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[florenceorbis] 18/3/2021 23:20

Engie resumes sale of Brazil coal-fired plant
Bnamericas Published: Thursday, March 18, 2021
ESG Coal Generation Natural Gas Generation Capex Mergers & Acquisitions
Engie resumes sale of Brazil coal-fired plant

Engie has resumed the sale process of its Brazilian Pampa Sul thermoelectric power plant, the company said.

With an installed capacity of 345MW, the plant had 100% of its energy hired by the government in Aneel’s A-5 tender in 2014 for 25 years at 201.98 reais (US$6.29)/MWh.

Investing more than 2bn reais, Engie started operations at Pampa Sul in June 2019.

The company is also selling its Jorge Lacerda thermoelectric complex, in Santa Catarina. In this case, Engie has an exclusivity agreement with Fram Capital XII Fundo de Investimento em Participações Multiestratégia.

“The company is focused on its purpose of accelerating the transition toward a neutral carbon economy, directing its activities to renewable energy generation, natural gas and infrastructure,̶1; Engie said in a statement.

Engie is Brazil’s largest private power generator, with an installed capacity of 4,971GW.

Its local portfolio comprises 11 hydroelectric plants totaling 3.7GW, two thermal plants (973MW), four wind farms (481MW), three biomass units (64.1MW), two small hydros (25.9MW), and one solar plant (9.2MW)

Since 2017, the company acquired concessions for the operation of 1,800km of transmission lines in Paraná, Pará and Tocantins states.

Engie also holds 65% of Transportadora Associada de Gás (TAG), the owner of a 4,500km gas pipeline network.

This year’s capex is projected to total 3.5bn reais, focused on renewable power and infrastructure.

OTHER CASES

Apart from Engie, Petrobras is also divesting several thermal plants in the states of Amazonas (Manauara, Jaraqui and Tambaqui), Bahia (Arembepe, Bahia I and Muricy), Tocantins (Areia and Água Limpa) Rio Grande do Sul (Canoas), Pernambuco (Suape II and Termocabo), and Goiás (Brentech).

The state-owned oil firm’s former fuel retail subsidiary, BR Distribuidora, sold the Camaçari Muricy II and Pecém II thermal plants to New Fortress Energy in January.

Through Golar Power (Hygo Energy Transition), the US multinational has also bought the São Marcos thermoelectric project from Eneva. Antitrust regulator Cade approved the operation earlier this month.

[ariane] 10/3/2021 10:27

U.S. inventories data due later in the day.

[waldron] 09/3/2021 22:55

Oil Prices Slide On Yet Another Surprise Inventory Build

By Julianne Geiger - Mar 09, 2021, 3:43 PM CST

The American Petroleum Institute (API) reported on Tuesday a build in crude oil inventories of 12.792 million barrels for the week ending March 5.

Analysts had predicted an inventory build of 816,000 barrels for the week.

In the previous week, the API reported a major build in oil inventories of 7.356-million barrels after analysts had predicted a 928,000-barrel draw. But that was nothing compared to the EIA's report a day later of a 21.6 million barrel build.

It is unclear whether today’s reported stock build is part of EIA’s large build reported last week, or whether we will see another large build from the EIA tomorrow.

Oil prices slid further on Tuesday ahead of the data after a couple days of price rallying courtesy of the Houthi rebels, who claimed Sunday's attack on Saudi oil infrastructure.

At 3:19 p.m. EDT, before Tuesday's data release, WTI had fallen by $0.99 on the day (-1.52%) to $64.06. Although down for the day, WTI is still trading up more than $4 per barrel over this time last week.

The Brent crude benchmark had also fallen on the day, $0.75 at that time (-1.10%) to $67.49—also more than $4 per barrel up on the week.

U.S. oil production rose by 300,000 bpd barrels per day to 10.0 million bpd, according to the Energy Information Administration.

Enbridge tanks at Cushing as of March 5. Image courtesy of GeoSpatial Insight

The API reported another large draw in gasoline inventories of 8.499 million barrels for the week ending March 5—on top of the previous week's 9.933-million-barrel draw. Analysts had expected a 3.467-million-barrel draw for the week.

Distillate stocks saw a large decrease as well, of 4.796 million barrels for the week, after last week's 9.053-million-barrel decrease.

Cushing inventories rose by 295,000 barrels. Last week, inventories at the Cushing oil hub increased by 732,000 barrels.

