77 million), an EPBiH official said on Wednesday…

Western Balkans Must Take Advantage of its Hydro Potential– (Energetika) According to Kukobat, a senior expert on energy and infrastructure, the level at which the hydropower potentials for producing electricity are used in that region are only at 41 percent…

South East Europe at biggest risk of Ukraine-Russia gas row– (Reuters) Central and south eastern Europe will bear the brunt of any halts of Russian gas supplies through Ukraine this winter but the region will not be caught as unprepared as in 2009 when thousands went without heat in freezing temperatures…

 

Development of an EU acquis-compliant electricity legislative framework in Bosnia and Herzegovina underway– (Balkans) Representatives from the electricity sector institutions as well as other key Bosnia Herzegovina stakeholders are meeting over the these days in Jahorina to discuss and co-ordinate the implementation of the IPA Project “Development of an EU acquis-compliant electricity legislative framework in Bosnia and Herzegovina” scheduled to be completed by 20 December 2013…

Croatia

HEP to Build Multipurpose Hydropower System on Sava near Zagreb – (Energetika) In mid-October a technical solution was presented that will largely solve the problem of lowering the groundwater level in the area of Zagreb, and raise flood defence in the area from the Slovenian border to Si…

Metso grabs Croatia biomass build – (reNews) Finnish company Metso’s pulp, paper and power business Future Valmet is to build a biomass plant at Babina Greda in eastern Croatia.  The turnkey deal with Uni Viridas includes a boiler, a turbine and buildings as well as installation and construction works…

Croatia Signs Agreement On Establishing Power Exchange – (Energetika) According to the article 52 of the (Croatian) law on electricity market, the electricity market operator and the transmission system operator are responsible for organising a power exchange to be used for electricity…

Gas corridor with Croatia and Hungary delayed for undisclosed reasons – (Ukrainian Journal) A project to link Ukraine’s existing natural gas pipelines with Croatia and Hungary was postponed due to undisclosed reasons, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said Wednesday…

 

Croatia does not Dismiss Possibility of Buying INA Stake from MOL – (Energetika) “At first a conclusion would be that we have no money, as our public debt is above decent levels. However, we should sit and think about the options. I wouldn't give up easily and if we conclude that we cannot…

Kosovo

Kosovo mulling over inclusion in TAP pipe – (Daily News) Kosovo is interested in becoming part of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) project as a Balkan state, a project which would also comprise of Serbia and other Balkan countries, Deputy Foreign Minister of Kosovo Petrit Selimi told Hürriyet Daily News in a recent interview…

 

Serbia and Russia build South Stream branch in Kosovo– (La Voz De Rusia) Serbia and Russia plan to build a branch from the main pipeline South Stream pipeline in Kosovo said Monday the press service of the Government of Serbia after negotiations the Serbian Prime Minister, Ivica Dacic, and the head of Russia's Gazprom, Alexei Miller…

Montenegro

Region takes measures against energy poverty– (SETimes) November marks the start of home heating season in most countries of the region. Cold weather comes with increased electricity bills, which are hard to pay for many families.  In the European Union, one out of every seven citizens falls under the category of energy poverty, but many EU countries have established special funds that address their needs…

Montenegro

Montenegro moves to harmonise laws with the EU– (SETimes) Montenegro's effort towards European integration includes harmonising its regulations with the EU. Although Montenegro is a leader in the region when it comes to European integration, standardising the country's legislation is a challenge, experts said…

 

EBRD adopts new strategy for Montenegro: energy is priority – (Energetika) EBRD's priorities in the period of 2013-16: competitiveness, sustainable tourism, energyEBRD has focused on three main priorities: expanding the economic base through enhancement of competitiveness..

