Power Engineering International articles from February 2005

Power Engineering International archives from February 2005

Not so pretty 'poly'.(Up Front)(Editorial)
February 1, 2005... We are barely four weeks into the New Year and already I feel in need of a vacation. A recent visit to China and Hong Kong for some high level discussions has taken its toll, and playing catch up after a business trip is always a tall order,...

The devil is in the detail in delivering distributed energy: behind the targets, industrialized countries with long-established electricity networks that are making the shift to distributed energy have plenty of work to do, finds Janet Wood.(Analysis)
February 1, 2005... The International Climate Change Task Force recommended that G8 countries should generate 25 per cent of their electricity needs from renewables by 2025. The recommendation comes as the UK takes over presidency of the G8, and Prime Minister...

Power Machines deal fails.(international)(Siemens AG)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The bid by Germany's Siemens for an increased stake in Russian power equipment group Power Machines Group looks set to be blocked by the Russian Anti-Monopoly Service, due to the sensitive nature of defence-related manufacturing interests. ...

Israel plans solar IPP.(international)(independent power plant )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Israel is investigating options for the development of a 100 MW solar power plant, to be operated as an independent power plant (IPP). The Ministry of National Infrastructures of Israel said the proposed IPP would sell power to the Israel...

Dutch buy Bulgarian credits.(international)(emissions trading)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... A European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)-backed biomass project has resulted in a trade of carbon credits between Bulgaria's Paper Factory Stambolijski (PFS) and the Netherlands Emissions Reduction Co-operation Fund. By...

RAO spins-off regional companies.(international)(Unified Energy Systems of Russia)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Since the turn of the year, Russian power group RAO UESR has obtained state registration for the spin-off of 16 of its regional energy companies bringing the total number now established as separate entities to 21. The companies registered...

Taweelah B advances.(international)(Siemens AG and Fisia Italimpianti )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Abu Dhabi has chosen an international consortium led by Japan's Marubeni Corporation and BTU Power of the USA to develop its latest IWPP, the $1.69bn Taweelah B project--part of its ongoing programme of power sector privatization. The project...

Kenya connections.(international)(Kenya Power and Lighting Company Ltd. and East Africa Development Bank co-finance the power line construction project connecting Kenya's Seven Forks hydro station to Nairobi)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... A $14.3m transmission project connecting Kenya's Seven Forks hydro station to Nairobi has been completed. The Kenya power and Lighting Company (KPLC) and the East Africa Development Bank co-financed the construction of the 148 km long...

Algeria.(News digest)(Sonelgaz awards contract of upgradation of substations to ABB Asea Brown Boveri Ltd.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Algeria: State power company Sonelgaz has awarded a $25m turnkey contract to ABB for the upgrade of substations in and around the capital Algiers, in order to improve electricity supply.

Bahrain.(News digest)(Power Developments International )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Bahrain: Dubai-based Power Developments International FZCO has secured a $10m turnkey contract to build the second phase of a 23 MW gas turbine plant at the Hidd Industrial area in Bahrain.

Iran.(News digest)(commencement of gas pipeline construction from Iran to Armenia)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Iran: Iran has started construction of a 142 km gas pipeline to Armenia, due to be completed in late 2006. As part of the project, two HV transmission lines are to be built enabling Armenia to export up to 1000 MW to Iran.

Iran.(News digestydor)(Water and Energy Development Company)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Iran: Iran's Water and Energy Development Company announced that two 250 MW units of the $750m Karun-3 dam and power plant will be put into operation before the end of March, boosting national hydroelectric power generation by 36 per cent.

Iran.(News digest)(Iran's Electric power plants production capacity to increase by 60 per cent in 2005)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Iran: Nominal capacity of Iran's power plants will reach 36 000 MW in 2005, a 60 per cent increase over the last eight years. The country's first private sector power plant, Chehelsotun of Isfahan, is due to be inaugurated this year.

Morocco.(News digest)(KfW Group to finance Moroccan National Office of Electricity )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Morocco: German bank KFW is to loan [euro]50m ($65.2m) to the Moroccan National Office of Electricity (ONE) to finance a 60 MW wind park to be situated in Cap Sim, 15 km south of Essaouira, scheduled for completion in late 2006.

Slovakia.(News digest)(Enel Distribuzione S.p.A.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Slovakia: The Slovakian government has reportedly postponed talks with Italy's Enel over the sale of a 67 per cent stake in the Slovakian electricity company. Technical and legal problems were blamed for the delay, although the government has...

