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ENGI Energiser Investments Plc

0.65
0.00 (0.00%)
26 Jul 2024 - Closed
Delayed by 15 minutes
Share Name Share Symbol Market Type Share ISIN Share Description
Energiser Investments Plc LSE:ENGI London Ordinary Share GB00B06CZD75 ORD 0.1P
  Price Change % Change Share Price Bid Price Offer Price High Price Low Price Open Price Shares Traded Last Trade
  0.00 0.00% 0.65 0.60 0.70 - 0.00 01:00:00
Industry Sector Turnover Profit EPS - Basic PE Ratio Market Cap
0 0 N/A 0

Energiser Investments Share Discussion Threads

Showing 2476 to 2491 of 3150 messages
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DateSubjectAuthorDiscuss
30/10/2020
19:12
ENGIE acquires Hills of Gold wind farm in Australia for $528m

PowerWindProject

By NS Energy Staff Writer 30 Oct 2020

The project, which is in its planning stage, will have a capacity of 420MW after its completion
windmills-5643293_1920 (4)

(Credit: Ed White from Pixabay)

ENGIE Australia & New Zealand has announced the acquisition of the Hills of Gold wind farm development near Nundle, New South Wales, Australia, for A$750m ($528m).

The project, which is in its planning stage, will have a capacity of 420MW after its completion.

Following the acquisition of the project company Wind Energy Partners, ENGIE ANZ will develop and operate the Hills of Gold wind farm.

ENGIE ANZ’s asset development general manager Andrew Kerley said: “The Hills of Gold Wind Farm is a quality project that adds renewable energy to the national grid, while also creating local economic activity during construction and operation of the 25-year lifespan of the asset.

“We’re looking forward to the opportunity of building the Hills of Gold Wind Farm and to working with the local community to unlock the benefits of renewable energy development.”
Hills of Gold wind farm to feature 70 turbines

During the construction phase, the project is expected to create 215 direct jobs and about 430 indirect jobs.

Upon entering into operations, it will create about 30 permanent jobs and 50 indirect jobs.

The Hills of Gold wind farm will feature about 70 wind turbines, each of which will have a generating capacity of up to 6MW per unit.

In addition, the project will include a 33kV/330kV onsite substation that will be connected to the existing 330kV TransGrid Liddell to Tamworth overhead transmission line network via a dedicated transmission line from the wind farm.

In 2019, ENGIE developed and commissioned the 119MW Willogoleche Wind farm near Hallet, approximately 160km north of Adelaide, Australia.

Willogoleche is Engie’s second wind farm in Australia following the 46MW Canunda wind farm, which has been operational since 2005.

waldron
30/10/2020
17:37
Brent Crude Oil NYMEX 37.53 -1.60%
Gasoline NYMEX 1.02 -0.71%
Natural Gas NYMEX 3.30 -0.57%
WTI 35.315 USD -2.40%


FTSE 100
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Dow Jones
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CAC 40
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Índice Bovespa
94,372.62 -2.29%
S&P ASX 200
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Eni
6.011 +1.57%

Total
25.82 +2.75%



Engie
10.385 +1.12%

Orange
9.63 +0.31%

Bp
196.6 +1.62%

Vodafone
103 -0.48%

Royal Dutch Shell A
965.4 +3.51%


Royal Dutch Shell B
929 +3.42%

Tullow Oil (TLW)
19.865 0.69 (3.60%)

waldron
30/10/2020
12:00
OFFSHORE ENERGY


GTT posts nine-month revenue jump

October 30, 2020, by Adnan Bajic

French liquefied natural gas containment system specialist, GTT, reported a 53.1 per cent jump in its nine-month revenue.
GTT posts nine-month revenue jumpCourtesy of GTT

GTT’s revenue for the first nine months of 2020 reached €305.6 million ($356.7 million). This compares to €199.7 million in the corresponding period in 2019.

Commenting on the results, Philippe Berterottière, chairman and CEO of GTT said, “with a total of 38 orders booked since the start of the year for all segments taken together, GTT’s commercial activity continues to progress at a firm pace, and LNG demand is maintaining its upward trend, driven by Asia.”

