Albania

Trans-Adriatic Pipeline Deal: Does European Union, Azerbaijan Agreement Undermine Russian Energy Plans? – (International Business Times) The European Union and Azerbaijan have agreed on building the long-awaited Trans-Adriatic pipeline that would transport Azeri natural gas from the Caspian Sea to Europe, according to a European Union press release. The pipeline, which would run the length of Greece into neighboring Albania…

Albania: OSHEE Building New Power Substation in Tirana – (Energetika) Bejtja said that the energy sector has already entered the tide of investment in distribution, transmission, and electricity generation in Albania. According to Bejtja, the reforms undertaken are having an…

Germany issues a loan for Albania to improve energy efficiency – (Turkish Weekly) Albanian authorities have taken out a loan from Germany in order for Albanians to exploit solar energy. The project, which is called “Energy efficiency”, will function through the banking system and will offer loans for solar panels…

Bulgaria

Electricity Importers to Also Contribute to the Bulgarian Energy Security Fund – (Publics) Electricity importers will also have to pay 5% of their monthly revenues to the newly created Energy System Security Fund, PMs from the Bulgarian Parliamentary Committee for Energy voted yesterday. Delian Dobrev, chairman of the Committee, commented for media representatives on Monday that the burden on imports should be minimal, as the power import quantities are “insignificant” – 44,000 megwatthours in 2014 and 37,000 megawatthours during the first half of 2015…

Bulgaria imposes 5 pct revenue fee on power producers, importers – (Reuters) Bulgaria will impose a five-percent fee on revenue of all electricity producers and importers as it looks to cut deficits in the energy sector, the parliament decided on Wednesday…

Bulgaria prepares 5% levy on income of electricity producers – (SeeNews) Bulgaria plans to impose a 5% tax on the monthly income of all electricity producers in the country in an attempt to cover part of the deficit which the state-owned National Electricity Company (NEK) has accumulated, a draft bill approved by the energy committee in parliament on Tuesday indicated…

Energy Security System Fund is the first step for liberalisation of the market: Minister – (Focus) “The creation of the Energy Security System Fund is the first step towards liberalisation of the energy market”, Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova told journalists at the Parliament, a reporter of FOCUS News Agency announced. Minister Petkova denied rumours that the establishment of the Fund will affect the electricity price for all customers…

Bulgarian Parliament to Vote on Energy Act on Wednesday – (Energetika) The changes approved by the Energy Committee on second and final reading on Monday also call for the creation of an Electricity System Security Fund…

EU allocates €150m for energy infrastructure projects – (EBR) The European Commission has allocated €150m to fund 20 electricity and gas projects in central and south east Europe and the Baltic region…

EU Invests EUR 150 Million in Energy Infrastructure – (Energetika) According to the EC, 20 projects were selected in total following a call for proposals under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), an EU funding programme for infrastructure. Of these, 11 are in the gas sector...

What ever happened with Europe's fracking boom? – (Deutsche Welle) The Netherlands has banned fracking until 2020. Over the past several years, a number of other European countries declared a ban on exploiting new natural gas deposits. So, is the apparent European shale gas boom over…

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Republika Srpska Wants to Attract EUR 6 Billion in Energy Sector by 2030 – (Energetika) Republika Srpska is open to new investments, the minister said. “In the future, we want to put the focus on the construction of facilities for the production of electricity from renewable sources…

Permit of TPP Stanari to be reviewed after legislative amendment in Bosnia and Herzegovina – (Energy Community) An amendment to the Rulebook on measures to prevent and reduce air pollution and improve air quality entered into force in Republika Srpska, one of two entities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, on 4 July 2015…

Council of Ministers adopted the International Energy Charter – (Energetika) By accepting the charter, Bosnia and Herzegovina wishes to contribute to energy development and energy security, as well as the efficiency of energy production, transport, distribution, and use, while preserving...