Tajistan.(News digest)(Unified Energy Systems of Russia)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Tajistan: Russian power group RAO UES is to commence work on the Sangtuda hydroelectric plant in Tajikistan this year. It also plans to start building a hydroelectric plant at Kambarata in Kyrgyzstan.

Tanzania.(News digest)(CEIS Tanzania is to lease two gas turbine generators )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Tanzania: CEIS Tanzania is to lease two gas turbine generators with total capacity of 45 MW to replace one purchased last year, which sunk into the sea off South Africa. Poor hydro conditions have meant a greater reliance on gas turbines, which...

UAE.(News digest)(Arabian Bemco Contracting and Siemens AG)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... UAE: A consortium comprising Saudi Arabia's Arabian Bemco Contracting and Germany's Siemens has been awarded the EPC contract to undertake the 400 MW extension of the Al-Aweer H power station in Dubai. The contract, valued at AED 801m ($218m),...

Fortum exercises control in E.ON Finland purchase.(europe)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Fortum is to buy the 65 per cent share of E.ON Finland owned by Germany's E.ON Group, exercising a call option that was part of the compensation it received from the Wesertal deal made with E.ON in 2002. Under the terms of the call option,...

EC wants gas market.(europe)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... European governments need to do more to implement market opening in their domestic gas and electricity markets, was the dominant message in an annual European Commission (EC) report. The report, into the functioning of the internal...

Calpine set to sell Saltend.(europe)(Calpine Corp.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The heavily debt-laden US power company, Calpine Corp., is considering selling one of Britain's most modern power stations, Saltend near Hull. Caline spent $800m on the 1200 MW gas fired plant after it had just opened in 2001 but now it...

Elsam rejects Vattenfall for DONG.(europe)(Dansk Olie og Naturgas )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The board of Danish power company Elsam has rejected Vattenfall's bid for 67 per cent of its shares and agreed unanimously that the proposed merger with Dansk Olie og Naturgas (DONG) is more attractive to its shareholders. The board found...

No January start for Swissgrid.(europe)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Switzerland's competition watchdog is to investigate a decision by electricity operators to form a joint company to manage the Swiss power network. The probe, which could take up to four months, wrecks January's planned launch of the new firm,...

RWE to build CCGT in the UK.(europe)(combined cycle gas turbine)(Npower subsidiary of RWE AG )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... RWE's subsidiary, NPower, has approached the government for permission to build a combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power station on its former power station site in South Wales. It has applied for consent to build a 2000 MW plant and if...

Europe.(News digest)(CO2e.com L.L.C.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Europe: Global greenhouse gas credit broker, CO2e.com, has facilitated the largest ever deal in European Emissions Allowances. The unique deal pioneered a linked sale with 'secondary market' Certified Emission Reductions (CERs).

Finland.(News digest)(investigations into financing of the nuclear reactor project)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Finland: The EU competition authority is to investigate whether the financing of Teollisuuden Voima's (TVO) project to build a fifth nuclear reactor in Finland is in breach of EU competition regulations.

France.(News digest)(regulation on radioactive waste disposal)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... France: The French parliamentary office for technical and scientific evaluation has started a series of hearings in the National Assembly intended to establish the state of research into future management of radioactive waste.

Germany.(News digest)(integration of wind power)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Germany: Germay's plans for total integration of windpower in the national electricity network have raised concerns in the German energy consumers' federation, VEA, that electricity prices will rise.

Italy.(News digest)(Italenergia S.p.A.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Italy: Officials from the Italian and French governments have met to try to resolve tensions between EDF and Italenergia-Bis Edison over EDF's voting rights, which have been frozen at 2 per cent despite having an 18 per cent stake.

Netherlands.(News digest)(BP Nederland Holdings B.V.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Netherlands: BP has begun construction of a 9 MW wind farm at its oil terminal in the port of Amsterdam. The $10m project will displace 5000 t of carbon dioxide and is due to be completed in the first half of 2005.

Norway.(News digest)(wind power plant contract)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Norway: Wind power developer Havgul AS has submitted preliminary plans that would see 1400 MW of generating capacity established in four wind farms offshore the More og Romsdal region in Norway.

Spain.(News digest)(Iberdrola to acquire Factor Energia)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Spain: Iberdrola's proposed takeover of energy services company Factor Energia has been given the go ahead by the country's competition watchdog after it decided not to refer the proposed deal to the courts.

