Salt Lake Natural Gas Storage Expansion Project Engineering was signed between IC ICTAS, China Camc Engineering and BOTAŞ.
Turkey will increase its natural gas storage capacity at the Lake Tuz (Tuz Gölü) underground gas storage facility to 5.4 billion cubic meters by 2023, according to Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Dönmez. During the Salt Lake Natural Gas Storage Facility Project Expansion signing ceremony in the capital Ankara Monday, Dönmez said the launch of the second phase of the project would open an additional 48 caverns to contribute toward the facility running at full capacity with 60 caverns by 2023.
Currently, the Lake Tuz facility has a storage capacity of 600 million cubic meters. Turkey aims to have sufficient storage capacity to meet at least 20 percent of its gas demand. To this end, the Lake Tuz facility will have enough capacity to meet almost 10 percent of Turkey's current natural gas consumption of around 50 billion cubic meters per year.
In his address, Dönmez stressed that Lake Tuz underground natural gas storage facility has very high importance in terms of supply security. The minister said with the facility expansion, it would ensure the supply of 80 million cubic meters per day of natural gas to the country's gas network.
Turkish Petroleum Pipeline Corporation (BOTAŞ) awarded the design, supply and installation of the second phase of the Lake Tuz Underground Storage Expansion Facility to a joint venture between China's Camc Engineering and Turkey's IC Içtaş Construction, BOTAŞ confirmed on March 13.
Dönmez further noted that energy supply security is a key element for the country, and added that the ministry aims to make Turkey an energy hub with projects such as the storage expansion facility, the TurkStream natural gas pipeline project, and the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline Project (TANAP).
The first construction work on the Lake Tuz underground natural gas storage facility with a capacity of 1.2 billion cubic meters of working gas continues, said the minister, adding that they hope to reach this figure in a short time.
"The project's storage capacity is 600 million cubic meters, and the capacity to supply gas to the system stands at 20 million cubic meters per day. In the 2019 Investment Program, the largest share allocated for BOTAŞ will be used for Lake Tuz," Dönmez said.
According to the government's 2019 Investment Program, Turkey will allocate nearly TL 7.71 billion for 104 projects in the energy sector with BOTAŞ taking the lion's share of public investment in the energy sector.
The country will allocate nearly TL 3.70 billion for the corporation's 15 ongoing and planned projects for this year. With investments it made in the natural gas storage facilities, Turkey ranks among the top countries in Europe, according to the minister, who said that thanks to the natural gas storage projects planned in Turkey, the country ranks fifth after Italy, the U.K., Romania and Poland, while it ranks second to the U.K. in terms of total capacity.
On June 27, 2018, the World Bank and China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) approved a total of $1.2 billion credit for the Salt Lake facility, which was launched by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Feb. 10, 2017.
Dönmez noted that the Lake Tuz underground natural gas storage facility, joined by the major international organizations such as the World Bank and AIIB, bears great importance in terms of showing trust in the Turkish economy.
"With its $1.2 billion budget, the Tuz Lake underground natural gas storage facility expansion project shows how strong the country's economic infrastructure is," said the minister.
The incumbent Treasury and Finance Minister, and former Energy and Natural Resources Minister, Berat Albayrak said on June 27, 2018, that Turkey would gradually increase its storage capacity from 1 billion cubic meters to as much as 5.4 billion cubic meters by 2023.
The Lake Tuz underground gas storage facility, located in the Sultanhanı district in the province of Aksaray, was officially opened on Feb. 10, 2017.
Source: Daily Sabah
Turkey's licensed electricity production decreased by 2.49 percent in January compared to the same month of 2018, according to the latest data revealed by the country's energy watchdog.
Total production fell to approximately 25.62 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) from around 26.28 million kWh in January 2018, Turkish Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA) announced on Tuesday in its electricity market report for January 2019. Turkey mainly produced 21.40 percent of its electricity from natural gas, 21.34 percent from hydropower plants, 19.98 percent from imported coal, 13.99 percent from lignite. Wind, kinetic energy from rivers, geothermal, hard coal, biomass, fuel oil, solar, diesel and LNG supplied the remaining share.
Turkey's installed electricity capacity was up 2.04 percent in January on a yearly basis. Natural gas power plants comprised 30.76 percent, while 24.66 percent came from hydropower plants, 11.75 percent from lignite power plants and 10.72 percent was derived from hard coal power plants.
Kinetic energy from rivers, wind, geothermal, fuel oil, biomass and solar power were the other contributors to Turkey's installed capacity.
Source: AA
Energy demand worldwide grew by 2.3% last year, its fastest pace this decade, an exceptional performance driven by a robust global economy and stronger heating and cooling needs in some regions. Natural gas emerged as the fuel of choice, posting the biggest gains and accounting for 45% of the rise in energy consumption. Gas demand growth was especially strong in the United States and China.
Demand for all fuels increased, with fossil fuels meeting nearly 70% of the growth for the second year running. Solar and wind generation grew at double-digit pace, with solar alone increasing by 31%. Still, that was not fast enough to meet higher electricity demand around the world that also drove up coal use.
As a result, global energy-related CO2 emissions rose by 1.7% to 33 Gigatonnes (Gt) in 2018. Coal use in power generation alone surpassed 10 Gt, accounting for a third of the total increase. Most of that came from a young fleet of coal power plants in developing Asia. The majority of coal-fired generation capacity today is found in Asia, with 12-year-old plants on average, decades short of average lifetimes of around 50 years.
