Sonatrach (Algeria) signs 12 bcm/year gas contracts with Spain and Italy

The Algerian oil and gas company Sonatrach has announced a nine-year gas supply contract with Spain for 9 bcm/year. Algeria is intensifying commercial relations with Europe, as Gas Natural Fenosa renewed its gas supply agreement with Sonatrach until 2030 in June 2018. Sonatrach currently supplies around 9.8 bcm/year to Gas Natural Fenosa.

In addition, Sonatrach has signed a contract with the Italian oil and gas company Eni for 3 bcm/year of gas; the timeframe of the contract was not disclosed. Eni currently produces 100,000 boe/d in Algeria and operates 32 mining permits in the country.

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Energy Ministry pulls back on Euro-IV standard (Philippines)

The Philippines Ministry of Energy has announced that oil companies will be allowed to commercialize the more pollutant (and cheaper) Euro-II compliant automotive diesel oil, in an attempt to reduce the effect of rising international fuel prices on the national inflation rate. The motion shifts the country from a Euro-IV standard stated by the Environment department in 2016 to reduce pollution, since Euro-IV fuels have sulphur content of 50 ppm, compared to 500 ppm for Euro-II fuels.

The Ministry also ordered the National Oil Company-Exploration Corp to raise imports of low-priced oil products (especially diesel) to mitigate volatile oil prices.

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Global electricity consumption expected to increase by 2030 due to digitalization

Digitalization and the development of information and communication technologies are transforming energy systems. 
Find out more about the impacts of ICTs on the energy transition by reading our latest executive brief: https://goo.gl/MGbGXV

Tanzania plans to build gas pipeline to Uganda

The Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) is looking for a contractor to carry out feasibility studies in order to assess current and future gas demand, potential gas buyers and the most economically viable route for a future gas pipeline that would connect Tanzania and Uganda.

Tanzania's natural gas reserves are estimated at 57 tcf (1,610 bcm) and are mostly located in offshore fields. The proposed gas pipeline would connect Dar es Salaam, Tanga near the Indian Ocean and Mwanza on Lake Victoria; it would then cross the border to Uganda.

The project is part of a cooperation energy agreement between the countries. In 2016, the countries agreed to build an oil pipeline to transport Uganda's land-locked crude oil to offshore markets.

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Westinghouse sale to Brookfield for US$4.6bn complete (US)

The sale of the bankrupt US nuclear technology company Westinghouse to the financial services firm Brookfield Business Partners has been completed as previously announced in January 2018. The transaction has become effective and enables Westinghouse to successfully emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection file submission, which was submitted in March 2017 by Westinghouse's former parent company Toshiba. Toshiba had been seeking a buyer for more than a year.

Westinghouse is in charge of all AP1000 nuclear projects worldwide, including four in the United States (two units at VC Summer in South Carolina and two at Vogtle, in Georgia), and four in China (two at Sanmen and two at Haiyang). Toshiba purchased Westinghouse in 2006 from British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL), expecting a significant growth of the global nuclear power generation and a 130 GW growth of the global nuclear capacity between 2006 and 2020. However, only a fourth of this figure was achieved between 2006 and 2017 (+28 GW), which means that Westinghouse's growth potential was not that high.

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Germany's solar capacity addition increases by 50% in first half of 2018

According to the German solar power industry group (Bundesverband Solarwirtschaft, BSW), 1,340 MWp of new solar capacities were commissioned in Germany in the first half of 2018, which is 50% more than in the first half of 2017 (901 MWp). The domestic solar power output also went up by 8% in the same period as 23.6 TWh were injected into the grid.

The recent data meet BSW’s expectations for the first time in the last years and are more in line with the annual PV expansion target set by the Federal Government. The constant decrease in the solar PV installation costs is the main factors for the boost in PV systems demand. The government is trying to slow down the momentum: a slight regulation of the subsidies will be implemented and the funding rates will be adjusted to avoid overcapacity. In August 2018, the German Federal Network Agency already announced additional cuts for solar PV projects commissioned between 1 August 2018 and 31 October 2018 by 1% per month.

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TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline secures environmental review (US)

TransCanada's proposed 830,000 bbl/d Keystone XL oil pipeline secured a positive environmental review from the US State Department, which ruled that a plan for an alternative route through Nebraska (United States) would have no significant environmental impacts. The Public Service Commission of Nebraska approved the project in December 2017 but not TransCanada’s preferred route.