He noted that revenues for the first nine months of 2020 fully benefited from the flow of orders over the last two years and are sharply up.
LNG carrier orders riding high

In addition to the 12 LNG carriers booked during the first half of the year, further six orders were booked in the third quarter of 2020.

Including an order for ten ice-breaker LNG carriers announced today, GTT has taken in a total of 28 orders for LNG carriers since the start of 2020.

GTT’s core business activity is, therefore, at a sustained level, the company said in its statement.

The company further added that the Technical Assistance and Licensing Agreement (TALA) signed at the end of June with Russian shipyard Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex (Zvezda), for the construction of LNG carriers incorporating GTT membrane tank systems, led already to orders for 15 ice-breaker LNG carriers.

At the end of the third quarter, September 30, 2020, the order book, excluding LNG as fuel, stood at 135 units. The order book includes 108 LNG carriers, 10 VLECs, 5 FSRUs, 2 FSUs, 1 FLNG, 3 gravity-based structures (GBS), and 6 onshore storage tanks.

Looking ahead, GTT noted that given the size of the backlog, and assuming there are no major delays or cancellation of orders, GTT confirms its 2020 full-year revenue between €375 and €405 million.

la forge
26/10/2020
20:00
Oct 26, 2020

ENGIE is supporting the Rwanda government’s goal to achieve 100% access to electricity for its people by 2024 through pioneering innovations. ENGIE Energy Access (formerly ENGIE Mobisol) is the leader in Rwanda’s solar home systems market, having installed a capacity of 3.3MW in the country that brings power to 162,500 rural beneficiaries. ENGIE Africa is putting in place a pilot with OffGridBox to provide purified water, power and Wi-Fi to offgrid communities in Kigali.

ENGIE Energy Access is a result of the successful integration of ENGIE Mobisol, Fenix International and ENGIE PowerCorner into a single entity; which is now one of the leading off-grid, Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGo) and mini-grid solutions provider in Africa, bringing decentralized electricity to more than five million people in nine countries – Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, and Mozambique.

With 11 shops spread throughout Rwanda that have sold almost 40,000 SHS since 2014, ENGIE Energy Access implements effective last-mile distribution. It employs 325 people in Rwanda, both directly and indirectly, and maintains excellent after-sales service through its all-in-one PAYG (Pay-As-You-Go) software solution, Paygee. This inhouse-designed innovation helps the underserved to create valuable credit history through affordable Mobile Money payments, leading to a more positive socio-economic future.

TO read more on Engie Africa’s project, visit www.engie-africa.com.



Source: AE Africa

ariane
25/10/2020
07:33
The Guardian
Investors fear there'll be no bright post-Covid dawn for oil majors
Jillian Ambrose
Sun, 25 October 2020, 1:05 am CEST·3-min read

The oil market may have heaved itself out of the darkness of “Black April” but investors are far from convinced that major oil companies will walk away unscathed from the coronavirus pandemic.

Royal Dutch Shell and BP will both face investors this week with quarterly financial results that will deliver profits well below those achieved a year ago, against a backdrop of tumbling share prices and rising Covid infections across major economies.

On Tuesday, BP is expected to report an underlying loss of $120m for the last quarter, according to analysts’ estimates. This would be a major improvement on its underlying loss of $6.7bn in the second quarter, following heavy writedowns on the company’s exploration business, but would still be well below the $2.3bn third-quarter profit reported in 2019.

BP’s announcement will come days after its share price fell below 200p a share for the first time since 1994, and months after the company cut its dividend for the first time since the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and set out plans to cut 10,000 jobs.

In the same week, Shell is expected to reveal a modest underlying profit, of $146m, for the third quarter, according to analysts, after plunging to a loss of $18.4bn for the second quarter. This is still a fraction of the $4.76bn profit recorded in the same quarter last year, and follows the company’s decision to cut 9,000 jobs and reduce the dividend for the first time since the second world war.

