| Title |  | Body | Category | Country-Region | Technology | Attachment | Source | sourceOrgPubTitle | pubDate | Project Title | Date |
|---|
| Eastern Biofuels Conference and Expo | | Start date: September 13, 2005
End date: September 15, 2005
Cost: Unavailable
The Eastern Biofuels Conference & Expo will bring a global perspective with topics covering ethanol, biodiesel and biomass.
Directions
This event will be occuring in Warsaw, Poland.
Event Description
The emergence of biomass conversion to fuel is changing the energy equation worldwide. Eastern Europe is aggressively investing in renewable energy technologies to balance their energy needs for the future. Learn how European countries are making the most of their natural resources using rapeseed, sorghum, grain, and native grasses.
Don't miss the opportunity to hear expert speakers and interact with leading biofuels companies.
Below you will find a brief list of topics that will be addressed at the workshop.
- Government incentives for biofuels
- Kyoto Protocol
- New ethanol and biodiesel markets
- A complete discussion on all feedstocks
Contact
Additional Contact Options:
Wendy Vincent
Global Events Manager
The Stratton Group, Inc.
Phone: +01.605.338.6829
Email: wendyv@thestrattongroup.com
http://www.easternbiofuels.com/
| Event | ;EU;Poland | Biomass | No | Renewable Energy Access | Eastern Biofuels Conference and Expo | | | | | Armenian Government to Inaugurate Armenia's First Wind Power Plant | | The Armenian government will soon inaugurate Armenia's first-ever wind power plant. The wind farm is being built in the northern Lori district with equipment donated by Iran; the plant's four wind turbines will have a combined capacity of slightly over 10 megawatts, enough to meet most of the electricity needs of the regional capital Vanadzor and its surrounding villages. Aleksandr Kocharian, who heads a department on renewable power at the Armenian Energy Ministry, said that the $3 million project will be completed "in a few months." Armenia's Metsamor nuclear power station currently provides nearly 40 percent of Armenia's electricity output. Metsamor's future is uncertain is due to safety U.S. and EU concerns. Yerevan has been under intense Western pressure to shut down the Soviet-era Metsamor plant as early as possible and is seaching for alternatives.. One of several options being considered is increased use of Armenia's fast-flowing mountain rivers that already account for 20 percent of power generation through hydroelectric power. Kocharian believes that Armenia has the potential to meet as much as 70 percent of its energy needs with renewable sources by 2020, adding that 16 small hydroelectric plants have recently been built. Kocharian added that the Armenian and Iranian governments to jointly build a large hydroelectric facility on the Arax river on the countries' borders. | Project | Armenia | Wind | No | Washington Times (UPI Energy Watch) | Armenian govt. to soon inaugurate Armenia's first Wind power plant | | Lori Wind Farm | | | Wysak Announces the Expansion of Polish Wind Farm to 70 MW | | Wysak Petroleum (OTC: WYSK) previously announced 46Mw Polish Wind Farm development with Projekt Gmbh has been increased in size to 70Mw. A 500 hectare extension of the land lease agreement has allowed for project expansion to take place. This will increase nearly 190 GWhrs/year. A project of this scale is estimated to provide power to nearly 25,000 local homes.
This expansion allows Wysak the opportunity to maximize on its investment returns. Wysak's goal is to develop large scale energy projects in Eastern Europe. A project such as this helps move Wysak forward in its vision of Polish renewable energy development. This is another example of how the Company's management can substantially increase shareholder value.
About Projekt GmbH
Development partner Projekt GmbH, is a leading European Wind Energy Company which currently oversees the operation of 14 established wind farms and is developing an additional 17 wind projects in Germany, Denmark, Poland, and Turkey.
Polish Energy Sector
Polish energy laws and European Union accession rules have reshaped the Polish energy sector. These new laws have forced open the Polish electric grid system and created a unique opportunity for alternative energy sources. These factors along with excellent wind measurements create a tremendous environment for Wind Energy in Poland.
About Wysak Petroleum
Wysak is a diversified energy company whose goal is to identify and develop traditional fossil fuel sites, as well as clean air alternative energy producing technologies. Wysak trades in the U.S. under the symbol "WYSK."
This material includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The opinions, forecasts, projections or other statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Although the companies believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, they can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. Certain risks and uncertainties inherent in their businesses are set forth in the filings with the Securities Commissions.
| Project | Poland | Wind | No | i-newswire.com | Wysak Announces the Expansion of Polish Wind Farm to 70 MW | | Wysak Wind Farm | | | World Bank to Help Finance Rehabilitation of Lotru Hydropower Plant | | WASHINGTON, January 27, 2005 - The following projects were approved today by the World Bank’s Board:
IBRD LOAN AMOUNT: US$ 84.3 million
TERMS: Grace period = 5 years; Maturity = 17 years
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This loan will help finance the rehabilitation of Hidroelectrica’s Lotru Hydropower Station and technical assistance for its institutional development and project implementation. The rehabilitation of the Lotru Hydropower station will ensure reliable services to the national power grid for another 20 years maintaining the power supply at the current necessary level of 510 megawatts. The loan to Romania is the first phase of US$1 billion finance facility to support the Energy Community of South East Europe program (ECSEE) – a program aimed at integrating energy systems in South East European countries into the internal energy market of the European Union. For more information, please call Merrell Tuck-Primdahl at (202) 473-9516, or email: mtuckprimdahl@worldbank.org For project information documents, visit: http://web.worldbank.org/external/projects/main?pagePK=104231&piPK=73230&theSitePK=40941&menuPK=228424&Projectid=P086694
| General News | Romania | Hydro | No | World Bank | Romania: Hidroelectrica S.A. Energy Community of South East Europe Program | | Lotru Hydropower Plant | | | Renewable Energy Development on the Edge of the European Union: A Case Study of Albania | | This recent report summarizes the Albanian Energy infrastructure, with emphasis on the outlook and potential for renewable energy in Albania. The report analyzes the historical development of Albania's energy sector, and explains how this has led to the current energy crisis. | General News | Albania | All | Yes | Wilson Rickerson | Renewable Energy Development on the Edge of the European Union: A Case Study of Albania | | | | | Iran to extend $75 million loan to Azerbaijan | | Baku, Dec 22, IRNA -- Iran is to extend $75 million of low interest loan to Azerbaijan, said the Azeri company 'Azar Energy' in Baku on Wednesday.
The loan aims to rectify the problems of the southern section of the country. The company also said that here energy problems of the area will be removed in two years time.
It further called the discussions between Baku and Tehran as satisfactory saying that the fund is to be allocated to renovation of electricity posts which transfer electricity and purchase of other needed equipment.
In the latest news on the two countries cooperation in the energy sector Iranian ambassador to Republic of Azerbaijan in a meeting with Azerbaijan's Fuel and Energy Minister Majid Karimov in December stressed the enhancement of bilateral ties in energy.
Referring to both countries' enormous capabilities in the oil, gas and electricity sector, Afshar Soleymani said providing facilities for producing solar power as well as the construction of other energy-related of power stations are parts of efforts to expand bilateral ties.
Soleymani termed the stability in the region as an effective factor in the extension of relations and evaluated the bilateral cooperation in the energy sector in line with mutual economic interests.
He further voiced Iran's readiness to help Azerbaijan develop its energy sector.
Azeri minister of fuel and energy pointed out Iran's capability in the oil and gas industry, supporting the enhancement of ties between the two countries.
Karimov referred to the current relations in the electricity sector between Azerbaijan and Iran as a successful example and said "the regional cooperation regarding the fuel and energy sector should be reinforced."
| General News | Azerbaijan | All | No | Payvand's Iran News | Iran to extend $75 million loan to Azerbaijan | | | | | Estonian Wind Farm Takes Off at Former Soviet nuke base | | On the site where border guards used to keep watch on the western outpost of the Soviet Union, Baltic European Union newcomer Estonia is erecting a wind farm to generate clean electricity.
The wind-swept Pakri peninsula, which juts into the Baltic Sea 60 kilometres (36 miles) west of the capital Tallinn, once hosted a training centre for Soviet border guards. The nearby town of Paldiski was a key Soviet nuclear submarine training ground.
Today, sleek silver arms of the state-of-art wind power turbines dot the site which was off-limits to civilians throughout the five decades of Soviet occupation from 1940 to 1991.
The first three windmills of the Pakri Wind Farm have just been put into operation, with five others to follow before the end of the month.
When the farm is fully up and running, it is expected to supply one percent of Estonia's energy needs, and a some 10,000 Estonian households are expected to get electricity from the farm.
"Paldiski has been associated with the Soviet border guards and military pollution," said Hannu Lamp, managing director of the Tuulepargid company which is developing the wind farm.
"From now on, it will have a new side to it, as a clean energy place."
Tuulepargid is the Estonian subsidiary of Danish-based Global Green Energy.
The streamlined wind turbines with a hub height of 80 metres (yards) and rotor diameter of 90 metres, sit on top of the ragged limestone cliffs that soar from the sea. In one corner of the site, some ruins of the Soviet border guard barracks have been preserved as a tourist attraction.
Nearby, a 19th century lighthouse and some more ruins of the Soviet military installations dot the landscape.
The town of Paldiski, originally established as a naval stronghold by Peter the Great in the early 18th century, is pleased that the wind farm is taking shape in the wasteland between the town and the breathtakingly beautiful tip of the peninsula.
"We are very positive about the wind farm," says Regina Ress, spokeswoman for the town.
"It's the complete opposite to what we had in the Soviet time: green energy versus the nuclear submarine training centre and other military installations."
Up to 16,000 Soviet soldiers were stationed in Paldiski. The last of them left in 1994, when the nuclear submarine centre was decommissioned. Since then, the austere town of 3,800 residents has struggled with its Soviet military legacy.
In addition to changing the face of Paldiski, the Parki Wind Farm is setting a precedent in the region in the carbon pollution quota market.
Under the Kyoto Protocol's implementation project, 0.5 million tons of reduced greenhouse gas emissions will be sold to Finland.
"It's among the very first wind power projects anywhere where the economic feasibility is achieved through the sale of CO2 reductions under the joint implementation scheme of the Kyoto Protocol," Lamp says.
On January 1, the EU opened a market for trading in carbon dioxide and other gases which are the main culprits for global warming.
The total investment cost of the Pakri project is 24 million euros.
The wind farm owner, Pakri Tuulepark, is a subsidiary of Norway's Vardar energy group.
Most of Estonia's energy is generated using oil-shale fueled power plants, which are big pollutants.
With an expected annual production of 56 GWh (GigaWatt hours), the Pakri wind farm will meet about one per cent of Estonia's net electricity consumption, and thus contribute to achieving Estonia's target of providing 5.1 percent of its electricity needs from renewable sources by 2010.
Developers have already made plans for building more wind farms on other former Soviet military installations in Estonia.
| Project | Estonia | Wind | No | Independent Online | Estonian Wind Farm takes off at former Soviet nuke base | | Pakri Wind Farm | | | The Sun shines Stronger in Austria than Slovakia | | SOLAR energy is a wasted resource in Slovakia. Austria, which shares the same natural conditions and climate as the Slovak Republic, is a global leader in thermal-solar power, with 30 times the number of solar panels as Slovakia.
The interesting fact is that Slovakia has one of the longest traditions in solar energy development in Europe. But a lack of support for renewable energy development since the Velvet Divorce and zero government subsidies for thermal-solar power installation has led to the country's decline.
Milan Novák, the director of Slovak energy company Thermo/solar, is convinced that solar and other renewable energy sources deserve greater attention from the state. Novák says it is a matter of protecting the environment, as well as helping the European Union decrease its dependence on fossil fuels.
In the 1980s, Czechoslovakia ranked among the leading countries in Europe that were transforming radiation from the sun directly into usable heat. The state supported thermal-solar investments through subsidies accessible to state companies, cooperative farm companies and residential property owners.
Two of the three largest producers of solar-powered systems in the former Czechoslovakia were situated in present-day Slovakia. After Czechoslovakia split, however, the pace of solar energy development in Slovakia eased.
Novák told The Slovak Spectator that soon after it gained independence, Slovakia immediately started lagging behind the Czech Republic. Today, the difference is noticeable.
"Support for renewable energy sources in the Czech Republic is more generous than in Slovakia. In the Czech Republic, a home owner can subsidize 50 percent of the cost of constructing a solar-powered system. Additionally, he can claim a 5 percent value added tax," he explained.
In Slovakia, individuals get no subsidies, and the VAT is unified at 19 percent.
The topic of renewable energy sources is more prevalent in the Czech media, partly because it is a concern of the government. The Czech Republic is perhaps the only new EU-member country to discuss support for renewable energy sources in parliament.
The European Commission wants to install 100 million square metres of solar collectors by 2010 in the "old" EU member states.
Novák thinks there is no way for the EC to fulfil its goal, even if it counted the collectors in the 10 new EU-member countries. In 2003, the European Union plus Switzerland reported solar collectors in approximately 12 million square metres. Germany, Austria and Greece shared 80 percent of the total.
Experts complain that it is difficult to analyse and compare the presence of solar systems in new EU-member countries because few reliable statistics exist.
According to Novák, "The Czech Republic has the best system of support for renewable energy sources. Then, with a rather big lag, follows Hungary. Poland and Slovakia stand at the bottom of the Visegrad 4 countries."
The solar energy director admits, however, that Slovaks are increasing their use of solar collectors. According to estimates, Slovakia had about 10 square metres of solar collectors per 1,000 inhabitants at end of 2003.
Although the number of solar collectors in Slovakia is not even comparable to the one in Austria, Slovakia does not come in last place, even among the EU15 nations. France, Great Britain and Italy are behind Slovakia. "It is probably thanks to our solar past," Novák added.
According to Novák, government subsidies for renewable energy would level the playing field, which is currently dominated by fossil fuel consumption.
With the exception of hydro-electrics, renewable energy sources are at the beginning stages of development. Further technical progress will likely decrease the price of energy production.
Solar collectors in Slovakia are used primarily to heat drinking water. Novák says there is growing interest in using solar energy to heat pools or as an additional energy source to complement other heating systems in houses.
He thinks that the current government's policy underestimates the potential of solar energy in Slovakia. For example, the state's policy names rooftops as the only place for installing solar panels when it is equally possible to position them on walls or on the ground next to houses.
State officials envisaged the use of solar energy only for residential buildings, schools, hospitals and hotels. "They totally ignored, for example, farms or industrial buildings," Novák said.
Environmental groups estimate that a home equipped with solar power can save about 60 percent of its energy on heating drinking water, and 20 to 30 percent on other heating systems.
Based on an Austrian analysis, solar energy has the potential to cover about 20 percent of the overall energy used for heating.
"About 17.6 percent is a realistic estimate for Slovakia too. I would like to mention that the estimations come out of the current technical possibilities. New solutions aimed mainly at effective thermal conversion and long-term accumulation of heat can significantly increase this share," Novák concluded.
He said that six square metres of solar panels with 300-litre water storage is enough to heat 70 percent of the water consumed by a four-person household. The costs for installation would run to about Sk120,000 (€3,145). In Austria, a comparable system would cost about €4,900. However, an Austrian home owner can apply for a state subsidy covering 25 percent and a municipal subsidy covering about 15 percent. The property owner could also apply for a tax deduction of €500. The final price for an Austrian home owner would thus be €2,500.
[3/21/2005]
| General News | Slovakia | Solar | No | Slovak Spectator | The Sun shines Stronger in Austria | | | | | EU States Fail to Find Enthusiasm for Biofuels | | EU governments are largely failing to comply with requirements under a 2003 directive on increasing use of biofuels in transport, the European Commission revealed on Wednesday. A senior oil industry official claimed the situation showed the rules should be rethought.
According to the Commission, fully 19 out of 25 member states failed to transpose the directive by the deadline of 31 December last year and have already been sent first legal warnings. Nine have been sent further legal warnings either for failing to send a first implementation report - due by last July - or for not setting a target for increasing the share of biofuels.
The directive sets indicative targets of a 2% biofuels share in each member state by 2005, rising to 5.75% in 2010. Its official rationale is that boosting biofuel use can help avoid greenhouse gas emissions, reduce European dependence on oil imports and offer new markets for farm produce.
Altogether, only three countries - Germany, Lithuania and Estonia - have fully complied with both the letter and spirit of the directive. Half of the 18 countries with 2005 targets have set them below the 2% benchmark. Most extreme is Denmark, whose target is 0%. But Ireland comes close behind with a target of 0.06%, followed by Finland at 0.1% and the UK at 0.3%.
European oil industry officials were unsurprised by the extent to which member states appear to be ignoring the directive. Governments never embraced it in the first place, Peter Tjan of sector association Europia told Environment Daily. Their current performance reflects this.
Countries like Denmark, for instance, have decided to promote other forms of renewable energy rather than transport biofuels, Mr Tjan said. Others don't have the agricultural land to make the targets at all achievable. Producing biofuels risks locking in a large and permanent need for subsidies, he added, and are a very expensive way of cutting fossil carbon emissions.
In addition, practical problems are beginning to emerge as biofuel production rises, such as divergent taxation systems, and the unintended consequence of rising Brazilian bioethanol imports subsidised by European taxpayers.
Raffaello Garofalo of the European biodiesel board provided an alternative view, describing the Commission's announcement as "good news for the biofuels industry". Countries agreed the rules "and they are going for it," he told Environment Daily.
| General News | EU | Biofuels | No | Environmental Data Interactive | EU states fail to find enthusiasm for biofuels | | | | | Wind Promise of Baltic States Still Largely Unrealized | | Article Reports that all three countries have good wind resources.
Lithuania:
The first turbine was installed in 2001, although nothing happened until 2004. 6 Vestas NM900 turbines have been built, but the project is waiting for grid connection (near Kretingale). One E-40 (630 kW) has been installed at Vydmantai.
There is also a market for second hand turbines; one each Windworld 160 kW at Telsiai and one 55 kW near Kaunas.
The National Target is 170 MW (by 2010), but 600 – 700 MW is possible.
Latvia:
Installed Capacity is now 20 MW (Enercon turbines installed in 2002), with no further development since then.
Estonia:
Installed Capacity is now 5.75 MW (up from 2.45 MW in 2003). Expected capacity of 20 MW by 2005, specifically from the Pakri Wind Project. Expect 100 MW by 2010. | General News | ;Estonia;Latvia;Lithuania | Wind | No | Wind Power Monthly
Vol 21 (03):52
| Promise of Baltic States still largely unrealized (Mainly in Estonia) | | | | | Bio-Pellet Production in Russia | | | Project | Russia | Direct-Fired Biomass | No | Erneuerbare Energien. Issue 7 / 04, pp 6-7 | Bio-Pellet Production in Russia | | Russian Bio-pellet project | | | Slovakia: The Biomass Alternative | | ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT - Slovakia's forests have great potential as an ecologically sustainable energy source
The Biomass Alternative
By Marta Ďurianová
Spectator staff
EXPERTS believe that wood could once again become a major source of energy, just as it was in the Middle Ages. Of course, back then it was simply burned. But using new technology, wood can be turned into biomass and Slovakia could have an alternative source of energy that is both effective and ecologically sustainable.
In 2003, the Slovak cabinet approved a document that supported the spread of biomass in Slovakia. However, the use of biomass energy in terms of overall energy consumption is still negligible.
Ladislav Židek, general director of Biomasa, an association of biomass experts, says that European Union countries currently use renewable energy sources at a level of 13.9 percent of the overall consumption of primary energy sources. In Slovakia it is only 3.3 percent while the biomass energy represents slightly less than 1 percent.
Wood reserves
Nevertheless, Slovakia is considered to have ideal natural conditions for developing biomass energy. "Slovakia is definitely among countries that are rich in biomass. Almost half of Slovakia is forested with a huge amount of biomass," said Židek.
Forests in the Slovak Republic cover an area of more than 2 million hectares, which represents about 43 percent of the country's territory, reads the material approved by the Slovak cabinet in 2003.
Since 1970, wood reserves have been gradually growing. Today the reserves total 432 million cubic metres. The year-on-year increase of wood reserves in 2002 amounted to 7.6 million cubic metres. The annual volume of wood waste from forestry that could be used as biomass is 750,000 tonnes.
"In similarly forested countries like Austria and Finland, the use of biomass exceeds 12 percent. This is the level that we should get close to and it seems we should not have a problem to do so. However, to reach this goal, it requires a responsible approach and precisely prepared projects. The process cannot be chaotic, because the result would be the same," Židek pointed out.
Other sources
He also emphasized that wood is not the only source for the biomass. Not only are crops, cattle and waste matter potential sources, but also tree and bush trimmings in public parks, for example.
"These sources, compared to primary energy sources, will not be used up in the coming years." commented Židek.
He also thinks that environmental awareness in Slovakia is still low and many people consider biomass as a fuel used by nature enthusiasts and environmentalists.
Biomass pellets
Židek cited Austria as a country that is exploiting its biomass potential. He said about 30
percent of heating in Austria comes from biomass pellets and this number is increasing day by day. "The use of renewable energy sources in other European Union countries is much wider spread than in Slovakia or the Czech Republic. Biomass is a real competitor to fossil fuels," he insisted.
According to the Biomass Association, biomass pellets are the most comfortable fuel for family houses and small facilities. The price for pellets is fully comparable to the price of gas and is significantly lower than propane and electricity. Biomass pellets are a bit more expensive than coal and coke but they do not require the physical work that heating with coal needs.
Although biomass can be sold at a competitive price, the technology and manufacturing facilities are higher than for fossil fuels. This could be a barrier to the further spread of biomass energy in Slovakia.
Another hurdle to overcome is the fact that old wood-heaters are not ideal for burning biomass pellets. "Old ineffective facilities for burning the wood do not use the biomass properly. It is not that simple. This way of burning would, of course, not be cheaper and ecologically would be no better than burning coal," Židek said.
Regional project
Židek emphasized that biomass and renewable energy sources could not fully replace primary sources. However, it could help to solve the energy and ecological situation in individual regions.
The Biomasa is, for example, preparing a biomass project in northwestern Slovakia. This region depends mainly on coal and coke for its energy. As a result of the project carbon dioxide emissions should be reduced by 20,100 tonnes per year.
"We would be glad if Slovakia found more courage and would focus more on using local resources. Initial investments [for using biomass energy] are a bit higher because of the new technologies that must be imported from abroad but in the long-term, the use of renewable energy sources is cheaper than primary energy sources," Židek concluded.
He pointed out that it is possible to obtain financing for such projects not only from domestic sources but also from foreign funds. The projects should be prepared in cooperation with experts and must be based on thorough economic analysis. An investor must also be prepared to partially cover the costs.
In Slovakia, there are already agencies able to train people in biomass techniques. It is also possible to get help from one of the agencies in the "i ntegrated network of regional development agencies" under the supervision of the Ministry of Construction and Regional Development.
[3/21/2005]
| General News | Slovakia | ;Direct-Fired Biomass;Co-Fired Biomass | No | The Slovak Spectator | The Biomass Alternative | | | | | Nature is the Future | | EnERGY & ENVIRONMENT - Slovakia needs to develop alternative sources if it is to survive an energy crisis
Nature is the future
By Marta Ďurianová
Spectator staff
EXPERTS agree that the development of renewable sources of energy is a necessity for our global future. Sun, wind and water may be difficult to exploit, but the limited nature of gas, coal and oil means that we will have to try.
However, Slovak officials have not paid sufficient attention to the issue. That is despite the fact that renewable energy sources could go a long way to at least partially solving the country's dependence on energy imports.
Insiders emphasize that at the moment, renewable sources are not sufficiently developed to replace traditional fuels but add that neglecting renewable alternatives could harm Slovakia's ability to survive an energy crisis.
MPs reject Energy Policy
The proposed new Energy Policy, recently submitted by the Economy Ministry to the business caucus of the Slovak parliament, has prompted discussion on renewable energy sources in Slovakia.
Apart from other shortcomings, MPs criticized the proposal for not properly considering the possibilities of alternative sources. MPs rejected the proposal saying the ministry should rework the whole policy. Following the parliamentary debate, Vladimír Hecl of the Energy Centre in Bratislava said that the government should pay more attention to renewable energy sources.
However, MP Ján Rusnák, the chairman of the caucus for economy, privatization and business, commented, "We have to be realistic and not compare Slovakia to, let's say, Austria. We will never have so much funding for this matter."
Ľudo Sluka from the Ekopolis NGO criticized the proposed Energy Policy for favouring nuclear energy over renewable energy sources. He pointed out that the high-energy consumption of all sectors of the Slovak economy is mentioned right at the top of the document but there were no recommendations to decrease consumption.
"The proposal underestimates the use of renewable energy sources," Sluka said.
Dependence on Russia
According to Milan Novák, director of the largest Slovak producer of solar panels, Thermo/solar, the Energy Policy proposal meant Slovakia would preserve and perhaps even deepen its dependence on oil and gas shipments from Russia.
"The proposal is aimed at importing primary energy sources from Russia. Primary energy sources account for more than 80 percent of heating in Slovakia. The potential of renewable energy sources in this area has been confirmed," said Novák.
Although Slovakia officially declares its intention to develop renewable energy sources in other documents, insiders claim that nothing practical has been achieved.
"The state declares support for renewable energy sources in all key documents. But concrete helpful steps and activities are absent. There is no worked-out strategy to use their potential although renewable energy sources are, in fact, only domestic energy sources," Ladislav Židek, general director of Biomasa (Biomass) told The Slovak Spectator.
He added that data as well as the approach of individual ministries are different on this issue. Regional statistics and analysis of demand for these types of energies are totally absent.
"The strategy for the development of renewable energy sources should become a priority for the Environment Ministry in the programme of EU structural funds.
"But the Environment Ministry should not remain the only player supporting the use of biomass. The support of ministries is minimal. If anything, they are discouraging activities," Židek, of Biomasa said.