Keystone XL would link the Alberta oil sands through Nebraska (US) to the Mexico Gulf coast refiners over a 1,897 km route and has been repeatedly delayed by the US Government. Following the recent election of US President Trump, the US State Department approved the pipeline permit in March 2017. However, the project is still opposed by environmental groups, Native American tribes and some landowners and facing a case before the Nebraska Supreme Court, which TransCanada expects to be resolved by the end of 2018. Preparatory works are expected to start in autumn 2018 in Montana and full construction could begin in 2019.

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German solar PV subsidies will drop by 1% per month in Q3 2018

The German Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur or BNetzA) will cut subsidies for solar PV projects commissioned between 1 August 2018 and 31 October 2018 by 1% per month. The BNetzA estimates that the newly solar PV added capacity (2,727 MW) is above the planned capacity expansion path of 2,500 MW. For this purpose, a slight regulation of the subsidies will be implemented and the funding rates will be adjusted to avoid overcapacity.

Germany is shifting from a subsidy-based system to an auction-based one. Since the beginning of 2017, solar and wind power projects over 750 kW have to compete in tenders in order to secure power purchase deals, as feed-in tariff (FiT) contracts are no longer available. However, projects that were approved in 2016 are still eligible.

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Mexico plans US$16bn investment to boost oil production, power generation

The Mexican government has unveiled a US$16bn investment plan to boost the domestic oil production, refinery capacity and hydropower generation. US$9.5bn will be invested in 2019 to upgrade existing refineries, build a new one for US$8.6bn in Dos Bocas in the state of Tabasco and increase oil exploration.

The country's crude oil output is flagging and declines to 1.88 md/d in the first half of 2018 down from 3.4 mb/d in 2005 and the government plans to add 600,000 bbl/d in the next two years to reach 2.5 mb/d. The main drivers behind this decline are the natural depletion of oil fields and a lack of investment. In 2018, Mexico imported 590,000 bbl/d of gasoline and 232,000 bbl/d of diesel from the Unites States while the domestic output has halved since 2013.

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TEPCO targets 7 GW of renewable energy capacity in Japan and overseas

The Japanese utility Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) plans to develop between 6 GW and 7 GW new renewable energy capacity both in Japan and overseas. The group plans to focus on offshore wind power (2 GW of which to be built in Japan, including floating wind projects, and 2 GW overseas) and on hydropower operations in Japan and South East Asia.

TEPCO aims to gain a competitive advantage and will pursue new renewable energy projects instead of nuclear power. Renewables currently account for only 15% of its power output, which is less than any other Japanese power company. The company is seeking partners and expects to build its first wind park in Japan.

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Total acquires two 400 MW CCGT plants from KKR-Energas (France)

The French oil and gas company Total has acquired two gas-fired combined cycle power plants (CCGT) in France from the US-based private equity firm KKR-Energas.

The two plants have a total combined capacity of 825 MW (roughly 400 MW each) and are located in Toul (Meurthe-et-Moselle, France) and in Pont-sur-Sambre (Nord, France). They were previously sold by Verbund (Direct Energie) to KKR-Energas (Direct Energie) in 2014 for a total consideration of approximately €150m. The two assets experienced significant difficulties and their margins were squeezed by low power prices and high gas prices. Verbund considered mothballing the two plants but sold them to KKR-Energas instead.

With this acquisition, Total continues to integrate its activities along the gas and electricity value chain, from production to marketing. Once the acquisition is completed, it will have around 1.6 GW of gas-fired capacity in France and Belgium thanks to its 73% share in Direct Energie.

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EDF delays Flamanville EPR project startup by another year (France)

The French utility EDF has completed in-depth examination of 148 out of the 150 welds in the main secondary system of the 1,650 MWe Flamanville-3 EPR reactor (France): 33 have quality deficiencies that have to be repaired, while 20 fail to meet high quality requirements and will be reworked. The schedule and the construction costs of the project have been revised accordingly. The loading of nuclear fuel is now scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2019 instead of the fourth quarter of 2018, while the construction costs will increase to €10.9bn from the €10.5bn expected previously (up from a December 2012 estimate of €8bn).