This trend is expected to be followed across the world’s oil companies, tracking the fragile and uncertain recovery of global oil markets amid a second wave of coronavirus infections. The price of oil reached an average of $43 a barrel in the third quarter – stronger than the average of $30 a barrel in the second quarter, when US oil prices fell below zero for the first time in April – but still well below the $62 a barrel price that prevailed in the third quarter a year ago.

la forge
23/10/2020
17:33
Brent Crude Oil NYMEX 41.96 -1.11%
Gasoline NYMEX 1.13 -1.39%
Natural Gas NYMEX 3.22 -1.26%
WTI 40.129 USD -1.02%

FTSE 100
5,860.28 +1.29%
Dow Jones
28,252.21 -0.39%
CAC 40
4,909.64 +1.20%
SBF 120
3,894.66 +1.14%
Euro STOXX 50
3,198.86 +0.91%
DAX
12,645.75 +0.82%
Ftse Mib
19,215.9 +0.73%



Eni
6.444 +1.62%

Total
28.08 +1.67%


Engie
11.365 +1.38%

Orange
9.518 +1.86%

Bp
205.5 +2.04%

Vodafone
112.6 +3.53%

Royal Dutch Shell A
971.8 +2.47%


Royal Dutch Shell B
940.6 +2.84%


Tullow Oil (TLW)
21.63 1.83 (9.24%)

waldron
22/10/2020
15:14
French government blocks 'dirty' LNG

By KELSEY TAMBORRINO

10/22/2020 10:00 AM EDT

Editor’s Note: Morning Energy is a free version of POLITICO Pro Energy's morning newsletter, which is delivered to our subscribers each morning at 6 a.m. The POLITICO Pro platform combines the news you need with tools you can use to take action on the day’s biggest stories. Act on the news with POLITICO Pro.
Quick Fix

— The French government blocked a $7 billion LNG deal between Engie and a U.S. gas supplier over concerns that West Texas gas was too dirty.

— President Donald Trump and Joe Biden will lock horns on climate and energy policy during the final presidential debate tonight.

— Two Democratic committee chairs in the House are in tight reelection races that have potential implications for climate and energy policy.

WELCOME TO THURSDAY! I'm your host, Kelsey Tamborrino. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee's Tonya Parish was the first to name Abraham Lincoln, the first member of the Republican Party elected U.S. president. For today: What presidential candidate famously asked voters, "Are you better off than you were four years ago?" Send your tips, energy gossip and comments to ktamborrino@politico.com.

Check out the POLITICO Energy podcast — all the energy and environmental politics and policy news you need to start your day, in just five minutes. Listen and subscribe for free at politico.com/energy-podcast. On today's episode: Trump, Biden and Nord Stream 2
Driving the Day

FRANCE SAYS MAIS NON TO LNG DEAL: The French government blocked trading firm Engie from signing a potential $7 billion deal with a U.S. liquefied natural gas company last month over concerns that its U.S. shale gas was too dirty, two people familiar with the situation told POLITICO's Ben Lefebvre. The 20-year contract would have delivered LNG from NextDecade's planned Rio Grande export facility in Brownsville, Texas.

What happened: The French government, which is a part owner of Engie, stepped in to tell Engie's board of directors to delay — if not outright cancel — any deal out of concern that U.S. natural gas producers emit too much methane at the West Texas oil and gas fields that will supply the NextDecade plant, said Lorette Philippot, head of private finance campaigns for French environmental group Les Amis de la Terre. The incident was first reported by a French news site but independently confirmed to POLITICO.

"It could still be signed in the coming weeks," Philippot said. "But what is sure is the political, reputational risk around the validation of the contracts is one of the elements there. The climate impacts played a role."

In the backdrop: The European Union has sought a European Green Deal to combat climate change, and the European Commission has singled out energy imports as a major source of methane emissions. The news also underscores a growing concern among some U.S. natural gas exporters that the regulatory rollbacks pushed by the Trump administration, as well as the industry's overall failure to rein in emissions, are making it more difficult to sell their product overseas as a cleaner alternative to oil or coal.