Elektroprivreda HZHB Paid EUR 6.2 million to Municipalities for Hydro Accumulation – (Energetika) According to the company the municipalities are required to invest at least 50% of the collected funds in infrastructure projects in areas that are damaged by hydro accumulation…

Possible Increase of Electricity Prices in BiH – (Energetika) The government considered the complex financial situation in the BiH coal mines and decided that prices will be increased if the Energy Regulatory Commission in the Federation (FERC) and the Federation Parliament...

Mrkonjic Grad in BiH to Get New HPP – (Energetika) According to Bisnis.ba, Nedeljko Kesic, Director of HPPs on Vrbas, says that the initiative to build this HPP was addressed already nine years ago, but the conditions and disputes that have arisen since…

Croatia

Croatia seeks investors to develop Adriatic LNG terminal – (Reuters) Croatia's power utility HEP and gas transmission system operator Plinacro on Tuesday invited investors to express interest in building a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in the northern Adriatic, part of the country's drive for energy independence…

EU to Financially Support Floating Platform for LNG on Croatian Island of Krk – (Energetika) The Croatian government recently declared the construction of an LNG terminal on Krk as a strategic investment project in Croatia. This means that all the procedures regarding this project have the highest priority...

Croatian Končar Finishes Zakučac HPP Reconstruction – (Energetika) The third aggregate will boost the electricity production at Zakučac HPP. The mentioned HPP lies on the lower reaches of River Cetina near the town of Omiš...

Kosovo

EC to Support Feasibility Study for Rehabilitation of Kosova B TPP – (Energetika) Though, Gjukaj noted that “despite the challenges associated with the stabilisation of production, one of the main objectives of the corporation was, and remains, the protection of the environment in areas when...

Kosovo KEDS Replaces 200 Transformers in One Year – (Energetika) The replacement of transformers was done to avoid overload in various settlements. According to Armend Ymeri, Manager in KEDS, effects of the measures are already showing in a smaller number of failures on the...

Kosovo: Kosova Unit A5 Out of Production by Friday, Energy Savings Advised – (Energetika) As a result of this and because of the continuous reduction of production capacities in the Kosovo B power plant, Kosovo is facing an unplanned shortage of significant amounts of electricity…

Macedonia

Charging Electric Cars in Macedonia Free of Charge – (Energetika) The first free electric charging station has been installed at the Macedonian Phalanx multi-storey car park in Skopje, Independent.mk writes. The first to use the station was the Mayor of Skopje, Koce Trajanovs...

Montenegro

Montenegro: Public Discussion on National Strategy on Climate Change Until 2030 – (Energetika) According to the ministry's announcement, the panel discussions will be held on Thursday 27 August 2015 in the multimedia hall on the ground floor of the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism…

Unbearable Heat Causing Record Electricity Consumption in Montenegro – (Energetika) On 20 July, 9 million kWh of electricity were consumed. This is the first time that the electricity consumption in summer is equal to the consumption in winter, EPCG said. The most electricity was consumed in...

Romania

Romania's Day-Ahead Power Prices Rise by 13.31% in June – (Energetika) The average price on the day-ahead market was 32.92 EUR/MWh, an increase of 19.45% compared to May, and an increase of 6.04% compared to June 2014.The value of transactions on the day-ahead market was EUR 64.74...

Romania’s EUR 1 bln thermal power plant project is blocked – (Romania-Insider) The project for a new thermal power plant worth EUR 1 billion, which had to be built by the Chinese group China Huadian Engineering at the Rovinari thermal plant, is blocked, according to thermal electricity producer Complexul Energetic Oltenia…

OPCOM Launches New Mechanisms for Romanian Energy Market Functioning – (Energetika) Commencing July this year, OPCOM will make the following three trading mechanisms available to licence holders and clients in the natural gas domain who register and sign the single Accession Agreement…

EUR 22 million State Aid to Romanian Energy Producer – (Energetika) The company operates two thermal power plants and four coal mines. It recorded EUR 150 million in sales and EUR 78.6 million in losses in 2014, and has almost 6,700 employees...

