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Energy & Environment
Czechs to push for Nabucco gas pipeline at EU helm
Thursday, December 18, 2008
The Czech EU Presidency will push for the planned Nabucco gas pipeline, which aims to reduce the Union's dependence on Russian gas, to become an EU project, the country's Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek recently announced. The Czech Republic is among the biggest supporters of the EU's flagship gas project and has put energy security among its highest priorities. "This is an absolute priority. Our partners see it in the same way, and we have agreed on this at the Visegrad Four meeting," ...
President Basescu: Romania's effort to cut carbon emissions got EU recognition
Thursday, December 18, 2008
President Traian Basescu declared on Friday in Brussels at the end of the European Council winter meeting, that Romania's effort to cut carbon emissions was acknowledged during the Summit and as a result Romania will receive the highest percentage of the amount made available to member states that slashed these emissions. 'As far as the energy package is concerned, I give you only one element. The adopted solutions recognize Romania's efforts between 1990 and 2005, and actually ...
Transgaz eying 17 pc higher profit in 2009
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Transport company for natural gas Transgaz estimates for 2009 a rise in the net profit by 17.4 percent, a rise in revenues by 16 percent and growth of salaries by 10 percent. According to these estimates, the net profit of the company might go up to 309.54 million lie (some 86 million euros), whereas the rise in total revenues expected to be of 16 percent, up to 1.41 billion lei (some 393.8 million euros). At the same time, spending will go up by 15.5 percent reaching 1.05 billion lei (some ...
Transelectrica to finalize commissioning of interconnection line with Hungary on 12 December
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Transelectrica and Mavir (Hungary) will officially commission the aerial interconnection power line between Arad and Bekescsaba on 12 December, reads a Transelectrica release for Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB).The project, which cost 25.7 million euro, has a total length of 94 km, out of which 56 km on Romania's soil and 38 km on Hungary's soil.The 400 kV Arad - Nadab - Bekescsaba line is the first one built after some 20 years and represented one of the priorities of the government ...
Primary energy resources, up 2.4 percent in 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
The volume of primary energy resources will reach, in 2008, as many as 42,237 million tonnes of oil equivalent (toe), up 2.4 percent from last year, according to a survey conducted by the National Prognosis Commission.The coal resources are put at 13.138 million toe, those of crude oil at 12.909 million toe, and those of natural gas at 13.729 million toe. The resources of electricity could total 4.827 million toe, while the oil products from import can reach at 1.304 million toe.For the ...
Romania's electric power export increased by cca 65pc in 10 months
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Electric power export has recorded, over January 1 - October 31 2008, an increase by 64.7pc, 1.68 billion KWh respectively, against the similar period of 2007, according to data released by the National Statistics Institute INS.The electric power final consumption in this period reached 44.190 billion KWh, by 5.7pc bigger than the same period of the last year, the public lighting recording a rise by 10.8pc, and the population's consumption some 5.9pc in advance.According to the INS, over ...
New regulations on public and private projects' impact on environment
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Romania's Government passed a decision on the assessment of the impact certain public and private projects have on the environment, informs Governmental Newsroom's release , on Friday.The new regulations alter the laws on the authorization of building works taking into account aspects related to the appropriate assessment.Thus, it is harmonized and transposed the provisions of the Habitat Directive, giving a special importance to the assessment of the projects, which can have ...
EU agrees 10% 'green fuel' target in renewables deal
Thursday, December 11, 2008
The EU has struck a deal to satisfy 10% of its transport fuel needs from renewable sources, including biofuels, hydrogen and green electricity, as part of ongoing negotiations on its energy and climate package. The move represents a step back from the original aim of sourcing 10% of the bloc's transport fuels from biofuels alone.A compromise deal on the contribution of biofuels to the EU's overall renewable energy consumption target, which foresees sourcing 20% of the bloc's energy needs ...
Rompetrol invests 175M dlrs in Black Sea offshore terminal
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Rompetrol Group invested 175 million dollars in an offshore terminal in the Black Sea and in the 350 percent expansion of the transit capacity of the finished products through the port of Midia, Rompetrol Group CEO Dinu Patriciu announced at a news conference on Monday.The new terminal has a total capacity of 14 million tonnes a year, to go up to 24 million tonnes by July 2009, when the other direction of the pipeline, to export, will be used.'14 million tonnes is a ...
Statkraft takes interest in Romania's methane and water powered plants
Thursday, December 11, 2008
The Norwegian Statkraft company, Europe's largest renewable energy maker, wants to invest in Romania's 400-800 MW Greenfield natural gas powered plants, and in hydro power plants putting out over 50 MW, also looking for opportunities on the solar energy market, the Business Standard informs on Monday Nevertheless, the Romanian laws must be simplified for the market to become interesting for more investors, Statkraft Romania manager Terje Martin Sletten told the Business ...