"We're probably going to go from trade war to carbon trade war pretty seamlessly in the next 10 years," said Kevin Book, director of analysis firm ClearView Energy. "Whatever you think is going to happen on climate, you have to predicate it against that."

Consider this: A recent international survey by Pew Research Center found the largest ideological gap on natural gas use in the U.S. Eighty-eight percent of conservatives support using more natural gas, while 45 percent of liberals said the same.

la forge
22/10/2020
11:51
Engie to supply renewable power to Chilean wastewater treatement firm
The Monte Redondo wind park in Chile. Image source: Engie Energia Chile SA

October 22 (Renewables Now) - Engie Energia Chile SA has signed a four-year agreement to supply 100% renewable power to Chilean wastewater treatment company Tratacal SA.

Under the terms of the contract, Engie Chile will supply 10 GWh per year to meet the customer's demand in the Calama commune, the Chilean subsidiary of France’s Engie SA (EPA:ENGI) said on Wednesday.

Thank to the agreement, Tratacal will now be able to avoid the annual emission of approximately 14 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2).

The contract complements Tratacal's own photovoltaic (PV) plant, which supplies 1 MWh of clean electricity to the company.

Two years ago, Tratacal set a target of powering its operations with 100% renewable energy and this new contract with Engie has allowed the firm to achieve the long-awaited goal, general manager Victor Ramirez Figueroa, noted.

waldron
22/10/2020
09:14
Engie unveils hydrogen-based energy storage for Greek microgrid
October 22, 2020


A hydrogen-based energy storage system has been completed at the Agkistro microgrid in Greece in the EU REMOTE project.

The storage based on Engie EPS’ proprietary technology consists of a hydrogen ‘power-to-power’ system made by an electrolyser, converting electricity into hydrogen (power-to-gas), and a fuel cell system, converting stored hydrogen back to electricity (gas-to-power).

The system will benefit from the continuous availability of renewable hydroelectric energy that allows to minimise the power-to-gas sizing, while covering peak load request and guaranteeing back up energy thanks to the 500kWh hydrogen storage equivalent net energy.

Commissioning and site acceptance testing have been completed successfully.

“With the finalisation of the Agkistro’s plant, our hydrogen proprietary technology is now proven in four continents as the only available option to make microgrids 100% green,” states Carlalberto Guglielminotti, CEO and General Manager of Engie EPS.

“For the future, we are also targeting utility-scale opportunities as system integrator and technology provider.”

Hydrogen storage demonstrations

The Agkistro microgrid is one of four demonstrations in the EU supported REMOTE (Remote area Energy supply with Multiple Options for integrated hydrogen-based Technologies) project. The four-year project started in 2018 aims to demonstrate the feasibility of hydrogen-based technologies for renewable energy storage in isolated and off-grid areas.

The Agkistro microgrid in northern Greece close to the Bulgarian border is an isolated grid application in partnership with the Greek renewable energy supplier Horizon S.A. The microgrid will supply an energy independent agri-food processing unit using part of the energy generated from Horizon’s nearby hydroelectric plant to produce hydrogen, which will then be stored and used for power generation when needed.

The other isolated microgrid demonstration in REMOTE is taking place on Froan Island in Norway and comprises a hybrid system with solar PV and wind and residential and fisheries industrial loads.



The two off-grid configurations are at Ginostra on Stromboli Island in southern Italy where Enel Green Power is demonstrating a PV, hybrid battery-hydrogen storage system and Ambornetti in northern Italy where also a hybrid system is being implemented with biomass as one of the generation resources.

The hybrid approach provides both short and long term storage options such as daily delivery from the batteries and seasonally from the hydrogen.

florenceorbis
20/10/2020
17:57
U.S. broadens sanctions against Russian gas pipeline project
Oct. 20, 2020 10:22 AM ET|About: Public Joint Stock Company ... (OGZPY)|By: Carl Surran, SA News Editor

The U.S. State Department has broadened the scope of sanctions targeting the Gazprom-led (OTCPK:OGZPY) Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project, which is 100 miles short of completion beneath the Baltic Sea between Russia and Germany.