These findings are part of the International Energy Agency’s latest assessment of global energy consumption and energy-related CO2 emissions for 2018. The Global Energy & CO2 Status Report provides a high-level and up-to-date view of energy markets, including latest available data for oil, natural gas, coal, wind, solar, nuclear power, electricity, and energy efficiency.
Electricity continues to position itself as the “fuel” of the future, with global electricity demand growing by 4% in 2018 to more than 23 000 TWh. This rapid growth is pushing electricity towards a 20% share in total final consumption of energy. Increasing power generation was responsible for half of the growth in primary energy demand.
Renewables were a major contributor to this power generation expansion, accounting for nearly half of electricity demand growth. China remains the leader in renewables, both for wind and solar, followed by Europe and the United States.
Energy intensity improved by 1.3% last year, just half the rate of the period between 2014-2016. This third consecutive year of slowdown was the result of weaker energy efficiency policy implementation and strong demand growth in more energy intensive economies.
“We have seen an extraordinary increase in global energy demand in 2018, growing at its fastest pace this decade,” said Dr. Fatih Birol, the IEA’s Executive Director. “Last year can also be considered another golden year for gas, which accounted for almost half the growth in global energy demand. But despite major growth in renewables, global emissions are still rising, demonstrating once again that more urgent action is needed on all fronts — developing all clean energy solutions, curbing emissions, improving efficiency, and spurring investments and innovation, including in carbon capture, utilization and storage.”
Source: International Energy Agency
Royal Dutch Shell has announced its arrival as a household gas and electricity supplier, moving 700,000 First Utility customers to its Shell Energy brand.
All of Shell’s residential energy customers will be supplied with 100 per cent renewable electricity. Shell Energy customers can take advantage of a 3 per cent discount at Shell petrol stations, as well as discounts on home technology like smart thermostats and electric vehicle chargers.
Shell Energy chief executive Colin Crooks said the company would use fuel forecourts to promote the new offer.
The company surprised the business world when it pounced for First Utility in 2017. It marks a tentative step on the path towards a more sustainable future for Shell, which derives the vast majority of its $400bn revenues from oil and gas.
The rebrand to Shell Energy sets up the world’s largest listed oil giant to take on the UK’s “Big Six” suppliers which have lost millions of customers in recent years. Shell Energy will have one of the cheaper deals on the market at around £970 a year for an average household usage of gas and electricity – £78 more than the cheapest available.
Shell Energy chief executive Colin Crooks said: “We are building on the disruptive nature of First Utility to give customers something better. We know that renewable electricity is important to them and we are delivering that, while ensuring good value and rewarding loyalty.”
Mark Gainsborough, Shell’s executive vice president of new energies, said: “This is a good example of our approach to building a significant electricity business, in line with customer needs.
“Shell recognises the world needs more energy with lower emissions and this will give customers more flexibility, greater control and cleaner energy.”
The company has said it is aiming to become the largest electricity company by the 2030s, as it prepares for a fundamental shift in global energy supplies towards lower-carbon sources.
Shell’s plan is a response to an expected shift in the world’s energy system to much greater use of electricity, up from about 20 per cent today to 50 per cent or more.
Source: Independent
Italian oil and gas major Eni SpA (BIT:ENI) said it has initiated construction work on solar projects in Pakistan and Tunusia with respective power generation capacities of 10 MWp and 5 MWp.
Eni noted that both projects will support upstream operations by delivering green energy with an off-grid set up.
In Pakistan, the company is building a photovoltaic (PV) plant in close proximity to the Bhit gas field of which Eni New Energy Pakistan is the operator with a 40% stake. This solar park will be producing about 20 GWh of electricity per year for on-site use. It is seen to be completed by October 2019, enabling the shutdown of an existing gas turbine.
In Tunisia, the company is installing a solar array coupled with an energy storage system at the Adam oil concession in Tataouine governorate, in which Eni Tunisia BV holds a 25% interest. The generated electricity there will also be used on-site. This project, expected to be finalised by the end of 2019, is a partnership with the State Company Enterprise Tunisienne d’Activities Petrolieres (ETAP).
Source: Renewablesnow
General Motors Co confirmed on Friday it will invest $300 million in a suburban Detroit assembly plant, adding 400 jobs to build a new Chevrolet electric vehicle.
The largest U.S. automaker has come under heavy criticism from President Donald Trump in recent days over its decision to end production at its Lordstown, Ohio, assembly plant earlier this month.
GM officials said the announcement was planned well before Trump’s series of angry GM tweets that started on Saturday. Trump called GM CEO Mary Barra on Sunday to urge her to reverse the decision to end production at the Ohio plant, which is in a crucial state for the 2020 presidential election. He again ripped the company in a speech in Ohio on Wednesday.
Barra, speaking to reporters after an event at the plant in Orion Township, outside Detroit, with Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer announcing the investment, said GM is focused on ensuring that all of the hourly workers at Lordstown find new jobs at other plants. But she has shown no indication it will reverse course and reopen the Lordstown plant.
She declined to say if she thought there was more tension between GM and Trump.
“We want to create jobs, good paying jobs,” Barra said, saying her talks with Trump had a “business focus.” She said GM needs to remain “strong” in order to continue to add jobs.
Source: Reuters
Global Energy & CO2 Status Report
Global energy consumption in 2018 increased at nearly twice the average rate of growth since 2010, driven by a robust global economy and higher heating and cooling needs in some parts of the world. Demand for all fuels increased, led by natural gas, even as solar and wind posted double digit growth. Higher electricity demand was responsible for over half of the growth in energy needs. Energy efficiency saw lackluster improvement. As a result of higher energy consumption, CO2 emissions rose 1.7% last year and hit a new record.
Please click here to read the full report.
