Germany mandates open market sales of new wind and solar plants
The German cabinet approved Wednesday plans that will require the majority of operators of new solar and wind power plants to independently sell their electricity on the open markets. This is to improve the integration renewables in the country's system. According to a new energy policy, even small facilities of 25 kilowatts must self-market instead of selling their power to the grid with guaranteed prices. Germany wants to reach 80% of its current electricity demand through renewable sources by 2030. The plans announced on Wednesday are intended to help manage the electricity surpluses that often occur at midday in summer…
Poland Eyes 10GW Offshore Wind Capacity by 2027
Poland's ministry of state assets has published a draft of legislation to promote offshore wind power, aiming to award more than 10GW in the Baltic Sea by 2027.The country will incentivise the construction of around 10 GW of offshore wind capacity in the Baltic Sea with 25-year contracts for difference to be awarded by 2027, it said in the draft law.It is proposing to award fixed-price contracts for difference (CfDs) to up to 4.6 GW of advanced offshore wind projects before it starts its first tenders for offshore wind.In the first auction – in 2023 – the country would tender for 0.5 GW…
Biofuel Producers Blast EU for Slashing Crop-based Fuel Use
European biofuel producers said a proposal by Brussels to nearly halve the level of crop-based biofuel used in the European Union by 2030 was a U-turn in policy that would threaten jobs and boost animal feed and crude oil imports. The European Commission proposed in a draft law reforming the EU energy market to cap crop-based or so-called first generation biofuels' share of fuels used in transport to 3.8 percent in 2030 from 7 percent in 2021. "The biofuel sector feels betrayed by the Commission because of its complete disregard for the investments made in good faith on the basis of EU policy…
German Power Firms to Shift Funds in Landmark Nuclear Deal
Germany's leading utilities will start contributing next year to a 23.6 billion euro ($26.4 billion) fund as a condition for shifting liability for nuclear waste storage to the government, giving investors greater clarity over their future finances. The new legislation, seen by Reuters on Friday, will remove uncertainty about the costs of storing waste -- the most complex and costly aspect of nuclear decommissioning -- which has been a major drag on German utility stocks. The utilities will remain responsible for dismantling the country's nuclear plants…
EU Regulators Poised to Seek Deeper Cut in Energy Use
EU regulators are poised to propose a binding target to cut energy use by 30 percent by 2030, a more ambitious goal than previously discussed, according to a draft document seen by Reuters. The draft law, which the European Commission is expected to publish next month, is part of a set of proposals to implement 2030 goals on cutting emissions, increasing renewable energy use and preventing energy waste. A preliminary agreement was reached in October 2014 when the 28 member states agreed to increase energy savings by at least 27 percent compared with business as usual.
EU National Climate Goals Test Bloc's Resolve Amid Brexit
EU regulators doled out bitterly disputed national emissions-reduction targets on Wednesday for spreading the burden of the bloc's climate goals by 2030, despite risks Britain's exit could unravel the effort to fight global warming. As the first major piece of legislation since Britons voted in June to leave, it is a test of the union's cohesion, as it seeks to keep to a pact agreed in Paris last year aimed at holding global warming "well below" 2 degrees Celsius. It assigns EU nations targets for slashing greenhouse gas emissions ranging from zero to 40 percent to achieve the bloc's overall goal of at least 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030.
German Cabinet Okays Renewable Energy Reforms
The German cabinet approved reforms to Germany's renewable energy law on Wednesday aimed at slowing the growth and better controlling the cost of green energy sources. Generous green subsidies have led to a boom in renewable energy, such as wind and solar power. But the rapid expansion has pushed up electricity costs in Europe's biggest economy and placed a strain on its grid. Under the reforms, Germany will move away from feed-in-tariffs to a competitive auction system where producers of renewable energy will only receive payments for their power if they win a tender.
Germany's Wintershall: New Law on Fracking is in Reach
New rules that govern the technique of fracking for gas are within reach in Germany after a 4-year debate, the country's top oil and gas producer Wintershall said, and may release at least 100 million euros of pent-up investment. Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition government will discuss a finalised draft law on hydraulic fracturing to extract gas and oil this month, and party leaders have signalled that an agreement is possible. Germany has promised strict environmental audits and a ban on drilling in areas where water is protected due to possible environmental damage.
Germany Postpones Fracking Vote
said on Tuesday. Legislation had been due to go to the Bundestag (lower house of parliament) on Friday but objections from some Social Democrats (SPD), in coalition with Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats, led to a postponement until the autumn. Unconventional fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, involves blasting chemicals and water into rocks to release trapped gas. Opposition is strong in Germany, where a powerful green lobby has warned about possible risks to drinking water from fracking. German industry is keen that the door to fracking is not closed, arguing it could help lower energy costs.
German Gas Industry Urges Decision on Fracking Rules
Germany's oil and gas industry urged the government on Monday to ensure that new gas fracking rules will support future domestic production and technological development. The environment ministry is preparing a legal framework to govern drilling and has promised strict environmental audits, which include a ban on drilling in water conservation areas. A draft of the law seen by Reuters last November, however, suggested the government plans to stop short of an outright ban on fracking for gas. The law is due to be debated by the German cabinet by the end of March.