Romania, interested in energy exports to Serbia – (Romania-Insider) Romania is interested in exporting electricity to the regional market in southeastern Europe, including Serbia, Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis said on July 16, during his visit to Serbia…

Romania extends Thermal Heating Program’s implementation – (Romania-Insider) The Government has extended the implementation period for the Thermal Heating Program 2006-2015 until 2020. The program includes various investments in the generation, transmission and distribution of thermal energy…

Serbia

Serbia - Romania discuss cooperation in the energy sector – (Balkans) Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic met yesterday with President of Romania Klaus Iohannis who is on his first official visit to Serbia.  The two officials discussed cooperation in the energy sector and the construction of the Belgrade – Timisoara motorway…

SEEPEX Power Exchange Officially Registered – (Energetika) The first session of the SEEPEX Supervisory Board was held yesterday (15 July), SEEbiz reports.SEEPEX is a company whose owners are the shareholders of Elektromreža Srbije (EMS), the Serbian transmission system...

Serbian Kostolac B TPP in Overhaul Until 17 August – (Energetika) “Days before the planned overhaul we had problems with one valve on the high pressure turbine, and we shall also repair this. Most of the overhaul funds will be spent on the boiler plant, fan, slag remover and...

Serbia: Total Onshore Wind Installed Capacity to Rise from 102.5 MW to 522 MW by 2025 – (Energetika) According to Sneha Susan Elias, GlobalData’s Analyst covering Power, Feed-in Tariffs (FiT) are the major support programme for Serbia’s electricity production from renewable energy sources and will help drive...

Serbia’s Onshore Wind Installed Capacity Will Rise Rapidly to 522 Megawatts by 2025, says GlobalData – (Altenergy) Total onshore wind installed capacity in Serbia will rise from 102.5 Megawatts (MW) in 2015 to an estimated 522 MW by 2025 ----Serbia is looking to wind as it aims for 27% of its energy mix to come from renewable sources by 2020, says analyst…

Hot Weather Contributing to Higher Electricity Consumption in Serbia – (Energetika) EPS expects the consumption to rise due to the hot weather which is prevailing in the Balkans and is thus forcing people to use air-conditioning. On Sunday (19 July) alone, electricity consumption was 79 million...

Armenia

Armenia Unveils U.S.-Backed Energy Security Plan – (Asbarez) The Armenian government officially unveiled on Wednesday a long-term energy security strategy for Armenia that has been drawn up with financial and technical assistance provided by the United States…

Prime minister: Armenia to continue developing nuclear energy industry, talks are underway with investors – (Panorama) The Armenian government will continue developing the nuclear energy industry in order to maintain the current level of Armenia’s energy security, Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan said today at the presentation of the program “The Ways of Long-Term Development (until 2036) of the Energy System of Armenia…

Armenia conducts financial recovery of energy system – (ARMENPRESS) The Republic of Armenia faces a number of objective problems in the energy sector and the Government of the country is firmly committed to the implementation of new reforms in the sector…

A project on improvement of the energy system was worked out and it has to ensure its stability and reliability – (Aysor) The presentation of the program ‘Ways of Long-Term Development of Armenia’s Energy System until 2036’ took place today. The participants included Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Yervand Zakharyan, Armenian MPs, diplomats accredited to Armenia, representatives of international organizations and NGOs…

Rise, Armenia: Civil initiative seeks renewed street protests against energy price hikes – (ArmeniaNow) A new civil initiative campaigning against electricity price hikes has called for renewed street protests to curb the decision by Armenia’s utilities commission before it comes into force on August 1.  “Rise, Armenia”, a group led by the Yerevan City Council’s opposition Heritage party member David Sanasaryan and former presidential candidate Andrias Ghukasyan…

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan increases electricity production in H1 2015 – (Trend) Azerbaijan produced 11.68 billion kilowatt hours of electricity in H1 of 2015, or 2.5 percent more than in the same period of 2014, the country's State Statistical...