Post data release, at 4:35 p.m. EDT, the WTI benchmark was trading at $63.79, while Brent crude was trading at $67.22.

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

[maywillow] 08/3/2021 09:42

BIZNESALERT.COM



Mariusz Marszałkowski

@MJMarszalkowski

A month into the construction of Nord Stream 2, the Fortuna barge is on top of the game


For almost a month the Fortuna barge has been continuing the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. So far, apart from a few problems caused by storms over the Baltic, the pipe laying is going without interruptions. Will the Akademik Cherskiy join in soon? – Mariusz Marszałkowski, editor at BiznesAlert.pl, writes.
How much has been achieved after a month of building NS2?

On the sixth of March a month will have passed since the Fortuna barge started preparations to lay pipes of the NS2 gas pipeline in the Danish exclusive economic zone (EEZ). However, due to a heavy storm the actual work began on the 16th of February. Since then, the Fortuna has laid about 10 km of one line of the gas pipeline. When the weather is good, the pace of the work is faster than initially expected. The average speed of pipe laying between 16 of February and 1 March was over 670 meters per day. However, in the last few days it went up to almost a kilometer per day.

Currently the work takes place at a depth between 50 and 64 meters. The closer to the border with the German EEZ, the shallower the depth of the works will get. This may mean that soon the Fortuna will pick up the pace and exceed a kilometer a day. Without a doubt this will be a success for Russians, because at first it was estimated that the ship would only be able to lay 400-500 meters of pipes per day.
Despite the fact that Russians had no previous experience in underwater projects of a scale similar to the challenge posed by NS2, so far the entire process looks well-organized. Apart from the Fortuna, three anchor handling tug vessels also work interchangeably at the construction site (Katun, Umka, Finval, Errie). Three supply ships are also assigned to the works (interchangeably Artemis Offshore, Ivan Sidorenko, Ostap Sheremeta, Yury Topchev, Venie), as well as two exploration vessels (Baltiyskiy Issledovatel, Murman). So far no incidents have impacted the pace of the work. Temporary slow-downs are usually caused by the weather conditions on the Baltic Sea.

As at the 1st of March, the following number of km need to completed: 40 km in the Danish and 17 in the German zone of line A, and 67 km in the Danish and 5 km in the German zone of line B.
The Baltic triangle

The fleet that has been mobilized to finish the construction is so big that not all of the ships take part in the works at a given moment.
Some move regularly between the ports Kaliningrad – Murkan – Wismar. At this point those three towns are involved with the NS2 the most.
The port in Kaliningrad is used by the supply vessels as their base, and it is also the project’s service and logistic center. The equipment ordered by Gazprom’s HQ in Petersburg to complete the gas pipeline is distributed from that location. From there everything is transported by sea to the ships that lay down the pipes. The transport is usually provided by Artemis Offshore.

Mukran is the most important harbor for the construction of NS2, as it is the project’s logistic center. The harbor stores the pipes used for the construction of the gas pipeline, as well as the food, water and fuel for the crews, it also provides bunkering for the supply vessels. Vessels that are used to exchange the crews also set out from this port (DP Gezina). When Allseas was responsible for the construction, it used German and Danish companies that chartered helicopters. Presently no helicopters have been seen.

In the port of Wismar, which is a little further from NS2, the pipe laying vessels are prepared to meet the technical demands of constructing the pipeline. Between August and December 2020, the Fortuna barge was upgraded there, and since December the Akademik Cherskiy has been stationed there.
Will the Akademik Cherskiy join the team?

The ship, which has had a long and troubled history related to NS2, has in the past few days reemerged on the radar of those who are following the progress on the NS2 construction site. According to the latest entry in the AIS system for Akademik Cherskiy, the ship will proceed to sea on the 5th of March at 8 a.m. The destination has not been revealed, but considering the recent activities around, among others, the ship’s stinger (ramp used to lower pipes into the sea), it seems it is possible that Cherskiy will join the construction. However, at this point it is difficult to say what will happen exactly. The history of the ship’s voyage from Nakhodka to the Baltic Sea showed one should be skeptical about the entries is Akademik Cherskiy AIS history.

