Albania

Azerbaijan signs MoU on gas supplies to Albania, Croatia and Montenegro – (Trend) Azerbaijan has signed a memorandum of understanding on future gas supplies to Albania, Croatia and Montenegro. Gas will be supplied as part of the Southern Gas Corridor - a project that will allow Europe to diversify its hydrocarbon source supply and increase energy security, while Azerbaijan continues to buy a new market in the face of Europe…

Daniel Beneš remains ČEZ's board chairman for another 4 years – (Prague Monitor) - Daniel Benes (43), CEO of energy company CEZ, will stay in the post of chairman of CEZ's board of directors for another four years, the company's board decided yesterday, CEZ announced on its website…

Albanian PM: Implementation of TAP to pave way for implementation of IAP – (Trend) The implementation of Trans-Adriatic pipeline project (TAP) will pave the way for new projects such as the Ionian-Adriatic Pipeline (IAP), Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said at the signing ceremony of the final investment decision on Shah Deniz-2 project on Dec.17 in Baku…

IMF to lend Albania 300 mln euros to help economy – (Reuters) The International Monetary Fund will lend Albania 300 million euros ($411.91 million) to help its sluggish economy recover and gradually reduce its rising debt and deficit…

Bulgaria

Bulgarian Renewable Energy Firms to Be Refunded over Grid Access Fee – (Novinite) Bulgaria's energy watchdog has vowed that renewable energy producers will soon get a refund of the sums they paid as grid access fee…

Bulgaria Gives Mandate to the European Commission for Negotiations on South Stream – (Publics.bg) Today's meeting on Bulgaria's energy development between energy minister Dragomir Stoinev and energy commissionaire Gunther Oettinger was rescheduled for early 2014, the Bulgarian governmental press centre announced today. Bulgaria’s development in the energy sector according to the European Commission’s (EC) guidelines was supposed to be reviewed today…

South Stream exposes Bulgarias opaque energy sector – (EuroPolitics) Often portrayed as Russia’s Trojan horse by its own politicians and energy experts, Bulgaria might appear a weak case for deception and cunning: Moscow’s dominating role in the EU country’s energy sector is obvious…

Bulgarian PM Oresharski: Bulgaria took a step towards gas supply diversification – (Focus) “Bulgaria took a step towards gas supply diversification,” Bulgarian PM Plamen Oresharski stated Tuesday at the signing ceremony of the Final Investment Decision on Shah Deniz II gas field project in Baku, Azerbaijan…

Westinghouse Electric in Talks With Bulgaria to Build Nuclear Reactor – (The Wall Street Journal) Westinghouse Electric Co., the U.S.-based unit of Japan's Toshiba Corp. 6502.TO +1.42%  , said Thursday it has entered into exclusive talks with Bulgaria for the supply of a new nuclear reactor at the country's existing Kozloduy nuclear power plant, heralding a deal likely worth several billion dollars…

Bulgaria’s NEC to lose over BGN 500 mln: ex-minister – (Focus) Bulgaria’s National Electricity Company (NEC) will face a loss of over BGN 500 million as it has not received the subsidy for reducing the price of electricity by 5%. Delyan Dobrev, MP with the oppositional Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (CEDB) party and former Minister of Economy and Energy, announced the news in an interview for FOCUS Radio’s This is Bulgaria broadcast…

Westinghouse and Bulgaria Take Steps Toward AP1000® Nuclear Power Plant Construction – (PR Web) Westinghouse Electric Company and Toshiba Corporation welcome the decision of Bulgarian Energy Holding EAD to enter into exclusive talks to advance the opportunity to develop and construct an AP1000® nuclear power plant for Kozloduy Unit 7 in Kozloduy, Bulgaria…

CEZ drew the second winner in its Energy Academy game – (Focus) CEZ drew the name of the second winner from the company’s game Energy Academy, the press office of the company announced. The lucky one is Emilia Eloreeva from Sofia who won the second weekly prize from Energy Academy – CEZ’s online game for wise and responsible electricity consumption and for improved energy efficiency…

Bulgaria Introduces a Renewable Energy Tax – (Solar Novus Today) Bulgaria’s parliament has introduced a bill that introduces a 20% tax on revenues generated by producers of renewable energy. The move comes in spite of protests by representatives of the Bulgarian renewable energy industry which have denounced the bill as unconstitutional…