Spain.(News digest)(electric power plant construction contract)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Spain: A joint European-Moroccan consortium has completed the construction of a 384 MW CCGT plant in Morocco near Tangiers and a second 400 MW plant may follow. Work is currently underway to double the 700 MW subsea grid link between Spain and...

Sweden.(News digest)(Vattenfall AB)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Sweden: The severe storm that struck parts of Sweden at the start of 2005 will cost Vattenfall around SEK0.5bn ($72m) according to preliminary cost estimates.

UK.(News digest)(coal fired power plant Drax to get compensation for unpaid contracts from TXU Europe Ltd.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... UK: Britain's biggest coal fired power station, Drax, could receive [pounds sterling]348m in compensation for unpaid contracts from collapsed energy group TXU Europe. The consortium of banks that owns Drax has argued that the loss of...

First generation sale by PSALM.(asia-pacific)(Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp.)(sale of assets of National Power Corp.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The World Bank and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) have given consent, as creditors, for the Philippines Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM) to sell the first set of generation assets from the...

Two bids for KESC.(asia-pacific)(Karachi Electric Supply Corporation Ltd.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The Karachi Electric Supply Co. (KESC) expected open bids from two investors wanting to acquire a 73 per cent share in the Pakistani state company. Saudi-sponsored group, Kanooz, and Pakistan's Hasan Associates, were to submit their bids on 4...

Paiton boost for Java planned.(asia-pacific)(International Power PLC to finance power plant )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The Paiton I power plant in Indonesia is to have its capacity raised to 800 MW after International Power of the UK announced its intention to invest $1bn in the upgrade. It is thought that the increased capacity of Paiton I might be the...

PowerGrid seeks $2bn investment.(asia-pacific)(PowerGrid Corporation of India Ltd.)
February 1, 2005... Loans totalling $2bn have been sought by PowerGrid Corp. in order to create a national grid system across India. Both the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank have been approached for $1bn loans as PowerGrid seeks to advance commissioning...

El Paso Corp. sells Asia stake.(asia-pacific)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The last major power portfolio owned by a US energy company in Asia is to be sold by the heavily indebted El Paso Corp., to raise an estimated $500m, accoridng to Reuters reports. The fallout after the collapse of Enron in 2001 prompted...

Chinese bank may finance Indonesian power station.(asia-pacific)(finance of Industrial Commercial Bank of China )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Indonesia's state owned electricity company, PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN), has approached the Industrial Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) for the loan of $140m to finance the construction of two 50 MW coal fired plants. The proposal...

China.(News digest)(investments of Huaneng and the Citic Group conglomerate)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... China: In a deal reportedly worth $450m, Siemens and Vattenfall have agreed to sell their joint 40 per cent interest in a power station in China to Chinese electricity group Huaneng and the Citic Group conglomerate.

China.(News digest)(trends of PSEG Global LLC)(investments of BTU Power Company)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... China: Meiya Power Company Ltd is set to focus on its power business in Asia after PSEG Global LLC sold their 50 per cent interest to BTU Power Company.

China.(News digest)(consortium of Chinese investors purchases equity in the Hebei Hanfeng Power Generation Company Ltd from Vattenfall)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... China: A consortium of Chinese investors has purchased a 16 per cent equity position in the Hebei Hanfeng Power Generation Company Ltd from Vattenfall, following the Swedish company's decision to withdraw from overseas investments to focus on...

China.(News digest)(Adrolt Innovations to acquire Hai Yue Power Investment Company)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... China: E-business service provider, Adrolt Innovations, is to expand its business outside Singapore by purchasing Hong Kong Inc. Hai Yue Power Investment Company, in a deal worth $478m.

India.(News digest)(planning of Punjab State Electricity Board )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... India: Punjab State Electricity Board will float global tenders to invite proposals for adding 1000 MW generation capacity and tie up with other states for a thermal power plant in Chattisgarh.

India.(News digest)(Larsen and Toubro Ltd. to set up a 400 megawatt electric power plant in Gujarat)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... India: Engineering firm Larsen & Toubro Ltd (L&T) is entering the power generation business by setting up a 400 MW plant at Uttaran near Surat in Gujarat with an investment of Rs12bn ($274m)

Korea.(News digest)(supply of microturbines)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Korea: An order in excess of $1m has been placed by Samsung Corp. with Capstone Turbine Corp. for 1.5 MW of microturbines that will be supplied to various projects including a hospital, a high rise apartment complex and a biogas project.

