Fuels

Imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) are hampered by the decision of the Regulatory Authority for Energy over the pricing of the natural gas network, reversing the strategic advantages of the Revythousa terminal for the broader region and depriving Greek enterprises of a relatively cheap source of energy.

Kathimerini reports that stakeholders in the Aphrodite gas field have agreed to commit natural gas from Cyprus' Block 12 to Egypt's LNG facilities from where it will be exported to international markets. A few legal details remain and are expected to be clarified within days.

The topic of liquefied natural gas is important for Bulgaria and the region. Our country is still dependent on a gas supplier and so our efforts are for Bulgaria to become independent in terms of supply, said Temenujka Petkova.

The international forum "Unlocking the Business Potential of Eastern European Gas Markets - Competition, Alternatives, Markets, Projects, Security through Diversification" will begin today in Sofia.

The organizers are the Institute for Energy Research in Washington and the Center for Balkan and Black Sea Studies.

Turkey's marketable production of lignite stood at 5.5 million tons February and hard coal stood at 96,079 tons, as 339,104 tons of coke were derived from hard coal in February, according to April 29 data by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK).

Public Gas Corporation (DEPA) has sold natural gas to Bulgaria at a price 10 percent below the Bulgarian regulated rate and 16 percent below the rate offered to its major clients in Greece, thereby subsidizing industry in the neighboring country.

Greek energy firm Energean has made a vast discovery of 28-42 billion cubic meters of natural gas in the North Karish field off Israel's northwest coast, the company said on Monday.
The discovery is located not far from the company's floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit, which aims for a total export capacity of 8 billion cubic meters per year.

By decision of the Co-ordination Committee to the Connecting Europe Facility, 27,184 million Euros are granted for the project "Rehabilitation, Modernization and Expansion of the Bulgarian Transmission System - Phase 2" of Bulgartransgaz EAD, the company announced.

A ministerial decree approving the environmental reports for hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation west and southwest of Greece's island of Crete was signed on Tuesday by the Environment Ministry.

As the European Union seeks to wean the continent off coal, Bulgaria is digging in, postponing tough decisions to the ultimate detriment of coal workers, taxpayers and the energy grid, experts warn.