Kosovo signs agreement for wind farm expansion
Kosovan grid operator Kostt has signed a connection agreement for a 20MW expansion of the 32.4MW Kitka wind farm, with the increase in capacity expected by 2022.
The Kitka wind farm was built by Turkey's Guris and came on line in 2018. The facility is Kosovo's only operational wind farm.
Kosovo aims to have 150MW of wind, 240MW of hydropower, 30MW of solar and 20MW of biomass-fired capacity by 2026, the economic development ministry said last year. It currently has 34MW of wind, 7MW of solar and 80MW of hydro capacity.
Most of the growth in wind power will come from the 105MW Bajgora wind farm, which began construction earlier this year and is expected to come on line in April 2021.
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Japan’s Higashidori No.1 reactor faces further delays
Japan’s Higashidori No.1 reactor faces further delays
Osaka, 23 April (Argus) — Japanese utility Tohoku Electric Power has confirmed a further delay in reinforcement works at its 1,100MW Higashidori No.1 nuclear reactor, with its completion date unknown. The postponement in restarting the Higashidori reactor in northern Aomori prefecture would encourage Tohoku to secure replacement thermal fuels — such as LNG and coal — for an extended period, although the company is planning to resume another reactor in September. Tohoku previously aimed to complete the reinforcement work at Higashidori in the April 2024-March 2025 fiscal year. But the company needs more time to clear all the procedures for the assessment of basic earthquake ground motions and tsunamis, and to prepare for the plant inspection. It is still unclear when the company will complete the safety measures. The Higashidori reactor is undergoing inspections by Japan's nuclear regulation authority (NRA), based on stricter safety rules following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. The reactor will need to pass the safety checks and secure approval from local governments before restarting. Tohoku has three commercial reactors, including two at Onagawa in Miyagi prefecture and the Higashidori No.1 reactor, of which it applied to restart two. The 825MW Onagawa No.2 reactor has already cleared the NRA's safety inspections and obtained permission from local authorities to restart. The company is now planning to restart the Onagawa No.2 reactor in September . The possible return of the Onagawa No.2 reactor will help Tohoku reduce consumption of thermal fuels. The company used 2.76mn t of LNG in April-December 2023, up by 12pc from a year earlier, in the absence of all its nuclear reactors. But its coal consumption fell by 12pc to 5.68mn t during the period. By Motoko Hasegawa Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Colombia's electricity woes add to unrest against Petro
Colombia's electricity woes add to unrest against Petro
Bogota, 22 April (Argus) — Colombians took the streets of major cities and towns across the nation on Sunday to protest mainly against health, pension and labor changes, but potential power outages are also creating discontent. Authorities estimated that about 250,000 Colombians marched in widespread protests, sparked by changes in healthcare. Congress in April had rejected President Gustavo Petro's proposals in the sector, and the government the next day seized the two largest private-sector health insurers. Protesting healthcare workers say the government did this to implement changes through a back channel. "Regulatory noise and risk are likely to remain high amid announcements, proposals, and measures [that do not require congressional approval], aimed at changing the game's rules in strategic sectors," brokerage Credicorp Capital said. Colombians also protested being on the verge of electricity rationing like that in neighboring Ecuador as hydroelectric reservoirs remain at record-low levels. Several unions and other associations have long warned the Petro administration to take measures to offset the effects of the El Nino weather phenomenon. Electricity distributors last year called for allowing bills for energy purchased on the spot market to be deferred and for loosening price index rules, among other proposals. The national business council sent at least three letters to the president on the issue. At least nine separate letters calling for preparation to prevent blackouts were sent to the president and ministers. Several actions were only recently implemented . "There are no risk of electricity rationing in Colombia," former energy minister Irene Velez said in 2023. "We do not understand why some people are interested in generating panic." Government weather forecasts also overestimated rainfall expected for March, leading hydroelectric plants to use more water in the reservoirs than they otherwise would have, said director of the thermoelectric generation association (Andeg) Alejandro Castaneda. Reservoir levels stood at 29.5pc today, rising thanks to rains since 19 April, up from 28.75pc on 18 April. Electricity rationing is set to begin when reservoirs drop below 27pc, according to grid operator XM. By Diana Delgado Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
