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October 30, 2017

by AEA

WORLD’S ENERGY GIANTS TO CONVENE AT ADIPEC 2017

Enabling unprecedented levels of Minister-to-global business leader strategic dialogue will be the focus of the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) 2017.

That an event of such market-moving significance, and with such a tremendously-strong technical conference programme, is annually held in the UAE capital is irrefutable evidence of Abu Dhabi’s established place of leadership within the world’s energy sector, say organizers, dmg events.

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE; hosted by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC); and supported by the UAE Ministry of Energy, the Abu Dhabi Chamber, and the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority, ADIPEC will take place from 13 to 16 November 2017 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC).

The premier meeting place for energy ministers and C-level executives from the world’s oil and gas giants, ADIPEC 2017 will convene under the theme: “Forging Ties, Driving Growth.” It is expected that there will be more than 45 minister and CEO sessions at ADIPEC 2017, up from 25 a year earlier.

Ali Khalifa Al Shamsi, Strategy & Coordination Director at ADNOC and ADIPEC 2017 Chairman, said: “Abu Dhabi has always served as an international gathering place for the energy world’s best and brightest. But, this year, ADIPEC is shifting gears to facilitate unprecedented levels of ministerial and C-level executive networking. We believe that this annual event is where global energy strategies are proposed and agreed each year.”

The ADIPEC Conference Programme, organised in collaboration with the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), sets the international standard for the exchange of best-practice and operational excellence in the world of energy, with all technical abstract submissions put through a rigorous evaluation process by the Technical Programme Committee. There have been more than 3,000 technical abstract submissions this year, with more than half submitted from outside the UAE.

Christopher Hudson, President – Global Energy at dmg events, said: “Driving growth in a volatile industrial sector can be challenging at the best of times. ADIPEC 2017, the world’s most influential oil and gas exhibition and conference, is evolving to bring more event attendees fully into the realm of industry decision-making, from passive to active participation, and our new global downstream business leader sessions are testament to this progressive new approach to inclusion.”

ADIPEC 2017 conference sessions include Offshore and Marine, and Security. New this year to ADIPEC are the introduction of global downstream technical sessions, set to drive the conversation on downstream expansion, diversification, and technology innovation and R&D.

Key returning features at the event this year are the: ADIPEC Awards, which celebrate excellence in energy; Women in Industry Conference, which addresses gender balance in the energy sector; Young ADIPEC, a dedicated ‘edutainment’ programme designed to encourage students to choose a career in energy; and a VIP conference programme for members of the Middle East Petroleum Club.

More than 10,000 delegates, 2,200 exhibiting companies, 900 speakers, and over 100,000 visitors from 135 countries are projected to gather in the UAE capital for ADIPEC 2017, breaking the event’s previous records in international participation, and bringing the world’s decision makers, industry leaders, and experts under one roof to address the most critical issues surrounding the evolving energy landscape.

About ADIPEC

Held under the patronage of the President of the United Arab Emirates, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and organised by the Global Energy division of dmg events, ADIPEC is the global meeting point for oil and gas professionals. Standing as one of the world’s top energy events, and the largst in the Middle East and North Africa, ADIPEC is a knowledge-sharing platform that enables industry experts to exchange ideas and information that shape the future of the energy sector. The 19^th edition of ADIPEC 2016 took place from 7-10 November at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC). ADIPEC 2016 was supported by the UAE Ministry of Energy, Masdar, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), the Abu Dhabi Chamber, and the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi). dmg Global Energy is committed to helping the growing international energy community bridge gaps by bringing oil and gas professionals face to face with new technologies and business opportunities.

October 17, 2017

by AEA

Fier and Lushnja, the main destination for photovoltaic parks in Albania

The Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy in Albania has announced on Monday that it has received 10 new expressions of interest for the construction of photovoltaic parks in the country.

The requirements of various companies for the construction of these plants have been numerous throughout the summer after the approval of tariffs that the government will apply. The price of 100 euros per MWh for the purchase of electricity and various support schemes has caused many to run after the renewable resources.

Although so far, all requests have come for solar photovoltaic plants and none for the Wind Farm plants.

Fier and Lushnja areas have also received the most numerous applications, 5 only in the latest announcement, but added dozens of other requests since August. Along with the high level of solar irradiance supply throughout the year, and good flat terrain is a factor that has caused Myzeqeja Region to emerge in the demands of private investors.

In the Darëzezë area in Fier region, company SOLAR RENEWABLE ENERGY seeks to utilize 3.6 hectares of land to install a 2MW plant. The value of the investment amounts to 1.7 million euros.

Even in Seman Fier region, the company “3AD Energy” wants to use 2.34 hectares to set up a 1.75 MW photovoltaic park. The investment here amounts to 2.3 million euros.