Public awareness
The problem is not only in the government. Ordinary people's knowledge about renewable energy sources and their potential uses is very low in Slovakia. However, the situation is gradually getting better.
"In general, there is a mild increase in Slovaks' knowledge of renewable energy sources. The knowledge is much lower in comparison with the Czech Republic, for example.
"Compared to Austria, the world's leader in alternative energies, the difference is huge," Sluka from Ekopolis pointed out.
EU targets
The European Union's 1997 white paper on renewable energies sets a precise figure as to how much the share of renewable energy sources for domestic consumption should increase. It says it should go up from 6 percent to 12 percent by 2010 in EU countries. The share of gross domestic electricity consumption should reach 21 percent.
According to Sluka, only 3 percent of the energy that Slovakia itself currently produces comes from renewable sources, including hydroelectric plants. The rest is from primary sources.
He continued: "Slovakia set the goal in its previous energy policy up until 2005 that the renewable primary energy share would reach 6 percent by 2010.
"The share of energy produced from renewable sources of the overall gross electricity consumption was originally set at 31 percent but unfortunately, last year this was lowered to 19 percent. In 2001 this share represented 16 percent including hydro power plants." (See the table at right.)
Decreased dependence on imported oil and gas is important for the EU-member countries not only for environmental reasons but also for political reasons.
According to Novák, developed countries often depend on politically unstable nations for oil and gas, which means high risks and high costs to access the energy sources.
That is why multinational oil companies invest quite a large volume of finances into research and development of renewable energies.
Currently, the question of how many years the primary energy resources will last is not as important as the problem of increasing consumption.
Jobs potential
The field of renewable energy sources has a huge potential for jobs. In 2001, about 1.3 million people worked in the environmental field in Germany, while only 950,000 people were employed in the automotive industry.
The European Association of Wind Energy estimates that about 190,000 to 320,000 jobs will be created in this area. European Association of Biomass envisages about one million jobs.
Almost 100,000 jobs should be created in the photovoltaic area and 250,000 jobs in the area of solar facilities, according to Novák.
"The total replacement of energy from non-renewable sources by alternative ones is not realistic but the use of alternative sources of energy is possible in individual regions in Slovakia through biomass, solar, wind and geothermal energy," said Židek, of the Biomasa.
[3/21/2005]
| General News | Slovakia | All renewables | No | Slovak Spectator | | | | | | Slovakia's energy plans: Barking After a Lost Bone | | Barking after a Lost Bone
by Lucia Kubosova
10 March 2005
Slovakia’s attempt to change its commitments on nuclear energy may be doomed, but it suggests that the EU’s debate about energy policy will no longer be so politically correct.
It all started with what some considered a mere political gesture. In 2000, Slovakia had agreed not to expand its nuclear power program, but, last May, just days after Slovakia joined the European Union, its economics minister, Pavol Rusko, unveiled plans to press ahead with the completion of two blocks at the nuclear power station in Mochovce, in Western Slovakia.
Coming just weeks ahead of elections to the European Parliament in June, the move was seen as a transparently populist move. It was certainly a party-political initiative rather than a reflection of government thinking.
Rusko had stolen the pro-nuclear agenda from the center-left SMER party, claimed Robert Fico, SMER’s leader and the government’s most outspoken critic. The partners of Rusko’s liberal ANO party in the governing coalition did not jump for joy either, distancing themselves from Rusko’s ideas by arguing this was merely a pre-election ploy.
Rusko’s statement also seemed a vote-winning exercise because it provided an opportunity to rile the Austrians--an opportunity that Rusko explicitly seized upon by suggesting (on Austrian radio) that Austria, which is staunchly opposed to nuclear energy, might itself want to buy electricity produced by nuclear plants. Atomic energy could yet prove preferable all across Europe, Rusko argued.
Rusko’s baiting succeeded. Vienna reacted furiously. Leading politicians spoke of provocation and betrayal by the EU newcomer, while Hans-Peter Martin, an independent Austrian member of the European Parliament, fulminated that “we shouldn’t have voted in favor of Slovakia’s EU membership in 2003.” As a co-chair of the joint parliamentary committee between Slovakia and the European Parliament prior to enlargement, Martin could have influenced the attitude of European deputies towards the then-applicant.
Rusko is again causing ripples in the European Union, although this time the debate is perhaps less provocative. Now, instead of calling for Slovakia to expand its nuclear program, he is merely pushing for a delay in the process of decommissioning two reactors at Jaslovske Bohunice, the second of Slovakia’s two nuclear power plants.
In practical terms, it has almost no hope of being approved. “The slightest change in the Accession Treaty must be re-approved by all 25 member states,” says Rupert Krietemeyer, the European Commission’s spokesperson for the energy sector. “And there is no doubt that reaching an agreement with all of them, particularly Austria, is not very likely.”
Jaslovske Bohunice is 65 kilometers northeast of the Slovak capital, Bratislava, which itself lies on the border with Austria.
DESPERATELY SEEKING ENERGY
Rusko’s proposal may be unrealistic, but it has a pressing practical logic. Slovakia has, he believes, a major energy problem. Whether Rusko’s suggestions about how to deal with that problem will be accepted by the Slovak government will become clearer in the coming months. But there is no escaping the need to decide how to fill the gaping hole left in Slovakia’s energy supplies when the Jaslovske Bohunice reactors are decommissioned.
The plant generates the cheapest electricity in Slovakia, and “its closure will have an extremely serious impact on Slovakia’s self-sufficiency in electricity generation and will cost the economy tens of billions of crowns,” an earlier document by the Slovak Economy Ministry stated.
The problem could be compounded since, for environmental reasons, Slovakia may have to close down parts of two thermal power plants (in Novaky and Vojany) and, depending on a ruling in lawsuit with Hungary that is being heard in a European court, it could be forced to cut production at the hydroelectric power plant at Gabcikovo, a controversial dam on the Danube.
At the same time, electricity consumption is currently rising by 3 percent a year, to power Slovakia’s mini-boom.
Overall, Slovakia’s domestic power generation is set to fall by a quarter by 2008. That could cause severe shortages, since it is uncertain that Slovakia would be able to cover the shortfall through imports.
Rusko’s immediate goal is to attempt to delay the inevitability of shutting down Jaslovske Bohunice. He is calling for Slovakia to be allowed to delay the commissioning process by two years, with the first reactor to be taken off-line in 2008. (He has also long argued that a safer solution would be to shut down both reactors at the same time.)
Rusko and his team at the ministry argue that the Jaslovske Bohunice reactors are technically capable of continuing production after the agreed deadlines and still meet internationally approved standards, and so should be allowed to continue working.
There is, of course, also a financial reason for Rusko to force a debate on a topic the EU had thought was settled. The EU has promised to provide financial aid to undertake the very costly operation, but Slovakia’s representatives in Brussels are now trying to bolster that commitment. Any success would help, since Slovakia now will have to foot most of the bill. It is also Slovakia that will have to find the 1.7 to 1.8 billion euro ($2.3-2.4 billion) in investment that Rusko believes the Slovak energy sector will need over the next decade.
Slovakia has only limited alternative sources of energy in place. Nuclear power accounted for 57 percent of the country’s electricity production in 2003. Thermal power plants generated roughly 30 percent of output, with the rest coming from hydroelectric plants.
This gloomy outlook is therefore prompting Slovakia to revise the energy strategy it formulated in 1999, according to Maros Havran, the spokesperson for the Economy Ministry. “We can’t end up using candles, after all,” he argues.
The ministry submitted a new draft in December, and it was, until the end of January, made available for consultation with other ministries and the public. Rusko’s blueprint amounts to a major shift toward nuclear energy, some experts argue. The list of proposed priorities is topped by nuclear projects: Rusko wants to increase output from the remaining reactors at Jaslovske Bohunice and from existing units at Mochovce, and also to complete the third and fourth blocks at Mochovce.
Previous plans had suggested covering the anticipated shortfall in production by creating gas-fired power plants or relying entirely on imports. Rusko argues, though, that gas-fired power plants would be less efficient than nuclear plants, while relying on imports would itself entail sizable investment since Slovakia’s national grid does not have an import system capable of transmitting so much power.
Importing electricity would be a major change for Slovakia, as it is currently an exporter.
A WILTING GREEN POLICY
The new policy, if approved, would also amount to a significant change in the Slovak government’s attitude towards green issues, according to Juraj Rizman, the spokesman for the Slovak section of Greenpeace. The previous governing coalition, which ruled from 1998 to 2002, “adopted a modern and environment-friendly strategy, but the current one just dropped it from the table. The funny thing is that both cabinets were made up of almost the same parties… With a coalition so similar, one would expect that U-turns like this one would be impossible,” says Rizman.
He attributes the U-turn to pressure from Rusko’s ANO party, the only new party to join the governing coalition after the 2002 elections. Rusko became a minister in the autumn of 2003.
But despite its green-friendly attitude, the first government led by Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda failed to make much headway in introducing alternative sources of energy. According to a European Commission progress report on Slovakia’s implementation of an action plan to generate electricity from renewable energy sources, there was extensive development of small hydroelectric energy sources in the first half of the 1990s.
The report, which was published in 2001, noted that no significant progress had been made after that. No large wind turbines had been installed in the meantime, and geothermal waters and biomass made only a minor contribution to electricity output. Biomass is seen as the largest potential source of renewable energy in Slovakia.
“Several projects to invest into green energy had been approved but not fulfilled, and there has been a very little interest in further development of new sources,” Rizman says.
This re-shaping of official attitudes toward energy, with the emphasis on cheap, non-renewable sources, could result in an ill-advised policy, some experts believe. Lubos Tomic, the head of the Bratislava-based Center for Nuclear Safety (CENS), argues that “the draft energy strategy is not very balanced, given the proposed division between development of and support for renewable sources as opposed to nuclear energy and traditional energy sources.”
What policy direction Slovakia will take as it prepares to cope with the expected drop in energy production will depend heavily on the Italian company ENEL, the new owner of Slovenske elektrarne, producer of 85 percent of the energy generated in Slovakia.
In November, ENEL won a tender for a 66 percent in Slovenske elektrarne ahead of Russia’s Inter RAO and CEZ, the Czech generator that was in the communist era part of the same giant group as Slovenske elektrarne. ENEL will take over the company in late June.
It is then required to draw up an investment strategy in which it would outline how much it plans to invest and where it would invest that money.
If the government does not agree with ENEL’s strategy, which is expected to be delivered by the end of June, it could annul the privatization.
When the privatization deal was signed in mid-February, the company’s chief executive officer, Paolo Scaroni, suggested that ENEL would propose investing over 1 billion euro ($1.33 billion) to complete Mochovce.
A CLIMATE CHANGE IN DEBATE?
Whether or not Slovakia eventually decides to go along with Rusko’s pro-nuclear agenda, Rusko can feel satisfied on several fronts. With Slovakia now a member of the EU, Austria can no longer do much about its unhappiness at what MEP Martin called the “dangerous” nuclear facility at Mochovce.
Secondly and more significantly, he has brought about a climate change in the way the Slovak government discusses energy policy.
He may also entertain hopes that a climate change of another sort may swing debate in Europe in his direction and the direction of nuclear power. A European Commission Green Paper published in November 2000 suggested that the future of nuclear energy would depend on energy demand, how safely nuclear waste could be managed, the economic viability of new power stations, and whether the EU member-states would be able to meet the promises they made when they signed up the Kyoto Protocol, which requires signatories to cut emissions of greenhouse gases.
The European Commission is now planning to report on how are EU countries are meeting their Kyoto commitments, says Rupert Krietemeyer, the Commission’s spokesman on energy issues. The report will take a close look at the development of alternative renewable sources of energy.
All EU member-states had previously agreed to increase the volume of energy generated by “green sources” to 22.1 percent by 2010. Slovakia is not alone in looking certain to fall short of that target. Krietemeyer suggests the report, when it is published later this year, will probably make gloomy conclusions about the progress made.
So what was politically correct before the Kyoto Protocol came into force on 16 February may not seem correct practice now. Depending on the findings of the European Commission, Rusko may be right that nuclear power may yet prove to be Europe’s energy source of choice.
"Barking after a Lost Bone"
| General News | Slovakia | All renewables | No | Transitions Online | Barking After a Lost Bone | | | | | Investments in Bulgaria's Energy Up | | Investments in Bulgaria's Energy Up
2005-02-03
Investments in Bulgaria's energy sector have gone up nearly six times over the last four years, Bulgaria's Energy Ministry announced on Thursday.
A specially prepared study underlined that the increase was due to the positive reforms in the financial health of most of the energy plants.
A total of BGN 2, 6 B have been invested in Bulgaria's energy since 2001 to 2004. Data shows that more than BGN 550 M were invested in 2001, where as in 2002 their number dropped to BGN 504 M. The amount of the investments in 2003 rose to BGN 629 M and in 2004 they stood at BGN 960 M.
More than BGN 224 M were used for the modernization of the electricity transmission network in the country.
All rights reserved, 2001-2005 (c) Novinite Ltd.
You are permitted to use any of the articles in this message only if you kindly quote the source - Novinite.com.
| General News | Bulgaria | All renewables | No | Novinite.com | | | | | | Dutch Carbon Facility Seeks JI Projects in Bulgaria | | Dutch Carbon Facility Seeks JI Projects in Bulgaria
A new Joint Implementation (JI) fund, named NECaF (Netherlands European Carbon Facility) is looking for carbon credits from Bulgarian JI projects.
The NECaF is managed by the IFC jointly with the IBRD, which is part of the World Bank Group. The fund aims to purchase 10 million tones of carbon from different JI projects in Central and Eastern Europe including Bulgaria.
Project examples are: fuel switch to natural gas, energy efficiency projects, new co-generation, renewable energy, landfill gas extraction.
The projects of candidates who want to sell carbon credits should comply with the criteria under the Joint Implementation Mechanism. In addition, the status of development of their projects should be in an advanced stage. In certain cases, the IFC might be able to provide project financing for projects as well.
By Sofia News Agency: 28 January 2005
| General News | Bulgaria | All Renewables | No | | Dutch Carbon Facility Seeks JI Projects in Bulgaria | | | | | Progressive Czech renewables act passed | | Progressive Czech renewables act passed (published on 1-Apr-2005)
An act supporting the production of electricity from renewable energy sources has been passed by Czech parliament this week, and is expected to come into force in around three months time.
The Czech Republic's new Renewables Act has been named the most progressive out of all of the eight new EU Member States and could create 23,000 jobs in technology production for renewable power sources such as wind energy. Friends of the Earth (FoE) has welcomed the act, which the organisations says establishes the most progressive renewable energy legislation in all of the eight new EU Member States. The Renewables Act will ensure an 8% share of renewable energy in the Czech Republic's gross domestic electricity consumption by 2010, a target laid down in the country's accession treaty with the European Commission. FoE estimates that the new legislation will lead to the creation of around 4,000 new jobs in fuel and biomass production or maintenance, as well as around 23,000 new jobs in the production of technologies and engineering for the renewables projects. As a result of the new law, new investment in the Czech economy is expected to exceed €1.5 billion over the next five years. The Renewables Act should also lead to savings of approximately 4 million tonnes of annual carbon dioxide emissions by 2010. The adopted support scheme will provide a 15-year guarantee of solid feed in tariffs - the major condition that allows financial rentability of the projects and will lead to the actual development of renewables in the Czech Republic. Producers will also have the option of switching to the so-called "green boni" support system, where a bonus will be paid on top of the market-sold electricity. However, the act's success partly depends on how the Energy Regulatory Office sets prices that are not stated directly in the text of the law. Current ruling states that the pay-back time of installations should be less than 15 years, and another rule dictates that the price for new installations cannot drop less than 95% against the level of those installations that started in the previous year. "This is a big step forward in the development of renewable energy in the Czech Republic," head of the FoE Czech energy programme, Petr Holub said. "Ultimately, the new law is extremely progressive."
By Jane Kettle
| General News | Czech Republic | All Renewables | No | Environmental Data Interactive | Progressive Czeck renewables act passed | | | | | Bulgaria Cashes EUR 1 Billion from Energy Sector Privatization | | SOFIA (bnn)- Proceeds from privatization of Bulgaria's energy sector amounted to leva 1.94 billion (EUR1 billion) over the last four years, the ministry of energy said Wednesday.
The country has fully privatized its electricity distribution sector as well as 91% of the auxiliary and maintenance facilities, 42% of power generating plants, 10% of steam heating utilities and 8% of coal mines, the report said.
The largest energy sector privatization so far was last year's EUR693 million (US$900 million) sale of the country's seven power distribution companies to Germany's E.ON Energie AG, Austrian EVN AG and Czech CEZ s.a.
The share of energy privatization proceeds in the overall privatization proceeds has increased to 70% in last year from 1.5% in 2001, the ministry said.
| General News | Bulgaria | All Resources | No | Bulgaria News Network | Bulgaria Cashes EUR1 Bln From Energy Sector Privatization | | | | | Estonia Proposes Making Biodiesel Production Tax-Free | | Baltic Times. Estonia’s government is proposing making the production of biodiesel tax-free. The proposal is being submitted to the European Commission, which has up to six months to either approve or reject the tax exemption.
Estonia’s initiative is linked to an EU-sponsored mandate to increase the use of renewable energy. According to EU regulations, by 2010 renewables such as wood, wind and biodiesel must constitute 5.75% of total energy consumption.
“Without doubt, the biodiesel sector looks promising in the macroeconomic sense,” says Kalev Lindal, owner of WBT, a Tartu-based rape-product manufacturer. “Once an oil shortage occurs, it’s unlikely that motor vehicles will get nuclear or hydrogen-based engines promptly.”
| General News | Estonia | Biofuels | No | Green Car Congress | Estonia Proposes Making Biodiesel Production Tax-Free | | | | | Czech Republic: Testing the Winds | | by Tim Gosling
16 March 2005
Environmental and economic concerns are taking a back seat to politics in the Czech government's thinking on renewable energy.
PRAGUE, Czech Republic--Eight percent of electricity production from renewable sources by the end of the decade: Aiming at this European-Union target, Czech lawmakers are likely to adopt measures to help invigorate renewable energy production in new energy legislation currently nearing a final vote.
The Czechs have a lot of work to do, despite doing a better job of exploiting renewables than some of its neighbors--estimates are that the country presently generates 3.5 percent of its electricity from renewables, compared to 2.5 percent in Poland and less than 1 percent in Hungary. Few predict that the target will actually be met, though. Investors are badly needed to harness the potential sources of renewable energy within the country. The new legislation intends to provide conditions to attract them. But will it attract the right investors to the right projects?
15-YEAR MONEY BACK GUARANTEE
One high-profile project has been in the cards for a while. Near Chomutov in northwestern Bohemia, Czech Venti, a partnership between Britain's Virtual Utility and the local concern Proventi, plans to erect at least 96 wind turbines in the Krusne Mountains at a cost of around 400 million euros.
The major source of support for renewable energy producers comes in the form of "feed-in tariffs": guaranteed prices producers receive for each kilowatt hour they feed into the distribution networks. These tariffs, set by the Czech Energy Regulation Office, have until now been reviewed yearly, making accurate investment planning impossible.
A vital measure within the proposed legislation will set the tariffs for 15 years. The levels of the tariffs are to be based on economic and technical calculations that correlate investment costs with projected revenues and are required to guarantee return of investment within the 15-year period. The feed-in tariff for wind power is expected to be set at 2.70 crowns ($0.12) per kilowatt hour: one of the highest rates offered for renewables, because of the high start-up costs involved.
Other large investors are watching the legislation closely. The country's dominant power company, CEZ, formerly state-owned and still largely under state influence, is waiting to see what final form the legislation takes, according to spokesman Ladislav Kriz. He says that if the legislation passes with very favorable conditions “as proposed,” then “CEZ will go into wind power." Industry insiders note that there are many others, foreign investors in particular, making inquiries about Czech wind power projects.
Attracting investors is one thing, though, and harnessing the country’s potential energy sources quite another.
FEEDING AN INEFFICIENT INDUSTRY
Imagine throwing an environmental energy consultant, an executive of a regional power giant, an environmental scientist, an energy industry consultant, and a couple of Czech technocrats into a small room to talk shop on renewable energy. We'd expect them to argue over a lot of things while agreeing on very few. That wind energy is entirely unsuitable for the Czech Republic would be one rare point of convergence. Statistics from the Ministry of Industry and Trade mark wind power as having the lowest economically viable potential of any renewable in the Czech Republic.
According to Radan Panacek of the Technology Center of the Czech Academy of Sciences, a wind of 7 meters per second is the minimum average speed necessary for efficient production of electricity. But only a tiny fraction of the Czech Republic's land area even reaches 6 meters per second, and the vast majority of the country sees a mere 3 meters per second.
There are currently 10 working wind farms in the country, predominantly located in the mountains on the northern borders. According to some energy experts, they are struggling to run at 10 percent capacity owing to poor wind conditions, inefficient management, and inadequate funding. Even so, another eight installations are under construction. All will qualify for feed-in tariffs.
Ladislav Pazdera, director of the Industry and Trade Ministry's eco-energy department, claims that the problem of unreliable wind hampers wind energy projects throughout inland Europe. He says that the Germans, who make more electricity from wind than any other country, run their installations at around 16 percent capacity.
Tomas Vorisek of Seven Energy Efficiency Center, a Prague renewable-energy consultancy, says that some calculations suggest that in the Czech Republic, "no more than 1 terawatt hour [1 billion kilowatt hours] can come from wind power, and it must be stressed that wind power is much more expensive" than other renewables in terms of investment and operating costs.
“From a strictly economic and power point of view, wind power is useless," is the even franker view of a source at the Industry Ministry, speaking off the record.
WHICH WAY DOES THE WIND BLOW?
So why are wind turbines continuing to pop up on Czech mountainsides? Opinion varies.
Some, including sources that have worked on the Czech Venti project, suggest that the issue is one of tokenism.
Compared with the alternatives, wind farms are seen as "sexy," they say. Hundreds of huge, futuristic windmills populating the mountains and mirroring the German wind farms just across the border would make a highly visible example of the Czech dedication to promoting renewable energy.
An added advantage could lie in the location of the projects. The Krusne Mountains where Czech Venti plan to build the country's biggest wind farm overlook the factories and open-pit coal mines of north Bohemia, an area hard hit by shrinking coal production in recent years. This extremely sensitive issue was exacerbated in 2000 when environmental concerns prompted limits on what coal deposits there were still to be exploited. During the communist era and into the 1990s, dozens of villages were razed to get at the coal underneath them. The equally controversial lifting of these barriers, as expected by many in the none-too-distant future, will help the area’s economy somewhat but prove no magic bullet. For the moment, the government is pumping huge funds into the region to support the jobless and promote industry there.
Czech Venti claims that Chomutov Wind Park will provide many jobs in construction and maintenance of the wind towers. Pazdera is candid in stating that from the ministry's point of view, “the social issues are definitely more important than the environmental concerns and pushing renewables."
Not all Krusne Mountain residents, though, are happy about wind farms. In a January referendum, the 141 eligible voters of Bozi Dar, a village on the German border, voted to freeze work on a proposed nearby wind farm. Village mayor Jan Hornik complained that opponents of the project exaggerated the impact it would have on people's lives, saying for instance that the noise of the towers would make it impossible to sleep with open windows in the summer.
WEST WINDS
Brussels is very keen on renewables too, and some see pressure coming from there. Miroslav Hajek, director of the environmental economics department at the Czech Environment Ministry, says, “I don’t know why the [wind energy] lobbyists are pushing so strongly on the government, because profit from wind power would be the same in biomass and other renewables.” He says some German politicians have pushed their Czech colleagues to set feed-in tariffs favorable to the wind power industry.
Germany leads the world in wind energy, with a capacity of 14,000 megawatts in 2004, according to the industry magazine Windpower Monthly. The Czech Republic's operating capacity is a mere 10 megawatts, behind Luxembourg--but ahead of Hungary, Romania, and even Russia.
The main architects of Czech energy policy and legislation work at the Industry and Trade Ministry. Pazdera of the eco-energy department admits that the ministry is well aware that producing electricity from biomass holds far more potential than does wind power.
But policy and legislation cannot discriminate in favor of any renewable energy source, he asserts. This would violate the guiding principle of Czech energy policy as devised under EU auspices: that of a free and liberalized market.
“We need to set the conditions and ensure that the market is fully liberalized so that investors can make their choice,” he says. “We just create the borders.”
Leaving aside the irony of invoking free-market principles to justify price regulation policy, investors are indeed making free choices about the methods of renewable production they put their money into--and receive government support and subsidies for. But so far only wind power appears to be attracting their interest.
A BURNING QUESTION
Returning to our argumentative roomful of energy experts, we find another meeting of minds: the one renewable source with the potential to make a serious impact in the Czech Republic is biomass: the burning of wood and plant material to power turbines. With such huge potential, why hasn’t biomass attracted the investors?
The answer may be that one investor that takes biomass seriously is by far the most influential investor, producer, and distributor in the Czech energy market: CEZ. Some observers argue that the heavy-handed entry of the power giant dealt a blow to a fragile renewable-power industry in its infancy. When the feed-in tariff for burning biomass and coal together, or "co-firing," rose some time ago to an extremely generous 2.40 crowns per kilowatt hour, CEZ jumped at the chance and in the process, they say, by dominating the fuel supply and driving the price up, damaged small projects run by municipalities that were pushing to develop a system to help the industry evolve.
For the moment, the near impossibility of assuring a guaranteed fuel supply is shackling development. Waste material such as wood waste from furniture makers is the most common biomass fuel presently, but it isn't enough. To ensure an adequate supply, farmers need to plant energy crops--a lot of them.
