Good news: EBRD drops controversial Monsanto project
January 28, 2013 | Read more
A potential cooperation between the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the agro-corporation Monsanto has thankfully not come to fruition. The case highlights the difficulties for a large development bank to reach farmers on the ground.
Off on the wrong foot in Kosovo? A lignite power plant and the EBRD
January 25, 2013 | Read more
Notwithstanding the dominance of lignite in Kosovo’s energy mix, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development may get involved with yet another lignite project in the Western Balkans.
Alstom, the constructor for the Sostanj lignite power plant might just be the worst company of the year. You can vote for Alstom in the Public Eye Awards until January 23.
Even with the latest investment plan for unit 6 at the Sostanj lignite power plant (TES 6), the project’s economics are (surprise, surprise) still distinctly shaky as an independent analysis shows. Nonetheless, the project looks ever more likely to get a state guarantee from the Slovene government.
A protest action held today in front of the EBRD office in Kiev by Greenpeace and Bankwatch highlighted the dangers of Ukraine’s plans to prolong the operations of its 15 nuclear reactors. The groups called on the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to take safety more seriously than Ukrainian authorities and invest in decommissioning rather than lifetime extensions.
China has risen to become a major player in the dam building business these days, dominating the world market and appearing ever more frequently around these parts in central and eastern Europe (along with counterparts in other areas of the energy sector, notably coal – more about this on the blog in the coming weeks).
