Recent developments in Asia's ethanol targets
As they try to reduce their dependence on imported fuels and meet carbon emission targets, more countries in Asia Pacific are blending ethanol with gasoline. Indonesia, Asia's biggest gasoline importer plans to impose an mandatory bioethanol content level of 10% in?gasoline by 2028, according to energy ministry official,?Tri?Winarno. Check out the latest news on the use of blended fuels containing ethanol in the region. Indonesia has delayed its goal to mandate a 10% ethanol blend for gasoline (E10) from 2027 to 2028, citing supply constraints.
Petromidia Refinery to Shut Down for Scheduled Revision in March
Romania's Black Sea crude oil refinery Petromidia, the largest in the country, will shut down for a scheduled revision in March, its owner said on Tuesday, potentially squeezing fuel supply and putting upward pressure on prices.The refinery is owned by Rompetrol Rafinare, which is majority-controlled by KMG International (KMGI), part of Kazakh state oil firm KazMunayGaz. The Romanian state holds a 45% stake.The refinery sources crude oil from Kazakhstan. It will be shut down for 20 days in March…
During Erdogan's visit, Turkey and Ethiopia signed an energy cooperation agreement
The Turkish Energy Ministry announced that Turkey and Ethiopia signed an agreement on 'energy cooperation' during the visit of President Tayyip Erdogan to Addis Ababa on Tuesday. Erdogan visited Addis Ababa for a day on Tuesday, at the invitation of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. It was his first visit to Ethiopia in eleven years. After talks between the two leaders, an agreement was signed in a ceremony. Alparslan Bayraktar, the Turkish Energy Minister, said that it would be used as a 'roadmap to enhance?cooperation.
Turkey, Ethiopia to Cooperate on Energy Projects
Turkey and Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding on energy cooperation during a visit by President Tayyip Erdogan to Addis Ababa on Tuesday, the Turkish Energy Ministry said, adding the accord would lead to joint production and projects.Erdogan held a one-day visit to Addis Ababa on Tuesday upon Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's invitation, his first to Ethiopia in 11 years.The accord was signed at a ceremony after talks between the two leaders. Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan…
Modi's rooftop Solar push is slowed down by unwilling lenders, states
Vendors and analysts claim that despite the heavy subsidies, I ndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not able to achieve his targets due to loan delays and limited state support. These shortfalls are the latest "challenge" to India's efforts at nearly doubling clean energy capacity by 2030 to 500 gigawatts. The government is planning to suspend the clean energy tendering target amid an increasing backlog of projects that have been awarded but not yet built. India may continue to rely on coal because of challenges to its plans to increase the use of solar power.
Rosneft Oil Refinery Warns of US Sanctions
Management at a Russian-owned oil refinery in Germany have privately warned Berlin that U.S. sanctions are hurting its business and threatening fuel supply for the country's capital and the region, according to correspondence seen by Reuters.In a January letter, management of the PCK Schwedt refinery, controlled by Rosneft, made an "urgent appeal" to economy and energy minister Katherina Reiche to resolve a standoff with the United States over the refinery's future.The letter outlines escalating problems at the refinery…
Draft law shows that Germany wants renewable energy firms to pay for grid connections.
According to a draft of a law, the German government intends to charge renewables companies for connecting to the electric grid in order to meet 'the rapid?demand? for expansion. The move, which was first reported by Spiegel magazine, would replace the current ?system where companies are allowed to connect to the ?grid on a first-come-first-served basis. This is due to the sheer volume of grid connection requests facing grid operators in Germany. Germany is one of the European countries that are pushing forward with a green agenda despite increasing criticism from U.S. president Donald Trump.
Namibia's Energy Ministry blasts TotalEnergies and Petrobras for failing to follow procedure
Namibia expressed concern that TotalEnergies and Petrobras acquired new offshore positions within the Luderitz basin without notifying the energy ministry and/or obtaining the necessary approval. Both French and Brazilian oil companies, TotalEnergies & Petrobras, announced on Friday that they each acquired a 42.5% share in an offshore Namibia exploration license. The firms are looking to develop oil at one of the last frontiers in exploration. Maravilla Oil and Gas and Eight Offshore Investments Holdings acquired the stakes of the PEL104 license.
Shell stops further Kazakhstan investment due to legal disputes, CEO states
Shell has halted new investments in Kazakhstan due to legal actions taken by the government against the oil giant and other international companies over cost disputes. CEO Wael sawan confirmed this. Kazakhstan has been in conflict with international oil companies for many years. It launched arbitration proceedings against the developers who developed its Kashagan oilfields and Karachaganak, claiming $13 billion of disputed costs and $3.5 billion. One claim?involves a field operated by the Karachaganak Petroleum Operating Consortium…
Shell stops further Kazakhstan investment due to legal disputes, CEO states
Shell has halted new investments due to legal actions launched by the government against it and other international companies for cost disputes. CEO Wael Sawan said that Shell would halt its new investments because of the legal proceedings. Kazakhstan has been in conflict with international oil companies for many years. It launched arbitration proceedings against the developers who developed its Kashagan oilfield and Karachaganak, claiming $13 billion of disputed costs and $3.5 billion.