To prompt farmers to start growing energy crops and organise their collection and transportation is no small task. As Panacek of the Czech Academy of Sciences puts it: “It’s a chain. You need to develop the whole chain, and who will do that?” As the only player that can encourage the industry from both the supply and the production side, the state is the only candidate in sight, and until the chain is well underway, there will be no investors coming to establish production facilities.
Some state organs are trying to harden the links in the chain. The Agriculture Ministry offers some incentives to farmers, and the new legislation under deliberation is expected to restrict eligibility for feed-in tariffs to producers of purpose-grown energy crops. Parliamentarians backing the bill hope this clause will prompt companies such as CEZ to weigh in by contracting to buy the fuel that the farmers grow.
Still sounds like discrimination though.
| General News | Czech Republic | All Renewables | No | Transitions Online | Testing the Winds | | | | | EU embarks on path to fusion energy | | The EU is keen to go ahead with the world’s biggest ever experimental energy project, the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), with or without its hoped-for international partners. If successful, the project will be a future energy source for the entire world and could, in the coming decades, begin to replace current energy sources like oil, natural gas, and wind and solar energy. But there is one hitch: While Russia and China have given their full support, Japan - which is supported by the US and South Korea - has raised strong objections to the location of the project.
Energy and environmental security
A recent European Fusion Power Plant Conceptual Study confirmed the environmental advantages of fusion and provided evidence that the cost of fusion power would be reasonable - especially taking into account external costs such as damage to health and the environment. And experts widely believe that fusion will contribute to meeting the world’s increasing energy needs. Experts say that energy use is expected to double in 40 years. They also say that 80 per cent of the world’s energy is generated by burning fossil fuels that are driving climate change and generating debilitating pollution - not to mention the fact that those fossil fuels will eventually be exhausted. The first sign of that, they say, will be a decrease in the rate at which oil can be produced, which could occur relatively soon.
A fusion future
The ITER would generate “clean” energy by fusing together light atoms such as hydrogen. Its goal is to create a long-term solution to the world’s energy problems, using only seawater as fuel. The project requires an investment of €10 billion over a period of 30 years, and it will require another 10 years before reaching commercial viability. As such, the ITER would be the most expensive international scientific venture ever sought since the international space station. According to European nuclear fusion experts, the fusion reaction involves deuterium (heavy hydrogen) and tritium (super heavy hydrogen). In a working paper, British expert Chris Llewellyn Smith, from the Joint European Torus (JET), explains that two conditions must be met in order for the fusion to work: “First, a gas of deuterium and tritium must be heated to over 100 million degrees Celsius, 10 times hotter than the center of the sun. Second, the very hot gas must be kept away from the walls [of the reactor] as contact with the walls would cool it down.” The JET, the world’s leading fusion research facility, is funded jointly by the European Commission and the Euratom member states. It has already begun the initial phase of fusion research, but so far, its energy input has far exceeded its output. The JET has produced 16MW of fusion power, but 25MW of energy input were required just to heat the gas. “This does not sound too good - more energy in than out. But comparing results from JET with results from devices half the size of JET gives us great confidence that a device twice as big as JET would produce very much more power than would have to be supplied the heat the gas,” Smith writes. He also said he was confident that the ITER would be such a device. According to Smith, the ITER will be twice the size of JET, and should produce over 500MW of fusion power - at least 10 times the power needed to heat the gas. “ITER is essential to test and integrate various technologies on the scale of a power station. It should confirm that it is possible to build a fusion power station,” he writes. The ITER will be followed by a prototype fusion power station, which could be putting electricity into the grid within 30 years if ITER construction begins as planned in 2005-2006, he said.
The advantages
European experts believe that fusion power will be environmentally responsible and intrinsically safe, and that the supplies of fuel are essentially limitless. They say that the raw fuels - from which deuterium and tritium are extracted and generated - are water and lithium, which is an abundant metal. Lithium is a component of batteries of mobile phones and laptops. If used to fuel a fusion power station, the lithium in one laptop battery, complemented by half a bathtub-full of water, could produce the same amount of electricity as burning 40 tons of coal - generating 200'000 kWhrs, which is equal to the current per capita electricity production of Britain for 30 years. “The fact that the lithium in one laptop battery together with half a bath of water could be used to produce so much electricity is sufficient reason to make every effort to develop fusion. Another excellent reason is that fusion produces no CO2 or air pollution - indeed the so-called external cost of fusion power will be close to zero,” Smith writes.
Ensuring safety
According to experts, the weight of the hot fuel produced by the tritium and deuterium in the core of the fusion reactor would be about the same as 10 postage stamps. Furthermore, they say there would not be enough energy inside the plant to cause any major accidents, nor would there be much fuel to be released into the atmosphere if an accident did occur. Although the products of fusion (helium and neutrons) are not radioactive, the walls of the fusion reactor would become radioactive when struck by the neutrons. However, the radiation decays, with half-lives of only around 10 years, and all the components could be recycled within 100 years. Should the cooling circuit fail completely, the radioactivity in the walls would continue to generate heat, but the temperature would peak below 1’200 C, and melting would be impossible. Experts also say that the tritium is radioactive, but again the decay half-life is relatively short (12 years) and the hazard is not huge. Regardless, they say, it would be easy to design a reactor that would ensure that in the event of major technical or natural disasters - such as earthquakes - only a small percentage of the tritium inventory would be released and the evacuation of the neighboring population would not be necessary.
Commercial use worldwide
JET experts believe that if fusion development were properly organized and funded, commercial fusion power could be available in 40 years. A well-managed fusion development program could lead to a prototype fusion power station putting electricity into the grid within 30 years, with commercial fusion power following 10 years later. “I am not certain of this date - it assumes adequate funding and appropriate organization of fusion development, and that there are no major surprises. I am, however, absolutely certain that with so few options available we cannot afford not to develop fusion as fast as possible. We must do it and I would like to see Europe continuing to lead the development of fusion. I would be amazed if the world is not using fusion power 100 years from now,” Smith says.
Location denotes control
Europe leads the world in fusion development, and the decision of the EU Council of Ministers to host the ITER at Cadarache in France is an attempt to ensure that Europe retains its leading role. The ITER program also seeks to position the European industry to play a key role in a future fusion power industry. The EU is fighting hard for the ITER to be located in Europe, as it wants to hold on to its leading role in nuclear fusion research. Japan, the US, and South Korea want the ITER to be located in Rokkasho-Mura, Japan, but the EU has made it clear it is not willing to compromise, saying that if a deal was not reached with Japan by July, the bloc would go it alone. Both sides claim that their favored locations fulfill all ITER requirements, as both locations already host major nuclear facilities. During the latest round of negotiations held last month between the EU and Japan, both agreed that the dispute over the location should be resolved before the end of June, and European Commissioner Janez Potocnik issued an ultimatum to Japan to accept a role as a non-host or risk being left out of the experiment altogether. Talks in Tokyo - aimed at breaking the impasse - led only to an agreement to make a decision before the 6-8 July G-8 summit in Scotland, which will be attended by the Japanese and French leaders. Last week, Potocnik said Japan was moving closer to accepting the EU’s offer of a “privileged partnership” in the project. “The views of both parties are converging,” he said after attending a meeting of EU industry ministers in Luxembourg. But Japanese authorities have indicated that they would not give in to EU pressure.
Ekrem Krasniqi is an ISN Security Watch correspondent in Brussels.
| General News | EU | Nuclear | No | ISN - International Relations and Security Network | EU embarks on path to fusion energy | | | | | Hungarian inventor aims to 'harvest' river power | | Hungarian inventor aims to 'harvest' river power
By Tamás S Kiss
LÁSZLÓ Oroszi, the inventor of an alternative energy system, believes rivers hold at least one of the keys to Hungary meeting EU directives on renewable power.
EU members must produce at least 6% of their energy via renewable sources by 2010, with the Union discussing the possibility of increasing this to 12% by 2020.
Currently only 3.6% of energy generated in Hungary comes via alternative sources (excluding nuclear), primarily from windfarms, bio-plants (wood chipping) and solar panels.
Oroszi told The Budapest Sun, "Electricity cannot be stored in bulk form and must constantly be generated."
Wind and sunshine have sporadic cycles in Hungary, and costly to run bio-plants need huge storage facilities for fuel.
"So far very few experts have even considered using Hungary's rivers to harvest much needed energy," said Oroszi, explaining that this is currently the sole source that can offer alternative energy producers "clean or green energy non-stop".
"Every second, billions of cubic meters of river water is flowing through Hungarian territory," he enthused.
Oroszi says that, based on scientific research, the Danube river (which flows a total 417km in Hungary) has a yield of 2,270 cubic meters per second, and flows at 1.18 meters per second (measured at Nagymaros), while the Tisza river (which flows 596 km in Hungary) yields about 740 cubic meters per second at a speed of 0.61 meters per second (measured at Szeged).
With the EU subsidizing green projects, Oroszi has received many inquiries concerning his patented idea for a relocatable cluster of generators producing power from flowing water, for which feasibility studies are also underway. "It would be an offense not to harvest the colossal amount of money-saving energy available in Hungarian rivers when the world is yearning for renewable sources.
"Even the slowest flowing, so-called 'passive rivers' can be utilized to harvest electricity, even to supply whole villages nearby," he said. Oroszi added that the system is "guaranteed to not only be profitable, but also environmental-friendly."
_ András Gombos, State Secretary of the Environmental and Water Ministry (KVVM), recently announced that to meet EU requirements by 2010, Hungary would need Ft100bn ($408.1m), mostly from EU funds.
Based on a study by the European Environmental Agency (EEA) the EU-15 together hand over an annual €5.3bn in subsidies towards renewable sources.
| General News | Hungary | Hydroelectric | No | Budapest Sun | Hungarian inventor aims to 'harvest' river power | | | | | Europe to install 4,500 MW of PV by 2010 | | Last year, 410 MWp of panels were installed to boost total capacity to more than 1,000 MW, an increase of 69% over 2003, says the barometer prepared by Observ’ER for the European Union. The EU market was propelled by the 363 MW installed in Germany, which now holds 88% of the continental market and which, for the first time, became the world leader in solar PV, ahead of the 280 MW installed in Japan and the 90 MW installed in the United States.
Of the 363 MW installed in Germany, 360 MW was connected to the grid and 3 MW was off-grid.
Luxembourg was in second place last year, with the installation of 13 MW, all grid-connected, following by Spain with 12 MW and France with 6 MW. Of the 410 MW installed across the continent, 403 was grid connected and 8 MW was off-grid.
On a per-capita scale, Luxembourg leads with 58 watts per inhabitant, with Germany at 10, the Netherlands at 3 and Austria at 2 W per person. All the other countries are less than 1 W, but the average on the continent is 2.2 watts per inhabitant.
One report predicts the world photovoltaic industry will reach annual sales of Euro 30 billion in 2010, based on the current German market of Euro 1.7 billion compared with 650 million in 2003. The number of employees is increasing, with 20,000 in 2004 versus 9,000 in 2003.
Another report estimates the European Commission target of 3,000 MW for 2010 “can be widely exceeded” and that installed capacity of 5,000 MWp by the end of the decade “is entirely possible.” Observ’ER has “significantly re-evaluated” its forecast, based on 20% growth in the German market in 2005 and 2006, followed by stabilization until 2010 and assuming that the PV industry can guarantee its silicon supplies, to predict that Europe will have 4,500 MW installed by 2010.
The prospects in Germany, Spain and Italy remain strong, although the situation in France is “less comfortable” where only a “substantial increase in purchase prices, which is not presently under consideration, would let the French market take off,” it notes. The Netherlands, Austria and Luxembourg have put their PV support systems on hold, with commitments to be made this year.
The ten new members of the EU installed a total of 0.3 MW last year, mainly due to the absence of solar roof programs. Poland installed almost half of that new capacity, although the Czech Republic has the largest PV capacity of the new member countries at 0.4 MW as a result of a national demonstration program in schools that was backed by the European Commission.
Solar cell production remained “very buoyant and sustained” during 2004 due to expanding markets in Germany and the U.S., with total production of 1,194 MW, the equivalent of 400,000 systems with mean capacity of 3 kWp. This output is a growth of 60% over 2003, and average annual growth over the past decade of 36%, although the growth has created problems with silicon supplies.
Japan produced 618 MW of PV cells last year, which is 52% of global output, with European manufacturers producing 308 MW, or 26%. The 139 MW from the U.S. is 12% of the market, while the rest of the world produced 129 MW for 11%.
Sharp produced 324 MW of cells last year to be the top company with 27% of the market, followed by Kyocera with 9%, BP Solar with 7% and Mitsubishi Electric with 6%. Q-Cells (6%), Shell Solar (6%), Sanyo (5%), Isofoton (4%), RWE (4%) and Deutsche Cell (2%) make up the balance of the top ten.
Observ’ER produces regular barometers on the status of renewable energy technologies in Europe, and works with the Eurec Agency, EREC, Jozef Stefan Institute, Eufores and Systèmes Solaires, with financial support from the ADEME and DG Tren (Intelligent Energy-Europe program) of the EU.
| General News | EU | Solar PV | No | re-Focus | Europe to install 4,500 MW of PV by 2010 | | | | | Georgia Launches Privatization of Energy Facilities | | Deputy Energy Minister Aleko Khetaguri said on May 2 that the government has begun accepting privatization bids for the state-owned energy distributing company and five hydro power plants.
These five hydro power plants include: Lajanuri, Rioni, Gumati, Shaori and Dzirula. All of them are located in western Georgia.
The United Distribution Company (UDC), which is currently managed by the U.S. company PA Consulting – a USAID contractor company -distributes electricity in the regions throughout Georgia.
| General News | Georgia | All Resources | No | Civil Georgia | Georgia Launches Privatization of Energy Facilities | | | | | Georgia Accepts Privatization Bids for Energy Facilities | | The Georgian Ministry for Economic Development has started accepting privatization bids for two energy distributing companies and six hydro power plants.
These six hydro power plants include: the Lajanuri, Rioni, Gumati, Shaori, Dzirula and Ats hydro power plants.
The electricity distribution company in Adjara Autonomous Republic and the United Distribution Company (UDC), which is currently managed by a USAID contractor PA Consulting, are also in the list.
The deadline for accepting privatization bids expires on October 1.
| General News | Georgia | ;Hydroelectric;All Resources | No | Civil Georgia | Georgia Accepts Privatization Bids for Energy Facilities | | | | | Poland struggles to meet emissions plan | | POZNAN, Poland - An alarming message on an ecology list-serve said it all: “There has never been anything like it – the Environment Ministry is calling for construction of a nuclear power plant!”
It was more a hint than a direct call when the ministry’s Tomasz Podgajniak stirred up a classic political, ecological and business controversy by saying, “Poland should start working on the development of nuclear energy.”
Paradoxically for ecologists, the emerging discussion about whether Poland should turn to nuclear energy is the result of a long-term struggle to cut greenhouse-gas emissions. With the Kyoto Protocol and the European Union’s carbon-dioxide emissions trading scheme both coming into force early this year, the pressure is on member states to reduce emissions. Most EU members have come up with National Allocation Plans that set CO2 emissions quotas. If a country produces less CO2 than its plan projected, it can sell the surplus allowance on the emissions market.
But the European Commission has not yet accepted the Polish plan, demanding that the country slash its emissions quota by 47 million tons annually in the years from 2005 to 2007. If the EC’s decision stands – Poland is considering taking the issue to the European Court of Justice – Polish energy, steel, glass and cement companies may be forced to reduce production. Such a slowdown could impede the growth that the country had hoped would come with membership in the EU.
Whatever the final shape of the Polish plan, in order to achieve reductions in carbon-dioxide emissions the largely coal-based Polish energy sector will have to turn to other energy sources unless it is prepared to reduce production, pay fees for exceeding emissions quotas or buy surplus allowances on the emissions market.
Poland’s energy sector has little hope of developing renewable sources of energy like wind, water or solar power. According to Podgajniak, Poland will have no choice but to consider nuclear power if it wants to meet the EU’s ambitious long-term goals for reducing emissions. By 2020, emissions should be down by 20 percent to 30 percent. In 2050 the goal for cuts could be as high as 60 percent. It is hard to imagine an energy sector based on coal that could handle such limitations.
Nuclear energy, however, has failed time and again to gain widespread public support. Poland tried to construct a nuclear power plant in the 1980s, in Zarnowiec on the Polish coast, but the project was eventually abandoned, thanks in large part to widespread public disapproval.
And each new hint that nuclear energy might be an option brings with it hot-button questions of location and waste disposal. One possible site remains Zarnowiec, but several other sites have been mentioned by the Polish Atomic Agency, including Nieszawa, Chelmno and Tczew, all in northern Poland. Another possibility is Belchatow, the home of the country’s biggest coal-based energy plant.
Even more controversial is the location of waste dumps. So far the Polish Atomic Agency has proposed eight sites. Three are in the Bialystok region in northeastern Poland, highly valued for its wildlife habitat.
Green organizations like WWF Poland are firmly against the country adopting nuclear energy. “Poland is one of the few EU countries that does not have to tackle the nuclear waste problem,” said WWF Poland Director Ireneusz Chojnacki. “Let’s look at the problems our western neighbors are dealing with. We should be happy we have managed to avoid them so far. Let’s learn from others’ mistakes.”
WWF Poland is calling for increased conservation and more focus on developing renewable energy sources. But it’s questionable if cutting down on energy use and developing renewable energy sources will ensure that Poland achieves the major reductions in emissions required by the EU. The government, for its part, sees such calls as unrealistic. For example, according to the environment ministry, energy obtained from wind could meet only 10 percent of the country’s energy demands in 2020.
Wojciech Kosc is a Poznan-based freelance journalist. This is an
edited version of an article for Transtions Online.
| General News | Poland | All Resources | No | Czech Business Weekly | Poland struggles to meet emissions plan | | | | | Poland Plans First Nuclear Plant | | AFX. Poland plans to build its first nuclear power station by the year 2023 in order to comply with requirements restricting greenhouse gas emissions, according to Deputy Economy Minister Jacek Piechota.
“Before 2023, we will have to have clean energy in the Polish electric power system,' he told the radio station RMF FM. “Round about 2023, we will no longer be able to respect very strict environmental norms, especially concerning greenhouse gases. The priority for the next 15 years will be to develop renewable electrical energy resources; windpower, biomass and hydro-electric power. But these resources will not suffice.”
Poland has traditionally depended heavily on lignite and hard coal, and will continue to do so in the future. However, there are plans to increase the use of natural gas and renewable energy sources to 7.5% by 2010. (PointCarbon)
The Finance Ministry is also proposing replacing an existing registration tax on new and imported second-hand road vehicles with a system based on emissions and engine capacity. (ENDS)
| General News | Poland | All Resources | No | Green Car Congress | Poland Plans First Nuclear Plant | | | | | RAO UES Announces Completion of Hydro Project | | In brief
MOSCOW (RNWire) -- In connection with completion of the construction and installation works at hydropower unit 4 of the Bureyskaya HPP, RAO "UES of Russia" has formed a Central Acceptance Commission. An order to that effect has been signed by the Chairman of the Management Board of RAO "UES of Russia".
In full
MOSCOW (RNWire) -- In connection with completion of the construction and installation works at hydropower unit 4 of the Bureyskaya HPP, RAO "UES of Russia" has formed a Central Acceptance Commission. An order to that effect has been signed by the Chairman of the Management Board of RAO "UES of Russia".
Vyacheslav Sinyugin, member of the Management Board of RAO "UES of Russia" and Chairman of the Management Board of OAO "HydroWGC", has been appointed the Commission Chairman. The Commission is responsible for organizing the unit acceptance and commissioning of the equipment and facilities of the start-up complex at hydropower unit N. 4 at the Bureyskaya HPP.
Hydropower unit No. 4 of the power plant is scheduled to be put into operation in Q4 2005. The power unit's turbine will have an installed capacity of 333 MW, and an efficiency coefficient of 96%. Hydropower units No. 1 and No.2 of the Bureyskaya HPP with an aggregate capacity of 370 MW were put into operation in 2003, and hydropower unit 3 with an installed capacity of 300 MW was commissioned in 2004.
The Bureyskaya HPP is on the list of the top priority construction projects of RAO "UES of Russia". In 2000-2004, the Holding Company invested RUB23.92 billion in own and borrowed funds in the project. In 2005, RAO "UES of Russia" plans to invest RUB6.05 billion in the construction of the Bureyskaya HPP.
When the project is completed and all six hydrogenerators are put into operation, the capacity of the Bureyskaya HPP will reach 2,000 MW, and the average annual output will be 7.1 billion kWh.
| General News | Russia | Hydroelectric | No | Russia Newswire | RAO "UES of Russia" Forms Central Acceptance Commission in Connection with Completion of Constructio | | | | | RAO UES Delegation to Take Part in Work of World Geothermal Congress (WGC 2005) in Turkey | | In brief
MOSCOW, April 28 (RNWire) - The delegation of RAO "UES of Russia" comprising representatives of the Parent Company and some of its subsidiaries, and Russia's leading scientists, equipment manufacturers will take part in the World Geothermal Congress (WGC 2005) in Turkey.
In full
MOSCOW, April 28 (RNWire) - The delegation of RAO "UES of Russia" comprising representatives of the Parent Company and some of its subsidiaries, and Russia's leading scientists, equipment manufacturers will take part in the World Geothermal Congress (WGC 2005) in Turkey.
The exhibition stand presented by RAO "UES of Russia" at the WGC2005 exhibition organized during the Congress days features the major accomplishments of the Russian geothermal power engineering. The highlight of the stand is the development programme of the energy sector in Kamchatka. The Congress participants were especially interested in the plans for geothermal development in Stavropol Kray and Kaliningrad Region.
Geothermal generation utilizes underground sources of water located in areas of volcanic activity with temperatures of 100-200°C to generate electricity and heat.
Today, geothermal resources are found in 80 countries of the world and are actively used in 58 countries. The global generation using geothermal resources totals 50 TWh, with Russia accounting for 10 percent of that amount.
Under the Strategy Concept of RAO "UES of Russia" "5+5", the use of alternative energy sources, primarily energy of geothermal origin, is one of the priority areas of development and improvement of Russia's electric power industry.
Today, RAO "UES of Russia" operates three geothermal power plants located on the Kamchatka Peninsula: Pauzhetskaya GeoPP, Verkhne-Mutnovskaya GeoPP, and Mutnovskaya GeoPP. The latter is considered to be the best in the world in terms of environment safety and automation of production.
Moreover, Russia has created the technological underpinning required for the development of the geothermal energy, and carried out a series of fundamental studies in the area. The power equipment developed by Russian geothermal manufacturers is installed at 15 heating and power plants in different countries of the world.
| General News | Russia | Geothermal | No | Russia Newswire | RAO UES Delegation to Take Part in Work of World Geothermal Congress (WGC 2005) in Turkey | | | | | Russian Utility RAO UES to Take Part in Hydro Committee | | In brief
MOSCOW, 28 April (RNWire) - Vyacheslav Sinyugin, member of the Management Board of RAO "UES of Russia" and Chairman of the Management Board of OAO "Federal Hydrogeneration Company" (OAO "HydroWGC") will take part in the work of Russia's delegation during the 73rd session of the Executive Committee of the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD), which will be held from 1 to 6 May 2005 in Tehran, Iran.
In full
MOSCOW, 28 April (RNWire) - Vyacheslav Sinyugin, member of the Management Board of RAO "UES of Russia" and Chairman of the Management Board of OAO "Federal Hydrogeneration Company" (OAO "HydroWGC") will take part in the work of Russia's delegation during the 73rd session of the Executive Committee of the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD), which will be held from 1 to 6 May 2005 in Tehran, Iran.
The session will discuss issues of major importance relating to the construction of hydroelectric dams, dam operation and maintenance, effective use of water resources, and environment protection. Members of the Russian delegation will take part in the work of the Technical Committees "Seismic aspects of Dam Design", "Problems of Taking in Dam Design", "Materials for Fill Dams", "Environment", "Dam Surveillance", "Hydraulics for Dams", "Dam Safety", and at the plenary sessions of the Commission's Executive Committee.