In Lushnja region, “Plug” area, a temporary joint venture of three companies seeks to invest 3.9 million euros. This joint venture has asked the MEI to use a 10-hectare surface to install a 5MW power plant.

Again in Lushnja region, the temporary association of companies “FAVINA 1” SH.A. and “ARTYKA 2” SH.PK, has expressed the interest to build a 2MW photovoltaic park. The investment in the region thus adds an additional value of 2 million euros.

The company “Favina” wants to invest 2 million euros in Fier, to set up an 8 hectare plant of 2 MW.

Again the company “Favina 1” wants to repeat the same investment in the Korca region. In Korça, a similar investment is required by the companies “HIDROCENTRALI QARR & KALTANJ”, as well as “REJ” sh.a.

In Pilur of Himara region, the company “Max Energy” wants to utilize 3 hectares of land to install a 2 MW photovoltaic park. This investment will reach the value of about 1.92 million euros.

In Durres, Solar – Expert Society wants to utilize 2.5 acres of land to set up a 1.98 MW plant with an investment value of 2.7 million euros.

The Solarium Society wants to build a 1.99 MW photovoltaic park in Vora near Tirana, utilizing 2.53 hectares of land. Here, too, the investment amounts to 2.7 million euros.

The total investment for this block of interest expressions published by the Ministry reaches 23.2 million euros and will increase the country’s power capacity by 22.7 MWh.

September 11, 2017

by AEA

Albania’s “Shala” River is also granted concession, HPP 100 million USD investment.

Recently, some impressive photos from a river in North Albania can be seen on social networks, whose images are compared to those in Thailand. It is about the Shala River which has become the main tourist attraction of this year with an extraordinary increase in attendance. For all those who have visited the impressions left are the most impressive ones, while those who have not yet been have to do as soon as the majority of this river will be overwhelmed by new hydro concessions. There is already a concrete project with three winning companies announced by the Ministry of Energy and Industry.

HEC-I over Shala 100 million USD investment

The Ministry of Energy and Industry yesterday announced the concession winners for the hydropower plant on the Shala River. Referring to the investment value but to the installed power it seems to be one of the biggest hydropower plants in the country. The winning company is a temporary merger of the companies “Çinar-San Hafriyat Nakliyat Insaat Turizm Sanayi Ve Ticaret LTD.STI”, “Shala Energy PLC” and “Falak Properties LLC”.

Data on HPP

The installed power specified by calculating the river flow, is expected to be 83,450 kW, with an electricity output of about 321,465,632 kWh. The amount of Fees offered for concessions is 2.1% (6.750.778 kWh) and the time of implementation of the works 36 months. Value excluding VAT is 11,239,204,263 Lek.

The interest for hydropower utilization is for the Shala River waters, between the quotas 486 meters above sea level up to 176.00 meters above sea level, which is also the maximum quota of the Komani reservoir, respecting the technical conditions of design and non-violation of objects that are planned to be built in this watershed.

The Shala River on which is planned to build the hydro power plant is one of the Drini River branches that supplies the Drina cascade, which is the most important energy project in the country, providing over 90% of the energy in the country.

There are also HEC-I Gojan and Bushtrica 1

The Ministry of Energy announced that it has announced the winners for the hydro power plant Bushtrica 1 which was more than two months appealed to the Public Procurement Commission. According to the winning announcement for this concession is the company “Doko” sh.pk with an investment value of 506 million ALL without VAT while the installed power will be 4220 Kw.

For the winning Gojani hydro power plant was announced “M.C. Inerte “sh.p.k. with an investment value of 1.9 billion Leks (ALL).

Winning companies for three HPPs should submit additional documents to the ministry to open the way for signing the final contract.

September 9, 2017

by AEA

TAP receives around 95% of total pipes needed for construction

By Leman Zeynalova:

Approximately 95 percent of the total 55,000 pipes to be used for the construction of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) have been received in Greece, Albania and Italy, said the message from TAP AG.

The last shipment of offshore line pipes has been offloaded in Brindisi, Italy, between 3 and 6 September 2017.

TAP’s contractors have cleared approximately 70 percent of the project route in Greece and Albania (539km out of 765km). Also, over 45 percent of welded steel pipes are already in the ground (backfilled).

“We are pleased that TAP continues to progress on time and on budget. We therefore remain on track to deliver the first Shah Deniz II gas in 2020, bringing a much-needed new source of energy into the European energy network,” said TAP Managing Director Luca Schieppati.

“I want to underline that our project is built with the utmost care for the environment. Our teams are working very carefully along our route to ensure that the land on which construction has been completed is returned to the owners or users in its original condition or better. We are also collaborating with local authorities and local stakeholders to ensure that the benefits of our project are tangible across all those communities crossed by the pipeline,” Schieppati added.

Nearly 2,500 tie-ins have been completed as part of the implementation of TAP project in Greece and Albania, TAP AG consortium said in a message on its Twitter page.

