Russia's international reserves rose to USD520 billion in July 2019, the highest level since the global financial crisis, and will increase further to USD537 billion in 2019 and USD591 billion by 2021 supported by continued current account surpluses (5.2% of GDP in 2019 easing to 2.5% in 2021) and the sterilisation of above-budgeted oil revenues. Reserve coverage will rise to a robust 13.6 months of CXP by end-2019 and remain close to this level in 2020-2021, at more than double the forecast 'BBB' median. The international liquidity ratio (466% in 2019) is the highest in the 'BBB' rating category.

The Chinese economy is facing external headwinds and an uncertain environment. GDP growth slowed to 6.6 percent in 2018, driven by necessary financial regulatory reforms and softening external demand. Growth is projected to moderate to 6.2 percent in 2019 as the planned policy stimulus partially offsets the negative impact from the US tariff hike on US$ 200 billion of Chinese exports. Headline inflation rose due to rising food prices and is expected to remain around 2½ percent.

Long-term cuts in coal consumption are a key part of China’s energy, environment and climate goals, but the fivefold increase in new mine approvals in the first-half of 2019 suggests China’s targets still provide ample room for shorter-term growth.

"Nuclear energy is the only absolutely stable (and always available) source of electricity without carbon emissions. Therefore, we hear more and more voices, including from environmentalists, who claim that nuclear energy should play a more important role in the future energy mix. Personally, I am certain of this."

«Поставки угля в Китай в 2018 году составили 27,5 млн тонн, это на 7% больше, чем в 2017 году. При оценке динамики роста поставок российского угля за последние годы видно, что российский уголь востребован в КНР, что вызывает высокую заинтересованность российских поставщиков», - сказал Сергей Мочальников, открывая совещание.

Indonesia will no longer need to import LNG by 2025 to meet the shortfall in domestic natural gas production as previously expected, as the country brings new projects on stream by 2024, the energy minister told reporters Wednesday.

The Indonesian economy performed well in 2018, despite external headwinds, including capital flow reversals. Growth stabilized at above 5 percent, as robust domestic demand offset a decline in net exports.

Economic activity in Latin America and the Caribbean remains sluggish. Real GDP is expected to grow by 0.6 percent in 2019—the slowest rate since 2016—before rising to 2.3 percent in 2020.

The fiscal and external positions are expected to continue to deteriorate over the medium term absent policy changes—with reserves falling below adequate levels and fiscal buffers eroded. Although the level of public debt will remain sustainable, gross fiscal financing needs will increase. Non-oil GDP growth is projected to reach 5½ in 2019 but subside over the medium term.

“Очередное заседание Рабочей группы по энергетике, которое состоялось накануне, позволило подвести итоги реализации проектов в этой области, а также наметить новые направления совместной работы. На особом контроле держим реализацию наших ключевых проектов - “Турецкого потока” и АЭС “Аккую”. Мы рассчитываем на своевременный запуск проектов в конце 2019 года и к 2023 году соответственно”, - сказал Александр Новак.

TVEL, the nuclear fuel manufacturer subsidiary of Russia's Rosatom, has signed a supply contract for units 7 and 8 of the Tianwan nuclear power plant in China's Jiangsu province. The customers are Suneng Nuclear Power Corporation and China Nuclear Energy Industry Corporation, which are both subsidiaries of China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC).

South Korea's Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction (DHIC) signed the 'business collaboration agreement' with US small modular reactor developer NuScale Power for supply of NuScale Power Modules and other equipment. Doosan also signed the 'unit purchase agreement' through which it will make a cash equity investment in NuScale with Korean financial investors.

The UK has opened for consultation its assessment of a new financing model aimed at reducing the cost of new nuclear power plant projects by having consumers pay upfront through their energy bills. A solution is needed urgently because nuclear energy is seen as a vital part of the government's commitment to cutting the country's carbon emissions to net zero by 2050. Seven of the UK’s eight existing nuclear plants are set to be retired by 2030.

Global growth is sluggish and precarious, but it does not have to be this way because some of this is self-inflicted. Dynamism in the global economy is being weighed down by prolonged policy uncertainty as trade tensions remain heightened despite the recent US-China trade truce, technology tensions have erupted threatening global technology supply chains, and the prospects of a no-deal Brexit have increased.

The UK obtained 19% of its primary energy from low-carbon sources last year, with 39% of this from nuclear power, but this was 7% lower than in 2017 due to outages at Dungeness B and Hunterston B towards the end of 2018, official statistics published today show. Nuclear capacity was broadly the same as in 2017, at 9.3 GW.