 

Montenegro: New strategy adopted by EBRD for the country– (Balkans) The Board of Directors of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has adopted a new strategy for Montenegro, setting out the Bank’s priorities in the period of 2013-16…

Romania

Oltenia Energy Complex exporting 300 MW worth of electricity to Romania's neighbours– (ACTMedia) The southern Oltenia Complex is currently exporting 300 MW worth of electricity to Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldova, Hungary and Serbia, State Secretary with Romania's Department of Energy Maricel Popa said Thursday at a conference on mining…

United States: An American Regulator’s Reflections On Energy Security And The Promise For Romania – (Mondaq) If American energy security policy has a lesson for Romania, it's that sometimes you can wind up on the right road by luck.  For decades, the United States has used more energy per capita than most nations. But the 1970s' oil crisis taught the country a fundamental lesson: modern economies depend on reliable – and relatively cheap – sources of energy. Since then, that realization has been a critical lens through which to view American foreign policy…

Nine-month downward trend for Romania's primary energy and electricity resources– (ACTMedia) Romania's primary energy resources decreased by 11.6 percent in the first nine months of 2013 compared to the same period of the previous year, shows provisional data released by the National Statistics Institute (INS)…

Skytron monitors PV in Romania – (renews) Germany-based Skytron Energy is to provide monitoring, control and supervision systems to a 50MWp photovoltaic project being developed by LSG Building Solutions in Romania.  The scheme is scheduled for commissioning by the end of the year and the link up with Skytron will help it meet the requirements of the Romanian grid system…

Skytron enables dispatchable power from 115 MW of Romanian solar PV plants – (SolarServer) Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) provider LSG Building Solutions GmbH (Vienna) has awarded Skytron Energy GmbH (Berlin) a contract to supply its power control solutions for a 50 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Romania…

Romanian Senate Rejects Legislative Proposal to Ban Shale Gas Exploration through Hydraulic Fracturing – (Energetika) Ciuhodaru stated in front of the senators that they had promised the Romanian people that the project would not become a reality as long as they ruled the country. He reminded the senators that the Romanians…

Solar Power Opportunities – Europe – (The Sacramento Bee) In 2012, total installed solar power capacity across Europe reached 69,491 megawatts from 28 countries, representing 6.45% of all power capacity (conventional + renewable) and 18.03% of total renewable power capacity in Europe…

 

Europe’s Shale Gas Reserves Could Boost Pump Market– (Automation World) I cannot think of a users group conference that I’ve attended in the past couple years that hasn’t referred to shale gas exploration as a “game changer”—both for the national economies so dependent otherwise on foreign oil and the companies supplying automation to the this and other process industries…

Serbia

Serbia rules out construction of a nuclear power plant– (Balkans) Serbian Minister of Energy, Development and Environmental Protection Zorana Mihajlovic says that the construction of a nuclear power plant in Serbia is out of question.  Mihajlovic dismissed the possibility of building a nuclear power plant in Serbia not only for environmental reasons but also because the construction would be extremely expensive…

Serbia Has To Build Mandatory Oil Reserves By 2023 – (inSerbia) Serbia has to build mandatory reserves of oil and oil derivatives by 2023 at the latest, the estimates being that this will cost around EUR 700 million…

Gazprom announces construction of South Stream in Serbia to start before year end – (Your Oil and Gas News) Led by Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, the Company's delegation paid a visit to the Republic of Serbia today.  During the visit Alexey Miller held meetings with Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic, Prime Minister Ivica Dacic and First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic…

Russia pipeline construction to start in Serbia Nov 24 – (Globalpost) Construction of the Serbian section of Russia's South Stream pipeline that will cut across the Balkans towards Europe was to start later this month, the Serbian government said on Monday…

 

Pipelines Of Empire – (Forbes) At this juncture in history, the fate of Europe is wound up not in ideas but in geopolitics. For millennia, eruptions from Asia have determined the fate of Europe, including invasions and migrations by Russians, Turkic tribes and Byzantine Greeks. Central and Eastern Europe, with their geographical proximity to the Asian steppe and the Anatolian land bridge, have borne the brunt of these cataclysms…

Armenia

Russia to provide loan for Armenian nuclear power plant lifetime extension – (EBR) Armenia will receive intergovernmental loan from Russia to extend the life of its aging nuclear power plant (NPP) located at Metsamor, the country's nuclear safety security council secretary Vahram Petrosyan has revealed…