Azerbaijan’s power export continues to grow – (ABC.AZ) The State Customs Committee reports that according to electric meters’ data over Jan-Jun 2015 electric power export from the country totaled 155.037 million kWh that exceeds the 2014 same term’s index (155.037 million kWh) by 22.3%. Power export deliveries reached 60.5 million kWh in January, 7.27 million kWh in February, 21.89 million kWh in March, 44.1 million kWh in April, 14.7 million kWh in May and 6.496 million kWh in June…

Donald Tusk: Azerbaijan is EU’s reliable, strategic energy partner – (Trend) Azerbaijan is the EU’s reliable and strategic partner in the energy field, and we want to take this partnership further, President of European Council Donald Tusk said at the joint press conference with the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in Baku on July 22…

EU looking to Azerbaijan for strategic energy partnership – (ENPI) Azerbaijan is a reliable and strategic energy partner for the EU, "and we want to take this partnership further", said European Council President Donald Tusk on a visit to Baku today.  Azerbaijan is a main partner in the EU's efforts to diversify its energy supplies said Tusk, stressing the commitment to developing the Southern Gas Corridor. "For Europe, it is a question of diversifying supply. For Azerbaijan, it is a question of diversifying demand…

NATO: Azerbaijan becoming important component of global energy security – (Azernews) Azerbaijan is going to be an important component of global energy security market place, said William Lahue, the NATO Liaison Officer in the South Caucasus.  “It is important that countries have multiple sources of supply in order to protect themselves from fluctuations in available sources of supply,” he told Trend in Kvareli, Georgia. “In this process Azerbaijan is going to be important, and its importance is growing…

Azerbaijan becoming important component of global energy security – NATO – (Trend) Azerbaijan is going to be an important component of global energy security market place, NATO Liaison Officer in the South Caucasus William Lahue told Trend in Kvareli, Georgia. “It is important that countries have multiple sources of supply in order to protect themselves from fluctuations in available sources of supply…

Azerbaijan resumes oil exports via Russia – (Reuters) Azeri state energy company SOCAR has resumed oil exports via Russia this month, SOCAR's president said on Wednesday, after they were suspended for several weeks. "SOCAR resumed oil shipments through the Baku-Novorossiisk pipeline this month, which were halted in the beginning of June," Rovnag Abdullayev told reporters…

New report sheds light on Azerbaijan's oil and gas industry exploration, production analysis and outlook to 2025 –(WhaTech) Azerbaijan oil and gas reserves, replacement ratios, proven volumes along with detailed insights into the role of Azerbaijan in region and global upstream markets is provided in detail…

Georgia

Turkey, Georgia open $220m power plant – (Daily Sabah) Georgia's Gardabani 230-megawatt gas combined cycle plant -- built with Turkish involvement -- started operating on Wednesday.  The $220 million facility, located 39 kilometers (24 miles) south of Georgia's capital Tbilisi, will meet about 15 percent of the country's electricity needs…

Turkey and Georgia Open USD 220 Million-Power Plant – (Publics) Speaking at the inauguration, Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yıldız said this project will lead to other projects in the future between Turkey and Georgia…

Turkey, Georgia open $220 million power plant – (Hurriyet Daily News) Georgia’s Gardabani 230-megawatt gas combined cycle plant, built with Turkish involvement, started operating on July 22.  The $220 million facility, located 39 kilometers south of the capital Tbilisi, will meet about 15 percent of the country’s electricity needs…

Supporting energy efficient industries in Georgia Featured – (Financial) Cement producer Georgian Building Group (GBG) embraced this strategy with the help of the EBRD’s sustainable energy financing facility Energocredit, a credit line worth US$ 125 million supported by the European Union’s Neighbourhood Investment Facility (NIF) and Austria, according to EBRD…