TotalEnergies takes FID for Oman's Marsa LNG
TotalEnergies takes FID for Oman's Marsa LNG
Dubai, 22 April (Argus) — TotalEnergies has taken a final investment decision (FID) for the integrated Marsa LNG bunkering project it is carrying out in Oman with state oil company OQ. The project involves the production of 150mn ft³/d (1.55bn m³/yr) of gas from Oman's onshore block 10, the liquefaction of that gas at a new 1mn t/yr capacity plant to be built at the port of Sohar on Oman's north coast, and the construction of a 300MW solar generation facility that will power the plant. The ambition of the project is to serve as the first LNG bunkering hub in the Mideast Gulf region, showcasing "an available and competitive alternative marine fuel" to reduce emissions coming from the shipping industry. TotalEnergies said today that it expects to begin producing LNG by the first quarter of 2028. That LNG is "primarily intended to serve the marine fuel market in the Gulf", the company said, but all LNG quantities not sold as bunker fuel will be off-taken by TotalEnergies and OQ. "We are proud to open a new chapter in our history in the sultanate of Oman with the launch of the Marsa LNG project, together with OQ," TotalEnergies chief executive Patrick Pouyanne said. TotalEnergies holds a majority 80pc stake in the joint venture, with OQ holding the remaining 20pc. "We are especially pleased to deploy the two pillars of our transition strategy, LNG and renewables, and thus support the sultanate on a new scale in the sustainable development of its energy resources," Pouyanne said. TotalEnergies, Shell and OQ formalised an agreement to develop the gas resources in Oman's block 10 in late 2021 . The consortium began producing gas from the Mabrouk North East field in block 10 in January 2023. At the time, the companies said they expected to reach plateau production of 500mn ft³/d by the middle of 2024. But TotalEnergies today said the consortium had already reached plateau this month. As part of the original agreement, Marsa LNG was due to deliver production from the block to the government for 18 years, or until the end of 2039. But the decision by TotalEnergies and OQ to take FID has triggered an extension of Marsa LNG's rights to block 10 until 2050. The planned 300MW photovoltaic solar plant should cover 100pc of the LNG plant's annual power consumption, which will help "significantly" reduce greenhouse gases. "By paving the way for making the next generation of very low-emission LNG plants, Marsa LNG is contributing to making gas a long-term transition energy," Pouyanne said. By Nader Itayim Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Australia to launch 6GW renewables tender in May
Australia to launch 6GW renewables tender in May
Sydney, 22 April (Argus) — Australia's federal government plans to launch the country's largest ever tender for renewable energy in May, with more than a third of the capacity to be allocated to New South Wales (NSW) state. The first major tender under the federal government's expanded Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) will offer support for 6GW of renewable generation capacity, with at least 2.2GW of the total set specifically to NSW, the federal and state governments said in a joint statement on 22 April. A market briefing outlining the tender process will be released in early May. A minimum of 300MW will also be exclusively allocated to projects in South Australia (SA), even though that is still subject to a final agreement between the federal and state governments. The remaining capacity will be allocated across the National Electricity Market, which apart from NSW and SA also includes Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory. Tenders will run every six months until 2026-27 under the expanded CIS, with up to 15 years of support for a total of 32GW . This will consist of 23GW of renewable capacity like solar, wind and hydro and 9GW of dispatchable capacity such as pumped hydro and grid-scale batteries with at least two hours of dispatch. The inclusion of generation projects in NSW in the first CIS tender will replace the state's scheduled long-term energy service agreements (LTESA) tender under its NSW Roadmap. NSW will proceed though with the LTESA tender for long-duration storage infrastructure in the second quarter of 2024, as well as processes to award access rights for its Central West Orana and South West Renewable Energy Zones. The federal government also said it plans to launch a separate tender in Western Australia in mid-2024 targeting 500MW of dispatchable capacity. By Juan Weik Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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