The International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD) was founded in 1928 to provide an international forum for the exchange of knowledge and experience in dam engineering. ICOLD has National Committees in 82 countries, whose population makes 84% of the world's population. Its major aim is to encourage advances in the planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of large dams and their associated civil works.
| General News | Russia | Hydroelectric | No | Russia Newswire | RAO UES Management Board Member Vyacheslav Sinyugin to Take Part in Session of ICOLD Executive Commi | | | | | State aid: Commission takes two decisions concerning Slovenian electricity sector | | State aid: Commission takes two decisions concerning Slovenian electricity sector The European Commission has authorised under the terms of EU rules on state aids compensation for so-called “stranded costs” for three Slovenian electricity generators: TE Šoštanj, NE Krško and TE Trbovlje. “Stranded costs” are defined as costs arising from commitments entered into before electricity markets were liberalised. The Commission has also decided to open a formal investigation into the so-called system of preferential dispatching of electricity aimed at boosting renewable energy to assess its compatibility with state aid rules. “Stranded costs” refer to commitments, such as long-term purchase contracts or guarantees of operation, entered into by the historical incumbent energy suppliers before energy markets were liberalised by EU Directives. The programme for recovery of stranded costs in electricity generation plants in Slovenia aims at mitigating the difficulties faced by a number of power plants during the process of liberalisation of the electricity sector. The measure is envisaged for four years – until 31.12.2006 with estimated budget of €548.2 million. The Commission concluded that the scheme was in line with the Communication relating to the Methodology for analysing state aid linked to stranded costs in the electricity sector[1] and therefore could be authorised. In particular, the Commission found that the state guarantee for the Krško nuclear plant was awarded before accession; according to the Accession Treaty, this can no longer be subject to assessment under the Community state aid rules. Furthermore, the Commission has concluded that the aid for closing the gas fired part of Trbovlje plant is compatible with the provisions of the stranded costs and that the aid for Šoštanj plant can be authorised as aMethodology compensation for a service of general economic interest as regards security of electricity supply. In recent years, the Commission has approved a number of similar cases concerning aid to cover stranded costs in the energy sector in Austria, Belgium, Greece, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Italy and a part of the United Kingdom. Further cases are currently being analysed by the Commission. Preferential dispatching A number of electricity generators in Slovenia take advantage from the so-called preferential dispatching of electricity. The scheme provides support to producers of renewable energy, producers that use efficient combined heat and power technology and a coal fired part of the Trbovlje power plant. These producers are known as “qualified producers”. Network operators have the obligation to purchase the electricity produced by them at a price fixed by the state, which is above market price. The Commission analysed the measure both in the light of the Community guidelines on state aid for environmental protection[2] and the stranded costs Methodology. The measure was also analysed as a compensation for charges linked to services of general economic interest. The analysis resulted in doubts as to the compatibility of the aid with these rules. Therefore the Commission decided to initiate a formal state aid inquiry (foreseen in Article 88 (2) of the EC Treaty). The opening of a formal investigation does not prejudge its final outcome. The decision to initiate the procedure will be published in the Official Journal. Competitors and other interested parties are invited to submit their observations. [1] Adopted by the Commission on 26.07.2001. Available on the Commission’s Competition Directorate General’s web site at the following address: http://europa.eu.int/comm/competition/state_aid/legislation/stranded_costs/en.pdfCommunicated to Member States by letter ref. SG(2001) D/290869 of 6.8.2001. [2] OJ C 37, 3.2.2001, p. 3. | General News | Slovenia | All Renewables | No | Europa.eu.int | State aid: Commission takes two decisions concerning Slovenian electricity sector | | | | | Grant agreed for Tajikistan | | The United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has provided a grant worth US$415,850 to Tajikistan’s Ministry of Energy to fund a feasibility study for the rehabilitation of the Kairakkum and Varzob hydroelectric power plants.
According to BISNIS, part of the US Department of Commerce, Washington DC, USTDA said that ‘the grant marks the opening of USTDA's assistance programme to Tajikistan and is an example of the agency's commitment to assist that country in its efforts to expand its electricity production to further its economic development.’
Meanwhile, Tajikistan’s Deputy Prime Minister, Asadullo Ghulomov, has announced that the re-construction of the Pamir-1 hydroelectric power plant in Gorno Badakhshan is to be completed on 31 October this year.
The plant will cost US$9.7M to re-construct.
The PamirEnergy energy company said operation of the plant’s two generating units was suspended in May to allow the work to take place.
| General News | Tajikstan | Hydroelectric | No | International Water Power and Dam Construction | Grant agreed for Tajikistan | | | | | Solar Thermal Manufacturing in Uzbekistan | | Foton of Tashkent city in the republic of Uzbekistan will produce solar thermal panels for water heating, with a budget of US$340,000 funded by the government of Denmark and UNDP.
| General News | Uzbekistan | Solar Thermal | No | re-Focus | no title - reFocus news in brief | | | | | Geothermal Power Expands to 24 Countries, Meets the Needs of 60 Million People | | To: National Desk Contact: Karl Gawell of the Geothermal Energy Association, 202-454-5264 or karl@geo-energy.orgWASHINGTON, May 16 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Geothermal energy is now produced in 24 countries and on all continents except Antarctica, according to a new study by Rugerro Bertani of ENEL, presented at the World Geothermal Congress in Turkey. In 2003, geothermal resource supplied 57,000 Gigawatt-hours of electricity, an increase of 15 percent from 2000 and 50 percent from 1995, Bertani reported. Since 2000, geothermal generation has tripled in France, Russia, and Kenya and three new countries-Austria, Germany, and Papua New Guinea-have been added to the list of those producing power. "Geothermal energy is today meeting the total electricity needs of some 60 million people worldwide - roughly the population of the United Kingdom," noted Karl Gawell, Executive Director of GEA, the US industry's trade group. "Countries as diverse as the Philippines, Iceland, and El Salvador generate an average of 25 percent of their electricity from geothermal sources, and geothermal serves 30 percent of Tibet's energy needs," he added. The United States continues to produce more geothermal electricity than any other country, comprising some 32 percent of the world total. But, according to GEA, the US lead in geothermal power production and technology are both being seriously challenged. "Several countries are moving aggressively ahead with new development, particularly the Philippines and Indonesia, and while US research budgets are being cut, other countries are investing more in new technology," Gawell noted. For example, new Hot Dry Rock (HDR) technology is expected to produce hundreds of megawatts in Australia this year. This technology could allow geothermal power production virtually anywhere in the world. Yet, the U.S. geothermal power industry appears to be on a rebound. State renewable policies and federal tax incentives are spurring a wave of new investment. GEA reports that projects are being planned in several states including Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico and Oregon. "We have just begun to tap the tens of thousands of megawatts of geothermal resources available," Gawell said. "It's just a question of the right economic incentives and continued advances in technology." The next major U.S. geothermal event will be the 2005 GEA Trade Show and concurrent Geothermal Resources Council (GRC) Annual Meeting. Both are planned for September 25-28, 2005 in Reno, Nevada. With a renewed interested in US geothermal development, the GEA-GRC events are expected to have record attendance. Countries producing geothermal power in 2003 were: Australia, Austria, China, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Ethiopia, France (Guadeloupe), Germany, Guatemala, Iceland, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Portugal (Azores), Russia, Thailand, Turkey, and the United States. For more information about GEA visit http://www.geo-energy.org. | General News | World | Geothermal | No | US Newswire | | | | | | Iceland to help construct Hydro Facility in Albania | | 21 April 2005
Albania is to see a new US$91.5M hydroelectric plant, according to officials from the country’s Ministry of Industry and Energy.
The Icelandic national power company, Landsvirkjun, has been awarded a 25-year, build-own-operate (BOO) concession on the 70MW Bratile project. The company out-bid four others to secure the deal.
The project will be constructed on the Devoll river in the village of Bratile, joining 10 other hydro plants on the river.
| Project | Albania | Hydroelectric | No | International Water Power and Dam Construction | | | | | | Iran and Armenia co-operate on hydro | | Iranian and Armenian officials signed agreements in mid-May for the construction of two hydroelectric power plants on the Aras river, according to the IRNA news agency.
The deputy head of Iran’s Water and Energy Resources Company, Nasser Nemati, said that ‘given the 40km Iran-Armenia common border across the Aras river, the two sides decided to use the relevant hydroelectric potential.’
A report released by the public relations department of Iran's Water and Energy Resources Company cited Nemati as saying that based on the agreement, the first power station with a production capacity of 130MW will be established on the Armenian side of the border.
The second plant of 140MW capacity will be constructed on the Iranian side. Feasibility studies concerning the first phase of the second plant are underway.
| Project | Armenia | Hydroelectric | No | International Water Power and Dam Construction | | | | | | Kazakhstan’s wind-energy project | | The UNDP is helping Kazakhstan harness its windy steppes potential with a solar energy project that, if made economically viable, could compete with environmentally harmful coal and gas.
By Antoine Blua for RFE/RL (24/12/04)
Kazakhstan's sunny skies and flat, wind-swept steppes make the country a promising land for solar and wind-based energy. In order to develop its solar potential, Kazakhstan last year launched its first solar energy project, in the southeastern Almaty region. Some 1,500 residents stand to benefit from the solar program, which was initially funded by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Canadian International Development Agency. Recently, the vast Central Asian republic launched its first large-scale project aimed at developing wind-based energy. About 90 per cent of Kazakhstan's electricity is generated from coal and gas. The remaining 10 per cent comes from hydroelectric power. In an effort to increase the use of alternative energy sources, the UNDP and the Kazakh government last week launched a three-year program to develop the republic's wind potential, which is estimated at 1.82 trillion kilowatts per hour. Gordon Johnson, a UNDP official in Kazakhstan, said the UN agency would assist the Energy Ministry in formulating a national-development program for the sector. Johnson noted that the project also includes the preparation of wind-potential maps for different regions and the development of legal and regulatory measures. "Kazakhstan is probably one of the most suitable countries in the world to develop wind energy [because] there's a lot of wind sources," Johnson said. "The problem is that population density [is] relatively low and [that] Kazakhstan is rather abundant in oil and coal resources. Therefore, hydrocarbon prices are relatively low. So the challenge will be mostly as to whether or not wind energy can be financially viable. We're supporting this program to promote that financial viability by working with the government to explore mechanisms to improve that."
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
Johnson said that the second part of the program envisages the construction of a pilot five-megawatt wind power plant at the Jungar Gates near the Chinese border. The objective is to prepare the basis for further investment in the sector. "We're going to partially finance the construction of a five-megawatt wind farm," Johnson said. "The Global Environment Facility (GEF), which is our main finance source for the project, will provide a grant to the private sector investor who's willing to build this wind farm. On the government side they'll enter into a power purchase agreement for the energy that's produced." The Washington-based independent financial organization GEF provided more than US$2 million for the project's implementation. Private companies are expected to contribute another US$4 million. Johnson said that suitable investors would be asked to bid on contributing to the project. The project is part of the government's renewable energy-development program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which are held responsible for global warming. The plan aims to build 500 megawatts of installed wind power capacity by 2030. Sergei Kuratov, from the Almaty-based nongovernmental organization Green Salvation, said that the government's task is huge. "We have good wind resources in areas like steppes. And according to our specialists this resource is very valuable for our country," Kuratov said. "And in the south of Kazakhstan there are a lot of sunny days during the year. And according to...our specialists it will be very useful for our country to develop solar energy as well. Some enthusiasts are trying to develop small stations or equipment to provide wind energy for small enterprises like restaurants [and] laundries. But until now our government didn't care about programs developing alternative energy [sources]." Johnson, however, characterized the new 5-megawatt pilot project as a strong indicator of the government's commitment toward developing the wind energy sector. He stressed that its impact will be a decrease over 20 years of 400’000 million tons of carbon dioxide - a key contributor to global warming.
| Project | Kazakhstan | Wind | No | International Relations and Security Network | | | | | | Plasma Converter Projects in Poland | | WILTON, Conn., May 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Startech Environmental Corporation (OTC Bulletin Board: STHK - News), a fully reporting company, announced today that it has signed a Cooperative Agreement with Strabag Sp. Zo.o. of Warsaw, Poland for Strabag to perform facility design, construction, commissioning and start-up for diverse Startech Plasma Converter projects in Poland. Strabag will be the prime contractor for the projects. The end-user customer for each project will be a Special Purpose Company incorporated in accordance with the laws of Poland for each project. The Special Purpose Company will provide the financing for each Project. About Strabag Strabag is a subsidiary of Austrian Bauholding Strabag SE (Societas Eurpaea) and is part of the Bauholding Strabag Aktiengesellschaft Group of Austria. The Holding has been an eminent force in the European construction market for over 160 years, and it employs over 33,000 people. The Holding's annual sales are over EUR 5.8 billion. About Startech Environmental Corp. Startech is a Waste Industry company engaged in the production and sale of its innovative, proprietary plasma processing equipment known as the Plasma Converter System. The Plasma Converter System safely and economically destroys wastes, no matter how hazardous or lethal, and turns them into useful and valuable products. In doing so, the System protects the environment and helps to improve the public health and safety. The System achieves closed- loop elemental recycling to safely and irreversibly destroy Municipal Solid Waste, organics and inorganics, solids, liquids and gases, hazardous and non- hazardous waste, industrial by-products and also items such as "e-waste," medical waste, chemical industry waste and other specialty wastes while converting them into many useful commodity products that can include metals, surplus energy and also hydrogen for use and for sale. Materials previously regarded as wastes are, when processed by the Plasma Converter, feed stocks. Startech regards all wastes as valuable renewable resources. Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the Company's plans and expectations regarding the development and commercialization of its Plasma Converter(TM) technology. All forward-looking statements are subject to risk and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Factors that could cause such a difference include, without limitation, failure of the customer to obtain appropriate financing for the project, general risks associated with product development, manufacturing, rapid technological change and competition as well as other risks set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements contained herein speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statement to reflect any change in the Company's expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. For further information for projects anywhere in the world, please contact Startech's Scott Budich at (888) 807-9443, or sales@startech.net. | Project | Poland | Waste to Energy | No | Startech Environmental (Press Release) | | | | | | Tidal power plant re-opened in Murmansk region | | "Russia has fantastic possibilities for building of some tidal power plants of unique capacity", – said Anatoly Chubais – chairman of Board of Unified Energy Systems of Russia (UES) after visiting Kislogubskay tidal power plant in Murmansk region on 8th of February.
2005-02-09 14:49
Chubais mentioned that a unique orthogonal tool of the tidal power plant is the first tool in the world, discovered by Russian scientists. It is a pilot project, and specialists have to work hard on managing the orthogonal tool. The orthogonal turbine of the plant rotates one side, independently of fluxes and refluxes, “RIA News” reported.
“Kolenergo” energy company is an owner of the unique Russian pilot Kislogubskaya tide power plant. After 10 years of delay the plant was put into operation in December last year due to construction of a new orthogonal hydroelectric unit. Specialists of “Kolenergo” company say that the unit opens wide possibilities for industrial use of renewable sources of energy.
| Project | Russia | Tidal | No | Bellona | | | | | | China equips Uzbekistan plants | | The China National Electric Equipment Corporation (CNEEC) is to supply equipment for the construction of three small hydroelectric power plants in Uzbekistan, according to the Interfax news agency.
The terms of the supply of the equipment to the Tupolang, Andizhan and Akhangaran hydro plants are currently being negotiated. The contract is expected to be signed in the second half of this year.
Uzbekistan will seek loans totalling US$39.9M from China for the construction of the three plants, including US$25M for the Tupolang plant, US$8.5M for the Andizhan plant, and US$6.4M for the Akhangaran plant.
| Project | Uzbekistan | Hydroelectric | No | International Water Power and Dam Construction | | | | | | Clean Energy for Rural Communities of Karakalpakstan | | Launch of the next project «Clean Energy for Rural Communities in Karakalpakstan – Phase 2»
Wednesday, 13 April 2005
On April 13th, 2005, the launch of the second phase of “Clean Energy for Rural Communities of Karakalpakstan” was held in UNDP Uzbekistan country office with the participation of Lykke Andersen, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, representatives from the Charity Social Fund for Genetic Pool Protection of the Aral Sea region, State Committee for Nature Protection of Karakalpakstan, Turkish International Cooperation Administration, other international organizations, civil society and mass-media.
In the course of 2003-2004, the first phase of the UNDP Project “Clean Energy for rural communities in Karakalpakstan” was implemented in Karakalpakstan in cooperation with the Transfer Technology Agency, Uzbekistan. The objective of the project was to demonstrate the practical viability of using solar panels for independent supply of energy to remote villages and settlements of the Republic. Connection of remote villages to the centralized energy grid is not feasible because it requires enormous financial investments. In this case, it is often impossible to compare the costs paid by regular consumers of energy in cities and energy costs for remote rural settlers. The project strived to demonstrate that the use of solar energy is realistic and, in fact, can be one of the most optimal solutions for the population of remote settlements.
The project sought to demonstrate to local population that renewable energy is not just an option in developed countries but is also viable and realistic to their own situation. That is why it was a prerequisite to show solar panels in operation. During the project’s implementation, 25 photovoltaic systems (PVS) of 2 different types were installed: 15 PVS for household needs and 10 for pumping water from underground. The solar panels for households were installed in Kostruba village, in the heart of Kyzyk-Kum desert. Each PVS has a capacity equivalent to 100W and is sufficient to cover operation of 3 light bulbs, one TV-set and a radio set. PVSs for water-pumping were installed in the village of Karauzyak providing farmers with a reliable supply of water. Apart from having demonstrated the reality of solar energy utilization for needs of local population, another major impact of the project was the improvement of farmers living standards who are now the owners of the solar panels.
In response to a request from the Government of the Republic of Karakalpakstan , asking UNDP to continue the initiative and find possibilities for further development of the project, UNDP has prepared and launched a new project “Clean Energy for rural communities in Karakalpakstan – Phase II”. At this stage it was decided to scale up the idea of the first phase by embracing more farmer households in Karakalpakstan. The objectives of the second phase include the following:
First of all, to provide all households of Kostruba village with PVSs and achieve a situation where people of the village are able to sustain operation of the solar systems in the long run without further assistance from UNDP or other donors.
Secondly, people need to know more about renewable energy sources, which are not limited solely to PVS. There are many others, which can be well fitted to the needs of the local population. One component of the project will be exclusively responsible for dissemination of the information and raising awareness about advantages of renewable energy sources among population of remote settlements across Karakalpakstan, among local governmental authorities, general public.
The last but not least planned result of the project is the creation of a sustainable mechanism for larger expansion of renewable energy by rural communities in Karakalpakstan without access to centralized energy supply networks. The project plans to establish and test operation of an organization in Karakalpakstan, envisaged as an organization helping to train people on what renewable energy is and how it can be applied, find the best option among renewable energy sources for people’s specific needs, locate and contact a supplier, find funding for procurement of the equipment, assist in installation of the equipment and training of potential users.
Ms. Lykke Andersen, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Uzbekistan , welcomed the participants of the press-conference and presented UNDP activities in the sphere of renewable energy. She also thanked the partners of the project for their support and participation in the project implementation. A presentation on the planned project activities was made and donors and partners of the project had a chance to say a few words about their activities in Uzbekistan and about their support to the project. Namely, Mr. Djumabekov - the Chairman of the Charity Social Fund for Genetic Pool Protection of Aral Sea region, Mr. Omer Kocaman - Turkish International Cooperation Administration, Mr. Pulat Reimov – The Chairman of the State Committee for Nature Protection of Karakalpakstan addressed the press-conference. Mr. Lykke Andersen also expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Economics and Technology Transfer Agency for their support of UNDP initiatives in the sphere of renewable energy and sustainable development.
Focal Point for questions related to the project:
Alexey Volkov Programme Associate / Environment UNDP CO Uzbekistan, alexey.volkov@undp.org tel.: (998 71) 120 34 62 /120 34 50. | General News | Uzbekistan | Solar PV | No | UNDP - Uzbekistan | | | | | | A Real Fix: Armenia's Energy Situation | | It was 19 years ago on April 26 that a reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine exploded, spewing radiation across Europe. The anniversary of the tragedy helps to focus attention on Armenia’s energy dilemma, in which the country depends heavily on an antiquated nuclear facility to meet its power needs.
Armenia’s Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant, situated near geological fault lines, is responsible for generating about 40 percent of the electricity used by Armenians every year. A lack of access to alternate power sources is a major factor in the country’s ongoing dependence on the nuclear facility. The economic blockade maintained by two of Armenia’s neighbors -- Turkey and Azerbaijan – hampers the large-scale import of fuel, while the country’s lack of water resources limits hydro-electric power-generating capacity.
The only nuclear energy source in the South Caucasus, Metsamor lies just 28 kilometers outside of Yerevan, 16 kilometers from the Turkish border, 60 kilometers from Iran and less than 150 kilometers from the Georgian and Azerbaijani borders. Built in mid 1970s, the twin-reactor station was closed in early 1989 following the earthquake late the previous year that left an estimated 25,000 people dead. The plant itself withstood tremors measuring 5-6 on the Richter scale. The Metsamor reactors are of the Soviet design known as VVER, considered marginally more structurally sound than the Chernobyl-type reactors, or RBMKs. Still, Armenian officials felt compelled to take no operational chances following the 1988 earthquake.
Immediately following the closure, Armenia fell into a period known as "the dark years," when an energy shortage became acute. To heat their homes during the winter, residents stripped the capital Yerevan of virtually everything made of wood, leaving few trees standing. Meanwhile, Lake Sevan, which was already suffering from Soviet-era ecological damage, was further drained to compensate for energy shortages.
In October 1996, Unit 2 at Metsamor, a 440-megawatt reactor, resumed operation with Western financial assistance for safety upgrades. In 2003, Russia’s state-run power monopoly RAO Unified Energy Systems (UES) assumed responsibility, through a subsidiary, for running the Metsamor plant in return for Moscow’s cancellation of $40 million in debt. [For additional information see the Eurasia Insight archive].
The city of Metsamor, four kilometers from the plant, was built essentially to house the power station’s employees. When the plant closed in 1989, the majority of the population suddenly became unemployed, and many people were forced to leave the area to search for work elsewhere. Today, roughly 20 percent of Metsamor’s 10,000 residents work at the nuclear plant. Locals have mixed feelings about the risks; some feel there is no danger at all and are grateful for the economic opportunity that the nuclear plant provides; others mistrust authorities’ safety assurances and worry about the radiation risks. Still others accept the risks, while desiring compensation for assuming them, including free electricity.
One added hazard, not only for locals, is that nuclear waste must be stored on site because of the Turkish-Azerbaijani blockade. Additionally, fuel must be flown in from Russia - over Georgian airspace. At the same time, Georgia indirectly benefits from Metsamor’s operation, as the nuclear facility’s generating capacity enables Armenia to export up to 150 megawatts of electricity daily from the Razdan thermoelectric plant to Georgia.
European diplomats remain concerned about Metsamor’s operation. The European Union -- along individual Western governments, the World Bank and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) -- have pressed the Armenian government to shut Metsamor down. While the EU had originally given millions of euros in aid for safety upgrades, the grouping of European states froze a 100 million-euro energy grant in June 2004, citing Yerevan’s continuing reluctance to close the plant.
Shutting down is not so simple. Besides the exceedingly high cost of closure, estimated by some as high as $1 billion, Armenia has lacks the natural resources and the funds to fully develop alternatives. Meanwhile, local and Russian experts believe Metsamor can safely function until 2016, due to strengthened security systems that take into account the possibility of another earthquake. Some experts, citing upgrades made at similar Russian nuclear facilities, suggest that Metsamor could remain operational until 2031.
Despite a funding shortage, Armenia has made some progress in securing energy alternatives, including an agreement on the construction of an Armenian-Iranian pipeline project. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. The government has also set aside funds in the state budget to promote the use of solar energy. Panels can be randomly seen on Yerevan rooftops, including the American University in Armenia. Meanwhile, recent surveys suggest that wind power could potentially generate 400-500 megawatts of electricity - about one-third of Metsamor total output. The first wind power station, built with Iranian financial assistance, is scheduled to go into operation in the Pushkin Mountain Pass in 2005. It will have an estimated annual capacity of 5 million kilowatt/hours.
| General News | Armenia | All Resouces | No | Eurasianet.org | | | | | | Minister Gilauri Outlines Georgia's Energy Plans | | Stating that the 'times of false promises has ended," and that he will not lie to the citizens of the country regarding problems that exist in Georgia, President Mikheil Saakashvili chaired an emergency government session on Friday primarily devoted to the country's energy crisis.
"We did not start the crisis in the energy sectors, but we must finish it. I need a real program of how to solve this problem at last," said the president, adding that the population should know when the government will resolve the electricity problems allowing the whole country to escape from darkness.
"The main mission of my government is to solve problems in months and if they cannot be solved in months then at least in the nearest future. If Tbilisi, Batumi and one or two other cities in Georgia are supplied with electricity but other parts of Georgia not, this does not mean that the problems have been partially solved," said Saakashvili.
Minister of Energy Nika Gilauri said that the government inherited an energy system on the edge of collapse from the previous government especially, and described chronologically those problems that the system faced last year.
Primary among the energy sector's problems are those affecting the country's hydroelectric power stations. Three of the twelve major units are out of action, and energy experts warn that a further six could be lost soon as a result of breakdowns.
"Last year we tried to lift Georgia out of this energy mire, but I agree that we have not yet done enough to solve the electricity problems in Georgia serious problems in the regions still remain," said Gilauri.
Gilauri stated that the ministry has worked out a two-year project to develop the energy sector, which will solve the country's electricity problems. The main priorities for the next two years, he said, would be technical arrangement, financial stability, and metering 70 percent of the regions this year, which would solve problems between supplier and distributional company.
He also talked about "enforcing new rules" which would single out the responsibilities of each person, and also would single out who is responsible to supply each resident with electricity.
Gilauri also named two other main priorities for the following two years: first, guaranteeing the security of energy supplies both technically and economically; and second, improving the profitability of the energy sector so that it no longer has to rely on donors' help.
"The main problem in energy security was basic power supply. To solve this problem GEL 30 million will be allotted from the budget to build two new 120-megawatt gas turbines ... which will be finished in two years time," said Gilauri, adding that the building of the new turbines would help to cover the 300-megawatt deficit currently faced by Georgia.
The minister added that even with the new turbines, import of electricity from either Russia or Armenia will still be necessary.
According to Gilauri, GEL 44 million will also be allotted from the budget to rehabilitate the Tbilsresi power units and hydroelectric power plants, which together will provide an additional 700 megawatt. A monthly plan of what work needs to be done when has been worked out, he said.
"One serious problem for Georgia is Enguri hydroelectric power station, where repair works have not been held for years," he said.
Enguri will stop operating for around ninety days from April 1, to allow the ministry to fully rehabilitate it. This will necessitate energy curtailments across the whole of Georgia, the minister said, "though it [Enguri] will be equipped with modern equipment and will provide a guaranteed 260 megawatt to the energy sector" once the repair work has been completed.
The European Union plays great part in allowing this rehabilitation work to be carried out. The EU is to loan Euro 5 million for the rehabilitation of Enguri. "The European Union and the Bank of Europe are satisfied by the work being carried out in Engurhesi and are ready to support us financially," said Gilauri.
The Ministry of Energy also plans to start rehabilitation of the Tbilsresi 10th power unit. Gilauri said they have already started negotiations with RAO UES regarding a two-year rehabilitation project to begin in summer or autumn this year..