Tengiz Oilfield Power Facility Fires Damage Kazakhstan's CPC Oil Exports
Kazakhstan's planned oil exports could fall by as much as 35% this month via its main route through Russia, four trading sources have told Reuters, as the giant Tengiz oilfield slowly recovers from fires at power facilities in January.U.S. oil major Chevron leads the Tengizchevroil (TCO) consortium that operates the field.Oil exports through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium system, which crosses into Russia en route to the Black Sea, could drop from the preliminary schedule of…
Officials say that Indonesia will increase the mandatory bioethanol content in gasoline from 5% to 10% by 2028.
Tri Winarno, a senior official in the energy ministry, said that Indonesia will impose a 10% bioethanol content requirement for gasoline by 2028. Indonesia aims to increase the use of biofuels produced from palm oil or sugar cane in order to reduce imports, and to become more energy independent. Despite the ethanol shortage, it has decided to delay its plans to increase the bioethanol content in gasoline. The energy ministry had previously said that the 10% mandatory bioethanol level would be implemented in 2027, but this has now been pushed back a year.
Moroccan Energy Ministry Pauses Gas Pipeline Project
Morocco's energy ministry said on Monday it has paused a tender launched last month for a gas pipeline project, without giving details on the reasons for the suspension.The tender sought bids to build a pipeline linking a future gas terminal at the Nador West Med port on the Mediterranean to an existing pipeline that allows Morocco to import LNG through Spanish terminals and supply two power plants.It also covered a section that would connect the existing pipeline to industrial zones on the Atlantic in Mohammedia and Kenitra."Due to new parameters and assumptions related to this project...
Kazakhstan announces that oil production at Tengiz has resumed
The energy ministry announced on Saturday that oil production at Kazakhstan's massive Tengiz Oilfield has been restored, with five wells now operating again. Since the outage, production data for the largest field in Kazakhstan has been unavailable. Kazakhstan announced on Wednesday that it would restart the Tengiz Oilfield in stages. It aims to reach full production within a week. Three unexplained electric?fires cost it 7.2 millions barrels of crude oil earlier this month. Tengiz…
Officials claim that Indonesian President did not consult the energy ministry before revoking China's hydro permit.
Eniya Listeiani Dewi said that the Indonesian energy ministry had not been consulted before the President Prabowo decided to revoke a permit for a 'China-backed'?hydroelectric plant on Sumatra Island. The government announced on Tuesday that 28 companies had their permits revoked for environmental violations. These were alleged to have worsened the deadly floods of last year in Sumatra. The companies include PT North Sumatra Hydro Energy (NSHE), which operates the Batangtoru Hydropower facility. The company is owned by China's SDIC Power Holdings Co. Ltd.
Official: India will no longer set annual clean energy targets
A senior government official announced that India would no longer set annual targets for clean-energy tenders, after failing to meet the goal last year and building up an enormous backlog of projects?without buyers. Indian developers already own the rights to build 43 gigawatts worth of renewable energy, but they have yet to find buyers. State utilities delayed purchasing clean power because they expected prices to drop and were concerned about the delivery of power due to delays with transmission infrastructure.
Zelenskiy, the Ukrainian Zelenskiy, orders faster imports for electricity and power equipment
Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the president of Ukraine, said that he has ordered imports to be as fast as possible. This is because Ukraine is facing its worst energy crisis since World War II. The government declared an emergency because the damaged system is only meeting 60% of its electricity needs. Extremely cold temperatures have exacerbated the situation. Zelenskiy, after a meeting of top military and government officials on X, said that "all decisions are already in place" for the importation increase. According to the energy ministry, scheduled power cuts were in place in?most of the regions.
Indonesia will increase palm oil export tax if it abandons its plan to introduce B50 Biodiesel in this year.
Indonesia has scrapped plans to introduce a mandatory B50 palm oil-based fuel this year, and will instead stick with B40 due to "funding and technical concerns", government officials announced on Wednesday. This eases concerns about strains on palm oil supplies globally. Indonesia had planned to launch B50, a blend of palm oil-based 50% biodiesel with 50% conventional diesel in the second half this year. The B40 blend, which is 40% palm oil-based, will continue to be the standard.
Indonesia will increase palm oil export tax if it abandons its plan to introduce B50 Biodiesel in this year.
Yuliot Tajung, the deputy energy minister, said that Indonesia had scrapped plans to raise the mandatory biodiesel mix to 50% in 2019. Instead, it will maintain the current blend of 40% palm oil based fuel and 60% diesel. Indonesian energy minister had previously planned to implement the 50-50 mixture of palm oil-based diesel and fuel in the second half of this year to reduce the country's dependency on imported diesel. Eniya. Listiani. Dewi, an official with the energy ministry…
Minister: Indonesian B50 Biodiesel launch is subject to crude oil and CPO prices
A senior official stated on Tuesday that the timing of Indonesia's B50 biodiesel mandate - which blends 50% palm oil with diesel - will be subject to the difference in price between crude oil & crude palm oil. Indonesia, which is the largest palm oil producer in the world, had previously set the goal to "start the B50 mandate" by the second half 2026. The current mandate is 40% blend. The palm oil export levies are used to subsidise the country's biodiesel program. The amount of the'subsidy' depends on the difference in crude oil prices and crude palm oil.