WNN - Nuclear energy can help the European Union achieve a sustainable and low-carbon future while providing people with reliable and affordable electricity, Foratom - the European nuclear trade body - says in a new position paper.

IMF - The Dutch economy has performed very well in recent years. Growth is estimated at 2.6 percent in the 2018, owing to strong domestic demand and robust net exports.

REUTERS - Nord Stream 2 has divided the EU, with German opposition to the new draft rules stalling discussions since it was proposed by the EU executive in November 2017.

REUTERS - The pipeline project, which is majority owned by Russian energy giant Gazprom, plans to tap lenders this year, a spokesman for Nord Stream 2 told Reuters. He did not comment on the risk of new sanctions.

REUTERS - Germany will not become dependent on Russia for gas due to Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday, stressing that it was crucial to ensure Ukraine remained a transit country for gas.

IMF - Global debt has reached an all-time high of $184 trillion in nominal terms, the equivalent of 225 percent of GDP in 2017. On average, the world’s debt now exceeds $86,000 in per capita terms, which is more than 2½ times the average income per-capita.

PLATTS- Germany added almost 3 GW of solar capacity last year, the highest annual figure since 2013 and 68% more than 2017, German solar association BSW said Thursday. Total installed solar PV capacity was 45.929 GW by end-2018, with 377 MW added in December alone.

GAZPROM - Particular attention at the meeting was paid to the growing demand for gas supplied by Gazprom to Austria. In the period from January 1 through January 27, 2019, gas exports totaled an estimated 1.2 billion cubic meters, an increase of 35 per cent from the same period of last year.

PLATTS - Russia's Gazprom Export believes that the record high gas sales of 200 Bcm in Europe and Turkey last year represented a "new reality" for Russian gas exports. Speaking Tuesday at the European Gas Conference in Vienna, CEO Elena Burmistrova also said she expected gas sales to remain at current levels over the next few years.

WNN - President Emmanuel Macron announced last November that a total of 14 French power reactors of 900 MWe capacity will be shut down in order to reduce the share of nuclear in the country's electricity generation mix from the current 75% to 50% by 2035.

REUTERS - Italy’s Eni and Austria’s OMV have agreed to pay a combined $5.8 billion to take a stake in Abu Dhabi National Oil Company’s (ADNOC) refining business and establish a new trading operation owned by the three partners.

МИНЭНЕРГО РОССИИ - “Проект строительства газопровода «Турецкий поток» – один из флагманских проектов российско-турецкого сотрудничества. В настоящий момент продолжаются работы по строительству приемного терминала морского участка в Турции”, - добавил Александр Новак.

PLATTS - Natural gas flows via the Nord Stream pipeline from Russia to Germany totaled 58.8 Bcm in 2018 -- 3.8 Bcm higher than its nameplate capacity of 55 Bcm/year -- according to the operator of the pipeline.

PLATTS - French liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports soared last year as Australia, the U.S. and Russia brought more LNG to world markets, French gas network operator GRTgaz said on Thursday.

МИНЭНЕРГО РОССИИ - С участием Министра энергетики Российской Федерации Александра Новака, заместителя председателя Европейской комиссии Мароша Шефчовича и Министра иностранных дел Украины Павла Климкина состоялись трехсторонние переговоры в формате Российская Федерация – Европейский Союз – Украина по вопросу транзита российского газа через территорию Украины европейским потребителям после 2019 года.