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OMV Petrom says it needs more possible if Rosneft removed boost domestic production of coal.
TES produces as much as a third of all
time to decide about Neptun as shareholder electricity in Slovenia. It was controversially
expanded with the addition of Unit 6, despite
Deep Poland stands ready to supply crude oil to strong opposition by environmental groups
and warnings that it could become a ‘stranded
the Germany refinery in Schwedt as soon
OMV Petrom needs 12 months to make as Rosneft is stripped of its stake in the asset’ as the country phases out coal power
the investment decision on the Neptun installation, Reuters reported on September generation.
Deep offshore project, the company’s CEO 22. Prime Minister Robert Golob said on
Christina Verchere stated on September The Schwedt refinery is under trusteeship September 14 that the Premogovnik Velenje
22 at a conference quoted by Reuters, after of the Federal Network Agency, the market coal mine, which supplies Sostanj, only has
Romanian Minister of Energy Virgil Popescu regulator, but Rosneft still owns 54% of the coal stocks sufficient for two weeks. His
said he would wish to hear about such a refinery through another company, PCK. government declared a level one threat for
decision sooner — by the end of the year “In Polish-German technical talks on power supply.
ideally. additional oil supplies for Germany that are “The situation at the mine is alarming,
“You have to have the right regulatory and underway, the Polish side is declaring that as the landfill only has supplies for just
fiscal framework and this is what we found potential help is possible under condition under a fortnight. This is also a reason why
challenging, it hasn’t always been there,” that Rosneft Deutschland is removed from the government ordered the HSE to start
Verchere said. the list of shareholders of PCK Schwedt,” immediately with coal import activities,”
“There are still amendments to be made,” Poland’s climate and environment ministry Golob said in the statement.
Verchere reportedly implied, quoted by Ziarul told Reuters. “Slovenia must temporarily increase
Financiar daily, without providing details on Poland was also reported as interested mining and coal imports in order to bridge
the nature of the amendments. in taking over Schwedt. Polish refiner PKN the energy crisis, and on the other hand, we
Romgaz, the other partner of the 50:50 Orlen is reportedly eyeing the acquisition. must be prepared for the restructuring of
concession agreement regarding the field, is “We are constantly monitoring the the region when the exit from coal will really
“extremely committed to having the Neptun situation in the region,” PKN Orlen said in a begin,” Golob said.
Deep project finalized,” according to its CEO statement. Premogovnik Velenje’s general manager
Razvan Popescu. The Netherlands’ Shell also holds a 37.5% Janez Roser told RTV Slovenia that the
OMV Petrom turned into the operator stake in PCK while Italy’s Eni has 8.33%.. management will try to maximise coal
of the concession contract after Romgaz production and ensure larger stocks of coal.
took over the 50% stake previously held by Speaking about a possible expansion
ExxonMobil. Initially, the US company was Desperate Southeast Europe of the mining locations, he said that it is a
acting as the operator for the project and it demanding project, which would take at least
sold its 50% stake to Romgaz. governments scramble for three years, and the staffing issue also poses an
BSOG, operating a smaller investment additional challenge.
project in Romania’s Black Sea, already started energy resources “We have already hired miners from
production at its Midia field under exactly Bosnia and Herzegovina, and talks are also
the same regulatory and fiscal framework as The small countries of Southeast Europe underway on the possibility of [bringing in]
OMV Petrom. are urgently looking to new suppliers to additional miners from North Macedonia,”
As the deadlines of the concession contract help them though the energy crisis caused Roser said.
are secret, OMV Petrom has constantly by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and related Also in mid-September, Sostanj (TES)
deferred making a decision about Neptun sanctions. received the first test batch of coal from
Deep asking for better fiscal terms. Soaring electricity prices on international Indonesia. Along with Australia, the Southeast
Romania sweetened the terms and markets have forced states from the region to Asian country is becoming an increasingly
eliminated the requirement for 50% of the gas look for ways to boost domestic generation important supplier of coal following
to be sold on the local centralised markets. – which in most cases means a return to coal disruptions to supplies from Russia and
State-owned company Romgaz completed power despite commitments to greening their Ukraine. Golob said that if Slovenia managed
the takeover of ExxonMobil’s 50% stake in energy sectors. to import enough coal, it would still be
Neptun Deep projects. Even so, boosting coal power generation is cheaper than importing electricity at current
However, Popescu revealed in August that complicated by the sudden need to secure new market prices.
under a provision of the concession contract coal supplies as well as ageing and unreliable North Macedonia also needs coal for
the operators of the perimeter, OMV Petrom coal power plants outside the EU countries. its thermal power plants (TPPs). North
and Romgaz, are obliged to officially declare, The government of Slovenia, which is the Macedonia is dependent on energy imports,
by the end of 2022, whether the discovered richest country in emerging Europe in per and produces only electricity. It has no gas or
deposits have commercial value and can capita terms and also prides itself on being oil, and has limited quantities of coal.
be exploited under conditions of economic one of the greenest, said back in January that In August, North Macedonia’s power
profitability. it had endorsed a national strategy to phase producer ESM called two tenders to purchase
out coal for power production by 2033 at the 950,000 tonnes of coal for the needs of its two
latest. TPPs
Poland says oil supplies to is scrambling to import coal to feed its one on September 13 that he has secured supplies
Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski said
Fast forward eight months, and Ljubljana
Germany’s Schwedt only remaining coal-fired power plant Sostanj of coal and fuel oil from Greece during his
(TES), as well as trying to recruit miners to
meeting with Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis

Week 38 23•September•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P15