Key effect of Armenia’s membership in customs union to come from huge investments – (ARKA) Armenia's membership in the Russia-led Customs Union will translate into huge investments into its energy, transportation and nonferrous metallurgy sectors, according to Yevgeny Vinokurov, the director of the Integrative Studies Center of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB)…

Armenia has not asked Anticrisis Fund to finance works at NPP – (ARKA) Armenia has not filed an application with the Anticrisis fund of the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC) for funding works at the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant, deputy chair of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) board Sergey Shatalov told a press conference arranged as part of “Deepening and expanding Eurasian Integration” VII international conference held by the EDB on November 12-13…

A row of countries interested in Armenia’s energy and aviation spheres – (ArmPress)  Armenians accessions to the Customs Union may contribute to the Investments…

Iran, Armenia to negotiate on transfer of electricity to Europe – (Public Radio of Armenia) Armenian Energy Minister Armen Movsisyan has announced Yerevan’s readiness for completion of underway projects with Iran and signing contracts for new ones, but has said that the two sides need to negotiate further on transit of Iranian electricity to Europe…

Armenia, Iran sign 3 energy cooperation agreements – (PanArmenia) Armenian Energy and Natural Resources Minister Armen Movsisyan and his Iranian counterpart Hamid Chitchian signed in Tehran three agreements for the implementation of joint hydropower projects, Press TV reported…

Iran, Armenia to expand cooperation in energy sector: Report – (Business Standard) Iran and Armenia have decided to enhance their cooperation in the energy sector as they reached an agreement regarding it, a media report said here Thursday.  The two sides agreed to construct a new power transmission line to boost the exchange of electricity between the two countries at a meeting between Iranian Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian and his Armenian counterpart Armen Movsisian here Tuesday, reported Xinhua citing Tehran Times…

Armenia continues to improve nuclear security laws – (Vestnik) Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said at the Presidential Security Council for Atomic Energy yesterday that Armenia was constantly modernizing its national laws for nuclear security and fulfilling international obligations, News.am reports…

 

Financing of Meghri HPP construction discussed in Iran – (Panorama) The Armenian Energy Minister and the Bank Saderat Iran (The Export Bank of Iran) CEO have discussed financing of joint energy projects, Poolnews.ir reported…

Azerbaijan

‘Azerbaijan becoming Turkey’s biggest energy investor’ – (News.az) Head of SOCAR Turkey Kenan Yavuz has said Azerbaijan will become Turkey’s largest energy investor with the commissioning of Star refinery next year…

EU: Southern Gas Corridor to strengthen relations with Azerbaijan – (Trend) Implementation of the Southern Gas Corridor project will further strengthen EU cooperation with the countries of the Caspian Basin and in particular Azerbaijan, Energy Counsellor of the EU delegation to Azerbaijan Edyta Nowak said on Monday speaking at a conference entitled 'Caspian oil and gas week' , held in Baku…

In December European Commission to present official recommendations on energy efficiency in Azerbaijan – (ABC.AZ) Project “Energy Saving Initiative in the Building Sector in Eastern Europe and Central Asia” (ESIB) of INOGATE program of the European Union is preparing to give its official recommendations in respect of Azerbaijan…

Turkish, Azerbaijani joint energy projects to bring regional stability – (Trend) Long term energy cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey is a factor that supports the entire region's success. The President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev noted during his official visit to Turkey that 'one nation, two states' have joined forces for the benefit of the people and the region…

Oil pipeline harvest of Turkey-Azerbaijan unification – (World Bulletin) An oil pipeline between Baku, Tbilisi and Ceyhan will bring peace and stability to the world, said the Turkish president Abdullah Gul…

The Government of Azerbaijan is requested to clarify the plans for increasing public services tariffs – (ABC.AZ) The second straight day the deputies make speeches in the Parliament of Azerbaijan where the draft law on the State Budget for 2014 is being discussed…

