Energy & Green Biz|Foreign Affairs
Guest Writer|10.05.2012

Energy efficiency: Made in Denmark, transportable to the rest of the EU?

Denmark uses energy more efficiently than any other EU member state – 60 percent of the energy per unit of GDP of the EU average. Thus it was no surprise when in January the new Danish presidency of the EU’s Council of Ministers identified a draft “energy efficiency directive” as one of its priorities. But Copenhagen’s efforts look unlikely to lead to agreement before the Danish presidency ends. EU member states like Germany and France are trying to weaken key aspects of the draft directive.

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HOT TOP|Energy & Green Biz
Chris Johnstone|09.05.2012

ČEZ to weigh up partner for Temelín expansion

Near 70 percent state-owned Czech electricity giant ČEZ says it is willing to test out whether a partner could be found for the estimated Kč 150 billion–Kč 200 billion tender to add two new nuclear reactors to its Temelín site. If the path seems promising a tender for a partner could be held once the constructor had been chosen in 2013.

 

 

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HOT TOP|Companies|Energy & Green Biz
Chris Johnstone|09.05.2012

French bidder for Temelín upbeat on prospects

The regional director of French nuclear power plant constructor Areva says doubts about the Temelín nuclear expansion tender resulting in a winner and a substantial part of the work going to local companies are misplaced. 

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Companies|Energy & Green Biz|Foreign Affairs
Tom Jones|09.05.2012

Power giant ČEZ faces major losses in Albania

Prague-listed power major ČEZ is set to lose up to Kč 10 billion over the next three years from its investment into the Albanian power distribution company as a result of a 91 percent hike in tariffs imposed by the government in Tirana, non-payment of bills, and loses from the network, the Czech daily Lidové noviny (LN) reported Wednesday.

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Energy & Green Biz
Vratislav Ludvík|03.05.2012

Will Austria and Germany be able to block Czech nuclear power?

Austria is taking steps to ban imports of nuclear produced electricity with Germany to possibly follow suit. But can such steps, which would have a direct impact on Czech state-controlled power company ČEZ and its plans for more nuclear capacity, really be effective or allowed?  Vratislav Ludvík examines the possible scenarios of how this could work out in practice and the impact on the Czech power market.

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Energy & Green Biz|Society
Chris Johnstone|27.04.2012

Šumava park director wins anti-ecological award

Jan Stráský didn’t look back after becoming director of the Šumava National Park in February 2011, skirting or violating environmental rules and ecological good practice wherever possible, according to his opponents. For his clear cut performance which left the field far behind he has been chosen as the Czech Republic’s top anti-ecologist for 2011.

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Politics & Policy|Energy & Green Biz
Brian Kenety|27.04.2012

Czech environmentalists decry call to end subsidies for renewables

Environmental groups have called on Czech president Václav Klaus to remove the head of the Energy Regulatory Office (ERÚ) over her proposal to halt all state subsidies for renewable energies as of 2014.

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Companies|Energy & Green Biz
Chris Johnstone|26.04.2012

Czech energy watchdog clamps down on sharp sales practices

The Czech energy regulator says it has faced a flood of complaints about unethical practices from energy companies in the first quarter of the year. It has called on company managers to explain, including some of the biggest power companies in the country, and is threatening to get tough if the abuse goes on.

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HOT TOP|Energy & Green Biz
Chris Johnstone|25.04.2012

Czech power regulator seeks to stamp out renewables support

The not-so-sunny Czech Republic is fourth in the world for its solar power capacity thanks to over generous grants in the past which sparked a boom. Now the Energy Regulatory Office (ERÚ) wants to curb any chance of any similar renewable El Dorado at the expense of the taxpayer with a ban on virtually all new support proposed from 2014.

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Companies|Energy & Green Biz
Brian Kenety|25.04.2012

Unipetrol Q1 net loss of Kč 361 mln wider than expected‎

Top Czech oil refiner Unipetrol has reported a first-quarter net loss of Kč 361 million (down from Kč 464 million in 1Q11) on lower sales of fuels and reduced profits due to higher crude oil prices — and the macroeconomic situation, analysts said. The result was wider than the average estimate of a Kč 86 million loss seen in a Reuters poll.

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