New Reshuffles Reported in Bulgarian State Energy Cos – (Novinite)  - Lawyer Ivan Yonchev is the new CEO of the Bulgarian Energy Holding (BEH).Yonchev is replacing Boyan Boev, who was elected Wednesday Chairman of Bulgaria's energy watchdog to complete the term of Angela Toneva, who resigned Tuesday evening…

Croatia

Croatian PM: Southern gas corridor is important for Croatia and Central Europe – (Trend) Southern gas corridor is important for Croatia and Central Europe, Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic said at the signing ceremony of the final investment decision on the project of the second phase of the Shah Deniz gas condensate field development in Baku today…

RWE Energija announces arrival on Croatia's natural gas market – (Dalje) RWE Energija is entering the Croatian natural gas market next year, the company's CEO Zoran Milisa announced at a press conference in Zagreb on Tuesday.

Kosovo

European Bank for Reconstruction and Develo : Sustainable energy in Kosovo and FYR Macedonia – (4-Trader) The EBRD is helping the Western Balkans switch to green power, guarantee secure and stable access to electricity and cut carbon emissions…

Macedonia

European Bank for Reconstruction and Develo : Modernising FYR Macedonia’s electricity network – (4-Trader) The well-functioning transmission of electricity is a precondition for a modern economy. In order to strengthen the Macedonian electricity sector and the country's overall economy, the EBRD is providing a €25 million loan to the country's state-owned transmission system operator, AD MEPSO. The EBRD loan will be the first non-sovereign guaranteed loan to a public energy company in FYR Macedonia…

Romania

Romania slashes renewable energy subsidies – (Eur Activ) Romania will cut its support scheme for new wind, solar and small hydro renewable energy projects from January, a government decree said today (17 December), to avoid overcompensating producers and curb price increases for industry and homes…

Romania plans new changes for green certificates support scheme – (Romania Insider) Romania will make new changes in the green certificates support scheme, however the alterations will only affect projects becoming operational next year…

Pungesti: Romania's battlefield against Chevron – (Aljazeera) Romanian villagers struggle to protect their land and environment from fracking. For the past few days, the small village of Pungesti has become a battle scene between protesters opposing US energy giant Chevron's intention to explore for shale gas in a nearby field and Romanian police forces, sent by the government to protect Chevron in installing its equipment…

Romania's biggest issues with regard to competition is energy – (Balkans) Recently, the Romanian Competition Council has launched a report on the main sectors of the Romanian economy, according to which the sector faced with the biggest issues with regard to competition is energy…

Bulgaria PM: Shah Deniz 2 Is Step towards Gas Supply Diversification – (Novinite) Bulgarian Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski attended Tuesday the signing ceremony of the final investment decision on the Shah Deniz-2 project in Baku…

Guest post: reshaping the gas map of central Europe – (Beyondbrics) The tug-of-war between the European Union and Russia over Ukraine has highlighted – if that were necessary – the geopolitical role of natural gas in the region…

Potential of shale gas continues to drive exploration – (FT) Little has disturbed the way of life in Pungesti in eastern Romania for decades. The remote town lies more than 300km from Bucharest, the capital, in one of Europe’s poorest regions, with the locals largely dependent on subsistence farming…

Serbia

Russia to invest €5B in Serbia's energy sector – (VCPost) Russia has announced its intention to invest over €5 billion in the Serbian economy. The said amount will back new projects in the energy and production sectors, according to The Voice of Russia…

South Stream pipeline quarrels – (DW) Legal or not? A new Russian-European pipeline project has come to a screeching halt after intervention by the EU commission. To break an unlawful monopoly, it says - out of political motivation, say others…

Armenia

Armenia's Greens Take On Hydro-Schemes – (Institute of War and Peace Reporting) Environmentalists in Armenia say a strategy of building multiple hydroelectric stations to harness the country’s rivers is storing up problems for the future..

Russia forbids Armenia to resell its gas to other states – (Vestnik) Armenian Minister for Energy Armen Movsisyan said today that customs-free gas and petroleum will be shopped from Russia according to a quota system…

Armenia: Yerevan Cold-Shoulders Iran as Gas Suitor – (Eurasianet) Armenia is the most gas-hungry country in the South Caucasus, and already is in a committed energy relationship with Russia…

Aravot: Energy minister has no intention of resigning – (Aysor) During parliamentary hearings the deputy of Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) faction Vahan Babayan asked Energy and Natural Resources Minister Armen Movsisian if he would resign after the failed negotiations on gas price and Armenia’s debt of $300 million, ‘Aravot’ paper says…