Nuclear research reactor project suspended in Azerbaijan – (Azernews) Implementation of a joint project on the nuclear research reactor construction's feasibility in Azerbaijan, by the Institute of Radiation Problems of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been suspended…

 

Azerbaijan ships 2.4m tons of oil via Ceyhan port – (Azernews) Azerbaijan's state energy company SOCAR reported that 2,414,780 tons of Azerbaijani oil was shipped from Ceyhan port to world markets in October…

Georgia

Georgian Energy Minister sums up results of ministry’s work over past year – (Trend) Georgian Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze summed up the results of the ministry's work for the year on Nov.11 and talked about the ministry's perspective plans to journalists, experts and members of the country's government…

 

Tbilisi to host large investment forum– (Trend) The following spheres will be represented at the forum: agriculture, tourism, information technology, light industry, alternative energy, transport and logistics, as well as sustainable design in construction…

Moldova

Russia to Moldova: Winter is coming – (The World Outline) Just three weeks away from the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, Russia puts pressure on the small country of Moldova to turn away from its European ambitions.  It would be “a grave mistake” for Moldova to pursue further links with the European Union, stated Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin on an official visit to the Eastern European state last September…

Russia

Igniting Solutions to Gas Flaring in Russia – (The World Bank) As the international community examines ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and moves toward low-carbon economies, associated petroleum gas is increasingly becoming an attractive component of the energy mix in many countries…

Russia willing to invest in Iran energy sector – (Press TV) Russia’s Ambassador to Tehran Levan Dzhagaryan says Russia is suffering from the US unilateral sanctions against Iran…

The Treads of Russia's Gas Tank – (The Moscow Times) A few days ago, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych made the remarkable statement that, by mining its own shale gas deposits, Ukraine would end its dependence on Russian gas by 2020 and even vie with Gazprom on the European gas market…

 

Plans to export power from Nordics to Russia delayed– (Reuters) Plans to start power exports from Finland to Russia could be delayed for several years due to unresolved differences in market rules, the head of Finnish grid operator Fingrid said on Thursday.  Finland is a part of the Nordic power market where producers get paid only for electricity, while in Russia they also get capacity payments on top, giving them incentive to invest in new generating capacity…

Turkey

Energy projects expected to raise Turkey's importance for Europe – (Turkish Weekly) The European Commission revealed a number of energy projects that will require 5.8 billion euros of EU funding in the next seven years, including pipeline projects that will run through Turkey…

Turkey sets date for new wind power applications – (Wind Power) TURKEY: EPDK, Turkey's energy market regulatory agency, will accept applications for new licenses to produce wind energy in April 2015, agency chairman Hasan Köktas has announced..

Turkey sets date for new solar PV applications – (PV Magazine) The country's energy watchdog has announced that it will begin accepting new solar PV license applications in April 2015…

Deputy PM: Energy potential of Caspian Sea region important for Turkey – (Trend) The energy potential of the Caspian Sea region is very important for Turkey, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said…

Siemens wins order for 53 direct drive wind power turbines in Turkey – (Penn Energy) The Turkish Güriş Group continues its cooperation with Siemens for three new wind power projects scheduled to be built in Turkey. The total scope includes delivery of the new turbines and a five-year service agreement for the three new projects…

Polish and Turkish companies sign EUR 250 million energy deals – (Balkans) Huge coal deposits in Turkey’s Black Sea province of Bartin will be developed with Turkish -Polish cooperation, according to two deals that cover consulting, engineering and supply of machinery, signed during a visit to Poland by the Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan…

Investment opportunity awaits for solar PV in Turkey – (InvestorIdeas) There are many investment opportunities for commercial scale solar energy projects in Turkey . Financing is still a challenge, but that is likely to be overcome by the booming interest in the sector…

Deputy PM: Energy potential of Caspian Sea region important for Turkey – (Trend) The energy potential of the Caspian Sea region is very important for Turkey, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said in his...

