Publicat în 7 septembrie 2016, 13:49 /
29 elite & idei
Antonia Colibasanu – Monthly Strategic Compass: Europe Energy Focus
- After the presidents of Russia, Iran and Azerbaijan met in Baku on Aug. 8, the media reported that the three countries have agreed to create a new natural gas cartel as well as establish an energy corridor between themselves. At the end of the month, on Aug. 29, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimukhammedov met German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin. Turkmenistan has some of the world’s largest natural gas reserves, and the two leaders have reportedly talked about the country diversifying its gas exports and selling gas to European Union. The two news items are apparently unrelated. But the most complicated issue in the Caspian region is the unsolved division of energy exploration sectors between Iran, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. This matter will likely affect the establishment of a trilateral gas cartel and even a corridor between Russia, Iran and Azerbaijan. Iran and Russia do not want competition in the European market — Russia is well established there, and Iran is looking to enter. Iran and Russia therefore oppose the construction of corridors that could carry energy from Azerbaijan or Turkmenistan to the EU, even as Baku and Ashgabat discuss potential avenues for cooperation with the Europeans. But considering the new dynamics between Russia and Turkey dynamics as well as the evolution of the conflict in Syria, such news has geopolitical value for the region.
- Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov talked with Russian President Vladimir Putinon Aug. 5 about major energy projects in Bulgaria, including the Belene nuclear power plant project and South Stream. They have agreed “to step up interaction within the framework of the Russian-Bulgarian Intergovernmental Commission on Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation.” An arbitration court in Geneva ruled in June that Bulgaria’s state-owned National Electricity Company (NEK) has to pay €550 million to Russia’s Atomstroyexport, a unit of Rosatom, for equipment already produced for the Belene project. Borisov said on Aug. 8 that the sum adds to €708 million Bulgaria has already paid Russia since 2006 for the project. Following the court ruling, Borisov has proposed resurrecting the project through partial privatization. According to media reports, the government also considered selling part of the plant to Iran. On Aug. 4, the EU sent the Bulgarian government a letter reminding Sofia that it must notify the EU Commission of initiatives and resolutions taken regarding the Belene nuclear power plant and the South Stream project. Discussions of the nuclear power plant could also be related to the campaign for Bulgaria’s upcoming election. At the same time, considering the costs incurred by the Bulgaria, the pressure is likely high for the government to find alternatives and revive the nuclear power plant project.
- Initial reports during the last week of July that TurkStream will be revived were confirmed following the meeting on Aug. 9 between the Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Russia’s Gazprom reported on Aug. 10 that it is willing to sign an intergovernmental agreement on the halted Turkish Stream gas pipeline project with Turkey and that it plans to update a roadmap for the project. Following the same meeting, Russia’s energy minister also said that Moscow is willing to discuss a lower price for natural gas deliveries to Turkey. All indications so far are that the two countries are seeking ways to revive and enhance cooperation in the energy sector.
- Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Aug. 15 that the process of restoring the balance between demand and supply in the oil market has begun. Russia’s view is that the oil market will rebalance itself once geopolitics settle into a new equilibrium,anticipating that the oil price will move above $100 in 2019-2020. The oil price drop has kept Russia into its longest recession in two decades.
- Ukraine’s National Nuclear Energy Generating Company, Energoatom, and the European consortium URENCO signed an agreement on the supply of enriched uraniumfor Westinghouse’s plant in Sweden for the production of nuclear fuel for an Ukrainian NPP, Energoatom announced on Aug. 18.
Ultima ora:
ObservatorIlie Pușcaș: Tehnologia blockchain devine un pilon strategic pentru economia viitorului
PoliticRadu Burnete: Mark Rutte a transmis astăzi un mesaj foarte clar – România are aliați pe care se poate baza. Dacă România este atacată, 31 de state vor sări în apărarea ei
EconomieGruia Stoica: Electroputere VFU Pașcani, parte a GRAMPET Group, câștigă pentru a treia oară în fața STB, în procedura de atribuire a contractului de tramvaie pentru București
ExternCristian Andrei: Câteva facts despre alegerile de ieri din US, care ne arată lucrurile un pic mai nuanțate
SocialStefan Radu Oprea: Profesor pentru o oră!
EvenimenteCristian Sporis:🚀 MoonshotX Edition II Bootcamp – Romania’s first private economic diplomacy platform!
EditorialMarco Badea: New York-ul și-a ales primarul care promite să-l salveze. Zohran Mamdani intră în război cu Trump
CulturaLigia Deca: În domeniul cultural, România continuă să-și protejeze și să-și promoveze patrimoniul, inclusiv siturile de patrimoniu UNESCO
Club Romania | Elite si idei / www.oranoua.ro - Open Source Internet Database part of a non-governmental project / Contact: office[at]oranoua[.]ro | Operated by CRSC Europe