Italy Opposes EU Environmental Law Scrapping
Eleven member states signed letter opposing withdrawal; European Commission has said will listen. Plans by European policymakers to scrap a draft EU law on air quality and waste send a "negative signal" about Europe's ambition to curb climate change and governments will challenge them, the Italian environment minister said on Wednesday. On Tuesday, the European Commission laid out its legislative plans for 2015, saying it would focus on priorities such as jobs and economic growth. At the same time, it planned to withdraw some proposals made by the previous EU executive, including on improving air quality and cutting waste.
Three Bidders All Eye Istanbul Gas Grid
Turkey will start the sale of Istanbul's IGDAS gas grid this month, with Russia's Gazprom , Japan's Marubeni Corp and Turkey's Enerya and Aygaz among the interested bidders, sources close to the process said. The IGDAS network serves more than 5 million customers in Turkey's largest city and sold 5 billion cubic metres of gas last year, generating 4.6 billion lira ($2 billion) of revenue and a 279 million lira net profit. "Appetite is huge for the distribution network of a city with the most consumption in the country. A lot of companies are waiting for the tender advertisement," one of the sources familiar with the privatisation plans said.
Greece Faces Power Outages as Electricity Workers Strike
Greece faced brief power outages on Thursday as electricity workers launched a series of 48-hour strikes against government plans to sell off part of the country's biggest power producer. Districts of Athens and Thessaloniki, Greece's second biggest city, risked hour-long power cuts starting from noon after 13 power stations were taken off line late on Wednesday, though no major disruption had been reported so far. Liberalising its energy sector is a key condition under Greece's 240-billion euro bailout by the European Union and International Monetary Fund but workers' unions say electricity is a public good that should remain under state control.
Ukraine May Seek State of Emergency on Energy Market
The Ukrainian government will seek parliamentary approval on Thursday for a possible state of emergency in the energy sector which would empower it to dictate to gas companies, including private ones, to whom they should supply gas and for how much. Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk's announcement signalled he wanted tight central control of domestic energy supplies as a Russian decision to cut off gas to Ukraine was taking effect. Russia, Ukraine's main supplier of strategic supplies of gas as well the main provider of natural gas for Europe via Ukraine, cut off supplies to the ex-Soviet republic on June 16 in a dispute over unpaid bills.
Greek Electricity Workers Plan Anti-Privatisation Strikes
Workers at Greece's state-controlled power utility PPC will stage a series of strikes from Wednesday, in the midst of the summer tourism season, to protest government plans to privatise the firm, their union leader said. Greece is beginning to emerge from a six-year recession and has pinned its hopes on record tourism arrivals this year to help boost its economy. The government has suggested it may force people on strike back to work if power supplies are disrupted. "You cannot have 20 million tourists coming to the country and deprive them of air-conditioning…
Germany to Set New Rules for Fracking
Germany plans to draw up new rules in the coming weeks for the controversial method of fracking for gas, which will impose tight restrictions on the technique that has led to a shale gas boom in the United States. The guidelines will include environmental audits and a ban on drilling in areas where water is protected. Germany's ruling parties had promised in their coalition agreement last year to set a legal framework for fracking. Hydraulic fracking involves pumping water and chemicals at high pressure through drill holes to prop open rocks.
Mexico Could Take Big Stakes in Major Oil Finds
As part of energy industry reforms, the Mexican government will be allowed to take up to a 30 percent stake in major new oil discoveries if it's determined to be in the national interest, a top government official said on Monday. Congress is expected to debate implementing legislation for the reforms, a package of more than 20 laws that will set fiscal and regulatory terms for the changes, in a special session next month. The draft hydrocarbons law would require national oil company Pemex to take at least a 20 percent stake in oil fields that cross international borders as well as a minority stake in other developments under certain circumstances.
German State Aims to Revive Tight Gas Fracking
Germany's state of Lower Saxony plans to launch a legal move in parliament next month that will seek to end a ban on new exploration for deep-lying gas using the "fracking" technology deployed in the country for over 30 years. The state, which holds 95 percent of German gas reserves, has lost mining royalties from a two-year long suspension of new permits for hydraulic fracking, which it had quietly been using for decades to get at "tight" gas situated deep underground. Tight sandstone reservoirs in Germany are typically 3,000 to 5,000 metres deep, while shale formations are between 1,000 and 2,500 metres deep.
Morocco to drill 30 oil and gas wells this year
Morocco will drill 30 oil and gas wells in 2014 as part of the North African kingdom's planned expansion of exploration, its energy minister said on Tuesday. Morocco has awarded dozens of permits to oil companies in the past few years, helped by its relative stability compared with other North African countries and by increasing indications of potential offshore and onshore reserves. The country is also preparing a draft law on the mining industry to ease bureaucracy and attract more investments, Energy and Mines minister Abdelkader Amara said. "We are stepping up our searches.
Polish Government Approves Renewable Energy Bill
Poland's government approved a long-awaited draft law on Tuesday that lays out new long-term subsidies for renewable energy, aiming to cut costs to consumers as well as help the coal-reliant country meet EU climate targets. Under the draft law, which requires final approval by parliament and the president, developers and owners of new renewable installations can sell their energy at auctions for a fixed price that would be guaranteed for 15 years regardless of market prices. The proposal would also set a ceiling on the subsidy.