New State Department guidelines expand upon last year's measure, saying sanctions would apply to companies providing services, facilities or funding for "upgrades or installation of equipment" for vessels that would work on Nord Stream 2.

Last year's sanctions against companies providing deep-sea pipe-laying vessels caused the project's key ship to depart, and the new guidance takes aim at the Russian ship that some U.S. officials tracking the project believe Nord Stream 2 has selected as a replacement vessel.

Gazprom's Nord Stream 2 partners are Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A, RDS.B), Germany's Uniper (OTC:UNPPY) and BASF (OTCQX:BASFY), Austria's OMV (OTCPK:OMVJF) and France's Engie (OTCPK:ENGIY).

The expanded sanctions are the latest obstacle for the project, following the poisoning of Russian opposition political figure Alexei Navalny in August, which raised calls within Germany to distance itself from it.

misca2
17/10/2020
07:41
Codelco launches first electric mining truck for local industry

Published by Jessica Casey, Editorial Assistant
Global Mining Review, Friday, 16 October 2020 16:30

The El Teniente Division of Codelco with the presence of the Minister of Mining, Baldo Prokurica, the Minister of Economy, Lucas Palacios, the Executive President of Codelco, Octavio Araneda, and the CEO of Engie Chile, Axel Levêque, has debuted the first electric mining truck in Chile's mining industry.

The mining equipment comes from German brand Scharf and will operate within this operations’ centre in a joint project with the Engie company, which will be in charge of data monitoring and load management. It is the first versatile electrical equipment to cover extensive stretches, both outside and inside the El Teniente underground mine.

The new truck, an equipment for mining use adapted with a 100% electric power train which helps move all of the diesel, is due to begin its industrial test stage in which it is planned to validate its operation in terms of power, resistance and energy consumption in underground mine and high mountain industrial road conditions.

Prokurica commented: “We want to congratulate the effort that the administration of Octavio Araneda, Codelco's Executive President, is making with electromobility. It is a commitment that Chile has made and that demonstrates it by being one of the countries that has more electric vehicles in collective locomotion. Its incorporation into mining also generates important benefits. Electromobility is pure Chile because the vehicles have 4 times more copper and use lithium batteries that contain cobalt.”

Given that this type of truck is one of the most used vehicles in the national mining industry – only Codelco has more than 1300 diesel version mining trucks – this experience will promote a market for the development of this type of low-emission equipment.

“At Codelco, we are taking the first steps in a great revolution that is taking place worldwide, which is electrification. We have defined a path towards increasing the incorporation of electric energy. We have a road map for underground mining projected to 2030, in which the majority of production equipment will be electric. Codelco is transforming itself and an important part of that process is innovation and technological development that goes hand in hand with sustainability,̶1; added Araneda.

“Mining activity has been one of the engines that has sustained our economy in these difficult months. Without stopping, even increasing its production; with strict compliance with the established protocols, the sector has managed to push the car of our economy. When things they are done well, with the commitment of the companies and their workers, we can get ahead,” said Palacios, highlighting the leading role of the main Chilean state company and of the entire mining industry in the reactivation of the economy, which around the world has been hit by the current health crisis. Codelco’s annual investment in structural projects is US$20 000 million (2019 – 2028), generating employment and extending the useful life of its deposits between 40 – 50 years.

Currently, a large part of the electromobility solutions available in the market are not necessarily designed for large mining conditions, so it is necessary to develop pilot experiences to collect operational data and strategic designs that allow determining the requirements for a future massive implementation in tasks.

“We are focused on developing solutions that contribute to greener and carbon-neutral mining. Our relationship with Codelco is long-standing and we have always been co-designing energy alternatives to make your business more efficient and sustainable. Today we advance in this pioneering pilot in mining operations, which we are betting will open doors for a new phase of green mobility in the industry” added Leveque.

Autonomy, recharging times, vehicle wear, user experience and driving safety are some of the aspects that will be monitored during the 12 months that are contemplated for the industrial test of this truck, in order to determine and identify the conditions that allow scaling this type of technology in the state company.

