Free Top Stories

Romanian PM promises €8bn-9bn investment and western partner for nuclear power plant expansion

24 July 2020

Romania close to signing an agreement with "Euro-Atlantic partners" to complete the third and fourth reactors at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant, PM Ludovic Orban says after talks with China's CGN were scrapped.

European Commission approves merger of Poland’s PKN Orlen with peer Grupa Lotos

14 July 2020

Poland's two refining companies to merge to create a “multinational company with a global reach”, government officials say. PKN Orlen lines up its next merger, with oil and gas company PGNiG.

Gazprom swings to first quarterly loss since 2015

14 July 2020

The coronavirus pandemic caused Gazprom's European sales to collapse, and ruble devaluation led to hefty foreign exchange losses.

Poland’s coal production falls to all-time low in May

3 July 2020

The coronavirus lockdown resulted in lower demand from industry in May, but the mining industry was already facing financial problems due to falling demand and rising production costs.

Macron accuses Erdogan of massively importing jihadists into Libya

30 June 2020

Calls it a “criminal” intervention by “a country which claims to be a Nato member”.

Final licence for €12.5bn expansion of Paks power plant could be issued by September 2021

27 June 2020

After years of delay, project company Paks II will submit the application for a final license to the National Atomic Energy Office on June 30.

Kolomoisky’s Ukrtatnafta oil company wins Defence Ministry fuel supply contract despite offering a price that is a third higher than the others

25 June 2020

Ukraine’s oil company Ukrtatnafta, which is controlled by oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky, has won a tender to supply the Ministry of Defence with 3,500 tonnes of aviation fuel despite asking a price that was almost a third higher than the lowest offer

Western Balkan coal power plants still greatly exceed pollution limits

24 June 2020

Levels of sulphur dioxide emitted by power plants in the EU-aspiring region exceed pollution limits by almost six times, finds a new report from Bankwatch.

Iranian rial drops to weakest ever level versus dollar

22 June 2020

As currency hits 200,000 threshold, officials reportedly warning exporters to bring their hard currency earnings home.

LONG READ: Construction work on Belarus’ Ostrovets nuclear power station almost complete, but is it safe?

19 June 2020

Construction work at Belarus’ Ostrovets NPP is coming to an end and it is expected to come online in July. But the facility remains a bone of contention with its neighbours, who simply don't trust the Belarusians to run a nuclear facility

Europe and Nato’s Libya nightmare outcome would leave Russian and Turkish military bases staring across the Med

16 June 2020

Ankara reportedly discussing lasting military presence with Tripoli ally. Russia has flown fighter jets to desert sites controlled by rebel forces.

Iran ‘plans to make sanctions defying shipping of fuel to Venezuela permanent’

15 June 2020

If successful, the strategy will simultaneously get up the nose of Washington and help to relieve Iranians of an unexpected domestic supply glut.

Romania moves to terminate talks with Chinese partner in nuke project

15 June 2020

Bucharest asked Nuclearelectrica to terminate talks with CGN on expanding Cernavoda nuclear power plant, as discussions yielded no results in seven years.

Green energy companies reach a compromise with the Ukrainian government to avert an energy crisis this summer

12 June 2020

Green energy investors into Ukraine have struck a compromise deal with the government, which wants to drastically cut the green energy tariffs retroactively, sparking a mass protest by Ukraine’s most significant direct foreign investors

Turkey to build gas pipeline to supply Nakhchivan

11 June 2020

The move would sideline Iranian gas sales to the Azerbaijani exclave and help Ankara get back in Washington’s good graces.

Is Libya the new Syria?

11 June 2020

In brazen move, Russia flies squads of fighter jets to desert airfields after Moscow-allied rebel commander is pushed back by Turkish-backed forces in civil war. US now worried Kremlin might shape the conflict.

Ukraine’s green energy disaster is sliding towards a power crisis

10 June 2020

Ukraine is heading towards a power crisis in the next few weeks if the government cannot come to terms with the irate owners of the country’s burgeoning green energy sector

Once-in-a-1,000-year snow melt floods hydropower plant on Russia’s far northern coast

9 June 2020

There were more melting permafrost problems for Russia’s energy infrastructure after the TGK1 power station near Murmansk reported that two of its hydropower units were flooded with “abnormal water inflow” due to melting snow.

Kazakhstan’s wealth fund sells 6.3% stake in world’s biggest uranium miner Kazatomprom

8 June 2020

Privatisation programme of Central Asia’s biggest economy takes another baby step.