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☆ IAEA says a dozen countries to be equipped with nuclear power
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, speaks at a news briefing in Okuma, northeastern Japan, Wednesday, July 5, 2023. Hiro Komae/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsPARIS, Nov 28 (Reuters) - A dozen countries are expected to start producing electricity from nuclear power sources within the next few years, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) Rafael Mariano Grossi said on Tuesday. "We already have 10 countries which have entered the decision phase (to build nuclear power plants) and 17 others which are in the evaluation process," he said. "There will be a dozen or 13 (new) nuclear countries within a few years," he added. Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Namibia, the Philippines, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan were cited by Grossi as potential new nuclear countries.

Persons: Rafael Mariano Grossi, Hiro Komae, Grossi, Benjamin Mallet, Forrest Crellin, Bernadette Baum Organizations: International Atomic Energy Agency, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, International Atomic Energy Association, Thomson Locations: Okuma, Japan, Paris, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Namibia, Philippines, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan

☆ Environmental groups urge funding halt for TotalEnergies' Mozambique project
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Wendell Roelf | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TotalEnergies signs are seen at a petrol station in Nice, France, October 10, 2022. The letter, seen by Reuters, comes at a crucial juncture for the French energy company as it prepares to relaunch Africa's largest foreign direct investment project. Activists warn the project may worsen climate change and fuel human rights abuses in the impoverished southern African nation. TotalEnergies said before Friday's letter that arrangements for project finance remain in place despite a 'force majeure' halt in 2021 when Islamist militants threatened the project site. The project delay has led some investors to reassess their previous cost assumptions in light of inflation and global gas market swings.

Persons: Eric Gaillard, Banks, TotalEnergies, Ntshengedzeni Maphula, Reta Jo Lewis, Wendell Roelf, Toby Sterling, Nellie Peyton, Forrest Crellin, Mathieu Rosemain, Yuka Obayashi, Tim Cocks, Olivia Kumwenda, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, ActionAid International, Greenpeace, African Development Bank, Societe Generale, Africa's Export Credit Insurance Corporation, Thomson Locations: Nice, France, Mozambique, Greenpeace France, Netherlands, U.S, Exim, Cape Town, Amsterdam, Johannesburg, Paris, Tokyo

☆ What Macron means when he says he wants to 'take back control' of French power prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

PARIS, Oct 4 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron said last week his government would "take back control" of electricity prices by the end of the year, without spelling out what steps he would take. "There is a point that is key for our competitiveness, and we will announce it in October, and that is to take back control of electricity prices," Macron said. "We'll be able to announce in October electricity prices that are in line with our competitiveness," he said, adding this would apply to households and businesses. However, French officials say Germany is undermining a traditional French strength due to fears cheap nuclear electricity could provide French businesses with a competitive advantage over German companies. Under the current system, called marginal pricing, European electricity prices are linked to the most expensive power producing asset.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Macron, We'll, Bruno Le Maire, Michel Rose, Elizabeth Pineau, Benjamin Mallet, Leigh Thomas, Forrest Crellin, Kate Abnett, Julia Payne, Mark Potter Organizations: Union, EDF, EU, European Commission, French Finance, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Paris, France, Brussels, Germany, Russia, Europe, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Luxembourg, Austria, Spain

☆ TotalEnergies says will pay more to shareholders as oil, gas output rises
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of French oil and gas company TotalEnergies is seen at the company's headquarters skyscraper in the financial and business district of La Defense, near Paris, France September 14, 2023. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsPARIS, Sept 27 (Reuters) - French energy goup TotalEnergies (TTEF.PA) said on Wednesday that it would increase returns to shareholders and planned to raise its oil and gas production by 2 to 3% per year over the next five years. The group said at an investor day that it expects to distribute about 44% of its cash flow to shareholders in 2023 and set a target of more than 40% beyond 2023. TotalEnergies also announced positive results at an exploration well in Namibia, to be confirmed by another flow test, and said further appraisal wells and prospects would be drilled. Analysts had said they were particularly keen to hear more about the French energy group's recent exploration activity offshore Namibia - which has no oil and gas output now but could become one of the top 15 oil producers by 2035.

