Paris restricts traffic on new pollution episode

A new peak in air pollution forced Paris authorities to restrict tragic in French capital on Dec. 16, Paris authorities said on Thursday.

Beijing cuts coal use by 1.5 mln tonnes in heating season

Beijing will reduce its coal consumption by 1.47 million tonnes over the heating season this winter, as coal boilers are phased out and replaced by gas ones, the municipal environment watchdog said Thursday.

Bulgaria fears new gas deliveries interruption (Deputy PM)

Bulgaria was preparing contingency plans in case of a new interruption in gas supplies from Russia, which was seen as a high-probability scenario, Bulgarian caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva said on September 17.

Speaking to reporters after the weekly cabinet meeting, Zaharieva said that the country’s heating utilities have been cautioned to be ready to switch to other fuel types in case of such interruptions.

Bulgaria’s annual gas consumption is about three billion cubic metres. The country imports more than 80 per cent of its gas from Russia.

Ukraine to Get $3.7 Bln Loan From China

KIEV, December 26 (RIA Novosti) – Ukraine’s national energy company Naftogaz will receive a $3.7 billion loan from China to finance a program to substitute gas with coal, the Ukrainian government’s press office said on Wednesday.
“On December 25, 2012, a loan agreement between Natfogaz and State Development Bank of China on financing the program of natural gas substitution with Ukrainian coal worth a total of $3.656 billion against the Ukrainian government’s guarantees was signed in the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister Yuriy Boyko,” the statement said.