Speaking on the profitability of the energy sector, Gilauri stated that problems in energy supply will continue as long as owners of power stations are not assured that each kilowatt produced is not profitable; and equally, until distribution companies are not convinced that each distributed kilowatt is profitable.
for him and till the manager of the distributional company would not get profit from each sold kilowatt hours.
"It is a problems that needs to be solved in the nearest future; and one way to solve it is through privatization and an increased number of paying customers," Gilauri stated.
At the session Gilauri also discussed the long-term plans for 2007-2008 years, one of which is to invest in Khudor hydroelectric power plant and another to build a new 500 kilovolt transmission line which would connect the east and west parts of Georgia.
Gilauri explained that today the country is dependent only on one 500-kilovolt line and even the smallest accident causes serious disruptions in the energy sector, so the ministry is looking for investors to fund a new high voltage line, the building of which would take eighteen months.
"If this project is realized we would be able to import energy only for reserve, which means that the energy that Georgia uses would be produced in Georgia. The new supply and metering would make for a guaranteed supply of electricity in the country," said Gilauri.
Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli stressed that the profits from the privatizations would be spent on most of the above-mentioned projects.
"Through the privatization of Chiatura manganese factory, Vartsikhe hydroelectric power station and the Georgian Ocean Shipping company we must rehabilitate the Georgian energy sector, which will help boost the economy," he said.
According to Noghaidelim GEL 200 million will be spent on rehabilitating programs from privatization this year and GEL 65 million next year. "Our main goal for the whole country is to meet next year's winter without an energy crisis and we must do our best to achieve this."
Gilauri also talked about the diversification of gas supply, noting that the country is fully depended on the Russian gas company Gazprom, though he added that the rehabilitation of the Azerbaijan-Georgia gas pipeline would improve the situation.
"It will give us the possibility to import gas not only from Russia, but also from Azerbaijan and Iran. And we can also get additional gas from Shah-Deniz project as well. This means that our country will get 10% of the gas transported from Russia and Armenia, as well as 5% of Shah-Denis gas. Furthermore we will buy gas form Shah-Deniz by guarantee, which is nearly one billion cubic meters, which will help to supply Georgia with gas and electricity," said Gilauri.
Summing up, the president demanded that all residents of the country should know that those hydroelectric power units and others are not enough to provide 24-hour electricity.
"We need new supplies and new lines. It is impossible that the whole country get electricity from one line, which can be easily broken. One of the fastest ways to solve this problem is the rehabilitation of hydroelectric power stations and gas turbines," concluded the president.
| General News | Georgia | All Resources | No | The Messenger | | | | | | RAO UES of Russia to implement projects under Kyoto protocol | |
MOSCOW, February 16 (Itar-Tass) -- RAO UES of Russia (Unified Energy Systems of Russia) intends in the years ahead to implement over 30 projects in the framework of using mechanisms of the Kyoto protocol. Their implementation will make it possible to decrease the discharge of greenhouse gases at power stations of RAO UES of Russia by at least 20 million tonnes, says the company’s report.
Two projects are already completed, PRIME-Tass reports. These are new projects with lowered discharges for two power-generating sets with the capacity of ten megawatt to go into operation at the Mednogorsk thermal power station and switching two boiler rooms from coal to gas with increasing the parameters of vapour used at the Amur thermal power station TETS-1. The total annual decrease of discharges under these two projects exceeds 465,000 tonnes, with the sum of the deals approximating 12 million euro.
Russian power stations account for about one third of hydrocarbon discharges in Russia and about 3 percent of such discharges on the global scale. The decrease of the discharges in most industries is achieved through the enhancement of production efficiency and energy saving, the switching to other kinds of fuel (from coal to gas or to biological fuel), as well as the use of renewable energy sources. Besides, any fuel- saving methods are accompanied with the decrease of discharges. Therefore, the efforts to reduce discharges are fully in keeping with investment, technological, and ecological purposes of the Russian power industry, the company’s report says.
The company has assessed greenhouse gas discharges up to the year 2015. It was established that a “resource” of about 100 million tonnes a year might be formed in the power industry in 2010-2012. A part of this “resource” under certain conditions may become the subject of purchase and sale in the international market to attract investment into energy-effective projects.
| General News | Russia | All renewables | No | | | | | | | Kyoto Protocol: Russia Will Have To 'Count' All Its Tree Roots | | MOSCOW, (RIA Novosti commentator Tatyana Sinitsina). A "Kyoto working group" has been set up by the Forestry Agency under the Ministry of Natural Resources.
The working group has been tasked with drafting an action plan to develop the system to monitor sinks, emissions and the absorption of greenhouse gases in the forests. It is also to provide the regulatory-legal framework for these activities. The working group is made up of Forestry Agency employees, scientists, and representatives of non-governmental organizations.
People who work in the forest management sector, from scientists to ordinary forest rangers, will carry out the bulk of the work to implement the Kyoto Protocol. Forests cover 70% of the territory of Russia, i.e. 882 million hectares (a quarter of the world's forests). Georgy Korovin, director of the Center for Ecological Problems and Forest Capacity, firmly believes that, "The forestry sector can and must make a significant contribution to efforts to mitigate climate change. It must assist the Russian Federation meet its obligations under the Kyoto Protocol. Forests are the only part of the biosphere that is capable of reducing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere through carbon absorption and long-term carbon storage in tree vegetation and dead organic matter."
However, if the carbon potential of Russian forests is to be realized, then a huge amount of work lies ahead. This includes reforestation and afforestation, improvement of the systems to protect forests from fire, pests and diseases, and the creation of a national system to monitor carbon sinks and sources. For instance, the roots of all the trees in the forests must be "counted". Korovin explains that, "The roots account for about 20-25% of the tree. They participate in the processes of photosynthesis and respiration, and when they die they release carbon into the atmosphere. The problem is that traditionally in Russia only the above-ground biomass has been taken into account, while underground biomass also contributes to carbon pools."
Of course, the word "count" is not to be taken literally. It would be just as foolish to attempt to count the roots of all the trees, as it would be to try to count all the stones on a beach. The work will be carried out using a special scientific methodology. Is it realistic to carry out such an inventory? At present, a forest inventory is carried out in Russia every five years. However, it has always been concerned exclusively with timber use, and therefore the main indicators have been the numbers of growing trees and the species composition.
No one has attempted to find out how many dead trees there are in the forests. Yet dead wood affects the carbon balance. Dead wood refers to both trees that have died but remain standing, and trees that have fallen over and are in various stages of decomposition. Tropical forests contain almost no dead wood, because wood decomposes very quickly in tropical conditions. But in Russia's northern-latitude forests there is an abundance of dead wood (about 20% of the world's total). Roots, dead trees, wind fallen trees, and decomposing wood and leaves are all organic matter, or carbon, and they should also be included in inventories. The carbon in the soil, which includes swamps and peat bogs, is also important. This is especially the case in Russia where swamps cover vast areas and can be up to several meters deep.
| General News | Russia | ;Co-Fired Biomass;Direct-Fired Biomass | No | RIA Novosti | | | | | | Azeri-Iranian Deal to Quadruple Power Exchange | | The Azarenerji [Azerbaijani energy] joint-stock company and the Iranian energy company Sunir have signed an agreement following a round of negotiations. The agreement defines and regulates the sides' technical and financial liabilities.
The document was signed by the president of Azarenerji, Etibar Pirverdiyev, and the managing director of Sunir, Alireza Kadkhodaie.
Earlier, Sunir won a tender and was chosen to be Azarenerji's general contractor on a major energy project funded by the Iranian side.
The programme vested in Sunir envisages the construction of high- voltage power lines. The project includes the construction of the Imisli - Parsabad, Imisli - Ali Bayramli power station, Ali Bayramli power station - Salyan, Salyan - Masalli and Masalli - Astara electricity lines, a 220-kV substation in Salyan, and the reconstruction of the Imisli and Masalli sub-stations and a distribution facility at the Ali Bayramli power station.
In addition to boosting the technical capacity for power exchange between Azerbaijan and Iran, the implementation of the project will facilitate a solution to the problem of power supplies to the Naxcivan Autonomous Republic, which lives in the conditions of blockade.
A financial agreement on the allocation of 75m dollars by the Iranian Export Development Bank was approved during Iranian President Mohammad Khatami's official visit to Baku last year. The agreement, signed by the presidents of the two countries, envisages an increase in the volume of energy projects to 700 MW.
The Iranian ambassador to Azerbaijan, Afshar Soleymani, said the power exchange would be mutually beneficial for our countries. He said the document envisages the construction of a 320-km electricity line in the next two years. This will allow us to improve power exchange between Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia.
As a result of the project, power exchange between Iran and Azerbaijan will increase four times.
| General News | ;Azerbaijan;Russia | All Resources | No | BBC Monitoring Central Asia | Azeri-Iranian Deal to Quadruple Power Exchange | | | 25 Apr 2005 | | Bulgaria approves nuclear plant | | By Nick Thorpe
BBC News
The Bulgarian government has approved the construction of the country's second nuclear power plant at Belene on the shore of the river Danube.
Two reactors at Bulgaria's Kozloduy nuclear plant have already closed and two more will shut down before the country joins the EU in 2007.
Two 1,000 megawatt reactors are planned, continuing a project begun in the 1980s but mothballed 12 years ago.
The government has estimated the extra costs to be 2.5bn euros (£1.7bn).
The decision was announced by Energy Minister Miroslav Sevlievski.
Nuclear exporter
Nuclear power has had a controversial history in Bulgaria.
The Kozloduy power station, also on the shore of the River Danube, currently supplies more than 40% of the country's electricity.
Of its six reactors, two have already been shut down and two more are due to close soon under an agreement with the European Union, which has long expressed fears over their safety.
Bulgaria also exports electricity to many countries in south-east Europe.
Opponents of the construction of the new plant argue that the site is prone to earthquakes and that Bulgaria should improve its energy efficiency and invest in renewable energy sources instead.
Some economists have also questioned the wisdom of such a large investment.
A court case launched by environmentalists against the plant is still continuing. According to the plans, a tender will be launched in the next four weeks and construction should be completed by 2010.
| General News | Bulgaria | Nuclear | No | BBC News | | | | 7 Apr 2005 | | Czech Republic: Ministry ruling on dumping appealed | | By Katya Zapletnyuk
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
Jan. 27, 2005
A request to the Environment Ministry by four German and Austrian companies seeking permission to export garbage for incineration in Liberec has been denied. The ministry turned down the request citing a Czech law that prohibits importation of garbage for dumping or incineration in the country. But the Liberec-based incineration company Termizo has appealed the decision, arguing that it didn't take into account that the trash would be recycled and used to create heat and electricity.
The law does allow for the importation of refuse to be used in recycling. Regional authorities in Brno and Liberec have ruled that incinerators in those towns are recycling the trash they burn by capturing waste heat and electricity that are byproducts of incineration. The country has three incinerators in Prague, Brno and Liberec. All three are semi-private companies that receive funding from the government. The government funds the incinerators through collection of a maximum 500 Kc ($22) monthly tax on garbage collection.
Processing German garbage makes good financial sense, said Pavel Bernat, director of Termizo.
In 2002 the total amount of refuse burned equaled 5.1 million tons (4.6 million metric tons), and the government paid 1,085 Kc to collect and incinerate each 1.1 ton of garbage. Incineration companies receive a portion of that money but not enough to cover their operational costs. "For this reason, Termizo is looking for an alternative way to cover its operational costs," Bernat said. "Importing waste from abroad where incineration prices are higher is one possibility."
Environmental organizations are opposed to using the Czech Republic as a dumping ground for garbage from neighboring countries. They argue that Czech facilities are not equipped with incinerators of the same quality as those in Western Europe and that the resulting emission are a health hazard.
"Incineration companies produce toxic pollution that stays here," said Jindrich Petrlik, chairman of the environmental nongovernmental organization Arnika. "They have a considerable negative impact on the environment."
The Environment Ministry is partially to blame for the current situation because it failed to react when the regional authorities in Liberec issued a decision in 2002 that Termizo was approved as a recycling center, said Ivo Kropacek, director of the waste-management program at the environmental nongovernmental organization Hnuti Duha.
"This decision by the regional authorities was a mistake because in the rest of Europe incineration companies are defined as devices for eliminating waste and not recycling it," Kropacek said. "The Environment Ministry knew about this decision but failed to react accordingly."
The ministry has formed a special commission to handle the Termizo appeal, and a decision is expected by the end of January. Katya Zapletnyuk can be reached at kzapletnyuk@praguepost.com | General News | Czech Republic | Waste to Energy | No | The Prague Post | Ministry ruling on dumping appealed | | | 27 Jan 2005 | | Czech Republic: Green power pricing | | By Katya Zapletnyuk
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
April 14, 2005
A bill guaranteeing stable electricity prices for producers using renewable energy sources was greeted enthusiastically by environmentalists and companies producing renewable energy. However, critics from the opposition Civic Democratic Party charge that the measure, although required by the European Union, will further add strain to the state coffers and will unfairly distort the market.
Parliament passed the Renewables Act March 31. The bill, which now awaits President Vaclav Klaus' signature to become law, guarantees stable electricity prices for companies producing electricity from renewable sources including biomass, geothermal, solar, water and wind for 15 years.
"The law is an indispensable requirement for carrying out our project," said Jiri Prikryl, assistant project manager at Ventureal, a company that plans to set up as many as 10 wind farms in north and south Moravia, the Pardubice and Usti regions and central Bohemia. "Without the law it would have been impossible to approach a bank asking for a loan for a large investment."
Ventureal has been working on this project since 2001. It plans, in cooperation with foreign partners, to invest some 10 billion Kc ($430 million) into the wind-farm project.
Once signed into law, the act will enable the creation of up to 4,000 jobs in fuel production and maintenance and about 23,000 jobs in production of technologies and engineering for the projects, some of them outside of the Czech Republic, according to Hnuti Duha (Friends of the Earth Czech Republic), an environmental nongovernmental organization. It estimates that the act should also bring some 1.5 billion euros ($1.9 billion/45 billion Kc) in investment to the country.
Securing returns
The proposed law will allow power producers to secure their income under two parallel regimes. Producers themselves decide which regime to follow.
Under the first regime, energy producers will sell electricity to the state-run network of distributors for prices set up by the Energy Regulation Office for 15 years. Prices will differ depending on the type of production; however, they will be bound to secure a 15-year return on investment in an energy plant built under normal conditions. Until now distributors have been required to buy all electricity produced from renewable energy producers hooked up to the grid, but the Energy Regulation Office sets prices year by year, which gave no guarantee to businesses — or to their investors — that prices will not drop.
"This is the most important provision because it makes it possible for business people to plan cash flow and turn to banks for loans," said Petr Holub, head of the Energy Program with Hnuti Duha.
Under the second regime, producers sell their electricity to end users at market prices. If prices fall below that for coal-produced electricity, governmental "green bonuses" will cover the difference.
The bill's authors, from the Environment and Industry and Trade ministries, expect that the law will help the country reach the 8 percent quota for electricity produced from renewable sources by 2010 as required by the European Union regulation. The current share of renewable energy sources is about 4 percent, according to Martin Kloz, head of the Environment Ministry's department for renewable sources of energy, who added that the average for the EU in 1997 stood at 13.9 percent.
"This goal is realistic but it is not easy to achieve," Kloz said.
Miroslav Hajek, head of the Environment Ministry's public support department pointed to precedents set by the Czech Republic's neighbors.
"In Germany and Austria, which adopted similar laws in the mid-'90s, the market grew considerably. So we expect that the same will happen in this country as well," Hajek said.
Kloz said that the current coalition government led by the Social Democrats had pledged to adopt the law as part of its program. However, while the Cabinet approved a draft bill in November 2003, it took politicians over a year to push the law through Parliament. One of the main issues critics point out is the additional financial burden the proposed law imposes on taxpayers and the government.
According to Environment Ministry estimates, if the 8 percent quota is reached by 2010, additional expenses for electricity could jump from 4 hellers per one kilowatt-hour to 12 hellers. Critics from the opposition Civic Democratic Party argue, however, that as soon as the law goes into effect, additional costs for electricity will go up by 21 hellers per one kilowatt-hour.
"The whole issue is beneficial for certain lobbying groups in Brussels and to the same groups or their supporters in Prague," said Tomas Teplik, Civic Democrat and head of Parliament's economic committee energy department. "It does not resolve the problem. Besides, the law [by giving preferential treatment to renewable energy producers] will considerably deform the market environment."
Teplik said that the bill will take 8 billion Kc out of government coffers in 2010. As production of alternative electricity grows, government expenses to support the system will grow as well. He also voiced harsh criticism of the EU regulation setting the 8 percent quota.
"This condition applied within all EU member states is absolutely unrealistic and flawed," Teplik said. "This quota is impossible to achieve in our environment." Katya Zapletnyuk can be reached at kzapletnyuk@praguepost.com | General News | Czech Republic | All Renewables | No | The Prague Post | Green Power | | | 14 Apr 2005 | | The European Commission notifies Member States on delays in implementing European legislation on biofuels | | Today, the Commission issued letters of formal notice to nine Member States that have not yet communicated their target for the share of biofuels in 2005, as required by the European legislation on biofuels. This legislation requires that an increasing proportion of all diesel and petrol sold in the Member States be biofuels, starting with 2% in 2005 and progressively increasing so as to reach a minimum of 5.75% of fuels sold in 2010. The action plan adopted in 2001 to foster the use of alternative fuels for transport indicated that the use of fuels (such as ethanol and biodiesel) derived from agricultural sources was the technology with the greatest potential in the short to medium term. “The transport market is today almost entirely dependent upon oil-based fuels”, said Andris Piebalgs, Commissioner for Energy. “It is now urgent that all Member States live up to their commitments to develop an alternative fuel strategy for transport and to tackle this over-dependence which is a significant source of environmental and supply concerns for the European Union.”
Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland and Slovenia have not yet submitted their national report to the Commission that was due by 1 July 2004 under the biofuels Directive([1]). Cyprus and Estonia’s national reports have been submitted but do not include a target for the share of biofuels. Finally the targets mentioned in the national reports of France and Portugal are not definitive.
Biofuels have an important role to play in European transport and energy policy because they are one of the few options available for replacing petrol and diesel as transport fuels. They tackle climate change by avoiding emissions of greenhouse gases; they diversify Europe’s sources of energy and reduce dependence on oil imports; and they offer new markets for European agriculture.
Biofuels are combustible fuels which can be used instead of or in a mixture with conventional fuel and which are obtained by processing or fermenting non-fossil biological sources such as plant oils, sugar beet, cereals and other crops and organic waste material. They include biodiesel made from oil seeds (especially rape) and used cooking oil; bioethanol made from grain and sugar crops; and biogas made from landfill gas and farm waste.
Last month, letters of formal notice were sent to 19 Member States which had not informed the Commission of their measures for transposing the directive into national legislation (due by 31 December 2004). These were Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden.
Finally some Member States have set targets for the market share of biofuels in 2005 that are less than the 2% reference value laid down in the directive. The Commission is currently examining whether they have given adequate reasons for these shortfalls.
For more information, you will find attached a table summarising the present position with regard to the implementation of the biofuels Directive in the Member States.
| General News | ;EU;Poland;Slovenia | ;Biofuels;Solar Thermal;Tidal | No | Europa | The European Commission notifies Member States on delays in implementing European legislation on bio | | | 16 Mar 2005 | | Global Warming Solutions Generate Excitement at Carbon Expo | | COLOGNE, Germany, May 11, 2005 (ENS) - Limiting emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide is serious business, yet the effort took on a festive air today with the opening of Carbon Expo 2005 in Cologne. The second annual fair and conference for emissions trading and the carbon market has attracted 134 exhibitors from 50 countries, and some 1,000 participants from around the world, including high level government officials, business leaders, carbon market specialists, and civil society organizations. "The huge number of people here at Carbon Expo shows that the carbon market is maturing," said Joke Waller-Hunter, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. "When looking at the latest scientific evidence on climate change a sense of urgency must prevail. We must prevent dangerous interference with the climate system before it is too late," she told the opening conference session. The EU Emissions Trading Scheme for the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) came into force in the 25 EU member states on January 1. The Kyoto Protocol took effect February 16. Both regimes make use of flexible mechanisms to reduce CO2 emissions resulting from the burning of coal, oil and gas. These emissions blanket the Earth, trapping the heat of the Sun close to the planet. The flexible mechanism allow rich countries and companies to buy emission reductions credits through climate friendly projects in either developing countries or in other industrialized countries and count those relatively low cost reductions towards their own national emissions targets. As a result, projects in developing countries get new sources of financing for sustainable development in the energy, industrial and waste management sectors, land rehabilitation, and clean technologies. Industrialized countries can meet part of their Kyoto obligations, while the threat of climate change is reduced at lower overall cost. These systems have given rise to a market for trading carbon dioxide emissions credits that is being stimulated by the networking taking place in Cologne. Bärbel Höhn, Environment Minister the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia where Cologne is located, told the opening session, "Carbon Expo has become an international platform for promoting the carbon market. Emissions trading is the most powerful tool we have to deal with climate change." The World Bank staged the event together with the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) and trade show organizer Koelnmesse. IETA chief Andrei Marco called the second Carbon Expo "a major success." "Much has changed since Carbon Expo I last year," said Marco. "Kyoto is in force, new companies are joining the market and here we can both do business and do good for the planet." "The UK has already demonstrated that de-carbonization does not have to come at economic cost," UK Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett told the opening session this morning. "There are costs of action but compared to the potential costs of climate change, these costs are moderate. The UK government firmly believes that emission trading is key in achieving our greenhouse emission reduction targets." Several speakers called for continuity of the global carbon market beyond 2012, when both the Kyoto Protocol and the European Unions Emissions Trading Scheme are set to expire. World Bank Senior Manager for Sustainable Development Ken Newcombe, said, "Several billion dollars are represented here in Carbon Expo - companies that want to buy carbon assets in developing countries. Twenty-five high level representatives from developing countries are offering these assets. Now is the time to create the public-private partnerships that can provide the bridge between the Kyoto era and the future after 2012." The carbon funds featured at the expo include, among others, the European Carbon Fund, the Japanese Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, the Austrian Clean Development Mechanism/ Joint Implementation (CDM/JI) Program, Eco-Securities-Standard Bank Carbon Facility, Baltic TGF, Belgium CDM/JI Tender, The World Conservation Union, IUCN Climate Fund - Denmark Carbon Facility and JI Tender, and a series of World Bank managed carbon funds. The World Bank manages more than $US850 million through different carbon funds, including the newly created Spanish Carbon Fund. Arturo Aizpiri, Spain's secretary of state for climate change, said Spain's participation, "proves our commitment to move forward in fighting climate change." The event provides developing countries with a professional business platform, enabling them to showcase their products, technologies and services and to attract new customers. Tree planting and renewable energy projects, fuel efficiency programs, energy efficiency software, measurement and instrument calibrating services, carbon saving project designers, validation and quality assurance companies, environmental publishers are some of the exhibitors showcasing their climate solutions. The World Bank is supporting the participation of project developers and government representatives from 25 developing and threshold countries. Countries from Africa, Asia, North and South America and central and eastern Europe are presenting their climate friendly emission reduction projects at the Expo. Mayor of Cologne and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Koelnmesse Fritz Schramma told the opening session, "The Kyoto Protocol, which came into effect on 16th February 2005, has made developing countries attractive once and for all as locations for projects aimed at reducing emissions and as partners in the effort to protect our climate." Schramma said the event offers companies "an outstanding opportunity to find out how and where they can acquire emissions certificates by exporting mission-reducing technologies, thus generating additional income for their investment." "Another focus will be on reducing the risks and uncertainties associated with private investments in projects for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in developing and threshold countries," he said. Land Use Certification Standards Debut at Carbon Expo Standards certifying land-use projects that reduce global warming while helping communities and conserving biodiversity were launched at the 2005 Carbon Expo today by the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance (CCBA). The CCBA is a unique partnership among research institutions, corporations and environmental groups. The Participating Groups founded the CCBA and contributed to the development of the CCB standards. The independent Advising Institutions facilitated the revision of the draft standards based on public comments and field testing. Participating Groups include: BP, Center for Environmental Leadership in Business at Conservation International, GFA Terra Systems, The Hamburg Institute for International Economics, Intel, The Nature Conservancy, Pelangi, SC Johnson, and Weyerhaeuser. The Advising Institutions are: the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center of Costa Rica, The World Agroforestry Center, and the Center for International Forestry Research. "We've seen tremendous uptake of the standards across a wide-variety of real world projects." said John Niles, manager of the CCBA and one of the authors of the standards. "We've been surprised at how excited people are about the CCB Standards." "Several of the World Bank's BioCarbon Fund projects meet the standards. Some of the largest environmental groups in the world are already using the CCB Standards to design and implement carbon projects," Niles said. The State Forestry Administration of China has announced that it will use the CCB Standards to develop new projects that concurrently fight global warming, conserve biodiversity and help local communities. The new projects will measure changes in carbon stocks, use primarily native species, and involve local communities in project design and benefit sharing. The new multiple-benefit projects will be designed for the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The CDM allows developed countries that have ratified the Kyoto Protocol to invest in climate change mitigation projects in developing countries and use the resulting carbon credits against their Kyoto obligations. State Forestry Administration's Deputy Director with the Carbon Sequestration Management Office, Chunfeng Wang announced, "As an agency in charge of carbon sequestration management, we would like to facilitate the combination of the CCB Standards with current Chinese Afforestation and Reforestation criteria in Clean Development Mechanism projects and promote testing and extension to other reforestation projects in China." The SFA will work with the Climate, Community & Biodiversity Alliance, The Nature Conservancy, Conservation International, research institutes from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and other partners to implement these new projects. The Yunnan and Sichuan provincial forestry departments will be the main implementing agencies. "We have created the potential for large-scale conservation and policy change," commented Zhang Shuang of The Nature Conservancy. "By the end of the year, US$50 million worth of land use projects worldwide will be using the CCB Standards," said Niles. "This represents a tremendous paradigm shift in land management for many parts of the world." Carbon Expo Will Be Carbon Neutral The organizers of Carbon Expo 2005 are planning to make the event carbon neutral by purchasing greenhouse gas emission reductions from the Tanzania Small Group Tree Plantings Project to offset emissions arising from travel and energy use associated with the event. Thousands of farmers from impoverished areas in Tanzania are planting trees and switching to conservation tillage. As a result they restore soil fertility, create a supply of fuelwood, save capital for the future, and sequester carbon dioxide above and below ground. Two thousand mature trees account for about 1,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e). This will amount to large quantities of carbon emission reductions that will be available for sale to the voluntary carbon market. Carbon sale proceeds are channeled to the local villagers by Clean Air Action Corporation through a network of rural banks throughout Tanzania. Visit Carbon Expo 2005 online at: http://www.carbonexpo.com/ View the new CCB Standards at: http://www.climate-standards.org/standards/index.html | General News | EU | All Resources | No | Environment News Service | Global Warming Solutions Generate Excitement at Carbon Expo | | | 11 May 2005 | | Georgia: End of Armenian electricity imports not catastrophic | | According to Rezonansi, the curtailment of imports of electricity from Armenia has not created problems for Tbilisi's energy supply. The paper writes that as was said in Telasi, electricity is being distributed in all Tbilisi districts.