Persons: Gonzalo Fuentes, TotalEnergies, Benjamin Mallet, Forrest Crellin, Sudip Kar, Gupta, Ingrid Melander, Emelia Sithole Organizations: La Defense, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: La, Paris, France, Namibia

☆ IEA says route to net zero requires more cash and less politics
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Forrest Crellin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

But it also said the world would need need to invest nearly $4.5 trillion per year in the transition to cleaner energy from the start of the next decade, up from spending of $1.8 trillion expected in 2023. Temperatures have hit record levels this year and global averages are around 1.1C higher compared with the pre-industrial average. In its update to its Net Zero Roadmap, which proposes scenarios to reach net zero emissions by the middle of the century, the IEA said an increase in solar power capacity and in electric vehicle (EV) sales since 2021 were in line with targets, as well as infrastructure plans in both fields. The IEA pathway to net zero will also require an equitable transition, taking into account national circumstances and requiring advanced economies to reach net zero sooner than developing economies, the report said. "Governments need to separate climate from geopolitics, given the scale of the challenge at hand," IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said.

Persons: Fatih Birol, Forrest Crellin, Barbara Lewis Organizations: International Energy Agency, IEA, Thomson Locations: Paris

France, which widened its heatwave red alert in the south of the country, said it would scale back production at a nuclear power plant as high temperatures curbed cooling water supply. The strait, linking the Aegean Sea and the Black Sea, is a major shipping route for commodities such as oil and grains. It said some areas of southern France would experience temperatures of 42 degree Celsius (108 degrees Fahrenheit). The authorities widened a heatwave red alert for the south of the country, while officials urged some mountain climbers to postpone their activities and told grape pickers to work in the morning to avoid the extreme heat. Italy issued heatwave red alerts about "emergency conditions" that the health ministry says could endanger the healthy as well as the frail in 17 of its 27 main cities for Wednesday and Thursday, including Rome, Milan, Florence and Venice.

Persons: Firefighters, Vassilis Kikilias, herder, Saint Alban, Karolina Tagaris, Alexandros Avramidis, Ezgi, Zhifan Liu, Forrest Crellin, Nacho Doce, Violeta Santos Moura, Crispian Balmer, Charlie Devereux, Edmund Blair Organizations: Migration Ministry, Residents, Civil, European Union, EDF, Saint, Fundacion Madrina, Firefighters, Wednesday, Thomson Locations: Athens, Turkey, Dardanelles, France, Italy, ATHENS, ISTANBUL, Europe, Greece, Menidi, Amygdaleza, Fyli, Alexandroupolis, Evros, East, Asia, Turkey's, Canakkale, Meteo, Spain, Tenerife, Rome, Milan, Florence, Venice

☆ France issues 'red alert' over heatwave in south
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The logo of Electricite de France (EDF) is seen in front of electrical pylons at the Tricastin nuclear power plant site in Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux, France, November 21, 2022. The departments targeted by the alert, which allows local authorities to call off events and close public facilities if needed, are the Rhone, Drome, Ardeche and Haute-Loire, Meteo France said. Earlier on Monday, Meteo France had issued an orange alert for half of the country's territory, saying temperatures will reach between 35 and 38 C (95 to 100 F) in most of the affected departments. Temperatures are expected to rise to between 40 and 42 Celsius (104 and 108 F) on Tuesday afternoon in the southern departments of Ardeche, Drome, Vaucluse and Gard, Meteo France said. Some technical issues at the reactor also played a role in delaying the restart to Aug. 25, an EDF spokesperson told Reuters.

Persons: Eric Gaillard, Meteo, Forrest Crellin, Dominique Vidalon, Tassilo Hummel, Sudip Kar, Emelia, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, EDF, Reuters, Thomson Locations: France, Saint, Rhone, Drome, Ardeche, Haute, Loire, Meteo France, Vaucluse, Gard

☆ EDF swings back to profit in H1 thanks to price increases
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Net income came in at 5.8 billion euros ($6.44 billion), compared to a loss of 5.3 billion in the first half of 2022. The earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) reached 16.1 billion euros, from 2.7 billion euros a year earlier. Net debt rose slightly to 64.8 billion euros, from 64.5 billion euros at the end of 2022. The French state became the sole shareholder of the public utility after taking full control at the beginning of June. A government decision in 2022 to limit electricity price increases, as well as reduced power supply due to stress corrosion problems at several EDF reactors led to a record net loss of 18 billion euros in 2022.