Also, at this point the Danish Maritime Authority (DMA), which issues navigational warnings about traffic in Danish waters, has not reported that the Akademik Cherskiy would take up any construction activities at the site. In the navigational warning repeated on the 7th of February 2021, the DMA talked about the work performed on both strings of the NS2, which is done by the Fortuna barge, together with the research and inspection vessels Murman and Baltiyskiy Issledovatel and other supply ships. The warning does not mention the Akademik Cherskiy.
This means there are three possibilities:

In the first one, the Akademik Cherskiy would work in the German section (to complete the missing 30 km of both strings). However, for it to happen the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) would have to issue a construction permit that would be binding during the protection period for resting seabirds. Gazprom applied for such a permit in early February (BSH’s earlier decision to allow the construction during the protection period was challenged in court by environmental organizations in Germany). If such a permit is not given, the earliest the works in Germany’s EEZ will be able to start is 15th May. However, considering the fact that BSH’s previous decisions were very favorable to NS2 (e.g. conditional permit for construction in the protection period issued in December 2019), it can be expected that the probability of a positive decision is very high.

The second possibility is that the Akademik Cherskiy would join the Fortuna in laying the pipes in the Danish EEZ. For this to happen, the company Nord Stream 2 AG would have to apply to the DMA. This is an administrative procedure, which the Danes cannot obstruct. In theory such a solution would make it possible to finish the pipe within the deadline assumed by Gazprom, i.e. by the end of April 2021. Despite its efficiency, the Fortuna would not be able to complete the task before this date. In this scenario there are two options. In the first one, the ship will complete string A of the pipe and then continue work to meet the Fortuna, which would come from the other direction. In the second version, the vessel would start works on the longer, unfinished section of the gas pipeline – the B string, and would lay pipes in parallel to the Fortuna in the direction of the border between the German and Danish EEZ.

The third option is that the Akademik Cherskiy would start another phase of tests and underwater trials. There is no information on whether the ship is ready to participate in the construction, and whether it has all the necessary certificates to operate in the German or Danish EEZ. It is possible that the vessel is still being upgraded in the port of Wismar. Interestingly, the Akademik Cherskiy’s draught is now deeper, but this may or may not be related to the Nord Stream 2. During the voyage from Nakhodka to the Baltic the draught was not more than 6.5 meters. Currently, according to navigational data, the ship’s draught is 7.3 meters. This means it carries a lot of weight.
Will the saga be over once the pipe is completed?

Despite its technical limitations the Fortuna barge turned out an efficient vessel for the completion of the NS2. Even the U.S. sanctions imposed on it and its “owner” cannot stop the works. The entire construction process – from transporting pipes and equipment, replacing the crew to research and inspections – looks very professional. Without a doubt, despite the obvious increase in investment cost, the completion of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline may be Russia’s opportunity to build its own know-how in the area of the construction of underwater gas pipelines. It is difficult to tell whether and to what degree it will be used, but there is no question that this experience may be used in Gazprom’s future projects. However, the physical completion of the pipe does not mean it will be operational. Everything depends on whether the sanctions, which threaten western companies responsible for, e.g. certification of the project, will be rigidly enforced by Americans, and whether alternatives from Russia will be accepted by, among others, Denmark.

[maywillow] 05/3/2021 08:50

Engie bags £200m low carbon campus in Birmingham
Grant Prior 1 min ago
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A consortium of ENGIE and investor Equitix has secured a contract with the University of Birmingham to transform Pritchatts Park student accommodation village into a £200m low carbon campus.

The project involves the creation of 496 new energy efficient student homes and a 482-space modular construction multi-storey car park.

In addition, 734 existing rooms will benefit from an extensive refurbishment, bringing them up to modern standards.

ENGIE will also undertake 50-year facilities management and lifecycle works contracts, providing ongoing repairs, security and cleaning services to support the daily lives of students.

The new accommodation will be constructed in the form of townhouses to complement existing buildings in the surrounding area.

It will be powered and heated entirely through electricity – with the refurbished building heated by air source heat pumps – which the consortium has pledged will be from 100% renewable sources.

The new multi-storey car park will also feature 24 EV charge points, with infrastructure in place for a further 72 in the future.

Jake Fellows, Divisional Development Director for ENGIE UK & Ireland, said: “The University of Birmingham is one of the UK’s most highly-ranked institutions, so we’re delighted to have been chosen to create market-leading accommodation that is highly sustainable and equipped to meet the university’s ever-growing demand for places, as well as providing the best experience possible for the students who decide to call it home.”

Building work is set to begin in the summer, with completion expected in August 2023.