Regulator OKs Gas-Fired Power Tariff Increase, But Short of Hike Sought by Companies – (Civil) Thermal power plant in Gardabani owned by Russia’s state-controlled power trader Inter RAO, which holds 75.1% of shares in Telasi, an electricity distributor company in Tbilisi. Photo from Mtkvari Energy website…

Moldova

EU funded Energy and Biomass Project takes part in the European Union Sustainable Energy Week, Second Edition – (AEE) The EU funded Energy and Biomass Project participates in the European Union Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW), Second Edition, held in Chisinau during 15-21 of June, upon the initiative of the EU Delegation to the Republic of Moldova…

SUN DA-I Fest, third edition, brought together thousands of renewable energy promoters – (AEE) Thousands of Moldovans discovered eco technologies at SUN DA-I Fest – Live Music Festival, powered by solar energy. The event culminates the European Union Sustainable Energy Week and is organised by the EU-funded Energy and Biomass Project, together with the Energy Efficiency Agency and POT Music…

Turkey

Turkey aims to be an energy ‘bridge of peace’ – (The WorldFolio) Strategically located between major energy producers and consumers, Turkey is developing into a vital transit state carrying hydrocarbons from the Middle East and Caucasus to Europe with an ultimate aim to be an energy hub. Mehmet Konuk, CEO of BOTAŞ, outlines his company’s vital role in creating this energy bridge that fosters interdependency between nations…

Europe Provides $180 Million For Renewable Energy Projects In Turkey – (Clean Technica) Europe is set to expand its financial support to Turkey’s renewable energy sector through additional loans under the Mid-size Sustainable Energy Financing Facility Program…

$180m to boost renewable energy in Turkey – (Energy Live News) Two Turkish banks are receiving $180 million (£113.4m) to boost the renewable sector in the country.  The cash will finance green projects implemented by private companies each worth between €10 million (£6.9m) and €40 million (£27.6m)…

EBRD provides further funding to Turkish renewable energy sector – (CTBR) The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has agreed to provide $180m in new funding to Turkish banks to boost renewable energy sector…

EBRD boosts financing for renewable energy in Turkey – (SolarServer) The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD, London, UK) is providing a further boost to Turkey’s renewable energy sector with new financing of USD 180 million to Garanti Bank (Garanti) and Yapı ve Kredi Bankası (Yapı Kredi)…

Turkey guarantees implementation of Azerbaijani energy projects – (Trend) For 13 years, Azerbaijan and Turkey have been jointly implementing energy projects that are important not only for the region, but also in terms of ensuring Europe’s energy security.  The Southern Gas Corridor and its main part TANAP are among these projects…

Turkey won’t make concessions to Russia in Turkish Stream project – (Trend) Turkey’s dependence on energy resources pushes the country’s authorities to make great efforts to turn the country into the region’s energy hub. Meanwhile, the country’s geographic location, economic and political stability turns it into a perfect and even indispensable regional energy hub…

Azerbaijan, Turkey to invest in renewable energy sector – (Azernews) Azerbaijan and Turkey will jointly invest in the renewable energy sector, Turkey's Public Disclosure Platform said on July 22.  The relevant Memorandum of Understanding was recently signed between the Turkish Turcas Enerji Holding and Azalternativenerji under Azerbaijan's State Agency on Alternative and Renewable Energy Sources…

Turkey, Georgia open power plant – (Saudi Gazette) Georgia’s Gardabani 230-megawatt gas combined cycle plant — built with Turkish involvement — started operating on Wednesday.  The $220 million facility, located 39 kilometers (24 miles) south of Georgia’s capital Tbilisi, will meet about 15 percent of the country’s electricity needs…

Turkey, Georgia open $220m power plant – (Turkish Weekly) Georgia's Gardabani 230-megawatt gas combined cycle plant -- built with Turkish involvement -- started operating on Wednesday.  The $220 million facility, located 39 kilometers (24 miles) south of Georgia's capital Tbilisi, will meet about 15 percent of the country's electricity needs…