In 2018 Codelco began the development of electromobility pilots with a pioneering plan for testing electric vehicles in service in the Northern District. This programme made it possible, for the first time, to face electric vehicles in real conditions of a mining operation in order to validate technological, business and sustainability variables, in addition to understanding the technology and identifying the challenges to extrapolate, incorporate and scale it to other processes . The positive results obtained led the company to advance in two lines: passenger transport and equipment in operating areas.

Codelco was the first mining company in Chile to test an electric bus in its operations, both in the El Teniente Division and the Chuquicamata Division, which allowed the incorporation of buses for the transport of passengers in different geographical conditions, from the arid and wide desert to the roads. mountain ranges with high slopes and cold in the central zone. In addition, due to the complexity and specificity of underground mining, the state-owned mining company worked on the transformation of the first electric minibus from diesel equipment, a vehicle that has operated inside the El Teniente underground mine.

gibbs1
14/10/2020
08:31
Engie : Deutsche Bank keeps HOLD with target at 13 EUR.
adrian j boris
11/10/2020
08:24
The politics of climate change have also changed the market calculus about when Nord Stream 2 will be needed. When the pipeline was planned, natural gas was widely seen as the fuel that would replace coal and sit alongside wind and solar power in Europe’s energy mix. Since then, the cost of renewables plummeted, weakening the case for any fossil fuels. At the same time, there is growing environmental opposition against building new gas infrastructure, especially when Europe is aiming to cut net fossil fuel emissions to zero by 2050.

Germany and Russia are the countries most interested in the project because it will increase gas supply and improve liquidity at the continental trade hubs, in addition to generating profits for energy companies throughout the region. Gazprom owns the Baltic Sea pipeline project. Half of its 9.5 billion-euro ($11.2 billion) cost is being financed by Germany’s Uniper SE, Wintershall AG, Engie, Royal Dutch Shell Plc, and Austria’s OMV AG.

A further delay gives time for markets to adjust to cooler weather and the pandemic’s impact on gas demand. There is a chance that this winter will be much tighter than last year, with La Nina generating below-normal temperatures in Europe, particularly in the fourth quarter, according to Giacomo Masato, an analyst at MarexSpectron.

Europe can cope without Nord Stream 2 flows this winter, but with further economic growth demand may well emerge in the coming years to support the pipeline, according to Julien Hoarau, gas market analyst at Engie EnergyScan. For now, natural gas demand is estimated to stay flat for at least the next five years, according to the International Energy Agency.

“Overall, there’s no physical risk at first glance, but further delays in the delivery of Nord Stream 2 should not be neutral in terms of wholesale gas prices in Europe,” said Hoarau. “We could see a stronger call on storages to balance European gas systems. Higher LNG imports could be required as well.”

waldron
09/10/2020
18:02
Brent Crude Oil NYMEX 43.53 +0.44%
Gasoline NYMEX 1.20 -0.42%
Natural Gas NYMEX 3.23 +2.80%
WTI 41.25 USD +0.17%


FTSE 100
6,016.65 +0.65%
Dow Jones
28,649.61 +0.79%
CAC 40
4,946.81 +0.71%
SBF 120
3,930.73 +0.61%
Euro STOXX 50
3,273.12 +0.37%
DAX
13,051.23 +0.07%
Ftse Mib
19,582.76 +0.00%




Eni
6.862 -0.33%


Total
29.95 +1.54%



Engie
12.14 +0.08%

Orange
9.436 +2.88%


Bp
222.1 +0.57%

Vodafone
111.16 -0.05%

Royal Dutch Shell A
1,016.4 +2.09%



Royal Dutch Shell B
978.9 +2.06%

TULLOW(TLW)
18.65 GBX +2.78%

waldron
07/10/2020
15:28
Gazprom hit with $7.6B fine from Polish regulator over Nord Stream pipeline
Oct. 7, 2020 8:18 AM ET|About: Public Joint Stock Company ... (OGZPY)|By: Carl Surran, SA News Editor

Poland's antitrust agency slaps a $7.6B fine on Gazprom (OTCPK:OGZPY) for building the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Germany, saying the project hurts Polish consumers and increases Europe’s dependence on Russian imports.