Rompetrol interested in taking part in Constanta-Trieste pipeline construction
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Rompetrol Company is interested in taking part both by funding and in the construction works of the oil pipeline to link the Black Sea port of Constanta to Trieste, Italy, as the offshore terminal opened at Midia (on the Romanian Black Sea coast) on Monday might be the end part of this pipeline, Rompetrol Group CEO Dinu Patriciu announced.'At this moment we are willing to finance not only the entire construction, but to also provide the required crude capacities. We are ready to ...
First wind turbine built by CEZ in Dobrogea to be installed in May
Thursday, December 11, 2008
The first wind turbine built by CEZ in Dobrogea (southeastern Romania) will be installed in May next year, the daily Ziarul Financiar cites Ondrej Safar, project manager with CEZ Romania as saying.The CEZ official said his company had already initiated the construction works for the platform on which the turbines were to be installed. He added the company would build some 120 kilometers of road so that the equipment could be transported to the place where it should be installed. The ...
Interview: UN climate talks must move beyond rhetoric
Thursday, December 11, 2008
The Poznań climate negotiations should maintain "realistic" expectations and focus on defining the issues that must be addressed once the new US administration has taken office and all interested parties are sitting at the table, William Ramsay, a former deputy director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), told EurActiv in an interview."I think the advances that have been made in building a dialogue with India, with China, with Indonesia and other countries are very important. You ...
Minister Lazar Comanescu: Romania can be upbeat as regards climate-energy package
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Romania has good reasons to be optimistic as regards the package of climate changesenergy, on which the heads of state and government have to agree, at a summit due on Dec 11 and 12, as Romania will benefit from the desired flexibility, Romanian ForMin Lazar Comanescu said on Monday.The top diplomats from the EU member states met in Brussels, in order to talk about the main topics on the agenda of the European Summit due at the end of this week, and to draft a first set of ...
EU to reach accord on energyclimate package by Dec 12
Thursday, December 11, 2008
EU member states will reach a political accord on the new law package on energyclimate changes by this Dec 12 and Romania has big chances to get a derogation from the obligation of buying carbon dioxide emissions certificates on the market in 2013, said Economy and Finance Ministry expert Gabriel Baleanu.'EU member states have to reach a compromise on the law package, by Dec 12. Romania is very close to get a derogation, so that it should buy only half of the emission certificates ...
Sarkozy confident about EU climate 'solidarity' deal
Thursday, December 11, 2008
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has expressed optimism that agreement will be reached on the EU's ambitious climate goals this week after holding talks at the weekend with Europe's Eastern leaders and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.In a statement, the French Presidency said Sarkozy and Merkel held a telephone conversation on Sunday (7 December) about "the issues on the agenda" for the next European summit on 11-12 December."On the energyclimate package, they confirmed their common will to ...
E.ON builds Europe's first green thermal power plant at Braila
Thursday, December 4, 2008
In 2010, Germany's E.ON will start building in the Romanian southeastern city of Braila a 508 MW coal-fired pilot thermal power plant with an energy efficiency of 45 pct, Business Standard reports on Wednesday.The investment stands at 1.2 bln euros, almost twice the cost per MW installed specific to a common such power-generating facility.E.ON officials said this is a first for Europe. 'Coal is a source of energy that is here to last and there are many supply routes available. With ...
12-year long exploitation of Unit 1 in Cernavoda
Thursday, December 4, 2008
All along the 12 years since it was commissioned, Unit 1 of the Nuclear Power Station (CNE) at Cernavoda (south-eastern Romania) produced more than 65 million MWe, thus being one of the first CANDU-600 stations worldwide, reads a release of SN Nuclearelectrica SA.Unit 1 of CNE in Cernavoda started working on December 2, 1996, and so far it has scored remarkable results in point of observing the requirements for nuclear safety as well as the performance in producing electric ...
Petrom and ExxonMobil to explore in the Black Sea
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Petrom the biggest Southeastern European crude and methane maker and ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Romania Ltd, signed an agreement on exploring together the crude potential of the deepest sea waters in the area of the Romanian Black Sea shore resort Neptun.Neptun deep offshore area covers about 9,900 sq. km, ranging between 50m and 1,700 m deep, Petrom release says.The joint exploration works will be directed to the deep waters area, and a wide-scale data seismic ...
Crisis to sweep through energy traders
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Producers on the energy market are operating at present without considering the crisis. Besides the fact that electricity became more expensive, there is no guarantee that the demand by Romanian industry companies for electricity remains at the same level or drop only marginally.'Nobody is thinking about the crisis.The energy market behaves as if it is immune, while most companies are revising their budgets downward, the recession is knocking at the door, banks are shutting their ...