Ukraine

Ukraine reforms feed-in tariff, reduces solar power compensation – (Solar Server) Early in June 2015, the Ukrainian parliament adopted the Law of Ukraine in relation to changes regarding energy production from renewable energy sources, the law firm bnt attorneys-at-law (Kiew) reports…

Competition agency starts studying electricity generation market – (NRCU) As reported, Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Minister Volodymyr Demchyshyn said on April 28, 2015 that it's the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) that should decide on whether there was monopoly abuse by DTEK energy holding on the Ukrainian coal and thermal generation market…

Ukraine preparing for next heating season – (NRCU) During the next heating season Ukraine can cope without blackouts of electricity, Minister of Energy and Coal Industry Volodymyr Demchyshyn predicts.  According to him, in the first half of this year, electricity consumption in Ukraine has dropped by 12 percent…

EU Commission disburses €600 million assistance to Ukraine – (European Commission) The European Commission, on behalf of the EU, today disbursed a loan of €600 million to Ukraine. This corresponds to the first instalment under the new Macro-Financial Assistance (MFA) programme for Ukraine, which amounts to a total of €1.8 billion…

EU extends loan to assist with Ukrainian reforms – (UPI) The European Commission said Wednesday it agreed to extend financial assistance to Ukraine, a key energy transit country, to help with economic reforms.  The commission, acting on behalf of the European Union, said it disbursed $650 million in assistance to Ukraine to address "urgent financing needs" necessary for economic stability. The loan is aimed at steering Ukraine through energy and financial sector reforms…

Russia to Spend Over $800 Million on Electricity Cable to Crimea – (The Moscow Times) Russia's Energy Ministry has signed a contract worth up to 47.3 billion rubles ($830 million) for the construction of energy infrastructure to Crimea as Russia strives to end the peninsula's dependence on Ukrainian supplies, a tender published online showed…

NCER extends Ukrhydroenergo's 2015 investment program by 1.5 times – (Interfax-Ukraine) Ukraine's National Commission for Energy, Housing and Utilities Services Regulation (NCER) has expanded the investment program of public joint-stock company Ukrhydroenergo by almost 1.5 times or UAH 540 million, to UAH 1.696 billion (VAT not included)…

Kenneth Rapoza: Ukraine opening its energy market to the US – (Kyiv Post) Well, it was inevitable, right? The U.S. is making inroads into Ukraine’s energy sector, judging by talks this week in Washington…

European Federation of Energy Traders and Energy Community welcome ongoing gas market reform process in Ukraine – (Energy Community) A joint European Federation of Energy Traders (EFET) and Energy Community workshop on the restructuring of the Ukrainian gas market took place on 15 July in Kyiv. Industry experts, policy makers and academia representatives gathered to discuss how to achieve efficient market design and enable competition and fair pricing in Ukraine…

Ukraine boosts gas imports from Slovakia – (Energy Voice) Ukraine increased its purchase of natural gas imports from Slovakia by 41 percent on Tuesday, boosting its storage supplies, transport monopoly Ukrtransgaz said…

Ukraine boosts gas imports from Slovakia – (Reuters) Ukraine increased natural gas imports from Slovakia by 41 percent on Tuesday to boost supplies to underground storage, transport monopoly Ukrtransgaz said, three weeks after Kiev halted imports from Russia due to a pricing dispute…

Ukraine Boosts Gas Imports From Slovakia to Replace Russian Volumes – (The Moscow Times) Ukraine increased its purchase of natural gas imports from Slovakia by 41 percent on Tuesday, boosting its storage supplies, transport monopoly Ukrtransgaz said.  Cash-strapped Ukraine is now buying most of its natural gas from Slovakia after halting imports from Russia three weeks ago due to a pricing dispute…

Can LNG Help Ukraine? – (Oil Price) For years Ukraine has had to walk a tightrope in its relations with Russia to ensure a steady supply of gas to keep it warm during harsh Eastern European winters. But in the past decade, political and pricing disputes have cut off the supply, and Ukraine has been scrambling to find alternate sources…

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.