Persons: Forrest Crellin, Benjamin Mallet, Silvia Aloisi Organizations: Electricite de, SA, PARIS, EDF, Thomson

☆ Global power demand growth to rebound in 2024 after slowdown, IEA says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Forrest Crellin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

PARIS, July 19 (Reuters) - An ongoing energy crisis and an economic downturn is expected to slow global power demand growth in 2023, but a probable rebound in 2024 means more renewable capacity needs to be developed, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Wednesday. For 2024, the rate is expected to rise to 3.3%, as the economic outlook improves, the IEA data showed. The Paris-based agency predicted renewable energy would cover the expected growth this year and next and power from renewable sources would exceed one third of the total global power supply for the first time next year. In the first half this year, the EU recorded a 6% decline in power demand as energy-intensive industries, including aluminum, steel, paper, and chemical industries, cut their use in response to high prices. Increased use of cooling to cope with summer heatwaves is expected to drive the demand growth there this year.

Persons: Forrest Crellin, Barbara Lewis Organizations: International Energy Agency, European Union, EU, Thomson Locations: Paris, Spain, China, India, Ukraine, Europe, United States, Japan, Korea

☆ European wind developers play down Siemens Gamesa turbine troubles
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

UBS analysts said that in a worst-case scenario charges for Siemens Energy could exceed 5 billion euros. Denmark's Orsted said it operates one onshore wind farm with Siemens Energy turbines and that Orsted's portfolio of turbines has "high availability rates, reflecting that wind power has very little down-time." Siemens Gamesa has already told Iberdrola that it would proceed with a retrofit design, the source said, adding no technical issues for the remaining fleet of Siemens Gamesa turbines had been observed. Siemens Energy shares were up 5.7% at 1428 GMT, recovering some losses after analysts said Friday's sell-off was overblown. Siemens Gamesa first disclosed problems around its 5X model in July 2021, flagging higher than expected ramp-up costs.

Persons: Siemens Gamesa, Germany's, Denmark's Orsted, Eolus Vind, Iberdrola, Friday's, Andres Gonzalez, Forrest Crellin, Christoph Steitz, Marek Strzelecki, Nikolaj Skydsgaard, Nora Buli, Pietro Lombardi, Nina Chestney, Mark Potter, Alexander Smith Organizations: Siemens, Siemens Energy, UBS, EDF, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Siemens Gamesa, Poland's PGE, Thomson Locations: Spanish, Copenhagen, Baltica, Baltic, London, Paris, Frankfurt, Warsaw, Oslo, Madrid

Pig prices soared in Europe last year as output was cut by farms squeezed by high grain and energy costs. The EU pork industry has been buffeted in the past decade by a Russian trade embargo, the westward spread of African swine fever and the COVID-19 pandemic. "We're continuing to add costs to the overall pork production chain," Justin Sherrard, global strategist for animal protein at Rabobank, said. That may mean EU pork exports, whose share of production more than doubled to 21% between 2000 and 2020, have peaked. But an inflationary economy may make consumers less ready to accept rising pork prices and deepen a shift towards chicken as a cheaper, more convenient option.

Persons: Carole Joliff, Joliff, Jean, Paul Simier, AKI, We're, Justin Sherrard, slaughterhouses, Klaus Kaiser, FICT, Rabobank's Sherrard, jamon serrano, prosciutto, Tim Koch, Gus Trompiz, Forrest Crellin, Michael Hogan, Johannes Birkebaek, Emma Pinedo, Toby Sterling, David Evans Organizations: European Union, Commission, Rabobank, BLE, Danish Crown, AMI, Thomson Locations: PARIS, Brittany, Europe, Russian, Hungarian, China, Japan, Denmark, Netherlands, Danish, France, Brazil, United States, Germany, EU, Paris, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Madrid, Amsterdam

☆ France braces for power demand surge driven by EVs, alternative fuels
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

To meet that goal, electricity is needed both to power the electric vehicles (EVs) and the battery plants automakers need to produce them. Over the decade to 2035, RTE projects an average of 350 TWh of nuclear power availability per year. Nuclear energy has typically supplied around 70% of France's supply and will remain dominant, but renewable supplies will also increase. New onshore wind and solar power are expected to dominate renewable growth until 2030. Offshore wind power is expected to overtake as the leading source of growth between 2030 and 2035.