Rezonansi reports that the energy produced by hydroelectric stations will compensate for halt in the import of energy. As for the restoration of imports from Armenia, the paper reports that Telasi does not say whether these imports will be continued or not.
Resonansi notes that Armenia stopped importing electricity to Telasi on May1. According to the paper, the reason for this is the decrease of the exchange rate of the dollar in comparison with the national Armenian currency, the dram, which caused, according to the Armenian company, energy export to be unprofitable. The paper adds that Georgia receives 150 megawatts of energy from Armenia during peak-hours.
| General News | ;Armenia;Georgia | All Resources | No | The Messenger | End of Armenian electricity imports not catastrophic | | | 6 May 2005 | | Major Energy Brokers Launch Benchmark Carbon Index | | LONDON, May 16, 2005 -- PR Newswire Europe LEBA, the London Energy Brokers' Association, today launches a new reliable benchmark index for the energy markets: the LEBA Carbon Index for trades in EU emissions allowances. The aim of this independent benchmark index is to contribute towards a more transparent, liquid, traded market in emissions allowances. All deals, for physical delivery on 1st December 2005, 1st December 2006, and 1st December 2007, transacted through LEBA member firms, will be included in a volume weighted index, calculated and published by Telerate. The Carbon Indices for each year showing the volume and the Index value will be published at 9.30 am on the business day following trade date. "With the dramatic growth in the trading of the physical EU emission allowances in the last six months, the launch of an index to encourage the growth of a derivatives market is a logical next step," noted David Jenkins, Director of European Energy Products at Tradition Financial Services. "Increasingly, the contracts we are structuring in the Carbon markets require the use of a reliable market index, so we are pleased to be contributing to what we believe will become the OTC market standard for European Allowances," says Steve Drummond, Managing Director of CO2e. Ian Stevenson, LEBA Chief Executive, commented that "LEBA is very pleased to be able to assist the further development of a tradable market in emissions allowances by publishing a respected benchmark index. This should contribute towards commercial organisations being able to more effectively monitor, risk manage, and hedge their greenhouse gas obligations." Ron Levi, European Managing Director at GFI Group said, "We are pleased at the launch of this index and the contribution it will make to transparency and liquidity in the growing emissions trading market." "ICAP are fully behind the sure success of a Carbon emissions allowance index," says Paul Newman, Managing Director of ICAP Energy Limited. "The basis of the LEBA Carbon Index is to provide clear vital data for all aspects of this important and rapidly growing market." The Lord Mayor, Michael Savory, commented, "Trading Carbon emissions works best when the markets for it are liquid, transparent and generally efficient. Any new product that helps this happen is very welcome and reinforces London's reputation as a place where finance serves the environment." "This is an exciting development for the market. There is a clear need for a quality pricing benchmark and this delivers a high spec solution, based on significant volumes of confirmed trades." said Richard Frape, Director of Market Services at Spectron. "We are delighted to be involved in what looks set to become an industry standard." Notes to Editors: 1. LEBA, the London Energy Brokers' Association, is the industry association representing the wholesale market brokers in the over the counter, OTC, and the exchange traded UK and liberalised European energy markets. These brokers intermediate, and facilitate bilateral contracts to be concluded, between banks, trading houses, commercial enterprises, public utilities, and integrated energy businesses, providing liquidity and price discovery to these markets as well as contributing liquidity to European exchange traded markets. The major products that they deal in are crude oil and refined petroleum products, gas, and electricity. LEBA firms are also pleased to be contributing towards the development of traded markets in EU emissions allowances. 2. These activities assist the development of tradable markets to support liberalised markets in the underlying European physical energy markets. LEBA firms' business models range from pure 'voice broking' via telephone, to managing fully electronic trading platforms, including the hybrid model combining both voice broking alongside an electronic system. 3. The LEBA member firms who currently trade the Carbon Index are:- CO2e; www.co2e.com GFI Brokers Limited; www.gfigroup.com ICAP Energy Limited; www.icap.com Prebon Marshall Yamane (UK) Limited; www.cstplc.com Spectron Energy Services Limited; www.spectrongroup.com Tradition Financial Services Limited. www.tfsbrokers.com 4. The LEBA Carbon Index is published on Telerate page 2280. 5. Historical data for the LEBA Carbon Index since 30th March 2005 is displayed on Telerate pages 2281 and 2282. 6. All trades transacted by the above LEBA firms between 07.30 and 17.30 London time will be included in the LEBA Carbon Index. 7. Details of the EU emissions allowance scheme can be found at the Defra website; www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/trading/index.htm 8. LEBA currently publish benchmark indices to support the UK power market. | General News | EU | All Resources | No | Press Release | Major Energy Brokers Launch Benchmark Carbon Index | | | 16 May 2005 | | Promises Still Power Georgia's Electricity System | | Molly Corso 1/24/05
A EusrasiaNet Photo Essay
This New Year’s, the television was on at Imzari Chartishvili’s home in the West Georgian village of Lesa. Although no one watched it most of the time, its presence was a comfort. The broadcasts came as a special holiday gift from the Georgian government: a 24-hour supply of electricity.
After years of inadequate or non-existent maintenance following the breakup of the Soviet Union, the problems of Georgia’s electricity system are legion – and legendary. But with expectations of a cash windfall from the current privatization campaign, the government is promising that the situation might – after 13 years – finally change.
A December 23 statement by Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania set the tone. In it, Zhvania pledged that $70 million out of an expected $200 million from state property sales would go to "securing electricity supplies" by autumn 2005. Energy Minister Nika Gilauri later went one step further and even named a concrete date: October 1, 2005.
But whether that amount will be enough to turn the lights on is open to debate. Dana Kenney, senior energy advisor at the US Agency for International Development’s Office of Energy and Environment in Tbilisi, stated that the figures touted by the government will fall far short of solving Georgia’s energy woes. Pervasive corruption and problems with bill collection also plague the energy sector. Though breaking the system up into separate generation, transmission and distribution units helped curtail some of the corruption, Kenney said, those problems still linger on. "Money has to flow through the system," she commented.
How the government plans to keep that money flowing, however, is unknown. For now, in addition to the privatization revenue, emphasis is being placed on outside assistance. At a June 2004 donors’ conference in Brussels, Georgia submitted requests for $82 million in assistance for the energy sector, an amount second only to "budget support," the online news service Civil Georgia reported. The government also expects to use funds from the US-run Millennium Challenge Program for refurbishing small hydropower stations and monies from the German bank KWF to revamp the regions’ electricity supplies, Gilauri told a January 6 press conference, the Prime News Agency reported. The exact amount of these funds has not been disclosed.
A comprehensive government plan to revamp the energy system has also been announced, but not made public. The Energy Ministry did not respond to EurasiaNet requests for information on the plan in time for this article.
Meanwhile, despite the government’s promises, public exasperation with Georgia’s energy crisis shows no sign of abating. In December 2004, some 600 protestors in Kutaisi, Georgia’s second largest city, took to the streets with placards bearing a simple message: "Give us light." They were joined by 200 demonstrators in the nearby town of Zestafoni.
At the time, local officials appeared divided on how to respond to the crisis. While Giga Shushania, deputy governor for Imereti province, home to Kutaisi, took aim at power distributors for leaving the city "blacked out for the past few months" and without adequate drinking water, Deputy Governor Gia Tevdoradze took issue with protestors, asking "You haven’t had electricity for 13 years [so] why do you remember it?" the daily 24 Hours reported.
Georgia produces mainly hydropower, which provides enough energy for the spring, summer and autumn when water levels are high. When water levels fall in the winter, imports – from Russia, Armenia, Turkey and Azerbaijan – cover the gap. Energy Efficiency Center Georgia, a renewable energy consultancy sponsored by the European Union, estimates that Georgia’s domestic oil, gas and coal supplies can cover only 20 percent of annual demand.
These days, the degree of the problem is not always felt in Tbilisi, where the situation has drastically improved over the past few years. But the capital still feels the pain of aging transmission lines and equipment. Periodic blackouts hit the capital in October, November and December; largely the result of faulty transmission lines, in addition to the general disrepair of the entire sector.
But while Tbilisi may go several days without reliable electricity, several weeks or even months is more the norm in the regions, home to approximately 68 percent of Georgia’s population of 4.7 million.
Bill payment is one frequent explanation cited by both the government and energy sector experts for the electricity system’s woes. According to statistics from the Energy Efficiency Center, roughly 60 percent of Tbilisi residents pay their electricity and gas bills. In the regions, though, that number drops to around 30 percent.
"There is a difference between [electricity company] management in Tbilisi and the rest of the country," said George Abulashvili, director of Energy Efficiency Center Georgia, "The customers in Tbilisi are paying for the energy."
But in the western province of Guria, home to Imzari Chartishvili, paying or not paying electricity bills makes little difference. While electricity company officials have announced that they will provide electricity for a few hours per day only to account holders who have paid their monthly bills (roughly nine lari, or about $5), recently, even those residents who had paid their bills have still been left sitting in the dark for days on end, villagers in Lesa say. What power there is comes for a few hours at night only.
Ongoing corruption at each stage of the electricity system – generation, transmission and distribution – plays a large role in hampering bill payment, commented USAID’s Dana Kenney. "People don’t want to pay because they don’t know where the money is going," she said.
So far, under Saakashvili’s relatively free-form anti-corruption campaign, few details have been provided on how the government plans to tackle that problem.
Meanwhile, outside interest in Georgia’s energy industry continues apace. In December, plans were announced by Canargo Energy Corporation, a Channel Islands-based oil and gas production company, for a $57 million oil drilling project in the Samgori and Ninotsminda fields. Georgia’s Vartsikhe Hydro Power Plant was recently sold together with Chiaturmanganumi, a manganese mining enterprise, to the Russian company EvrAz Holding and the Austrian-Georgian company DCM-Ferro for $132 million. Talks have also reportedly started about selling the country’s gas distribution stations, a heating plant and a backline pipeline, to Russian energy giant Gazprom, according to Rustavi-2 television – deals that would require amendments to existing legislation.
But whether or not this show of investor interest will make a difference for ordinary Georgians remains unknown. So far, the lack of workable solutions has only slowed Georgia’s economic recovery still further, observers say. The country’s per capita income and economic growth rates lag far behind those of neighbors Armenia and Azerbaijan.
"Energy is everything for our people . . .They can’t do anything without energy," said Manana Dadiani, head of the EEC’s Renewable Energy Department. "Giving them energy gives them the possibility to do something."
Editor’s Note: Molly Corso is a freelance journalist and photographer based in Georgia.
| General News | Georgia | All Resources | No | Eurasianet.org | PROMISES STILL POWER GEORGIA’S ELECTRICITY SYSTEM | | | 24 Jan 2005 | | Georgia: Bendukidze's program for the energy sector | | By M. Alkhazashvili
State Minister for Economic and Structural Reform Kakha Bendukidze has been calling for reforms in the energy sphere for a long time.
Bendukidze argues that without radical changes in the energy system, the country will be unable to overcome the current energy crisis.
"We should not believe that the problem is that Georgia cannot produce enough energy by itself. The problem is that the economic system is completely ruined," newspaper Akhali Versia quotes Bendukidze as saying.
One year after the Rose administration came to power, the situation in the energy sector is not so different from before, in that the regions are still without electricity and there are frequent breakdowns in infrastructure resulting in the need to disconnect power stations and high voltage transmission lines. All of this does not just impact on the lives of ordinary Georgians, it also dents confidence in the government and is disastrous for economic development.
Given this, it is unsurprising that new prime minister Zurab Noghaideli has stated that confronting the energy crisis is a major government priority for 2005-2006, nor that an emergency government session chaired by the president on Friday was devoted to the energy issue.
The simple answer to the problem is that Georgian energy infrastructure is in such a terrible state after fifteen years of non-investment and regular rehabilitation work that millions of dollars need to be allotted to build up the system almost from scratch.
Bendukidze notes, however, that the energy sector is a black hole for funding, and that hundreds of millions of dollars have been poured it in recent years, but without any apparent result. So dire is this situation that the man who never seems lost for words to describe states that, "I do not know how to describe what is happening in the Georgian energy sphere."
According to Bendukidze, the main problem faced by the energy system is that the economic mechanisms are in ruins. The system is dispersed and there are many players in the sphere. Distribution companies receive electricity from the "whole-sale energy market," but this bears no resemblance to a real market.
The whole-sale market is not responsible for the energy it receives, and so it is known beforehand that it will not pay the full cost of the energy it receives to the producers. The distribution companies, similarly, also do not have any responsibilities to pay money according to the electricity they receive from the market.
As a result of this situation, the state minister argues, energy producers do not carry out industrial business. They do not make decisions regarding how much to sell to the market. There is no competition, and if a hydroelectric power station, for example, lowers the price of its electricity it will not undercut competitors but merely receive less money for its product. Even so, there will be no guarantee that it will receive the full price owed to it for its energy.
That the wholesale market is unnecessary, Bendukidze states, is shown by the fact that big players - such as Tbilisi distribution company Telasi - get their energy primarily from other sources, thus cutting out the middle man.
Bendukidze believes overcoming the power crisis will involve the creation of bigger companies that will have their own generators and distribution networks. These companies should not have any exclusive right to be the sole producer of electricity in any territory.
Bendukidze says that investors would be attracted by the prospect of such companies, and adds that money received from investors should not be transferred to the state budget but invested directly in the energy sector.
Preparing and adopting a bill based on the state minister's suggestions will take no more than four months, he says.
| General News | Georgia | All Resources | No | The Messenger | Bendukidze's program for the energy sector | | | 1 Mar 2005 | | Georgia: Electricity system dependent on hydroelectric stations | | 24 Saati reports that the Georgian electricity system is entirely dependent on energy produced by the country's hydroelectric stations, and this will remain the case at least until the end of the month.
According to the Georgian Electricity Wholesale Market, Georgia's hydroelectric stations currently produce on average 20.8 million kilowatt/hour a day. Of this, Enguri's three units currently operating produce 7.7 million kilowatt/hour.
The Wholesale Market distributes the existing energy resources between four electricity distribution companies, the newspaper reports. Tbilisi distribution company Telasi receive 5.5 million kilowatt/hour a day, the Ajara distribution company - 1.05 million kilowatt/hour, Kakheti distribution company - 0.255 million/hour, and the United Distribution Company - 4.8 million kilowatt/hour.
According to the paper, the residents of Gumati district in Kutaisi held a demonstration on May 19 to demand that their electricity supply be reconnected. The demonstration was dispersed by special forces.
The newspaper quotes UDC as saying that Gumati's electricity was cut off on Wednesday because of debts; until the debts are fully covered the electricity supply would not be resumed.
| General News | Georgia | ;Hydroelectric;All Resources | No | The Messenger | Electricity system dependent on hydroelectric stations | | | 23 May 2005 | | Hayrusgazard To Sell Electricity To Georgia Until June | | YEREVAN, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS: The Russian-Armenian joint venture Hayrusgazard said it will continue electricity supplies to neighboring Georgia until June. Shushan Sardarian, a spokeswoman for the company, said talks are underway with Georgia's United Distribution Company in an effort to raise the price of the electricity. She said the company has been sustaining heavy damages due to the dramatic appreciation of the Armenian national currency dram.
Hayrusgazard now sells electricity to Georgia at US 2.5 cents per one kilowatt/hour. Though the contract with the Georgian company terminated on March 31, the latter asked for 900,000 kilowatt/hour daily electricity supplies until June.
On Monday the International Energy Corporation, a Russian-owned company stopped supplies of Armenian electricity to Georgia, citing substantial losses incurred as a result of the dramatic appreciation of the dram.
The dram has strengthened against the dollar about 30 percent since the beginning of last year, incurring losses to export-oriented Armenian companies, as a strong dram makes their products less competitive abroad.
Meantime Georgian deputy energy minister Aleko Khetaguri announced on May 2 that the government is accepting privatization bids for the state-owned energy distributing company and five hydro power plants.
These five hydro power plants are all in western Georgia.
The United Distribution Company (UDC), which is currently managed by the U.S. company PA Consulting - a USAID contractor company, distributes electricity in the regions throughout Georgia.
| General News | ;Armenia;Georgia;Russia | All Resources | No | ArmeniaDiaspora | Hayrusgazard To Sell Electricity To Georgia Until June | | | 3 May 2005 | | Georgia: Government puts energy up for sale | | The Ministry of Economic Development of Georgia has posted details of energy infrastructure to be privatized on the government website.
"Privatization will be carried out through a competitive process," the website states. "Interested investors are invited to submit their expression of interest in writing and confirm their willingness to participate in the possible privatization process."
Letters in English, Georgian or Russian should be sent in time to be received by 18.00 on October 1, 2005, the ministry states.
Companies slated to be privatized include the electricity distribution companies the Adjara Power Company (authorized capital GEL 27,809,464) and United Distributive Power Company (GEL 59,032,782).
Hydroelectric power station to be privatized are listed as: Rioni, Kutaisi, authorized capital 7,391,073 lari, installed capacity 48 MW; Gumati, Kutaisi, 1,966,732 lari, 44 MW; Lajanuri, Tsageri, 2,391,791 lari, 112 MW; Dzevruli, Terjola. 919,786 lari. 80 MW; Shaori, Tkibuli. 1,735,390 lari, 38 MW; Atsi, Keda, 841,284 lari, 16 MW.
In all cases, the state's 100 percent share is to be privatized, except for Dzevruli - the government's share is 98.45 percent.
Interested investors shall submit detailed proposals with respect to privatization only after the announcement of the competition, the statement reads.
| General News | Georgia | All Resources | No | The Messenger | Government puts energy up for sale | | | 18 May 2005 | | RAO UES seeks 5-year framework in Georgia | | The chair of the Russian electricity giant RAO UES, Andrei Rappoport, visited Georgia for a one-day visit on March 5 to negotiate with the Georgian government on a strategic plan of cooperation.
On the top of the agenda was discussion of UES's work in Georgia, including its management of the Tbilisi electricity distribution company Telasi. But negotiators also addressed the possibility of UES expanding activities in Georgia.
On Saturday Rapoport met with Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli, the Minister of Fuel and Energy Nika Gilauri, and State Minister for Economic Reform Kakha Bendukidze.
A working group of two countries has already been formed which will discuss an agreement that the sides expect to formally sign in July. "The main components of the negotiations should be the issues under which conditions Telasi, Sakrusenergo and 9th and 10th units should work," said Kakha Bendukidze.
Speaking with journalists at a briefing, Rappoport expressed his dissatisfaction over the possibility of lowering the tariffs Telasi charges, rates which are currently being decided by the Georgian National Energy Regulation Commision. "I think that it is not legitimate as it is not well though-through," Rappoport said of possible rate cuts.
Rappoport expressed optimism for a five-year plan of strategic cooperation between his company and the Georgian government.
PM Noghaideli commented this issue saying, "they [negotiators] have not formulated final decisions and this will be formed after a new model of the energy market is formulated," said Noghaideli.
Noghaideli also stated that the main issue of the negotiation was the increase of electricity from Russia to Georgia and Abkhazia, while the repair works are being carried out at the Enguri hydroelectric power plant over three-months beginning April 1. Currently Georgia imports 350 megawatts of electricity from Russia, and it is not known how much energy Georgia will import after Enguri is stopped.
Also on Saturday, Rappoport introduced the new general director of RAO UES Sergei Kaplya, who is replacing Dangiras Nikolunas.
The Russian news agency Regnum reports the two sides also negotiated about building a new high voltage transmission line, which would be built by RAO UES itself and through which electricity would be dispatched to other countries including Turkey.
Citing unofficial information, the news agency Sakartvelo Info states, "RAO UES was interested in taking part in the rehabilitation of the Enguri hydroelectric power plant and moreover in buying it."
The agency also recalled Kakha Bendukidze's earlier statement that "the Georgian side will never privatize Enguri hydroelectric power plant, let along transfer it to RAO UES."
Black Sea Press reports that RAO UES also seeks to rehabilitate the tenth TbilHes power unit. Rappoport is confidant that RAO UES has a good chance of wining the tender and credits to be used for rehabilitation of the block.
"[We] are going to make power unit 10 more modernized and effective. Further plans will be agreed with the Georgian government," said Rappoport.
Rehabilitation works executed in 1997-99 by the German Company Siemens at TbilHES power units 9 and 10 were sponsored by KfW, EBRD, and the World Bank. In the spring of 2001 the American company AES acquired power generator.
In 2003 it sold them along with Telasi to RAO-UES. At the time, Sakartvelo Info states, it was reported that the Siemens-installed equipment was defective. Now Georgian analysts state the rehabilitation of the power unit requires USD 35-40 million.
| General News | ;Georgia;Russia | All Resources | No | The Messenger | RAO UES seeks 5-year framework | | | 7 Mar 2005 | | US-Georgia Millennium Challenge compact to be signed in June | | By James Phillips
Negotiations between Georgia and the United States regarding Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) funding for programs in Georgia are in the final stage. The U.S. Congress will discuss MCA funding for Georgia in June, and it is expected that it will approve a compact involving around USD 200 million in aid over the course of two years.
A delegation from Millenium Challenge Georgia (MCG) arrived back from a one-week visit to Washington this week having presented the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), set up to oversee distribution of MCA funds, with a set of projects aimed at boosting economic growth in Georgia.
Speaking with The Messenger on Thursday, Millenium Challenge Georgia CEO Lasha Shanidze said MCG expected that a compact would be signed in June, and that funding would be agreed for all four of its proposed projects.
The first of these regards the construction of a road to Samtskhe-Javakheti, a project that Shanidze says has a "bright future." Following what he describes as extensive feasibility studies and preparation, the road project "looks good."
According to 24 Saati, MCG has managed to win increased funding for the road USD 120-125 million instead of USD 100 million, so as to pay for the restoration of 310 kilometers rather than the initially planned 250 kilometers.
Shanidze is also positive about the creation of a Georgia Development Fund to support the development of tourism and agriculture, and an Infrastructure Development Fund to support the development of infrastructure in the regions.
Noting that while some similar funds in the past have been successful, others have not, Shanidze underlined that a lot of work had been put in regarding how the two funds would work.
The fourth project concerns rehabilitation of the energy sector in the country. It was originally envisaged that funds would be sought to repair hydroelectric stations and regulate electricity consumption.
But as Shanidze told The Messenger, it was recently decided to apply for Millennium Challenge funding to pay for the repair work needed on the trunk gas pipeline which the government said earlier this year would be privatized, possibly to Russian energy giant Gazprom.
MCA funding would provide an alternative to having to privatize the pipeline, an issue that has generated a great deal of controversy, leading several U.S. officials including Ambassador Richard Miles to intervene to say the Georgian government should not privatize the pipeline.