Grant Prior

Written by Grant Prior
1 min ago

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[waldron] 03/3/2021 22:27

Biden nominee vows to fight Russian gas pipeline to Germany



The Washington Times22:38

[ariane] 01/3/2021 08:44

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Source: ENGIE | 15 minutes ago
ENGIE acquires 100 MW Concentrated Solar Power plant in South Africa

The plant is located in the Northern Cape of South Africa, which is also the location of ENGIE’s 100 MW Kathu CSP plant

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JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, March 1, 2021/APO Group/ --

ENGIE (ENGIE-Africa.com) is pleased to announce that it has reached an agreement to acquire from Abengoa a 40% equity stake in Xina Solar One, a 100 MW Concentrated Solar plant, as well as 46% of the Operations & Maintenance Company. The plant is equipped with parabolic trough technology and a molten salt storage system that allows for 5.5 hours of energy storage to provide reliable electricity during peak demand. Power is contracted through a 20 years Power Purchase Agreement with Eskom (South African Electricity Public Utility). Xina Solar One is supplying clean energy to more than 95,000 South African households and prevents the emission into the atmosphere of approximately 348,000 tons of CO2 each year.

The plant is located in the Northern Cape of South Africa, which is also the location of ENGIE’s 100 MW Kathu CSP plant. Xina Solar One increases ENGIE’s renewable footprint and is a further step to cementing its position as the leading Independent Power Producer in the country. Synergies between Xina and Kathu will be developed to further enhance the operational efficiency of both plants.

“With the acquisition of this project, ENGIE is pursuing its low carbon strategy. Xina augments the country’s installed peaking power and reduces its dependence on coal-fired electricity. The 100 MW CSP plant also contributes to ENGIE’s geographic rationalization by expanding its footprint in South Africa, where it is the leading Independent Power Producer with 1,320 MW of installed capacity.” says Sébastien Arbola, CEO of ENGIE MESCATA.

With the acquisition of this project, ENGIE is pursuing its low carbon strategy

Mohamed Hoosen, CEO of ENGIE Southern Africa commented: “ENGIE is valued as a highly skilled IPP and a long-term player in the South African power industry. We are adding an innovative high-performing plant and are increasing our CSP capacity. This investment will create value over the longer term while accelerating impact on the energy transition of our customers.”

Co-shareholders on Xina Solar One include Public Investment Corporation, a pension fund manager and a shareholder on ENGIE’s Kathu project (20%); Industrial Development Corporation, a development finance institution wholly- owned by the South African Government (20%); and Xina Community Trust, funded by the IDC (20%). Xina Solar One, which started commercial operation in August 2017, was built by Abengoa.

Completion of the transaction is subject to the fulfillment of certain conditions including merger control clearance from relevant competition authorities.

In South Africa, ENGIE has interests in a CSP plant (100 MW Kathu), a wind farm (94 MW Aurora), 2 solar photovoltaic plants (21 MW) and 2 thermal power peaking plants (670 MW Avon and 335 MW Dedisa).

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of ENGIE.

Press Contact:
Email: [e-mail]

About ENGIE MESCATA:
ENGIE (ENGIE.com) has a presence of almost 30 years in the Middle East, South & Central Asia, Turkey and Africa region. In the Middle East, it is the regional leading independent power & water producer with a gross capacity of 30 GW of power and 5.5 million m3/day of water production, serving over 40 million people daily with power and 10 million with potable water from desalination. In Africa, the Group has 3.15 GW of power generation capacity in operation or construction and is South Africa’s first Independent Power Producer. It is a leader in the decentralized energy market, providing clean energy to more than five million people through domestic solar installations and local microgrids. ENGIE’s renewable portfolio exceeds 2,300 MW of power in India and Africa. In the Middle East, the Group is a regional leader in district cooling through Tabreed, in which it has a 40% stake, and which currently delivers over 1.4 million tons of cooling across 86 plants in the GCC. ENGIE is also a leading provider of Customer Solutions in the Gulf region and Morocco.

For more information : ENGIEMiddleEast.com and ENGIE-Africa.com.