Movsisian: Iran asked $440 per 100 cubic meters of gas – (Aysor) Armenia and Iran last conducted negotiations on natural gas in May and June 2012, Armenian Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Armen Movsisian said today. In his words, at that time Iran asked $440 per 100 cubic meters of gas…

Armenia to discuss gas purchase in early 2014 – (Press TV) Armenia Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Armen Movsisyan says Yerevan will be discussing the purchase of natural gas from from Iran during an upcoming joint economic commission in early 2014…

Azerbaijan

BP seals mega-deal in £28bn Azerbaijan pipeline – (The Scotsman) OIL major BP has pulled off its second mega-deal in as many days after its consortium partners yesterday gave the green light to a $45 billion (£28bn) plan to pump gas from the Caspian Sea into Europe…

Azerbaijani TPP generates almost 7 billion kilowatt hours electricity since early 2013 – (Trend) Azerbaijani Thermal Power Plant generated over 6.9 billion kilowatt hours of electricity in January-November, Azerenergy JSC (production and distribution of electricity in Azerbaijan) said on Dec.17…

Azerbaijan to satisfy Europe’s thirst for gas – (Trend) The demand for gas in Europe is expected to reach the 500 billion cubic meter per year mark by 2020, just as Azerbaijan begins it first large scale export of gas to the region…

Azerbaijan’s power generation resumes growth but hydropower plants share drops to 6.89% of total power generation – (ABC.AZ) The State Statistics Committee reports that the hydropower plant crisis in Azerbaijan which started in 2012 does not weaken in 2013 as well…

Azerbaijan to produce over 20 bln kilowatt/hours of electricity in 2014 – (Azernews) Azerbaijan is expected to produce 22 billion kilowatt/hours of electricity in 2014, Deputy Energy Minister Natig Abbasov told journalists on December 11…

Power export soars 9.1-fold in Azerbaijan – (ABC,AZ) Azerbaijan increased the export of electric power for November by 9.1 times compared to October when it declined by 30.4%. As a result, over 11 months of 2013 power export provided only 0.11% of the total export proceeds for this period…

Electricity supply to Europe within the framework of an Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey energy bridge scheduled for 2014 – (Vestnik) The launch of electricity supply to Europe within the framework of an Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey energy bridge is scheduled for 2014 , the president of "Azerenergy" Etibar Pirverdiyev said…

Azeri state company to provide floating LNG terminal – (Maltatoday) Azerbaijan state company SOCAR will provide the supply of liquefied natural gas and a floating storage vessel for the 200MW gas power plant, Gasol plc said in its half-yearly report…

Azerbaijan opens 'strategic door' to send gas to Europe – (Daily News) Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz II project backers sealed a final deal, scaling up its status as an alternative gas transit route to Europe as the continent tries to make itself less dependent upon Russian supplies…

Azerbaijan becoming major country meeting Europe's energy needs – Georgian PM – (News.AZ) Azerbaijan is becoming an important country in the region and EU in terms of meeting energy needs…

Azerbaijan to export power to Georgia via energy bridge – (Azernews) The construction of a new substation and power lines in Georgia will allow Azerbaijan to export an annual 500-600 mw/h of electric power to the country.  The news was announced by Azerbaijani Energy Minister Natig Aliyev told journalists on December 16… 

Georgia

Georgia expects investments totalling $700 million within Shah Deniz-2 project – (Trend) Georgia expects investments totalling $400-700 million as part of the second phase of Azerbaijani Shah Deniz field's development, Georgian Energy and Natural Resources Minister, Kakha Kaladze told journalists on Dec. 17…

Georgia developing alternative energy – (Trend) Georgia has begun developing alternative energy with construction of solar and wind power stations…

Next PABSEC plenary session opens in Tbilisi – (Trend) Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia chairing the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC) organisation, David Usupashvili has officially opened the 42nd plenary session of PABSEC on Dec.18…

Prime Minister Gharibahsvili visits Azerbaijan – (The Messanger online) Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili spoke of the importance of the Shah Deniz II Final Investment Decision signing ceremony in Baku on December 17. The project implementation will start in 2014…

Georgia starts developing alternate energy sources – (Vestnik) Georgian Minister for Energy Kakhi Kaladze and Mukemmel Sarimsakci, Director of Aeolus Apollo Alto Energy (US) will sign a cooperation memorandum to develop alternate energy sources and build solar and wind power plants in Georgia, Day.az reports.The US company and Georgy Bezhuashvili, Head of the Georgian Energy Development Fund, will sign a partner agreement to develop alternate and renewable energy sources.According to the agreements, the sides will establish a company to build solar and wind power plants with an output of up to 400MW…