Persons: Forrest Crellin, Barbara Lewis Organizations: RTE, European Union, Thomson Locations: France, Europe, Ukraine

Prior to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February last year, Ukraine ran its nuclear reactors on Russian fuel, producing 55% of the country's electricity. Cameco, like Energoatom, can adjust how much uranium it delivers on two years' notice, Kotin said. Contracted uranium prices are typically higher than spot prices, meaning that Cameco may take a discount if Ukraine purchases less uranium due to the war's impact, Carter said. Kotin said Energoatom will buy Cameco's uranium at a price based equally on a fixed price and a market price. BIG POTENTIAL REWARDSWhile Ukraine will rely on Cameco for uranium, it has struck separate deals for further processing.

☆ Factbox: EU keeps on doing business with Russia despite sanctions
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Gabriela Baczynska | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Here is a list of areas where the EU keeps on doing business with Russia. TRADE FLOWSIn 2021, Russia was the EU's fifth-largest trading partner with goods exchange worth 258 billion euros, according to the EU executive European Commission. Since the invasion in 2022, the value of EU imports from Russia fell by a half to around 10 billion euros last December. Gas is not covered by EU sanctions, but Moscow slashed pipeline deliveries to Europe since the invasion. The EU imported 2.1 billion euros worth of nickel in 2021, up to 3.2 billion euros last year, according to Eurostat.

☆ French pension protest blocks entry to Louvre museum
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] French police look on as protesters holding French CGT labour union flags in front of the glass Pyramid block the entrance of the Louvre museum to protest against the French government's pension reform, in Paris, France, March 27, 2023. REUTERS/Marco TrujilloPARIS, March 27 (Reuters) - Trade union protesters angered by President Emmanuel Macron's move to raise the French retirement age without a final vote in parliament blocked the Louvre museum in Paris on Monday, frustrating crowds of visitors. Demonstrating peacefully against plans to make most French work an extra two years to 64 to balance the pension budget, a small number of protesters gathered at the foot of the Louvre's glass pyramid. The protest came one day ahead of a 10th round of nationwide strikes and street marches and followed violence in cities across France over the pension system changes. Separately, Paris police said they were carrying out an operation to prevent unauthorised gatherings in front of the Centre Pomopidou, another landmark museum in Paris.

☆ Strikes hit French nuclear output, disrupt EDF maintenance plans
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Forrest Crellin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoPARIS, March 24 (Reuters) - Strikes in France are impacting maintenance plans at EDF's (EDF.PA) nuclear plants, curbing production just as the utility hoped to rebound from a 34-year output low last year. At least 14 nuclear reactors in EDF's fleet of 56 have suffered some delay affecting their maintenance plans, data from the CGT union showed. For EDF that has meant nuclear power output in 2023 even lower than last year when it had swathes of reactors offline for repairs and checks for stress corrosion cracks. EDF declined to comment on the impact of the strikes on its maintenance plans. French nuclear safety watchdog ASN requested EDF revise its maintenance program due to new cracks discovered this month in some reactors.

☆ French strikes continue to block refinery shipments and LNG terminals
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Forrest Crellin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Eric GaillardPARIS, March 20 (Reuters) - Shipments of refined products from French refinery and depots were blocked on Monday by a 13th day of strike action, though some refineries operated with a reduced flow. The cost of keeping LR2 vessels floating outside ports is leading many traders to avoid shipments into France, traders said. Strikes also continued through the weekend and into Monday at ExxonMobil (XOM.N) subsidiary Esso's Fos refinery, blocking deliveries, CGT union representative Germinal Lancelin said. At French liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, the strike was extended until March 27 at the three terminals operated by Engie (ENGIE.PA) subsidiary Elengy, a union representative said. Another vote will be held later this week, possibly on Wednesday, on whether to take further strike action, the representative added.

☆ French protests: 37% of operational staff at TotalEnergies' refineries on strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, March 18 (Reuters) - Some 37% of operational staff at TotalEnergies' (TTEF.PA) refineries and depots were on strike on Saturday amid persisting protests in France against the government's move to raise the retirement age by two years to 64. French fuel supplies could be put at risk again next week following union calls to extend 10 days of strike action at refineries. The Donges refinery in the west has been offline due to a technical problem with an electricity transformer, he said. At the company's Normandy site in the north, operations and production at a large number of units were normal. At oil major ExxonMobil's (XOM.N) Esso-branded Port Jerome-Gravenchon refinery in Normandy, fuel deliveries were halted for at least 24 hours, a representative of the hardline CGT labour union said.