The pipeline may lead to "serious consequences for Poland's and the EU's economy" by limiting the range of supplies and increase gas prices for consumers, Poland's Office of Competition and Consumer Protection says.

The regulator also imposes fines on Nord Stream 2 partners including Engie (OTCPK:ENGIY), Uniper (OTC:UNPPY), BASF's (OTCQX:BASFY) Wintershall, OMV (OTCPK:OMVJF) and Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A, RDS.B).

The pipeline is in its final stages of construction and is due to transport Russian natural gas across the Baltic Sea bed to Germany and western Europe, bypassing traditional transit routes through Ukraine and Poland.

The project has been highly controversial, even more so following the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny.

ariane
07/10/2020
14:30
07/10/2020 1:43pm
Dow Jones News

Royal Dutch Shell (LSE:RDSA)
Intraday Stock Chart


Wednesday 7 October 2020
Click Here for more Royal Dutch Shell Charts.

--Poland's anti-monopoly office fines Russian giant for undertaking work without consent

--Gazprom said it will appeal the fine

--Shell, Uniper and OMV disagree with regulator's findings



By Anthony O. Goriainoff, Giulia Petroni and Adria Calatayud



Poland's anti-monopoly office UOKiK said Wednesday that it had imposed a 29 billion-zloty ($7.58 billion) fine on Gazprom PJSC related to the building of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

UOKiK said the Russian energy giant was one of six companies working on the gas pipeline fined for undertaking work "without the required consent of the president of UOKiK."

The regulator also imposed fines amounting to PLN234 million on France's Engie SA, Germany's Uniper SE and Wintershall AG, Austria's OMV AG, and Anglo-Dutch oil major Royal Dutch Shell PLC.

The Polish watchdog said the entities concerned are obliged to terminate the agreements for financing the project, which was intended to increase Russia's gas export capacity via the Baltic Sea.

The Polish anti-monopoly authority said the companies concluded--without permission to establish a joint venture--a number of agreements concerning the pipeline's financing and a number of other authorizations, such as, for instance, the ability to interfere with the operation of NS2.

UOKiK said that in 2016 its president voiced concerns regarding the plan and noted that the planned transaction could lead to the restriction of competition and presented its reservations. The companies then withdrew the application, meaning in practice that they were prohibited from performing the merger, the regulator said.

The regulator said information surfaced shortly thereafter stating that the companies had signed an agreement for the financing of the gas pipeline.

"Therefore, proceedings against Gazprom and its five trading partners regarding the execution of the transaction without obtaining approval from the authority were initiated," the regulator said.

"The financial penalties imposed are intended not only to convince the parties involved to observe the law, but also to discourage other players from attempting similar behaviors that violate anti-monopoly regulations in the future," UOKiK president Tomasz Chrostny said.

Gazprom said it disagrees with the fine because it didn't violate Polish antitrust laws. The company said it will appeal the fine.

"The decision of UOKiK violates the principles of legality, proportionality and fair trial, and the unprecedented amount of the fine indicates a desire to oppose the implementation of the Nord Stream 2 project by any means," the company said Wednesday, according to Russian state news agency TASS.

Uniper said it is considering a possible appeal against the UoKiK decision, as it doesn't share the assessment presented by regulator. A decision can take up to four or five years and, depending on the decisions, fines wouldn't be due until then, the German energy company said.

Uniper said the agreements concluded between the Nord Stream 2 financial investors and Gazprom aren't a joint venture but financing agreements, and that financing agreements don't constitute a notifiable concentration under Polish merger control law.

Spokespeople for Shell and OMV said they are reviewing the UoKiK's decision.

"We strongly disagree with UOKiK's decision," a Shell spokesperson said.

OMV said it is of the clear opinion that it has complied with all applicable laws.

Engie and Wintershall didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.



Write to Anthony O. Goriainoff at anthony.orunagoriainoff@dowjones.com



(END) Dow Jones Newswires

October 07, 2020 08:28 ET (12:28 GMT)

ariane
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