Military and police may be used to restore power in Georgia – (Trend) Throughout its existence Georgia's energy industry has not experienced as powerful a crisis, as it is going through now, Georgian Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze said speaking at an emergency meeting with Georgian Prime Minister on Dec.16…

Siemens ties Georgia to Turkey – (Re News) Georgia has started exporting renewable energy to Turkey, through high-voltage direct current links developed by Siemens Energy…

President: Georgia is ready to support regional initiatives on Black Sea development – (Trend) Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili met with Secretary General of the Organisation of Black Sea Economic Cooperation, Victor Tvircun…

Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey Energy Bridge ready to transport electricity – (Trend) The Energy Bridge Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey is ready to transport electricity, Georgian Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Mariam Valishvili told Trend on Dec. 13…

Moldova

Moldova – Cutting down on energy costs? Yes you can! – (Eu Neighborhood Info Center) The EU Neighbourhood Info Centre has released a photo story –“Cutting down on energy costs? Yes you can!“ highlighting the achievements of an EU-funded Project in Moldova…

Oettinger takes lead in legal spat with Russia over South Stream – (Euractiv) Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger said yesterday (12 December) that the EU executive had accepted to represent the seven countries embroiled in a legal dispute with Russia over the South Stream gas pipeline, stressing that bilateral agreements with Moscow must respect EU law…

European Commission grants 87 million euros to Georgia, Moldova and Armenia – (ARKA) The European Commission has announced the 2013 allocations under the 'Eastern Partnership integration and cooperation' (EaPIC) program, which will go towards projects to boost economic opportunities in rural areas, advance reforms in the energy sector, improve job market management, offer vocational education and training and others…

Russia

Russia will set quotas for duty-free exports of gas and oil products to Armenia – (ARKA) Russia will set quotas for duty-free exports of gas and oil products to Armenia, Armenian energy and natural resources minister Armen Movsisyan said at parliamentary hearings on Tuesday…

Medvedev to hold session of government commission on economic development of North Caucasus – (Radio the Voice of Russia) An official in the Russian government press service said the Commission members intend to discuss matters relating to the development of the fuel and energy sector in the country's North Caucasian Federal District (NCFD)…

New Pipeline To Loosen Russia's Grip On Energy – (News Sky) The UK Foreign Secretary William Hague is in Azerbaijan today at a ceremony to sign a £27.6bn pipeline deal which will provide another alternative to energy supplies from Russia to Europe…

Russia's Gazprom may gain despite cheaper gas to Ukraine – (Reuters) Gazprom will sell gas to Ukraine at a big discount under a deal agreed by President Vladimir Putin but the state gas company's losses may eventually be offset by an increase in Russian supplies to its neighbour…

Rosatom set for larger share in global nuclear energy market – (Russia and India Report) Rosatom, the Russian state nuclear corporation, has concluded a record number of transactions this year for the construction of nuclear power plants…

Energy dialogue in favor of Russia – (Vestnik) The energy dialogue between Russia and Europe has been continuing for 10 years. According to the head of the State Duma Committee on Energy Ivan Grachev, the main stage of the approval of the "road map" with the Europeans has passed. Finally, mutually beneficial and constructive dialogue is developing, which the Russian side sought for a very long time…

Turkey

Energy: Turkey braces for winter blackouts as demand spikes – (Ansamed) Turkey is bracing for more unscheduled blackouts as Turkish electricity producers slash production just as cold weather is causing a sharp increase in demand, as daily Today's Zaman reports. Several cities, including Ankara and Istanbul, as well as rural areas saw power cuts on Saturday…

Ankara plays down Kurdish oil flow to Turkey – (FT) Oil has begun to flow through a pipeline proponents say will transform the prospects of investment in Northern Iraq, despite warnings that the underlying dispute over the Kurdish region’s management of energy resources is still not settled…

Many cities in Turkey face power cuts over the weekend – (Daily News) Many of Turkey’s cities faced power cuts due to efficiency measures against rising natural gas demand at the weekend…

Turkey to transmit Georgian power to EU – (Daily News) The Borçka-Akhaltsikhe electricity transmission line will be able to transmit 700 megawatt (mW) power from Georgia to the European Union through Turkey, Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yıldız has said, adding that the capacity would reach 1100 mW in advance…

Turkey: Electricity And Natural Gas Correlation In Turkey: Fragility İn Trading And Pricing Mechanism – (Mondaq) Turkey has a very high foreign-source dependency in energy sector by 75% whereas natural gas dependency mounts to 98%...