Operations were normal at the company's Normandy site in the north, while the Feyzin refinery in the southeast was operating almost normally, the person added. A union official said earlier that the Normandy refinery would be stopped this weekend. At oil major ExxonMobil's (XOM.N) Esso-branded Port Jerome refinery in Normandy, workers have been called to strike from Saturday at 2 p.m. (1300 GMT), a CGT union official said. It was unclear whether Esso's Fos-sur-Mer refinery in the south would be similarly affected. Reporting by Benjamin Mallet, Forrest Crellin and America Hernandez; Editing by Jan Harvey and Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/11] Protesters take part in a demonstration against the French government's pension reform plan, as part of the eighth day of national strike and protests, in Ancenis-Saint-Gereon, France, March 15, 2023. The pension bill passed to a joint parliamentary committee on Wednesday where lawmakers from the lower and upper chambers are seeking a compromise text. If a deal is reached, a final vote in both the Senate and National Assembly will be held on Thursday. This new day of protests "is meant to tell lawmakers: don't vote this reform," he said. "In the National Assembly, there will not be an easy vote, nor will there be panic," government spokesman Olivier Veran told Europe 1 radio station.

☆ French refinery strikes renewed for sixth day
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, March 13 (Reuters) - Strikes blocking fuel deliveries from French refineries continued for a sixth day on Monday, after the Senate voted over the weekend to adopt President Emmanuel Macron's unpopular pension reform plan. TotalEnergies' refineries and depots remained blocked, with 41% of the operators on the morning shift joining the strike, a company spokesperson said. ExxonMobil's (XOM.N) subsidiary Esso's Fos refinery in France was also blocked, a CGT union spokesperson said. There was no strike at the Port Jerome site, but that could resume on Wednesday, the union spokesperson said. The Senate voted on Saturday to adopt Macron's pension reform plan, which among other measures raises the retirement age by two years to 64.

☆ Macron seeks French pension reform support as strikes run on
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

PARIS, March 13 (Reuters) - Strikes blocking fuel deliveries from French refineries ran into a sixth day on Monday, piling further pressure on President Emmanuel Macron as he races to shore up support for unpopular pension reforms in a final parliamentary vote. The last and crucial moment would then be a final vote, Thursday, both in the Senate and in the National Assembly. [1/3] A view shows the French oil giant TotalEnergies refinery in Donges near Saint-Nazaire, France, March 10, 2023. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe 1 2 3Macron's party needs the support of Les Republicains in the National Assembly to ensure the bill is approved. Veran also echoed Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, who has said she preferred a vote rather than using the 49:3 procedure, which refers to the related article in the French constitution.

☆ TotalEnergies: Strike continues for sixth day at company's French sites
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PARIS, March 12 (Reuters) - TotalEnergies (TTEF.PA) said on Sunday the rolling strike over the government's planned pension reform continued for the sixth day running at its French refineries and depots, an company spokesperson told Reuters. The French Senate on Saturday night passed President Emmanuel Macron's unpopular plan, an important step in it becoming law, shortly after a seventh day of demonstrations that were not as large as authorities had expected. Reporting by Forrest Crellin; Editing by Benoit Van OverstraetenOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ France faces another day of nationwide protests against Macron's pension plans
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, March 11 (Reuters) - France faced a seventh day of demonstrations on Saturday against President Emmanuel Macron's unpopular pension reform plans amid ongoing rolling strikes which have affected refineries, public transport and garbage collections. Demonstrations started at 10 a.m (0900 GMT) in the streets of major cities including Toulouse and Nice. Opinion polls show a majority of voters oppose Macron's plan, while a slim majority supports the strike actions. An additional day of nationwide strikes and protests is planned for March 15. Reporting by Tangi Salaun, Forrest Crellin and Benoit Van Overstraeten; Editing by Mike HarrisonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/6] People walk in a street where garbage cans are overflowing, as garbage has not been collected, in Paris, France March 10, 2023. REUTERS/Benoit TessierPARIS, March 10 (Reuters) - Garbage piled up in Paris streets and fuel deliveries were blocked from refineries as workers continued rolling strikes against pension reform but President Emmanuel Macron refused to meet with unions and said the reform must go ahead. But the hardline CGT union at TotalEnergies' Donges refinery said the strike would continue at least until Thursday and garbage collector unions had set no date for a resumption of services. According to an interior ministry note cited by French TV BFM, police expect that 800,000 to one million people will demonstrate. Fuel deliveries were also disrupted at the Fos refinery, operated by ExxonMobil (XOM.N) subsidiary Esso, a CGT spokesperson said.

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