Plomin coal power plant, Croatia
December 18, 2012
CANCELLED: after five years of campaigning, plans for Plomin C were dropped in 2016. Croatian plans to more than double the capacity of the Plomin coal power plant would have resulted in increased carbon-emissions for several decades. The project’s profitability was questionable and the plans were facing local opposition and conflicting regional legislation.
EIB energy policy review – Time to lock out climate destructive investments for good
December 14, 2012
The European Investment Bank (EIB), the EU’s bank and also the biggest public financial institution in the world by lending volume, has launched a public consultation on its energy policy and is seeking views from the public and other stakeholders that should feed into a review of one of the EIB’s most crucial lending sectors. The new policy is expected to take effect from June 2013.
Financial alchemy in Slovenia’s energy sector still results in lignite, not gold
December 11, 2012
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.
Dirty coal gets closer to receiving almost half a billion euros from EU taxpayers
December 3, 2012
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is gearing up to pay 440 million euros to a new 600 MW lignite plant in Slovenia at a time when calls for an end to subsidies for fossil fuels are intensifying all over the world.
Crunch time at Sostanj
November 5, 2012
November is shaping up to be crunch time for a new 600 MW lignite plant planned to be built at Sostanj in Slovenia. If the Slovenian government doesn’t manage to offer a state guarantee for loans from European public banks that should cover half the construction costs by the end of this month, the project could fail. At Bankwatch, we’re preparing our popcorn for the latest Sostanj thriller, on show across Europe this month.
Covering the Balkans in Soot: The New European Energy Community Strategy Favours Fossil Fuel Reliance
October 17, 2012
Brussels — Neighbouring countries of the EU from the Western Balkans to Ukraine are planning unsustainable energy futures relying on coal and nuclear. An energy strategy for the region to be approved Thursday by the European Energy Community indicates that such investments in dirty fuels could happen with EU support and financing.
When loyalty blocks climate action – Polish parliament pledges allegiance
October 17, 2012
The Polish government has a sad reputation for adopting unilateral, even obscure approaches when it comes to our country’s energy policy. What now came as a very disappointing surprise is that the Polish parliament joined the opportunistic chorus of denial – one that considers alternatives to the continued reliance on fossil fuels as a threat to Poland’s security.
Environmentalists, get your keyboards ready: The European Investment Bank asks for inputs on its energy policy
October 11, 2012
With annually more than ten billion euros of investments in the energy sector, the EIB can have a tremendous influence on our energy future. If we want the bank to help us “get it right”, the time for providing inputs is now.
The devil in the details: Europe’s low-carbon economy dream
August 17, 2012
The increasing popularity of a ‘low-carbon economy’ rhetoric calls for robust assessments of the carbon intensity of EU funded projects. Otherwise the potential that lies in the concept may get diluted by conflicting interests.
Spot the difference: Alstom in Indonesia and Slovenia
July 31, 2012
The company hired to build a new unit at the Sostanj lignite power plant is involved in strikingly similar corruption cases across continents.