The project is facing other challenges and even though the French nuclear watchdog (ASN) cleared the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) of the unit, it will have to be replaced by 2024 at the latest. Even if the reactor comes onstream in 2019 as planed, a planned maintenance will have to be scheduled before this date to replace the RPV once a new one has been produced.

The Flamanville project was initially expected to be commissioned in 2012 at a cost of €3bn; it will now start at least 7 years behind schedule, posting a cost escalation of nearly €8bn. This delay will also postpone the planned closure of the Fessenheim nuclear power plant by one year.

More energy news: https://goo.gl/JX6nho

Belgium establishes a capacity market system to offset nuclear phase-out

The Belgian government has agreed to subsidize new electricity capacity to offset the country's nuclear phase-out in 2025. A capacity remuneration mechanism (CRM) has been approved and is set to replace the strategic reserve program, which was implemented since the winter 2014-2015. A two-tier auction system should be implemented by 2021, to give enough time to project developers to build new gas-fired power plants (based on an average 4-year construction length) before the nuclear phase out of 2025. Both existing and new power plants will be able to participate in the scheme and no technology is excluded except nuclear power. According to the government, foreign capacity may also participate but under well-defined conditions.

The first auction should be organized in 2021. Besides, the government will also organize yearly auctions to adjust fluctuating needs for capacity. This scheme will enable the government to subsidize capacity in a bid to guarantee security of supply. By 2025, the scheme is estimated to cost Belgian consumers an annual €345m. According to a study unveiled by the domestic grid operator Elia, 3.6 GW of new thermal capacity will be needed to offset the closure of the country’s nuclear plants.

More energy news: https://goo.gl/JX6nho

AEMO expects Australia to phase out coal power in the next 20 years

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has unveiled the new Integrated System Plan for the National Electricity Market, which forecasts the likely changes that will be occurring over the next 20 years across the domestic power market. Despite the anticipated electrification of the transport sector over the next 20 years, electricity grid demand will flatten, due to the growth of solar rooftop PV installations and energy storage coupled with energy efficiency efforts.

Existing coal-fired power plants that generate around 70 TWh/year - one third of the NEM's demand - will continue operating until the end of their operational life (by 2040 at the latest) as it would be uneconomical to retire them before the end of their operational lifespan. Replacing them later on with renewables - whose costs are falling -, gas-fired capacity, distributed generation capacity and energy storage systems (including pumped-storage) would be more cost efficient.

The domestic power grid will shift to a more decentralised system model: 28 GW of solar, 10.5 GW of wind, 17 GW of storage and 500 MW of flexible gas-fired generation will be set up along with a significant upgrade of the domestic power transmission system.

More energy news: https://goo.gl/JX6nho
For more detailed analysis and energy data on Australia and over 100 countries worldwide, try our Global Energy Research service: https://goo.gl/ViGPaJ

Israel passes law to break-up monopoly of state-run power utility IEC

The Israeli cabinet has passed a law approved by the government in June 2018 which opens the domestic power sector to competition for private electricity producers and breaks up the monopoly held by the state-run power utility Israel Electric Corporation (IEC). This is the final chapter of a reform which began in May 2018, when IEC, the government and the main trade union Histadrut agreed to launch the process.

IEC has been managing the domestic power supply chain for decades but has agreed to sell five of its power plants over the next five years and will set up a new subsidiary for the development of two new power stations projects, which are yet to be built. IEC's system management and planning unit will be sold to another government-owned company, but the state power utility will retain its power distribution monopoly. However supply will be gradually opened to competition.

In recent years, the Israeli power generation market has been opened to competition and independent power producers (IPPs), such as Edeltech, IC Power or Dalia Power Energies, operate more than 3 GW, i.e. more than 20% of the total installed capacity.

More energy news: https://goo.gl/JX6nho

Russia's Novatek ships first LNG cargo from Yamal LNG to China

The Russian independent gas producer Novatek has shipped its first liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargo from the Yamal LNG project to China via the Northern Sea Route. This represents a new milestone and the number of such shipments are expected to increase in the future to meet the growing natural gas demands of the Asian-Pacific markets. Novatek already started to ship natural gas via the Northern Sea route in 2010 and currently uses a fleet of 15 Arc7 ice-class LNG carriers with cargo capacity over 170,000 cm.