“This is the construction step where 2 pipe strings (~1km) are welded together inside the trench,” said the message.

TAP is a part of the Southern Gas Corridor, which is one of the priority energy projects for the European Union. The project envisages transportation of gas from Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz Stage 2 to the EU countries.

The pipeline will connect to the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) on the Turkish-Greek border, run through Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in Italy’s south.

TAP will be 878 kilometers in length (Greece 550 kilometers, Albania 215 kilometers, Adriatic Sea 105 kilometers, and Italy 8 kilometers).

TAP’s shareholding is comprised of BP (20 percent), SOCAR (20 percent), Snam S.p.A. (20 percent), Fluxys (19 percent), Enagás (16 percent) and Axpo (5 percent).

Source : Trend

September 9, 2017

by AEA

Albania, Montenegro Eye EU Funding for Gas Pipeline

Albania’s Energy Ministry on Friday presented a feasibility study for a 618-million-euros gas corridor between Albania, Bosnia and Croatia, which it hopes the EU and US will support.

Albania’s Ministry of Energy on Friday in Tirana unveiled a preliminary feasibility study for a proposed Ionian-Adriatic gas pipeline, hoping the EU may fund construction of the section of the pipeline between Albania and Montenegro.

Damian Gjiknuri, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, said Albania had a strong interest in the pipeline project, which could help gasify the country. “We hope for support from the EU and the US [for the project],” he said.

The 511-km-long pipeline, expected to cost up to 618 million euros, aims to link the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline with Montenegro, Bosnia and Croatia.

The feasibility study calls for a new pipeline with a capacity of 5 billion cubic meters per year, BCM, from which Albania and Bosnia hope to consume 1 BCM each, Montenegro 0.5 BCM while Croatia, the biggest and the strongest economy in the Western Balkans, is expected to consume 2.5 BCM per year.

The US Ambassador to Tirana, Donald Lu, expressed America’s support for the project, as a way to obtain a new source of energy that is not dependent on Russia, and as a means to strengthen regional energy collaboration.

The Albanian Energy Ministry said that, in collaboration with the European Commission, its Directory for Energy and the Ministry of Economy of Montenegro had presented a proposal to the Western Balkans Investment Framework, hoping it will finance the development of the project for the sections in Albania and Montenegro.

The Trans-Adriatic Pipeline is currently under construction. It is expected to ship gas from Azerbaijan to Italy through existing pipelines in Turkey and Greece and through a new pipeline running from Greece to Italy through Albania and under the Adriatic Sea.

The pipeline will have an exit point near Fieri, in Albania, which creates hopes of getting new energy supplies for all Western Balkan countries.

They all have large energy deficits and are heavily dependent on coal to generate electricity. Albania and Montenegro have large hydropower capacities but they are not sufficient to cover all their energy needs.

A gas network could help both countries to produce electricity by burning gas and substitute the use of electricity in some functions like heating, thus limiting the need to use coal and protecting the environment at the same time.

Source: Balkaninsight

September 9, 2017

by AEA

IAP project counts on EU, US support

The countries involved in the construction of the Ionian-Adriatic Pipeline (IAP), Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia count on the support of the European Union and the United States.

The remarks were made during the meeting of the Project Management Unit for IAP project held in Tirana.

Addressing the event, Albania’s Energy Minister Damian Gjiknuri stated that his country has completed the drafting of the Gas Master Plan and has built a fruitful cooperation with Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and the Energy Community for the implementation of the IAP project.

He expressed confidence that this project will be supported by both the United States and the European Union, said the message posted on the website of Albanian energy ministry.

Of course, the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) project is really the main pillar to support the development of the gas sector in Albania, but IAP pipeline will also play a primary role, said Gjiknuri.

IAP is not just a natural extension of TAP, said the minister, adding that it will also ensure energy security in the region and bring economic progress to the countries through which it passes.

“We point out that three of the IAP countries are NATO member countries and this makes the IAP project even more necessary in terms of strategic interests in the region,” said Gjiknuri.

IAP is a proposed natural gas pipeline in Southeastern Europe (SEE) that will stretch from Albania through Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, to Split in Croatia. It will be connected with the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP).

IAP will provide deliveries of Azerbaijani gas to several countries of South-Eastern Europe. The capacity of the pipeline will amount to five billion cubic meters of gas per year.

The pipeline will connect to the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) on the Turkish-Greek border, run through Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in Italy’s south.

TAP will be 878 kilometers in length (Greece 550 kilometers, Albania 215 kilometers, Adriatic Sea 105 kilometers, and Italy 8 kilometers).

TAP’s shareholding is comprised of BP (20 percent), SOCAR (20 percent), Snam S.p.A. (20 percent), Fluxys (19 percent), Enagás (16 percent) and Axpo (5 percent).