Energy Blast – Nov 16, 2010

Bulgaria-Russia energy relations may have been smoothed with a South Stream agreement and a canine gift, but apparently Bulgaria is not happy with the projected cost of the Belene nuclear power plant, at €6.3 billion.  Nor will Bulgaria be a transit nation in the planned Burgas-Alexandroupolis pipeline for transporting Russian crude to the Greek coast, due to environmental concerns.  Gazprom has reduced its gas production target by almost 1% as demand dwindles under economic pressures, though apparently the company hopes that sales will return to pre-crisis levels in 2012.  Russia’s number one gas company has plans to venture into Cuban waters.  EU Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger’s new blueprint for energy infrastructure has been leaked: see details here.  Could Russia win the dubious accolade of being the world’s biggest ‘nuclear dump’