The Chinese government has approved Beijing Gas’ plans to build a 5 mtpa LNG import terminal near Tianjin City by 2022 to help boost regional gas imports. The economically thriving Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, home to some 113 million people, is at the heart of China’s ‘Blue Skies’ policy aimed at accelerating a coal-to-gas switch in the power sector to improve air quality.
The Finish technology group Wärtsilä has signed an EPC contract for a new 100 MW/100 MWh energy storage project in South East Asia. The facility, including GEMS and the GridSolv solution, will be used for grid balancing purposes. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) committed to meeting 23 percent of its energy needs from renewables by 2025.
The Argentine President Alberto Fernandez is preparing a bill to encourage more hydraulic fracking in the Vaca Muerta shale with a view to boosting domestic gas production for the power sector. Excess supply is sold via YPF’s small-scale liquefaction plant ‘Tango FLNG’ and plans for a larger, onshore LNG export plants are already in the making.
In the first seven weeks of operation, Stadtwerke Kiel’s new gas-fuelled combined heat and power plant (CHP) has set “new standards in terms of flexibility, efficiency and sustainability,” the operator said. Powered by 20 Jenbacher J920 FleXtra gas engines, Kiel’s new coastal power plant provides 190 MW electricity and 192 MW thermal energy.
The Brazilian utility Rio Amazonas Energia (RAESA) has contracted Wärtsilä to convert the Cristiano Rocha power plant in Manaus to run fully on natural gas, while increasing output from 85 MW to 92 MW. This will reduce the plant’s OPEX, and reduce emissions. Works are due completed in the first half of 2021.
Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) has awarded another order to GE to provide a second 9HA.01 gas turbine for the Orot Rabin modernization project. The aim is to convert parts of the 2.59 GW coal-fired power station at Hadera into Israel’s largest combined-cycle gas turbine plant, delivering up to 1,260 MW.
French oil and gas major Total has signed an agreement with Gigajoules Group of South Africa to import and deliver regasified LNG for a projected large-scale gas power station at the outskirts of the Mozambican capital Beluluane. Importing LNG is vital given that there is not enough domestic gas supply to fuel the 2,000 MW power project.
Zhefu Holding Group of China and the Myanmar-listed firm Supreme Trading Co. have made plans to invest up to $2.57 billion to build an LNG import terminal and adjacent gas-fired power station at Mee Laung Gyaing. The integrated project will cover the energy needs for regional industrial zones, hotels and the city of Yangon.
Hong Kong-listed VPower Group, together with Myanmar’s Zeya Associates, are fast-tracking construction works for four emergency power projects in Myanmar, after having won a competitive tender in mid-October. The three power units, with a combined capacity of 900 MW, will be operated on imported LNG.
US equity fund Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR), alongside Alberta Investment, has sealed a deal to purchase a 65 percent equity interest in the Coastal GasLink Pipeline. Spanning over 416 miles, the gas interconnector links the Montney Shale with the Pacific Coast and has been built by TC Energy at a cost of cost of C$6.6 billion (US$5.04bn).
News in Brief
New York body rejects William’s plans for gas pipeline expansion
May 21 – New York’s and New Jersey’s state bodies for environmental conservation have rejected Williams’ plans for the Northeast Supply Enhancement project, designed to transport 400 million cubic feet per day of gas from Pennsylvania to New York. The state bodies had already denied wetland permits in 2019, but Williams pipeline subsidiary Transco filed another application with the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), arguing firm services under the project were agreed with UK’s National Grid for customers in New York City districts of Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Long Island.
UK inflation at 4-year low amid falling energy costs
May 20 – The rate of inflation in the UK has fallen to a four-year low as the pandemic pushed down global oil and fuel prices which translate into lower wholesale power prices. The consumer price index fell to an annual rate of 0.8% in April, down from 1.5% in March, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Deficit grows in German green energy fund
May 19 – German regional grid operator TransnetBW has warned of a growing shortfall in the country’s fund for green energy sources, financed under the so-called renewable energy (EEG) levy. TransnetBW, the TSO in southwest Germany, said “due to the EEG cost allocations defined for 2020, we anticipate there will be a negative year end bank account balance in the high three-digit million euro range for 2020.”
Spanish gas companies ‘resilient’
May 18 – Spain’s regulated gas companies “should prove to be resilient” to external shocks arising from coronavirus containment measures, Standard & Poor’s analysis finds, calculating with an average drop in EBITBA at less than 3% in 2020. A new remuneration framework for 2021-2026, recently enacted by the Spanish government, provides enhanced visibility rated grid operators amid the pandemic.