About ENGIE:
Our group is a global reference in low-carbon energy and services. Together with our 170,000 employees, our customers, partners and stakeholders, we are committed to accelerate the transition towards a carbon-neutral world, through reduced energy consumption and more environmentally-friendly solutions. Inspired by our purpose (“raison d’être”), we reconcile economic performance with a positive impact on people and the planet, building on our key businesses (gas, renewable energy, services) to offer competitive solutions to our customers. Turnover in 2020: 55.8 billion Euros. The Group is listed on the Paris and Brussels stock exchanges (ENGI) and is represented in the main financial indices (CAC 40, DJ Euro Stoxx 50, Euronext 100, FTSE Eurotop 100, MSCI Europe) and non-financial indices (DJSI World, DJSI Europe and Euronext Vigeo Eiris - World 120, Eurozone 120, Europe 120, France 20, CAC 40 Governance).

[waldron] 26/2/2021 10:12

Engie SA said Friday that it swung to a loss in 2020, but expects performance to improve significantly in the current year.

The French utility company said it booked a net loss of EUR1.5 billion from a profit of EUR1 billion in the previous year, partly due to high impairment losses and changes in the price scenario for nuclear assets. Net recurring income, which strips out one-offs, came in at EUR1.7 billion euros.

Revenue decreased 5.7% organically to EUR55.75 billion from EUR60.1 billion, mainly due to the pandemic, the company said.

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization came in at EUR9.27 billion, down from EUR10.37 billion last year.

Looking ahead, Engie said performance should improve significantly assuming a gradual easing of restrictions during 2021. It anticipates net recurring income in the range of EUR2.3 billion and EUR2.5 billion.

The company said it will propose a dividend of EUR0.53 a share, which equates to a payout ratio of 75%.

It added it will provide medium-term guidance on May. 18.



Write to Giulia Petroni at [e-mail]



(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 26, 2021 02:27 ET (07:27 GMT)

[ariane] 24/2/2021 07:36

Engie Fabricom's CEO departs as engineering giant faces up to another loss-making year

Group's £25m bailout comes as it wins new work in offshore wind



By David Laister

Business Live Editor (Humber)

00:45, 24 FEB 2021Updated07:02, 24 FEB 2021

Manufacturing

Engie Fabricom has parted company with long-serving Richard Webster, who was appointed chief executive in 2018, as it faces up to a second successive year of losses.

Engie Fabricom has parted company with long-serving Richard Webster, who was appointed chief executive in 2018, as it faces up to a second successive year of losses.



South Bank engineering giant Engie Fabricom has parted company with its chief executive as it prepares to report another loss-making year.

Long-serving Richard Webster has left the multi-disciplined operator as it was understood the past 12 months had exacerbated the company’s position, with a £25 million injection of fresh capital by the French parent group received to support its trading position.

Accounts for 2019 remain outstanding at Companies House for the Grimsby-headquartered giant, having been due at the year end. It had started 2020 with a reported £7 million loss. That was attributed to a “long-running challenging project” that was £6 million in the red.

Downturns in the oil and gas market prior to the pandemic had also hit the Europarc business hard. Engie Fabricom's with last reported revenues were at £67 million, with almost 300 staff.

Mr Webster, who had been with the business for 25 years, serving as chief financial officer and chief operations officer prior to taking the top role in early 2018, has not responded to an approach, with the business not addressing his termination as a director when contacted.

A statement from Engie Fabricom said: “During 2020, we continued to operate as a multi-disciplined engineering, project management and construction company, however we have experienced challenging market conditions.

Engie Fabricom's Immingham manufacturing and construction facility spans 13,615 acres, and can deal with major projects.


“The impact of Covid-19, and a number of other challenges, some beyond our control, have meant that we suffered a financial loss.

“Our parent company continue to support us, recently investing £25 million in share capital into Engie Fabricom UK Ltd, demonstrating the confidence of our shareholders in the UK team, and in the company’s future.

“We have recently secured a series of projects in the growing offshore wind sector and are currently delivering our specialist services on many of the UK’s leading offshore wind farms.

“Engie Fabricom UK Ltd will continue to focus on being the partner of choice for our clients both new and old in 2021 and beyond.”

[la forge] 23/2/2021 21:56

Published 20:24 February 23, 2021

Updated 20:24 February 23, 2021

Engie produces renewable gas from solid non-recyclable waste

New Europe Online/KG By New Europe Online/KG



Through a project called Gaya, France’s Engie has recently started the production of renewable gas from solid non-recyclable waste.

Supported by the French agency for ecological transition Ademe, the Gaya platform is in line with the targets set by the French Law on Energy Transition for Green Growth, which aims for a 50% reduction in the quantity of waste going to landfill by 2025 compared with 2010 and a 30% reduction in fossil fuel consumption in 2030 compared with 2012, with a view to preserving the environment and strengthening France’s energy independence. It contributes directly to the Engie Group’s purpose, “to act to accelerate the transition towards a carbon-neutral economy, through reduced energy consumption and more environmentally friendly solutions,” Engie said in a press release.