Turkish FM speaks of joint Azerbaijan-Turkey energy and transportation projects – (News.AZ) Turkish FM speaks of joint Azerbaijan-Turkey energy and transportation projects in Yerevan.  Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey Ahmet Davutoglu mentioned the energy and communication projects jointly implemented with Azerbaijan at the 29th Meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) held in Yerevan on December 12, 2013…

Turkey to raise stake to 30pc in Azeri gas pipeline – (Business Recorder) Turkey has agreed with Azerbaijan to raise its stake in the multi-billion dollar Trans-Anatolian natural gas pipeline project (TANAP) from to 30 percent from its current 20 percent, energy sources close to the matter told Reuters on Tuesday…

Turkey buys two more LNG cargoes as power demand soars – (The Peninsula) Cold winter weather has forced Turkey to seek costly cargoes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for December as power demand soars, traders and energy industry sources said on Wednesday…

This winter will be difficult for Turkey – (Daily News) I was going to say “Turkey will have a difficult winter” based on the electricity and natural gas shortages last week. However, when I heard yesterday of the police operations that encompassed top businessmen and mayors to general managers of state banks, to the sons of cabinet ministers, I can say that it will be difficult in every sense…

Ukraine

Ukraine: new electricity market law - The Parliament of Ukraine has adopted the Law of Ukraine No 663-VII “On Basic Principles of the Electricity Market Functioning” (dated 24 October 2013( (the “Law”)…

Gas politics after Ukraine – (News.AZ) In the wake of the European Union’s failure to conclude an association agreement with Ukraine, one could be forgiven for thinking that it is losing its touch in the former Soviet Union…

Four miners victims in accident at Coal Energy mine  -(KyivPost) An accident at the Sviato-Pokrovska Mine in Donetsk region, which is under control of Coal Energy, killed four miners and another two miners were taken to hospital in Dobropillia as of 1730 Monday, December 16…

Ukraine agrees to Russian bailout despite huge pro-West protests  -(World News) Russia threw Ukraine an economic lifeline on Tuesday, agreeing to buy $15 billion of Ukrainian debt and to reduce the price its cash-strapped neighbor pays for vital Russian gas supplies by about one-third…

Ukrainian Government offers people to sell their surplus electricity generated by solar panels – (Pellet Wood) National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) of Ukraine intends to oblige regional power distribution companies to run household photovoltaic installations within five days…

Law on liberalization of energy market will take effect from January 1 – (Kyiv Post) The law on the functioning of the electricity market of Ukraine, which foresees the liberalization of the wholesale electricity market of the country, will take effect on January 1, 2014, according to the transition clauses of the document published in the Uriadovy Kurier newspaper on December 18, 2013…

Energoatom cuts output by nearly 8 percent – (Kyiv Post) Power generation by all nuclear power plants run by Ukrainian National Nuclear Generating Company Energoatom fell by 7.8% or by 6.38 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) year-over-year in January-November 2013, to 75.314 billion kWh, the company has told Interfax-Ukraine…

Ukraine still working to gain energy independence – (Forum) Ukrainian government continues to work on the acquisition of Ukraine's energy independence, despite the decline in price for Russian gas, energy and coal industry minister of Ukraine Eduard Stavytsky told a briefing in the Cabinet of Ministers, ForUm correspondent reports….

Ukraine’s Two New Energy Deals – (Canada Free Press) If one was to believe the picture that most Western media outlets are painting, Ukraine has been lost to Russia. Though the country fought valiantly to sign an Association Agreement with the European Union in Vilnius, Lithuania last month, President Viktor Yanukovych suspended negotiations with the EU at the last possible moment, betraying Ukrainians everywhere…

EBRD allocates 100 million USD to finance energy efficiency projects in Ukraine – (Forum) Anton Usov, lead advisor on external relations of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), has said the bank allocates 100 million USD to finance energy efficiency projects in Ukraine…

Ukraine turmoil should not block Slovak pipeline deal –Oettinger – (Reuters) Political turmoil will not stop Ukrainian and Slovak authorities from going ahead with a reverse-flow pipeline deal designed to reduce Ukraine's reliance on Russian gas, Europe's Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger said on Thursday… 

 

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.