Not to do so meant finding an alternative source of funding for the pipeline, and it was for this reason that MCG approached the MCC with the idea. Changing the application for funding at such a late stage in the negotiating process was "dangerous," Shanidze admits. "But we managed to convince the American side of the economic and political importance of the gas pipeline," he says.
| General News | Georgia | All Resources | No | The Messenger | Millennium Challenge compact to be signed in June | | | 6 May 2005 | | Hungary: AES-Tisza Power Plant Retrofit Completed | | The AES Corporation (NYSE:AES) announced today that its Hungarian subsidiary AES-Tisza Eromu Kft completed the 860MW Tisza Power II Plant Refurbishment Project reducing environmental emissions and extending the life of the plant. The Tisza II Power plant is an oil and gas fired power plant originally commissioned in the mid 1970s. The two year, $126M refurbishment project extends the plant's life to 2016 and complies with recent EU environmental regulations. The retrofit combined with a fuel change reduces SO2 emissions by 94 percent and NOx emissions by 56 percent. The AES Tisza Retrofit team completed the project on schedule and under budget. The Tisza II plant life extension was 100 percent project finance funded and is matched by a Power Purchase Agreement with the Hungarian Electric Utility (MVM) which will last until 2016. Tisza II receives multiple fuels under a long term Fuel Supply Agreement with the Hungarian Oil and Gas Shareholding Company (MOL). "AES's investment in this plant enables us to supply clean, competitive and reliable electricity for our Hungarian customers and contributes to the safe operation of the Hungarian national grid," stated Peter Lithgow, AES Hungary Country Manager. "Refurbishing Tisza II clearly demonstrates how AES shares knowledge, innovation and resources to serve the needs of a market in a financially viable and environmentally compliant manner," said John Ruggirello, AES Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. AES entered the Hungarian market in 1996 and contributes approximately 15 percent of the nation's installed capacity. At present, AES owns and operates three power generating facilities in Hungary and employs 500 people. About AES AES is a leading global power company, with 2004 sales of $9.5 billion. AES operates in 27 countries, generating 44,000 megawatts of electricity through 120 power facilities and delivers electricity through 15 distribution companies. Our 30,000 people are committed to operational excellence and meeting the world's growing power needs. To learn more about AES, please visit www.aes.com or contact media relations at media@aes.com. | General News | Hungary | Fossil Fuels | No | Press Release (Business Wire) | AES-Tisza Power Plant Retrofit Completed; Cuts SO2 Emissions by 94% and NOx by 56% | | | 13 May 2005 | | New Hydro for Macedonia | | Pande Lazarov, the head of the Macedonian power utility ESM, is calling for construction of new hydropower stations to ensure economic development. According to Lazarov, only 23 per cent of the country's hydropower capacity is currently utilised, compared to an average of 50 per cent throughout Europe. | General News | FYR Macedonia | Hydroelectric | No | SouthEast European Times | | | | 13 May 2005 | | Russia’s Power Grid Monopoly UES Promises Reforms | | Russia’s power grid monopoly Unified Energy System said on Wednesday, March 9, that 2005 would be a year of accelerated reforms. Vasily Zubakin, a member of UES executive board, predicted full deregulation of the country’s power market by 2007.
“2005 will become the year of the reform tide. It will be a turning point for reform. From 2006, we will have a new mechanism and new working conditions,” said Zubakin, quoted by Reuters. “By the end of 2006, we will possibly see the unbundling of UES. In 2007 we will have full deregulation and liberalization of Russian power markets,” he added.
Russia plans to break up the power grid monopoly by spinning off a wholesale hydropower company as well as six new wholesale generating companies and 14 regional generators, which will be auctioned to investors. Shareholders would then receive pro-rated shares in all divested companies.
By early this month, 25 of Russia’s more than 70 energy utilities, known as energos, had been broken up into their constituent businesses and 81 new companies spun off from them. The new companies form the basis for setting share swap terms.
“The whole sector will move from vertical integration to horizontal integration as a result of reforms,” said David Hearn, head of Halcyon Advisers, a major portfolio investor in Russian utilities with investments of $100 million.
| General News | Russia | All Resources | No | MosNews | Russia’s Power Grid Monopoly UES Promises Reforms | | | 9 Mar 2005 | | The Board of Directors of OAO "HydroWGC" Holds its Regular Meeting | | MOSCOW (RNWire) - At its regular meeting, the Board of Directors of OAO "HydroWGC" chaired by Victor Khristenko, Minister of Industry and Energy of the Russian Federation, considered the priorities of the Company's development and the issue of determining the Company's position on the items of business to be considered by the Board meetings of the Company's subsidiaries and dependent companies (SDCs).
The Board of Directors of OAO "HydroWGC" noted the information on the mechanisms of formation and implementation of the Company's Investment Programme for 2006, and instructed the Company's Management Board to draft proposals on the formation of the 2007-2010 Investment Programme.
Under the Charter of OAO "HydroWGC", one of the Company's objectives is the elaboration and implementation of a corporate strategy in the area of investments and raising capital for addressing the system-wide goals of hydro energy development. There is a number of objective factors that make the hydropower sector different from other sectors of the electricity industry. These factors shape the approaches to the formation of the investment programme for OAO "HydroWGC". These, in particular, target to:
• higher degree of fixed capital depreciation;
• considerable amount of uncompleted projects (concentrated mainly in the Caucasia and the Far East);
• higher capital intensity of investment projects (compared to other kinds of power generation) and with the longer periods needed for their implementation and payback;
• lower coefficient of use of installed capacity (about 50% at hydropower plants compared to 80% or more at thermal power plants and nuclear power plants).
• efficiency of uncompleted generation projects that have a high degree of availability;
• presence of circumstances (primarily those relating to safety) which prevent the suspension of the hydropower construction projects;
• a very long lifecycle of hydrogenation facilities and the specific risks connected with it.
The Board of Directors noted the concept of the Target Model for the functioning of OAO "HydroWGC". The Concept provides for the establishment of a group of companies comprising the parent company, OAO "HydroWGC" (one of whose shareholders is the Russian Federation), and the subsidiary, Operational Company, which will run hydropower plants and carry out corporate management of its subsidiaries set up for the purpose of organizing new lines of business and implement investment projects.
The Board of Directors considered the matters relating to the improvement of the Company's sales operations and announced centralization of sales at its subsidiaries and dependent companies (AO-power plants) as a priority for OAO "HydroWGC".
This process involves the following:
• stepwise transfer of the electricity (capacity) sales function to OAO "HydroWGC" from its SDCs (AO-power plants);
• OAO "HydroWGC" becoming a participant of the wholesale electricity market.
The Company's Management Board was instructed to draft and submit for consideration by the Board of Directors, within 2005, a plan for the establishment of a subsidiary of OAO "HydroWGC" specialized in electricity retailing. Further, the Board of Directors gave the Management Board a task to minimize, in the process of trading and consideration of draft regulations, the volumes and duration of regulated and reduced rate contracts for OAO "HydroWGC" (or its SDCs) which provide for the supply of electricity (capacity) and services, and to maximize the sales on the market and in the consumer segments which have the biggest potential for sales growth.
The Board of Directors of OAO "HydroWGC" charged the Chairman of the Management Board of OAO "HydroWGC" Vyacheslav Sinyugin with the task of ensuring the preparation of IFRS financial statements of the Company for 2005 and, in the future, to create a division within the Company's governance system responsible for the preparation of IFRS financials.
The Concept of Medium-Term Development of Accounting and Reporting in the Russian Federation approved by Order of the Ministry of Finance of Russia No. 180 of 1 July 2004 provides for the mandatory transition to the IFRS in 2004-2007 in the preparation of consolidated financial statements by socially important business entities whose commercial activities involve, directly or indirectly, funds provided by an unlimited number of people: open joint stock companies and other organizations who have securities (being) issued to the public and/or publicly traded; financial organizations handling funds of private individuals and legal entities; and other organizations).
The transition of OAO "HydroWGC" to the IFRS is designed to raise of the Company's market capitalization, pave the way for the Company to enter foreign capital markets and lower the cost of capital. Moreover, information from the financial statements prepared in accordance with the IFRS may be used in managerial decision-making and for the purpose of reducing the information risk.
The Board of Directors of OAO "HydroWGC" instructed the Company's representatives on the Board of Directors of OAO "Volzhskaya HPP" to vote FOR the item of business "On dividend payment for 1st quarter of 2005" to be included on the agenda of the AGM of shareholders of OAO "Volzhskaya HES".
| General News | Russia | Hydroelectric | No | Russia Newswire | | | | 23 May 2005 | | UES of Russia Starts Complying With Kyoto Protocol | | MOSCOW, February 16 (RIA Novosti) - The United Energy System of Russia (UES) company is going to fulfil more than 30 projects under the Kyoto protocol in the coming years, the company's press release reads.
Once implemented, the projects will allow a reduction in UES power stations' greenhouse emissions by at least 20 million tons.
"We mean the projects that are at different stages of completion," a UES spokesperson told RIA Novosti.
According to this person, two projects have been completed, whose reduced emissions are being contracted with the Danish environment protection agency under a tender issued by Denmark. Under the two projects, the aggregate annual emission drop exceeds 465,000 tons, with the deals worth about 12 million euros.
Another two projects are dedicated to converting the TETs-1 and TETs-2 heat and power plants in Khabarovsk in the Russian Far East which are in the final stages of preparations, with buyers already selected for their emissions, UES says.
The company expects the government in the second quarter of the year will take decisions relevant for enacting the Kyoto Protocol mechanisms.
Russian power plants claim about a third of the carbon emissions in Russia and about 3% of the global emissions.
"Emission reduction in most industries (and power generation is characterized by greenhouse gas emission) is achieved through enhancing the production and power-saving efficiency, switching to different types of fuel (e.g. from coal to gas or biological fuel) and introducing renewable energy sources. In addition, any steps to save fuel also result in emission reduction. Therefore, emission reduction efforts is compliant with investment, technical and environment protection goals of the Russian power generation industry," the press release reads.
UES in 2001 sets up the Energy Carbon Fund to shape the Kyoto Protocol mechanism infrastructure.
The company has elaborated a greenhouse emission estimate until 2015. According to the estimate, an "emission reserve' may emerge in 2010-12 in the power generation industry, equaling about 100 million tons a year. Part of the "reserve" might be sold on the international market under certain conditions to attract investment in energy-related programs, the UES spokesperson said.
The Kyoto Protocol to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change has been ratified by 125 countries. It enters into force today.
| General News | Russia | All Resources | No | RIA Novosti | UES OF RUSSIA STARTS COMPLYING WITH KYOTO PROTOCOL | | | 16 Feb 2005 | | US Energy Secretary Bodman Travels to Moscow, Baku, Kiev to Discuss Energy and Nuclear Security | | Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman next week will travel to Moscow, Russia; Baku, Azerbaijan; and Kiev, Ukraine, where he will hold discussions with senior officials on a variety of energy and nuclear safety issues, including encouraging the development of diverse energy resources, promoting market transparency and investment, and advancing nuclear nonproliferation.
"A healthy, vibrant and transparent global energy market is critical to the economic success of America and all nations," Secretary Bodman said. "Russia, Azerbaijan and Ukraine are important international partners of the United States. I look forward to discussing ways that we can strengthen cooperation on energy and nuclear nonproliferation issues and ensure the continued growth of the energy sector in this region."
In Moscow, Secretary Bodman will meet with, among others, Viktor Khristenko, Minister of Industry and Energy, and Alexander Rumyantsev, Director of the Federal Atomic Energy Agency. Their discussions will center on progress in achieving the Bratislava Initiative, an agreement struck by Presidents Bush and Putin earlier this year with two primary goals for the US Department of Energy and its Russian counterparts -- energy cooperation and nuclear security cooperation. In expanding energy cooperation, Secretary Bodman and his Russian counterparts seek to enhance energy trade and investment in Russia, increase markets for Russian oil and gas, and promote efficient development and use of energy resources. The Bratislava initiatives also enhance nuclear security cooperation between the two countries and encourage the safe use and development of nuclear power and increased nuclear security.
Traveling next to Baku, Azerbaijan, Secretary Bodman will participate in the "First Oil" Ceremony of the Baku-Tbilisi-Cayhan (BTC) Pipeline, an East-West transport corridor for Central Asian oil and gas.
The goals of the BTC pipeline project are to unlock the vast store of energy from the Caspian Sea by providing a new crude oil pipeline from Azerbaijan, through Georgia, to Turkey, and onward to world markets. The BTC pipeline has been a major policy goal of the Bush Administration, and is one of the recommendations in the National Energy Policy that was established early on by the Administration. The ceremony marks the first loading of oil in the BTC pipeline.
In Kiev, Ukraine, the final leg of the trip, Secretary Bodman will meet with President Victor Yushenko and with Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko to discuss the advantages of developing a market-based energy sector that attracts Western investment. He will also discuss with National Security and Defense Council Secretary Petro Poroshenko the return to Russia of Ukraine's Russian-origin high enriched nuclear fuel, and the conversion of its research reactors to the use of low enriched uranium.
Also in Kiev, Secretary Bodman will be a principal speaker at Kiev's Eighth Annual Energy Conference titled "Energy Security of Europe for the XXI Century -- Eurasia Energy Corridor." The conference theme focuses on world energy security, development of energy resources and investment in Ukraine's fuel and energy sector.
During his discussions with senior officials of each country, Secretary Bodman will emphasize America's interest in generating greater international cooperation to encourage energy security for America and our international partners. He will also focus on using technology to enhance energy resource development in the most efficient and environmentally responsible manner, and the benefits of transparent markets that attract foreign investment.
Media contacts:
Anne Womack Kolton, 202/586-4940
Drew Malcomb, 202/586-5806
| General News | ;Azerbaijan;Russia;Ukraine | All Resources | No | US Energy Department | | | | 20 May 2005 | | The government of Uzbekistan is selling interest in four power plants | | Vedomosti, Rodion Levinsky, 08.04.2005
The government is selling blocking-off interest in four power plants. The authorities want over $150 million while experts doubt that foreign investors will be interested.
The Syrdarja Thermoelectric Power Plant is the largest in Central Asia (3,000 megawatt). It produces almost one third of all electricity generated in Uzbekistan. The Mubarak Thermoelectric Power Plant generates 420 million kilowatt-hours a year, Tashkent 155.8 million, Ferghana 560 million. All four power plants belong to the state.
A spokesman for FINAM (financial consultant of the government of Uzbekistan) says that the authorities put up 39.23% in Mubarak, 38% in Tashkent, 39% in Ferghana, and 39% in Syrdarja plant for sale. The initial price was set at $123.581 million, $11.144 million, $6.156 million, and $14.197 million. Claimants have until May 15 to buy the documents concerning the future contest and submit applications until June 15. This information was confirmed by Mokhor Valiyev, assistant to the general director of the Bureau of Individual Privatization.
According to Valiyev, the authorities do not intend to sell their interest in the power plants in the next two years. Still, should some strategic investor come up offering a fair price, the Bureau will certainly consider the offer. Valiyev and Nikolai Fomintsev, Director of the Department of Strategies and Business Development of FINAM, did not say exactly whom the authorities of Uzbekistan expected to attract as potential buyers. Fomintsev merely said that the circle of claimants "is pretty clear" - a number of major Russian and foreign companies. Fomintsev even said that some of them had already approached FINAM.
Andrei Zubkov, an analyst with Trust Bank, assumes that the future contest is oriented on Russian companies first and foremost since the authorities of Uzbekistan made FINAM their financial consultant. The Russian Joint Energy Systems is already present in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan where construction of a hydroelectric power plant is about to be completed. Practically all of the energy industry of Armenia belongs to the Russian Joint Energy Systems too. Sources at its PR Department admit that the developments in Uzbekistan are being viewed with interest indeed but decline comment on the possibility of the holding's participation in the contest.
Christian Drepper of E.ON PR Department claims that the company has concentrated on development in Central Asia and Italy. "I'm afraid that Uzbekistan is not exactly in the focus of our attention," he said. Spokesmen for Enel and AES declined comment.
Experts say that Uzbekistan wants a fair and reasonable price for the power plants. "The cost of the power plants is roughly equal to the cost of Russian assets," to quote Aleksei Minayev, an analyst with Rye, Man & Gor Securities. All the same, Uzbekistan may encounter difficulties finding investors. Alexander Yakubov of CenterInvest says that the assets are pretty old, and the solvent demand for electricity in Uzbekistan is fairly low. "That's a difficult market. Order should be restored there first," Yakubov said. "I do not think that many investors will be interested." Zubkov added that export of electricity from Uzbekistan is impossible and that too is a factor disheartening potential investors.
| General News | Uzbekistan | All Resources | No | Ferghana.ru | Business: The government of Uzbekistan is selling interest in four power plants | | | 8 Apr 2005 | | Iran and Armenia Agreed on Construction of Two Electric Power Stations on River Aras | | Representatives of Iran and Armenia achieved agreement on construction of two electric power stations on River Araks at the common border of the two states. As the Iranian Company of Hydro Resource Development informed, the appropriate decision was taken in Tehran during the Seventh Sitting of the Joint Technical Committee of Iran and Armenia held with the participation of Company’s Project Assistant Naser Nemati and Armenian Deputy Energy Minister Karen Sargsian. “As the common water border of Armenia and Iran stretches for 40 kilometers the parties decided to use the potential of the ricer”, Nemati said. “In accord with the agreement the first plant with the capacity of 130 Megawatt and an 18.3-kilometer tunnel will be built at the Armenian territory while the second plant with the capacity of 140 Megawatt and 17.5- kilometer tunnel will be built in Iran. Presently the preparatory works are being carried out. By to date five projects have been already approved and the essential consultations on the soonest elimination of the problems available have been held”, he added, Irna agency reports. | Project | Armenia | Hydroelectric | No | PanArmenian.net | IRAN AND ARMENIA AGREED ON CONSTRUCTION OF TWO ELECTRIC POWER STATIONS ON RIVER ARAKS | | | 16 May 2005 | | Gunibskaya HPP Commissioned into Commercial Operation | | MOSCOW (RNWire) -- The State Commission has signed the report to commission into commercial operation the Gunibskaya HPP Named after Rasul Gamzatov (OAO "Dagenergo") located on the Kara Koysu river in the Republic of Dagestan.
On 18 December 2004, the power plant was put into temporary commercial operation and until May 6th has operated at the interim levels. Meanwhile, the dam at the Gunibskaya HPP was being raised to the target height of 83 meters, and the adjustment work was carried out at the hydraulic units.
The Gunibskaya HPP has 3 hydropower units with a total capacity of 15 MW. In addition, the power plant has a trout farm. OAO "Dagenergo" invested about RUB600 million into in the construction project.
The project was launched in 1997. It was implemented under difficult geological and climatic conditions. The Gunibsky hydraulic project was designed by the R&D institute of OAO "Lengidroproekt"; the power plant was built using the standard technology, Prometey, specifically developed by OAO "Dagenergo" for the construction of smaller HPPs.
Since the launch into temporary commercial operation, the Gunibskaya HPP has generated 1.237 million kWh of electricity.
| Project | Russia | Hydroelectric | No | Russia Newswire | Gunibskaya HPP Commissioned into Commercial Operation | | | 11 May 2005 | | Russia sees "Fantastic Opportunities" in Tidal Power Projects | | MURMANSK, February 8 (RIA Novosti/Northwest news agency's Ekaterina Kozlova) - "Russia has fantastic opportunities to build several tidal power plants," said Anatoli Chubais, board chair of the UES (United Russian Power Grid) company. He addressed newsmen today in Murmansk, major seaport in Russia's northwest, upon visiting in its vicinity the Kislaya Guba experimental tidal power plant-this country's only for today.
"We saw unique technologies not in blueprints but in action. If these technologies turn out to meet desired parameters, we shall start a huge endeavor of an unprecedented purport," said Mr. Chubais.
As he told the media, there was a conference at an R&D institute two years ago, UES bosses attending. Staff researchers told them about their new achievement, an orthogonal turbine which retains its rotation direction at tide and ebb alike.
"The turbine appeared an abstract invention at the time. It was determined, however, to implement it here in the Kola Peninsula. The target was met.
"This is not merely Russia's first tidal plant-it is using the world's first orthogonal unit invented by Russians to work for a tidal plant.
"Its parameter forecasts promise a huge breakthrough not on a Russian but a global scale. That is no exaggeration," Anatoli Chubais triumphantly concluded.
Novosti previously interviewed Evgeni Ustinov, chief of PR for Kolenergo Co., Kislaya Guba plant proprietor.
The experimental unit was designed by the NIIES, research institute for power industrial construction, on INTERGEOCOM Co. order, and manufactured by Sevmash Co., based in Severodvinsk, Arkhangelsk Region, also in European Russia's north, said our informant.
"The new hydropower machinery has a very simple design. A true high-tech item, it requires much less metal than usual. Thanks to all that, it takes half as much time and money to make one as to manufacture conventional equipment."
The world has no analogue to offer to this orthogonal turbine. The cutting-edge technology is welcome to other tidal plants to be built. The INTERGEOCOM is ready with blueprints for a 12 million kilowatt plant in Mezen, Arkhangelsk Region, and an 8 million kilowatt in Tugur on the Sea of Okhotsk, in the Russian Far East, added Mr. Ustinov.
The Kislaya Guba plant had its work suspended for ten years, to be recommissioned, December last.
Commissioned in 1968, the tidal power plant is under government protection as national scientific and technical monument. It produced a total 8,018,000 kwt/hrs of energy between 1970 and 1994.
| Project | Russia | Tidal | No | RIA Novosti | | | | 8 Feb 2005 | | RAO UES Starts Construction of Sangtuda HPP-1 in Tajikistan | | MOSCOW, April 15 (RNWire) - Today, an official ceremony was held to launch the implementation of the Russia-Tajikistan project to build Sangtuda HPP-1 in the Republic of Tajikistan. The ceremony was attended by the Chairman of the Management Board Anatoly Chubais.
Sangtuda HPP-1, which has 670 MW design capacity, is located on the Vakhsh River 200 km south of the city of Dushanbe. The power plant construction was started back in the late 1980s. 20% percent of the construction works had been completed at the power plant by the early 1990s, when the project was suspended due to the lack of financing.
Negotiations between Russia and Tajikistan on the completion of Sangtuda HPP-1 and Sangtuda HPP-2 were started in 2003. In June 2004, this issue was discussed at the meeting of the Russian President Vladimir Putin with Tajikistan's President Emomali Rakhmonov. In September 2004, the talks on the completion of the HPP project were jointed by the Islamic Republic of Iran.
In January 2005, Russia, Tajikistan and Iran signed a Protocol on the completion of Sangtuda HPP-1 and Sangtuda HPP-2. Under the Protocol, the construction of Sangtuda HPP-1 is to be fully completed by Russia and Tajikistan. In its turn, Iran will join Tajikistan to complete Sangtuda HPP-2.
A joint venture, OAO "Sangtuda HPP-1", was established to build the power plant, with Russia represented by ZAO "INTER RAO UES"* and Tajikistan represented by the Energy Ministry of Tajikistan. ZAO "INTER RAO UES" holds a 75% stake, and the Republic of Tajikistan a 25% stake in the JV. In the future, the authorized capital of the joint venture will be increased through contribution of unfinished construction projects whose value is yet to be determined, and contribution of funds by the Russian company.
Under the 2005 Investment Programme of RAO "UES of Russia", RUB400 million in funds will be allocated for the construction of Sangtuda HPP-1, with another RUB1 billion to be provided by OAO "UES FGC". Tajikistan will contribute the part of the project completed thus far at the power plant. The financing to be provided by Tajikistan is its $50 million in converted debt owed to Russia.
RAO "UES of Russia" plans to complete the construction of Sangtuda HPP-1 within 4 years.
The commissioning of Sangtuda HPP-1 will ensure electricity supply to the domestic market of Tajikistan, including the major industrial enterprises, and make it possible to export electricity to Russia, former USSR republics, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Besides, HPP-1 will be able to regulate the streamflow in the Vakhsh River on a daily basis, which will help optimize the use of water resources. The power plant will thus play a paramount role in regulating the water balance of the entire region.
* ZAO "INTER RAO UES" is a subsidiary of RAO "UES of Russia" (60%) and Rosenergoatom (40%). The Company is an export-import operator for RAO "UES of Russia" Holding Company and State Concern "Rosenergoatom".
| Project | ;Russia;Tajikistan | Hydroelectric | No | Russia Newswire | RAO UES Starts Construction of Sangtuda HPP-1 in Tajikistan | | | 15 Apr 2005 | | RusAI to invest in Rogun | | Russian aluminium producer RusAI says that it will invest US$600-650M in the construction of the Rogun hydroelectric power plant in Tajikistan, according to the Interfax news agency.
RusAl is building the plant in co-operation with the Tajik government. The precise level of investment will be known after a feasibility study is completed by Germany’s Lahmeyer in early October 2005.
A RusAl official said that the company is considering participating in hydroelectric power projects in other countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States.
| Project | Tajikistan | Hydroelectric | No | International Water Power and Dam Construction | | | | 11 Feb 2005 | | President Putin's Greetings on Launching GES-1 Hydro in Tajikistan | | MOSCOW, April 15 (RIA Novosti) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent a message of greetings to the official ceremony of the start of building the Sangtudinskaya GES-1 (hydropower station-1) project in Tajikistan.
"I congratulate you on the start of realization of the crucial project of Russian-Tajik cooperation - building of the Sangtudinskaya GES-1. Its rearing and joint use are called upon to become one of the key directions of economic partnership between our countries, an important stage in the development of all-round interaction between Russia and Tajikistan," the Kremlin press service cites the message as reading.
The ceremony was attended by Unified Energy Systems CEO Anatoly Chubais and Tajik Energy Minister Dzhurabek Nurmakhmatov.
As reported before, the company Inter RAO UES and the Energy Ministry of Tajikistan have concluded the agreement on setting up the company OAO Sangtudinskaya GES-1, targeting joint participation in finalizing the facility. Its tentative cost is $485 million.
Under the agreement, the GES-1 initial authorized capital is 100,000 dollars. Inter RAO UES holds 75 percent of the hydropower station and 25 percent is the property of Tajikistan.
Having a 670-megawatt capacity, the station lies on the Vakhsh river 200 kilometers south of Dushanbe. Its construction began in the late 1980s but was suspended for lack of funds. In January 2005 the Russian and Tajik sides concluded the agreement on completing the project.
Inter RAO UES is a subsidiary of the company RAO UES and the Rosenergoatom nuclear concern. The subsidiary is their export-import operator.
| Project | ;Russia;Tajikistan | Hydroelectric | No | RIA Novosti | | | | 15 April 2005 | | Tajikistan, Russia AND Iran Sign Contract on Building Cascade of Sangtudin Hydropower Plants | | TAJIKISTAN, RUSSIA AND IRAN SIGN CONTRACT ON BUILDING CASCADE OF SANGTUDIN HYDROPOWER PLANTS
DUSHANBE, January 12 (RIA Novosti) - A contract for the construction of a cascade of Sangtudin hydropower plants has been signed by representatives of Tajikistan, Russia, and Iran in the capital of Tajikistan, Dushanbe.