 

Energy projects expected to raise Turkey's importance for Europe – (Turkish Weekly) The European Commission revealed a number of energy projects that will require 5.8 billion euros of EU funding in the next seven years, including pipeline projects that will run through Turkey…

Ukraine

European Energy Community rejects Kyiv's criticism concerning its position on diversification– (Interfax-Ukraine) The European Energy Community has rejected Kyiv's criticism concerning its lack of a position on diversification, in particular the South Stream gas pipeline, and censured Kyiv for the non-fulfillment of its commitments under the Energy Community Treaty…

Kiev stumps for Adriatic gas corridor– (UPI) The Ukrainian government stands behind a natural gas corridor suggested from Croatia through Hungary, Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said…

Ukraine may stop Russian gas import by end of year– (MINA) Ukraine could stop importing natural gas from Russia before the end of this year due to falling domestic energy demand, Energy and Coal Industry Minister Eduard Stavytsky said Wednesday.  "We believe that by the end of the year we can dispense with buying Russian gas," Stavytsky told a news briefing here…

Ukraine Energy Minister: No Need to Buy Russian Gas Before Year-End – (English Capital) Ukraine has bought no Russian gas in November and doesn't need to buy any before the end of the year, Ukrainian Energy Minister Eduard Stavitskiy was quoted by news agencies as saying Wednesday…

Ukraine raises the stakes in gas gamble with Russia – (EurActiv) Ukraine stopped importing Russian gas last Friday over a pricing dispute, but the flow to Europe was unaffected, officials said yesterday (11 November)…

Ukrainian natural gas demand slumps – (UPI) Ukrainian Energy Minister Eduard Stavytsky said Wednesday his country needed less natural gas than expected because of lower demand…

Drop by Drop: Ukraine’s Naftogaz halts Russian gas – (RT) Ukraine’s national oil and gas company Naftogaz has reportedly completely stopped buying gas from Gazprom, Russia’s state-owned energy company Interfax news reported, citing the Fuel and Energy Dispatch Center…

Investors interested in Ukrainian chemicals, energy saving – (Forum) Today, investors prefer multiple industries in Ukraine, managing partner of the Pro Capital Investment Antonina Kutovaya told a news conference, ForUm correspondent reports…

Ukraine in talks with European Energy Community on changing their position regarding South Stream gas pipeline – (NRCU) Ukraine is in talks with the European Commission and the European Energy Community on changing their position with regard to the South Stream gas pipeline and on the shipment of natural gas from Europe to Ukraine, according to Vice-Premier Yuri Boiko…

Ukraine again criticizes European Energy Community's position on diversification – (Kyiv Post) Ukraine is holding talks with the leadership of the European Commission and the European Energy Community about changing their positions on the South Stream gas pipeline and on the shipment of natural gas from Europe to Ukraine, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Yuriy Boiko has said…

Pashkevych: Ukraine needs €60 billion to reduce energy consumption – (Forum) Ukraine needs 60 billion euros to reduce energy consumption in housing sector, chairman of the department for state control of energy efficiency Mykola Pashkevych told a briefing, ForUm correspondent reports…

Black Sea holds promise as nations seek energy independence – (Offshore Magazine) Despite the occasional setback – political and exploratory – the Black Sea continues to draw interest from international oil companies, including heavy hitters such as ExxonMobil, Total, Shell, and Repsol. Fewer than 100 offshore wells have been drilled in the Black Sea and, until recently, its deeper waters remained mostly unexamined by seismic surveys…

Efficient energy resources use to ensure stable prices for population – (Forum) Increasing the use of energy-efficient technologies is one of the main priorities of the government’s regional policy…

State-owned banks to fund safety improvements at Ukrainian NPPs – (Forum) The National Atomic Energy Generating Company Energoatom intends to raise 3.1 billion UAH from state-owned banks to improve safety at nuclear power plants (NPPs)…

 

Ukraine’s shale gas lures western companies – (Financial Times) The shale gas revolution has been slow to gain momentum in Europe – held back by environmental concerns, political caution and tricky geology. But one country where it may be taking off is...

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.