A year after successfully producing biomethane from forest biomass, the Gaya platform achieved a world first and took a historic step forward with the production of its first cubic metres of renewable gas from Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF). In the absence of dedicated recycling channels, this type of fuel is mostly made up of waste wood, paper, cardboard and plastic resulting from economic activities. ENGIE’s demonstrator has validated the integrated operation of the entire chain of innovative technologies under industrial conditions. This configuration maximises the production of renewable gas.

“With GAYA, we have made major scientific advances in the development and industrialisation of renewable gas production sectors,” said Adeline Duterque, director of Engie Lab Crigen, the corporate group’s Research & Development centre.

The platform model contributes to the energy transition with the production of renewable gas and to the circular economy by making use of waste that until now was destined for landfill. The tests carried out using SRF show that we now know how to produce renewable gas from this type of waste,” she added.

Based on the work already undertaken, Engie plans to build a first industrial unit in Le Havre, France, starting in 2023, the Salamandre project. From 2026, this will allow 70,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste per year to be used to produce up to 150 GWh of renewable gas, equivalent to the consumption of 670 urban buses. In addition, the multi-energy process will allow production of 45 GWh of renewable heat to meet urban and industrial needs. As an alternative to landfill, which is due to be phased out, the Gaya chain is positioned as the channel of reference for making use of non-recyclable waste to produce a storable renewable gas, which can substitute for natural gas and as such has multiple end uses: sustainable mobility, industry, the tertiary sector.

[la forge] 18/2/2021 09:07

Norwegian oil and gas major Equinor ASA and French utility Engie S.A. on Thursday said they have formed a partnership to develop low-carbon hydrogen.

The companies will investigate the production and market potential for hydrogen from natural gas.

The partners have signed a memorandum of understanding to investigate the development of low-carbon hydrogen in Belgium, the Netherlands and France. In the coming months they will start talks with potential customers to assess the project, as well as with stakeholders and authorities.

"Engie and Equinor believe that it is essential to develop low-carbon and renewable hydrogen projects at scale in order to make it possible for industrial customers to significantly reduce CO2 emissions before 2030," they said in a statement.

"This development of low carbon and renewable hydrogen will accelerate the construction of new hydrogen infrastructure and the repurposing of current natural gas infrastructure, thus paving the way for net zero in 2050."



Write to Dominic Chopping at [e-mail]



(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 18, 2021 03:22 ET (08:22 GMT)

[misca2] 16/2/2021 17:33

$100 Oil: Big Banks Believe A New Oil Supercycle Is Beginning
By Julianne Geiger - Feb 16, 2021, 11:00 AM CST
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Some of the world’s biggest names in oil trading and analyzing can’t seem to get on the same page when it comes to predicting what will happen next for the volatile commodity.

Some, like Jeffrey Currie of Goldman Sachs and Christyan Malek of JPMorgan, according to the Financial Times, are confident that oil is ready for the next supercycle—a prolonged rise in the price of oil.

And when they refer to this rise, they’re talking $80, or even $100 per barrel.

Others, like oil analyst Arjun Murti who correctly predicted the last $100+ per barrel achievement seen between 2008 and 2014, say that talk of this next supercycle may be a bit hasty.

For Malek, he sees a situation where demand outstrips supply, before “we don’t need it in the years to come.”

The reason for supercycle predictions is simple: stimulus packages, most notably the stimulus package that the U.S. government is expected to roll out, are expected to boost consumption.

And according to Currie, this stimulus will create a “significant, commodity-intensive consumption” as the stimulus package is mostly targeting lower and middle-income households.

“These people don’t drive Teslas,” Currie explained. “They drive SUVs”.

Murti, on the other hand, thinks that if oil demand were to increase by a half a million barrels per day over the next year, it wouldn’t be enough to outstrip supply.

As a point of reference, global oil demand sank roughly 10 million barrels per day as a result of the pandemic in 2020.

If, however, oil demand were to pick up steam by as much as 1.4 million barrels per day, a supercycle may follow.

Veteran trader Pierre Andurand told the Financial Times that the fate of oil prices rests on OPEC—specifically on how much oil they supply.