The Yamal LNG project will consists of three liquefaction trains of 5.5 Mt/year each of LNG and up to 1 Mt/year of gas condensate. The first unit was commissioned in December 2017 while the second and third trains are expected in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

Yamal LNG's main shareholders are Novatek with 50%, Total with 20%, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) with 20%, and the Chinese Silk Road Fund (10%, to be sold shortly by Novatek for the provision of a US$792m, 15-year loan to finance the project). Yamal LNG has already secured contracts for more than 90% of the total capacity with Gas Natural Fenosa (2.5 Mt/year), CNPC (3 Mt/year), Total (4 Mt/year), Novatek Gas & Power (2.9 Mt/year) and Gazprom (3 Mt/year).

More energy news: https://goo.gl/JX6nho

Iraq extends bid deadline for the Diwaniya 70,000 bbl/d refinery project

The Iraqi government has extended the submission bid deadline for the 70,000 bbl/d refinery project in Diwaniya (south of Bagdad, Iraq) from 31 July 2018 to 30 October 2018. The refinery is a key project for the country and its construction fits into the framework of a broader strategy, according to which the government aims at increasing the country's domestic refining capacity to more than 1.4 mb/d.

Diwaniya and other projects will contribute to it, including in particular: Maysan (150,000 bbl/d), Kirkuk (150,000 bbl/d), Karbala (140,000 bbl/d) and Bazian (46,000 bbl/d). In May 2018, the government also signed an agreement with two Chinese companies, PowerChina and Norinco International, for the construction of the 300,000 bbl/d Al Faw (also spelled Fao) refinery at the Faw port in the Basrah region.

More energy news: https://goo.gl/JX6nho

Gazprom gas production up by 8.5% in 1st semester 2018 (Russia)

According to the state-run company Gazprom, exports of Russian gas to non-CIS (Community of Independent States) countries went up by 5.8% between January and June 2018 to reach 108.9 bcm. The largest hikes were reported in Germany (+12.2% or + 3.5 bcm), Austria (+52.3% or + 2.1 bcm), the Netherlands (+61.9% or +1.4 bcm), France (+12.5% or 0.8 bcm), Croatia (+45%, +0.6 bcm) and Poland (+6.7%).

Meanwhile, Gazprom's gas production increased by 8.5% over the time period and averaged 270.1 bcm. Its gas sales on the Russian domestic market also went up by 5.3% (7 bcm) since the beginning of the year. The company's total gas output in 2017 averages 471 bcm, which is 12.4% more than in 2016. For the end of 2018, Gazprom hopes to reach 476 bcm (+1%) but the forecast could still be adjusted and reviewed.

More energy news : https://goo.gl/JX6nho

China's CNOOC will invest US$3bn in Nigerian oil and gas operations

The state-run company China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC) plans to invest US$3bn in its Nigerian oil and gas operations, which are jointly run through joint ventures (JVs) with its state-held counterpart Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). So far, the Chinese firm has spent roughly US$14bn in the country, which is looking forward to boost its crude oil production and reserves through partnerships with major oil ans gas players such as CNOOC, ExxonMobil, Shell and Chevron.

In November 2017, NNPC signed a US$1.7bn financing agreement with Chevron that would increase the Nigerian crude oil output by 39,000 bbl/d. The deal is expected to last until 2045 and the project will focus on oil, gas and condensate production from the Sonam and Okan fields located in leases OML 90 and 91 in the Niger Delta offshore Nigeria.

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Enerdata's free online applications: EnerOutlook and Yearbook

EnerOutlook

EnerOutlook fossil fuel prices up to 2040

EnerOutlook is a free online interactive data software which enables you to browse data through intuitive maps and graphs, for a visual analysis of the expected long-term trends in the energy industry.

These can be viewed globally and by world region. The interface provides robust forecasts on energy supply and demand as well as information on fossil fuel prices, renewable energies and CO2 emissions.

This application is an excerpt of the complete EnerFuture global forecast service based on the POLES model.

Global Energy Statistical Yearbook 

Global Energy Statistical Yearbook interactive map

The Global Energy Statistical Yearbook is Enerdata's free online application that displays global energy statistics through an interactive interface with maps and graphs. Browse the latest data (last update: 2018) by region, energy and year; compare and benchmark countries; and download data series to integrate to your model. 

The Yearbook provides statistics on : 

• production, consumption and trade of oil, gas, coal, power and renewables;
• CO2 emissions from fuel combustion;
• covering 60 countries and regions throughout the world;
• including updated data until 2017.