"It is a single technical project. Sangtudin Power Plant 1 will be built by the Unified Energy Systems (UES) of Russia and Sangtudin Power Plant 2 will be built by Iran," Tajikistan's Power Industry Minister Dzhurabek Nurmakhmadov told newsmen after the tripartite talks.
After the meeting of the sides a trilateral protocol on the construction of the cascade and two bilateral protocols were signed - between Tajikistan and Russia on building Sangtudin Power Plant 1 and between Tajikistan and Iran on the construction of Sangtudin Power Plant 2.
"We are faced with the task of building these hydropower plants within four years. This technological project is unique in scope," said UES chief Anatoly Chubais.
Work on Sangtudin-1 will start as early as tomorrow," Chubais said.
He said also that the evaluation of the project is soon to be completed and its cost will be "between 400 and 500 million dollars." A big amount of work at Sangtudin 1 has already been finished, but already now there is need to make some improvements."
"All that we have in the construction reserve will be Tajikistan's contribution to a newly established legal entity. The second part is conversion of Tajikistan's debt to Russia [$50 million]," the UES chief said.
"It is the first project of this kind carried out by Russian power engineers in the CIS. None of the other CIS countries can boast of having such an amount of Russian investments," Chubais declared.
Commenting on the intention, expressed earlier by Kazakhstan, to invest $30 million in the construction of this power plant, Chubais said: "We are prepared to consider the position of Kazakhstan, if it is stated in concrete terms."
The capacity of Sangtudin 1, which is in southern Tajikistan 120 km away from Dushanbe, is about 670 megawatts. The power plant will have four generating units and its dam will be 70 meters high.
Speaking about the construction of Sangtudin 2, minister Nurmakhmadov pointed out that Tajikistan had merely 2% of property in it - the rest will belong to Iran.
"The capacity of Sangtudin 2 will be 220 megawatts, but it can be increased to 260 megawatts. The approximate cost of that power station ranges between 160 and 180 million dollars, and the entire sum is to be contributed by Iran," the minister said.
| Project | ;Russia;Tajikistan | Hydroelectric | No | RIA Novosti | | | | 12 Jan 2005 | | Azerbaijan: Regions to inaugurate alternative energy | | A benchmark wind energy station is expected to come on stream by the end of the year, according to the Ministry of Industry and Energy.
The 1 MW-capacity facility will operate in Khizi District, some 100 km west of Baku.
Work on construction of the station is carried out in the framework of the State Program on Use of Alternative and Recoverable Energy Sources.
The Program also envisions the commissioning of solar stations in the Absheron peninsular, as well as Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (NAR) and Mil-Mughan region.
| Project | Azerbaijan | Wind | No | Baku Sun | | | | 8 Apr 2005 | | Bulgaria Receives Grant for Wind Farm Feasibilty Study | | Bulgaria - Wind Farm (FS)
The Municipality of Karlovo received a grant from USTDA for a feasibility study for a pilot wind farm project in Bulgaria. The proposed pilot project seeks to introduce the first commercial wind farm project in Bulgaria, and prove that wind power is a profitable and acceptable source of energy for Bulgaria. The total estimated cost of implementing the pilot project is $5 million. The total cost of the feasibility study is $592,603. The U.S. firm, EnCon Services International, is willing to cost share $208,072 to complete the full terms of reference for the study.
The objective of this pilot project is to construct a small pilot wind farm in Karlovo of approximately 4.5 MW with the capability to be expanded to 9 MW, if the capacity is available in the existing nearby power transmission lines of the National Electric Company. The feasibility study will examine and prepare the necessary data to determine the size and place-ment of the wind farm.
The following tasks will be performed in order to complete the analysis for the wind farm:
1) wind resource classification and site selection; 2) evaluate wind farm economics; 3) structure project financing and capital invest-ments; 4) utility/wind power impact assessment; 5) environ-mental impact assessment; 6) project development; 7) develop the public/private partnership company (NewCo) operating procedures; 8) develop business plan for NewCo expansion; 9) green credit trading; and 10) submission of the final report.
USTDA No.: 04-70018B
USTDA Grant: $384,531
Est. Project Cost: $5 million
Est. U.S. Exports: $4.6 million
Est. Start Date: 2/15/05
Est. Completion Date: 12/31/05
Contact: Robert Russo
Principal
EnCon Services International
(301) 229-2554
| Project | Bulgaria | Wind | No | US Trade and Development Association (USTDA) | | | | 28 Apr 2005 | | Blowing in the Wind: Alternative energy source growing from the mountains of Lori | | By Gayane Mkrtchyan
ArmeniaNow Reporter
Armenia’s first alternative energy “wind farm” is under construction atop the Puskin Pass in the center of Pambak and Bazum mountain chains in the Lori province.
Construction began in September and workers themselves have learned the power of the very source they are out to tap, at 2,360 meters above sea level where the wind blows in two directions.
“It is very difficult to build a foundation in such weather conditions, but we are working, struggling against nature,” says 40-year-old construction worker Seyran Antonyan, of Vanadzor. “We, too, want to see the result of our work soon.”
Result of the work should best be seen, not on top of these mountains, but in the homes of residents for whom the windmills are meant to offer cheaper and more environmentally-friendly electricity than presently comes from the republic’s nuclear power station in Metsamor.
“The wind farm is quite a good source of obtaining electricity, and after long studies it became clear that there is that potential in Armenia in this particular area,” says Vanadzor-based Energotsantsshin OJSC Director, power engineer Razmik Varderesyan. “According to the studies, it is possible to get a cheap source of producing up to 40 megawatts of electricity with the use of wind here.”
The wind farm, expected to be completed in late December is the newest energy outlet in Lori, but not the only one. Construction is also underway on small hydro-electric power plants along the Dbed river.
The project is budgeted for about $3.5 million.
Lori Governor Henrik Kochinyan says that the initial capital investment for the construction of the wind farm is large, but in the future there will be no shortage of raw materials as natural resources will be used.
“It is also a lucrative business,” the governor says. “The capital investment will be repaid in 3-4 years. Then it will start working with a 50-60 percent profit margin.”
The wind farm is part of a bilateral energy program between Armenia and Iran. Armenia’s neighbor to the south, through the Sunir company, is providing equipment, services and specialists who supervise the project.
Iran has about 60 wind farms, each with the capacity to produce 101 megawatts of power.
Geodesy engineer Masud Zarifboni is overseeing the project and says the Puskin Pass is perfectly favorable for farms such as those operating in his country.
Vanadzor’s Energotsantsshin Deputy Director Nikolay Gzoghyan explains that each of the four wind power stations being installed will produce 2.6 megawatts of electricity.
“If the wind farm starts working then energy for the whole town of Vanadzor will be secured,” he says.
Completed, Armenia’s first wind farm will consist of four stations, each with wings 24-meters long and weighing 3.5 tons. The total weight of each station will be 78 tons.
To secure the windmills, foundation trenches are blasted into the mountainside and filled with 115 cubic meters of concrete into which is constructed a 6.6 ton steel framework.
A total of 120 workers are involved in the project. Varderesyan says that according to the studies conducted by relevant specialists, the wind farm will not have a negative impact on the environment and fauna.
“We have further programs – to build several such wind farms in Lori marz and provide power to the whole of the region,” he says. “Finally today, when Armenia is searching for sources of alternative energy, it is very profitable.”
| Project | Armenia | Wind | No | Armenia Now | | | | 13 Apr 2005 | | Irish-Based Group to Develop Wind Farm in Hungary | | Cork-based SWS Group is to develop a E150m wind farm in Hungary.
The site for the wind farm, in the Veszprem region south-west of Budapest, was chosen from about 20 options around the country that computer mapping suggested could be suitable.
According to Jim Galvin, a senior manager with SWS, the company sought opportunities for wind energy projects in the states that joined the EU last year because it became frustrated with the slow pace of development in the Irish sector.
The company has applied for planning permission to erect 38 turbines, generating power for up to 60,000 homes. At about E150m, it is the biggest Irish investment in Hungary.
"We looked at several countries - Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland - before deciding on Hungary," Galvin told The Irish Times. "It is a stable country, politically and economically, and we felt comfortable with the way people here do business, the whole psyche."
The Irish firm is one of a number of Irish businesses that is exploiting opportunities in eastern Europe that include everything from property to airports.
| Project | Hungary | Wind | No | Business World Ireland | | | | 28 Feb 2005 | | Wysak Receives Support From German Industrial Bank | | SEATTLE, WA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 02/10/2005 -- Wysak Petroleum (OTC: WYSK) announces the signing of a Letter of Intent with leading German Industrial Bank, IKB Deutsche Industriebank, to assist in the financing of the Wysak Polish Wind Development Project.
IKB Deutsche and Wysak have signed this partnership in support of constructing a large-scale Commercial Wind Farm in Poland. The LOI states that IKB Deutsche will participate in the funding of the Wysak Polish Wind Development Project in relation to its investment mandate principals.
Wysak Polish Wind Development Project
Once completed, this Wind Park will supply upwards of 170,000 Mw of electricity annually for Poland and the European Community. This is enough green energy to supply upwards of 25,000 homes with electricity and offset nearly 170,000 tones of Greenhouse gases. Total gross electric sales over a 20-year period are estimated at over EUR 350 million for a project this size.
IKB Deutsche Industriebank
IKB is a specialist in the field of long-term finance, and the only nationally operating bank in Germany whose range of services is directed specifically at entrepreneurs and enterprises. IKB Deutsche is a listed public company on the German Stock Markets with a market capitalization of nearly $US 2.3 billion and an AA3 rating.
About Wysak Petroleum
Wysak is a diversified energy company whose goal is to identify and develop traditional fossil fuel sites, as well as clean air alternative energy producing technologies. Wysak trades in the U.S. under the symbol "WYSK."
This material includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The opinions, forecasts, projections or other statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Although the companies believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, they can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. Certain risks and uncertainties inherent in their businesses are set forth in the filings with the Securities Commissions.
SOURCE: Wysak Petroleum Inc.
| Project | Poland | Wind | No | MarketWire (Press Release) | | | | 10 Feb 2005 | | EBRD Offers Wysak Financial Backing | | SEATTLE, WA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 03/03/2005 -- Wysak Petroleum (OTC: WYSK) announces the signing of a Letter of Interest with the EBRD (European Bank of Reconstruction and Development) in financial support of the Wysak Polish Wind Development Project.
The EBRD has signed a Letter of Interest concerning the development of a large scale Commercial Wind Farm in Poland with Wysak Petroleum. Under this agreement the EBRD has expressed an interest in supporting the project by providing debt or equity financing or a combination of both, as required.
The EBRD would also be willing to provide a carbon financing component for the planned Wind Farm. Carbon financing involves the sale of green carbon credits from renewable energy sources, to companies of industrialized countries which need to reduce their green house gas emissions.
Wysak Polish Wind Development Project
This project will be up to a maximum 90Mw in size and cost an estimated $US 120 million in development expenditures. Once completed, this Wind Park will supply upwards of 170,000 Mw of electricity annually for Poland and the European Community. This is enough green energy to supply upwards of 25,000 homes with electricity and offset nearly 170,000 tones of Greenhouse gases. Total gross electric sales over a 20-year period are estimated at over EUR 350 million for a project this size.
About the EBRD
EBRD is owned by 60 donor countries and two intergovernmental agencies, the European Community and the European Investment Bank. EBRD has a credit rating of AAA, and a subscribed capital totaling EUR 20 billion. The EBRD is the largest single investor in the central Europe and Asia region and is able to mobilize significant foreign direct investment beyond its own financing capabilities.
About Wysak Petroleum
Wysak is a diversified energy company whose goal is to identify and develop traditional fossil fuel sites, as well as clean air alternative energy producing technologies. Wysak trades in the U.S. under the symbol "WYSK."
This material includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The opinions, forecasts, projections or other statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Although the companies believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, they can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. Certain risks and uncertainties inherent in their businesses are set forth in the filings with the Securities Commissions.
SOURCE: Wysak Petroleum Inc.
| Project | Poland | Wind | No | MarketWire (Press Release) | | | | 3 Mar 2005 | | Wysak Signs With European Commission Baltic Renewable Energy Centre | | Wysak Petroleum has signed a letter of intent with the European Commission Baltic Renewable Energy Centre to assist development of a commercial windfarm, and EC BREC can support Wysak in financial structuring and investment, regulatory issues, government policies, negotiations, wind technologies, and other aspects relating to wind power. The Wysak wind project will be 90 MW and cost US$120 million to generate 170,000 MWh a year of electricity for Poland and the EC. That output would supply 25,000 homes and offset 170,000 tones of GHG, with total gross power sales over a 20-year period of $450 million. | Project | Poland | Wind | No | RE Focus | | | | 21 April 2005 | | European Commission Group Signs Development Agreement With Wysak | | SEATTLE, WA -- (Market Wire - Mar 29, 2005) -- Wysak Petroleum (OTC: WYSK) announces the signing of a Letter of Intent with the European Commission Baltic Renewable Energy Centre (EC BREC) to assist Wysak Petroleum in the development of the Wysak Wind Power Project. EC BREC and Wysak have signed a LOI in respect to the development of a full-size Commercial Wind Power Project in Europe. This letter states that EC BREC can support Wysak in matters such as financial structuring and investment, regulatory issues, government policies, negotiations, wind technologies, and other aspects relating to Wind Power. About the Wysak Wind Project This development will be up to a maximum 90Mw in size and cost upwards of $US 120 million in development expenditures. Once completed, this Wind Park will supply upwards of 170,000 Mw of electricity annually for Poland and the European Community. This is enough green energy to supply upwards of 25,000 homes with electricity and offset nearly 170,000 tones of greenhouse gases. Total gross electric sales over a 20-year period are estimated at over $450 million for a project this size. About the EC Baltic Renewable Energy Centre ( http://www.ecbrec.pl) The mission of European Commission-founded EC BREC is to stimulate the development of renewable energy sources (RES) in Poland through the construction of RES projects, development of innovative technologies, creation of relevant policies, strategies and plans. To fulfill the mission, EC BREC uses its own research capabilities and cooperates with partner institutions from the EU, other countries, and international organizations. About Wysak Petroleum ( http://www.wysak.com) Wysak is a diversified energy company whose goal is to identify and develop traditional fossil fuel sites, as well as clean air alternative energy producing technologies. Wysak controls one Wyoming Federal oil & gas lease in the Bighorn Basin region and another in the Green River Basin. Its two Wyoming State leases are located 45 miles apart within the massive CoalBed Methane play area of the Powder River Basin. Numerous large petroleum and exploration firms operate nearby all these properties; they include ExxonMobile ( http://www.exxonmobil.com/corporate), Williams Gas ( http://www.williams.com) and Western Gas ( http://www.westerngas.com/indexf.html), among others. Collectively, over 26,000 wells produced 54.7 million barrels of oil and 1.75 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in Wyoming. Wysak trades in the U.S. under the symbol "WYSK." This material includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The opinions, forecasts, projections or other statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Although the companies believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, they can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. Certain risks and uncertainties inherent in their businesses are set forth in the filings with the Securities Commissions. Contact: Wysak Petroleum Inc. 206-652-3310 Investor Relations: 866-683-8600 info@wysak.comwww.wysak.com
| Project | Poland | Wind | No | MarketWire (Press Release) | | | | 29 Mar 2005 | | Bulgaria: Trakia buys 3 more hydropower plants | | 13:54 - 19 May 2005 - Bulgarian hydropower plants Rositsa 2, Rositsa 3 and Chiprovtsi were sold to Turkish company Trakia that bleongs to Mr. Fuat Gyuven. The plants were sold by the Bulgarian Sell-off Agency at a open tender.
With the new additions Trakia's hydropower plants in Bulgaria mount to eight.
Trakia 97 offered 3.76 mln Bulgarian levs (2.4 mln/1.9 mln euro) for Rositsa 2 and Rositsa 3 hydropower plants, up from the initial bidding price of 2.16 mln levs.
Chiprovtsi hydropower plant attracted stronger investors' interest as eight bidders filed offers for it, including Trakia that offered the highest price of 1.6 mln levs ($1.0 mln/818,000 euro).
The hydropower plants sell-off deals are pending approval from the sell-off body supervisory board.
Chiprovtsi plant has a capacity of 0.825 MW and needs investments since one of its turbines needs urgent repair. Rositsa 1 hydropower plant will not be sold for the moment.
| General News | Bulgaria | Hydroelectric | No | Reporter.gr | | | | 19 May 2005 | | Georgia to accept bids for hydro plants | | Georgia’s Economic Development Ministry says it will accept bids for five hydroelectric power plants in western Georgia until October 1 this year, according to the Interfax news agency.
The hydro plants to be privatised are the 48MW Rionid hydroelectric plant, with a charter capital of US$4.05M; the 112MW Gumati Cascade with a charter capital of US$1.08M; the Shaori hydroelectric Plant, with a capacity of 38MW and a capital of US$952,746, and the 16MW Ats plant, with a capital of US$460,649. The Georgian state owns 100 per cent stakes in all these plants.
The tender will also include the 80MW Dzevurli project, with a capital of US$503,634, in which the Georgian state owns a 98.45% stake.
| General News | Georgia | Hydroelectric | No | International Water Power and Dam Construction | | | | 27 May 2005 | | Georgia: Millennium challenge may allot USD 40 million | | According to 24-Saati, the issue of the rehabilitation of hydroelectric power stations in Imereti is still on the agenda. The paper writes that it is possible the Millennium Challenge Corporation will allot USD 40 million with this in mind, adding that the idea has been discussed between the Corporation and the Georgian Ministry of Energy.
24-Saati reports that this project envisages the rehabilitation of four Imereti hydroelectric power stations and support of the United Distribution Company (UDC) in metering the region as well, meaning the metering of about 60,000 subscribers in West Georgia.
"This project has already been presented to the corporation," the paper notes, adding that it would take between 30-36 months to implement and would mean that energy production in Imereti would increase by 40-45 percent.
However, the paper writes that Millennium Challenge Corporation's interest in the project to rehabilitate the Imereti power stations will decrease if the government decides to sell UDC and the power stations because the donor organizations do not plan to invest money in the rehabilitation of privately-owned energy facilities.
| Project | Georgia | Hydroelectric | No | The Messenger | | | | 16 Mar 2005 | | Italy to invest in biofuel production facility in Donetsk region | | Italy is ready to make an investment into construction of a biofuel production facility in Donetsk Oblast (east of Ukraine). According to local newspaper Donbass, such intent of the Italian party was declared on May 23 during a visit of representatives of city administration from the Italian city of Santa Severina to Donetsk Oblast. During a meeting of Italian delegation with Mayor of the local city of Mariupol (large seaport hub in the south of Donetsk region, on the Azov coast) the Italian officials said that an executive from one of the major Italian companies was going to visit Mariupol in a short time for a close study of the investment project. The facility, which is going to be constructed in the vicinity of this coastal city, was intended to produce biofuels on the basis of vegetable oil raw materials.
The name of the Italian company concerned was not specified.
| Project | Ukraine | Biofuels | No | AgriMarket.info | | | Donetsk Biofuel Facilty | | | New Hydro for Albania | | The Albanian government has awarded a concession to the Italian group Tassara-Geotecna-Kinglor (TGK) to build the third largest hydro power plant in Albania, requiring an investment of US$664M.
The plant, to be constructed on the Black Drin river, near the Skavica villages, is estimated to have a production capacity of 250MW.
Plans for the Skavica project were first prepared in 1978, but was not implemented due to lack of funds. The annual production of electricity from this plant is expected to be approximately 1.8BkWh.
TGK has declared that 70% of the project will be financed through bank loans and the group itself will finance the other 30%.
| Project | Albania | Hydroelectric | No | International Water Power and Dam Construction | New Hydro for Albania | | Skavica Hydro | | | Czech Firm Supplies Two Hydro Plants | | Czech Republic based firm Mavel has announced that it has signed contracts to provide turbines for the Malczyce and Lesichovo hydroelectric power plants.
The Malczyce, on the Odra river, southwest Poland, has an existing weir and locks and will be completely rehabilitated by its owner Regionalny Zarzad Gospodarki Wodnej we Wroclawiu. There will be a new weir with tilting gates, new locks and a new power house for the equipment.
Mavel, as leader of a consortium with Energoprojekt–Warszawa, will provide three of its own horizontal pit Kaplan KP3400K3 turbines. Each 340cm diameter turbine will be double regulated and have three runner blades, and each will use a gearbox for connection to a synchronous generator.
The 9MW Malczyce power plant site will have flow of about 240m3/sec and head ranging from 4.2 to 6.4m. The delivery will be over the next three years with commissioning expected in May 2008.
Mavel will also supply, install and commission the second turbine and related equipment for the Lesichovo hydro power plant in Bulgaria, approximately 90km from Sophia. The company said that it will deliver the second horizontal Francis turbines with runner diameter of 650mm, hydraulic unit, valve regulators and a synchronous generator.
The first turbine, delivered by Mavel, was installed in 2003. Commissioning of the second turbine is expected before the end of 2005. The plant is expected to have total installed power of about 3.2MW, with a net head of 57.8m flow totalling 6.4m3/sec.
| Project | ;Bulgaria;Czech Republic;Poland | Hydroelectric | No | International Water Power and Dam Construction | | | Malczyce and Lesichovo hydro plants | | | Norwegian company to build wind power plant on Solovetsky Islands | | The Norwegian energy company Troms Kraft plans to build a wind power plant on the Solovetsky Islands in the White Sea, BarentsObserver reported. The company is developing an ecologically clean energy project for the Solovetsky Islands under the cooperation agreement between Russia's Arkhangelsk region and Norway's province of Tromsø signed in 2002.
2005-06-08 16:42
-The estimated capacities of the power units should be enough to meet the electricity needs of the population and the burgeoning tourist industry on the Solovetsky Islands, an official at the Arkhangelsk region's committee on international ties and tourism told Itar-Tass on Monday.
| Project | Russia | Wind | No | Bellona.no | | | Solovetsky Wind Farm | | | Conference: Wind Energy in the Baltic Sea Region | | Contact: Gunilla Britse, Gotland University, Windpower Information Centre CVI, SE-621 67 VISBY, Sweden. Tel: Phone +46 498 299740; gunilla.britse@hgo.se | Event | ;Estonia;Latvia;Lithuania | Wind | No | Windpower Monthly | | | | | | Joining the EU as The Engine | | | General News | EU | All Renewables | No | Neue Energie, March 2004; pp 80-83. | | | | | | Armenia - Support Program for Renewable Energies | | | General News | Armenia | ;Hydroelectric;All Renewables | No | Erneuerbare Energien, Issue 7 / 04, pp 6-7 | Armenien - Foerderprogram Erneurbare Energien | | | | | Use of Geothermal Resources in Russia | | | General News | Russia | Geothermal | No | Erneuerbare Energien, Issue 7/04, pp 6-7 | | | | | | Biogas: First in Belarus | | In the Kolchos "Sowjetkaja Belarussia", 60 km west of Gomel, the first biogas plant of Belarus is in planning. The demonstration unit will have a capacity of 660 kW and will be built by manufacturer AAT Biogas and GE Jenbacher GmbH of Germany. The feed in tariff for biogas in Belarus in 8.4 Eurocents/kWh. | Project | Belarus | Biogas | No | Neue Energie, March 2004; pp 79 | | | | | | Green Light for Emissions Trading | | The European Commission has approved the CO2 emission rights, which sets the number of emission certificates tradable starting 1.1.2005. Slovania has an approved CO2 emission rights for 26 million tons of CO2. | General News | EU | All Renewables | No | Erneurbare Energien, Issue 9/04, pp 6-7 | | | | | | Croatia's First Wind Farm | | Adria Wind Power (AWP), Zagreb expects to commission the Ravne 1 Wind Station on the island of Pag, in November. The station will utilize 7 Vestas 850 kW machines. The project is in cooperation with Ostwind, Regensburg, Aufwind of Friedrichshaven, and EAB of Freiburg, Germany. | Project | Croatia | Wind | No | Wind Power Monthly, Vol 20 (07), page 8 | | | | | | Europe Goes for Fixed Feed-In Tariffs | | Minimum feed-in tariffs dominate in the European Union; only 6 countries have decided for a quota system. According to the Article:
Poland has a quota system combined with certificate sales.
Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Slovenia, and Czech Republic have a minimum price model.
Slovakia and Lithuania do not have any support measures.
The authors are collaborators of the Research Department for Environmental Policy of the Free University of Berlin. | General News | ;Czech Republic;Estonia;EU;Hungary;Latvia;Lithuania;Poland;Slovakia;Slovenia | All Renewables | No | Neue Energie, February 2005; pp 12-15 | | | | | | International Seminar on European Project Development | | 22-23 September, 2005:
Energy and Environment: presents the EC Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), and the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) together with existing funding sources for energy and environment projects.
The two day intensive training course focuses on developing and submitting EU project proposals. | Event | EU | All Renewables | No | | | | | | | Majority for Feed-In Law in Czech Republic | | The majority of the Czech Parliament has accepted the new Energy feed-in law (103 votes for, 63 against). The new law brings among other things a minimum fixed tariffs for renewables.
The new law must be accepted by the Senate before it becomes effective. But it is almost sure that the conservative Senate will sent the law back to the Parliament, which can overvote the Senate's decision with at least 101 votes.
The Czech Republics current installed wind capacity is 17 MW. | General News | Czech Republic | All Renewables | No | Neue Energie, March 2005; pp 73 | | | | | | Estonia: Swords to Windmills | | 6 of the planned 8 Nordex N90 turbines are already in operation, on the Pakri Peninsula, where earlier the Soviet Submarines were based. The Pakri Project was developed by AS teelepargid, the Estonian daughter of the Danish Global Green Energ ApS of Aarhus, Denmark, who is planning three more projects in Estonia. | Project | Estonia | Wind | No | Neue Energie, February 2005, pp 74 | | | | |
|