Standing in the way of the next supercycle, says Andurand, could be Iran returning to the global oil markets, and OPEC’s production in general.

Retired veteran trader—a particularly successful one that made a not-so-small fortune on oil’s last supercycle—Andy Hall, sees the oil market in “terminal decline” the Financial Times writes, and likened any price rally as a dead cat bounce.

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

[la forge] 15/2/2021 10:26

www.powerengineeringint.com/renewables/biomass/engie-produces-renewable-gas-from-solid-non-recyclable-waste/



ENGIE produces renewable gas from solid non-recyclable waste
February 15, 2021

French multinational energy firm ENGIE has managed to produce renewable gas in a world-first using solid non-recyclable waste.

The milestone was reached at the utility’s GAYA semi-industrial Research & Development facility in Saint-Fons (Rhône), France.

Since its launch in 2010, the project has been supported by the French agency for ecological transition ADEME. As part of the project, some 11 organisations collaborated on research & development of new technologies.

Between 2012 and 2017, the project focused on the design, construction and commissioning of the GAYA platform. In 2018, the project saw the first injection of biomass into the gasifier and production of purified synthesis gas.



In 2019, the first production of biomethane from forest biomass was completed.

The project is among the very first gasification and methanation demonstrators in France and in Europe.

Non-hazardous waste from economic activities is prepared, thus becoming solid recovered fuel according to the standards in force. This is then gasified at a very high temperature to produce synthesis gas with high calorific value. The synthesis gas, resulting from this first conversion, is then purified to transform it into biomethane using a catalytic methanation process.

The waste is mostly made up of waste wood, paper, cardboard and plastic.

The GAYA platform is in line with the targets set by the French law on Energy Transition for Green Growth, which aims for a 50% reduction in the quantity of waste going to landfill by 2025 compared with 2010 and a 30% reduction in fossil fuel consumption in 2030 compared with 2012, with a view to preserving the environment and strengthening France’s energy independence.

The platform contributes directly to ENGIE Group’s purpose, “to act to accelerate the transition towards a carbon-neutral economy, through reduced energy consumption and more environmentally friendly solutions”.

The construction of the first industrial unit in Le Havre could begin in 2023. As of 2026, the unit will recycle 70,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste per year to be used to produce up to 150GWh of renewable gas, equivalent to the consumption of 670 urban buses.

In addition, the multi-energy process will allow the production of 45GWh of renewable heat to meet urban and industrial needs.



Adeline Duterque, director of ENGIE Lab Crigen, said: “With GAYA, we have made major scientific advances in the development and industrialisation of renewable gas production sectors. The platform model contributes to the energy transition with the production of renewable gas and to the circular economy by making use of waste that until now was destined for landfill. The tests carried out using SRF show that we now know how to produce renewable gas from this type of waste.”

[gibbs1] 14/2/2021 16:27

14 Feb, 13:24
Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline will be built despite US attempts to delay construction - Novak
According to Russian Deputy Prime Minister, the project is "absolutely in line with the law and meets all the requirements of European legislation"
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak Anton Novoderzhkin/TASS
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak
© Anton Novoderzhkin/TASS

MOSCOW, February 14. /TASS/. The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline will be built despite Washington’s destructive steps aimed at hindering this effort, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said in an interview broadcast by Rossiya-1 TV channel on Sunday.

"European countries and European companies are interested in it. We are sure that it will be built despite those destructive approaches, which we have seen on the part of the US that certainly, in its turn, has been delaying the implementation of this project," Novak said.

"This project is fully in accordance with European legislation. Here there is rivalry fueled by American partners, who want to supply their liquefied natural gas to Europe, and basically, these are non-market methods of competition. And speaking about legislation and the legal issue, this project is absolutely in line with the law and meets all the requirements of European legislation. That’s why the countries taking part in it are absolutely interested in fulfilling this project," Novak said.

The Nord Stream 2 pipeline will not stand idle after its construction is completed, as European partners are interested in pumping gas through it, Novak added.

"I don't think there are such risks, because, again, our European partners are interested in it," he said, answering a question whether there was any chance that Russia would not be able to use the gas pipeline due to the pressure on the project.

According to Novak, Nord Stream 2 is 95% complete to date and is absolutely in compliance with European legislation.