German electricity prices second highest in EU
May 15 – Taxes and the renewable energy surcharge have pushed up Germany’s household electricity prices to the second highest level in Europe, topped only by prices in Denmark. While Danish households paid 29.2 Euros per 100 kWh on average in the second half of 2019, prices in Germany averaged 28.7 Euros, according to the EU statistics office Eurostat.
Calpine’s Q1 earnings fall
May 14 – Calpine, America’s largest generator of electricity from gas and geothermal, has reported a net income of $128 million for the first quarter of 2020, down from $175 million in the prior year period. Lower commodity margins and unfavourable change in income taxes were partially offset by earnings from hedge positions for the three month ending March 31.
Siemens to supply hybrid plant in the Philippines
May 13 – Berkley Energy has contracted Siemens Energy to build a hybrid power project on the island of Mindoro in the Philippines. The project links 16 MW wind power with battery storage, stabilizing energy supply in a remote location with a weak link to the grid and reducing its dependence on diesel.
U.S. energy emissions fall
May 12 – Energy-related carbon emissions in the United States have fallen more than energy consumption, down 2.8% over the course of last year to 5,130 million metric tons (MMmt). Power sector emissions were down 145 MMmt, due to a switch from coal to gas and renewables. In April 2020, emissions experienced another unprecedented fall in due to Covid-19 lockdowns.
MAN expands Omincare concept
March 11 – MAN Energy Solutions’ service brand has extended its ‘PrimeServ Omnicare’ concept from turbomachinery to the marine and power segments. The one-stop service solution is now also applicable for maintenance of third-party machinery, including engines, turbochargers and related auxiliaries.
MIVOLT launches cooling fluid
May 7 – MIVOLT, part of the British company M&I Materials, has launched two specialist fluids to improve cooling efficiency at data centres. The electricity demand of data centres is forecast to rise to 20% of global supply to accommodate lifestyle changes like 5G internet network, autonomous vehicles and bitcoin mining.
Germany adds 1,300 km to power grid
May 6 – Germany has made progress in expanding its strained power grid. According to the Federal Network Agency (BNetzA), over 1,300 kilometres of new power transmission lines have been built and another 830km approved. A further 3,600km are planned to be built by 2030 to alleviate grid bottlenecks and allow transporting rising volumes of offshore wind southbound.
Oman nationalizes first IPP
May 5 – Manah Power, the first privately-run Independent Power Project (IPP) in Oman, has been transferred to state ownership, following the expiry of a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) between United Power Company and state-owned OPWP. Manah IPP was developed under Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) model, which stipulates an eventual nationalization of the assets – a feature absent in subsequent IPPs.
U.S inventories at record highs
May 4 – Inventories for crude oil and natural gas have reached a new record high in the United States, as fuel demand declines both for transport and the electric power sector. From March 13 – when a national emergency was declared due to the Covid-19 pandemic – to April 24, U.S. commercial crude oil inventories increased by 74 million barrels, or 16%, according to government figures. The acute scarcity of crude storage on April 20 led to a sell-off of future contracts at negative prices.
Wärtsilä to service Argentinean power plant
May 1 – Wärtsilä has signed a 10-year maintenance and service agreement with one of Argentina’s upstream companies. Under the deal, Wärtsilä provides a guaranteed performance for a 57.6 MW onsite power plant in the southern part of Argentina, with excess power sold to the national grid.
Zink-Air batteries for NY
April 30 – Zinc8 Energy Solutions has entered a cooperation with the New York Power Authority (NYPA) to install a zinc-air battery energy storage, backed by $2.55 million in state funding over a three year period. The Zinc8 ESS units can deliver power in the range 20-50 MW, with capacity of 8 hours of storage duration. The project will help New York State achieve its goal of installing 3 GW of energy storage by 2030.
UK again ‘coal-free’
April 29 – The UK continues to break its coal-free record as thermal coal-fired power plants currently remain off the system, according to National Grid data. Faltering demand due to the pandemic and high renewable energy supply radically altered the energy mix in many developed countries, with power in-feed from solar PV reaching 10 GW in Britain at the start of this week. “Coal is due off the system by 2025 and renewables have shown they are cost competitive with a viable route to market,” Delta-EE director Andy Bradley commented.
China’s fuel demand to rebound in Q2
April 28 – China’s demand for refined fuel is forecast to rebound in the second quarter, nearly reaching year-ago levels, as lockdowns to contain the coronavirus get lifted. Analysts at SIA Energy in Beijing expect second quarter demand for the three main transportation fuels to increase by 1.1 million barrels per day compared with the first quarter of 2020.