The Nord Stream 2 project contemplates construction of two gas pipeline strings with the total capacity of 55 bln cubic meters per year from the Russian coast to Germany across the Baltic Sea. The construction was suspended in December 2019 after Allseas, a Swiss company laying the pipes for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, suspended pipe-laying work over possible US sanctions and recalled its ships. Nord Stream 2 AG resumed pipe-laying work in December 2020, with 2.6 kilometers of the pipeline being laid in Germany’s exclusive economic zone. By now, more than 2,300 out of 2,460 kilometers of pipes, or 94% of the pipeline’s overall length, have been laid, with 120 kilometers are yet to be laid in Danish waters and more than 28 kilometers - in German waters.

[waldron] 12/2/2021 09:01

Russia says it’s ready to end ties with the European Union

Published Fri, Feb 12 20213:36 AM ESTUpdated Fri, Feb 12 20213:38 AM EST

Silvia Amaro
@Silvia_Amaro

Key Points

“We don’t want to isolate ourselves from global life, but we have to be ready for that. If you want peace then prepare for war,” Lavrov added.

The relationship between Russia and the EU hit a new low last week when the EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, visited his counterpart in Moscow.

Analysts have told CNBC that the latest differences between Moscow and Russia could put pressure on the gas pipeline being built from Russia to Germany, Nord Stream 2.

[ariane] 11/2/2021 09:39

Global Oil Market's Cautious Rebalancing Is Underway, IEA Says
11 February 2021 - 09:29AM
Dow Jones News

--The IEA has increased its non-OPEC 2021 supply forecast

--The oil market is set for "rapid stock draw" in the second half of the year, the IEA says

--The agency says North American production is rebounding



By David Hodari



The global supply and demand of crude oil are on course to continue rebalancing this year, after the turmoil brought by the pandemic in 2020, the International Energy Agency said Thursday.

Despite increasing its estimates for the world's oil output in 2021, the IEA said in its closely-watched monthly market report that a recovery in demand will outstrip rising production in the second half of the year to prompt "a rapid stock draw" of the glut of crude built up since the outbreak of the coronavirus.

The agency significantly increased its forecast for producing nations outside of the production pact between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies such as Russia, upping non-OPEC supply by 290,000 barrels a day to an increase of 830,000 barrels a day this year.

At the same time, the IEA trimmed its forecast for global oil demand by 200,000 barrels a day to 96.4 million barrels--around 3% less than in 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic--although added that part of that change came thanks to a change to historic data.

Even so, with much of the developed world grappling with fresh Covid-19 variants and renewed lockdown restrictions, a brightening economic outlook and strict supply discipline from OPEC-plus are hastening the drawdown in global oil inventories, the IEA said. It added that "the prospect of tighter markets ahead" has been responsible for a sharp rally in oil prices in recent weeks.

Crude prices slipped early Thursday, giving up a fraction of their recent gains. Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last down 0.6% at $61.13 a barrel after climbing for nine straight sessions to notch gains of 11% so far in February and break through the $60-a-barrel level for the first time in a year. West Texas Intermediate futures, the U.S. benchmark, fell 0.6% to $58.31 a barrel.

The beginning of February saw Saudi Arabia--one of the world's largest producers--unilaterally cut an additional 1 million barrels of crude a day in a move that surprised the world when it was announced the month prior.

Along with resilient demand in developing-world powerhouses, such as China and India, as well as hopes of a large U.S. stimulus bill and ecstatic trading in broader financial markets, Riyadh's move has helped fuel a recovery in oil prices.

The so-far successful efforts of OPEC-plus to hold back supply, the hoped success of coronavirus vaccination programs, and the prospect of weaker travel restrictions remain the basis for cautious forecasts of an oil-market recovery, the IEA said.

In that context, the production of non-OPEC producers will be in focus in the coming months. Those countries, particularly the U.S. and Canada, are responding to those higher prices, "albeit cautiously and from a low level," the IEA said.

Drilling and well completion-rates in the Permian Basin have steadily risen in recent months and, while U.S. oil companies are under pressure to reward shareholders and retain financial discipline, current oil prices mean "there is clearly potential for some producers to respect those engagements and modestly increase their capital expenditures," the report added.

Canada, meanwhile, is now pumping at record rates, having restored nearly all the production shut during the nadir of the collapse of the global oil market in April.

If balances continue to tighten and non-OPEC producers ramp up production, that could fray the cohesion of OPEC-plus cuts, the IEA said. That might have consequences for the oil-price rally.



Write to David Hodari at [e-mail]



(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 11, 2021 04:14 ET (09:14 GMT)