Pakistan.(News digest)(hydro power project )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Pakistan: The World Bank has been approached by Pakistan to resolve the differences over Baglihar hydro power project being constructed by India in Jammu and Kashmir. The two countries share the waters of six rivers that flow from India into...

Thailand.(News digest)(National Petrochemical PLC builds new plants)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Thailand: National Petrochemical Plc (NPC) is to spend around Thb1.2bn ($31m) to expand its power plant by 35 MW to cope with the rising demand of its petrochemical complex.

Vietnam.(News digest)(electric shortages)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Vietnam: Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) is mapping out a strategy to prevent nationwide electric shortages between 2005 and 2007. In June and November, the northern provinces will be short between 390 MW to 1050 MW of electricity.

Pakistan.(News digest)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Pakistan: Wartsila is to convert an oil-fired power plant in Lahore to dual-fuel operation on liquid fuel and natural gas, along with three years maintenance. The customer is a power generation subsidiary of Century Paper & Board Mills.

Ontario okays net metering.(americas)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The Ontario government has published regulations requiring utilities to link small-scale renewable energy generators to the grid and allow net metering, whereby a generator is given credit for surplus power added to the network. ...

Brazil power to grow.(americas)(hydroelectric facilities)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Installed capacity in Brazil will increase by 3000 MW in 2005 with 12 new power projects starting commercial operation, all bar one of which are hydroelectric facilities. Current total installed capacity in Brazil is 87 GW and the government...

Cadafe invests in infrastructure.(americas)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Venezuelan state-owned power company Cadafe invested $610m in generation and transmission in the country, reports Business News America. The majority of this, $459m, went to generation, with investments in the Fabricio Ojeda hydroelectric...

US wind gains improved grid access.(americas)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has responded to a request from the American Wind Energy Association by proposing amendments to the procedures that a transmission provider and generator must follow in linking to the national power...

Dominion drops Candu option.(americas)(Dominion Resources)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The nuclear industry consortium led by Dominion Resources that is looking to build a new nuclear power facility in the USA has broken with Atomic Energy of Canada and its US subsidiary AECL Technologies. Instead, the consortium has formed a...

Brazil.(News digest)(mergers)(Manaus Energy )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Brazil: El Paso Corporation has executed new three-year power purchase agreements for its Negro and Manaus power plants in Brazil. Ownership of both plants will transfer to Manaus Energy in January 2008.

Canada.(News digest)(TransAlta Corp.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Canada: TransAlta has retired two more units of its Wabamun coal fired power plant near Edmonton, Calgary as part of a phased closure of the 537 MW plant. The remaining 279 MW unit will operate until 2010.

Canada.(News digest)(SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. to design cogeneration power plant for Pearson International Airport)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Canada: A division of SNC-Lavalin Group has signed a $122m contract to design and build a 117 MW cogeneration power plant at Toronto's Pearson International Airport, consisting of two gas fired turbines and one steam turbine.

Chile.(News digest)(natural gas supplies)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Chile: Natural gas supplies to Chile from Argentina were drastically cut for several days in January amid a row between the private power sector and government over responsibility for resolving the problem of unreliable supplies.

Mexico.(News digest)(contracts)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Mexico: GE Energy is to supply four frame 7FA gas turbines, two steam turbines, additional equipment and services for a 1135 MW combined-cycle power plant to be located in Tamazunchale, Mexico.

USA.(News digest)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... USA: Dominion has purchased three power stations from USGen New England, increasing its electricity-generating portfolio by 10 per cent to 28 340 MW.

USA.(News digest)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... USA: Construction has begun at what will be Oklahoma's largest wind farm near Wetherford. The FPL Energy project will consist of 71 wind tubines with a total capacity of 106.5 MW.

USA.(News digest)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... USA: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has received an order from Southern Company worth $48.4m for a large-scale flue gas desulphurization system for its Gorgas plant, operated by Alabama Power.

USA.(News digest)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... USA: Tampa Electric is to install selective catalytic reduction technology at its coal fired Big Bend power station in Apollo Beach, Florida at a cost of $300m. It is expected to reduce NOx emissions by approximately 80 per cent from 1998...

USA.(News digest)(Tenaska Energy Inc. to acquire Commonwealth Chesapeake Power Station )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... USA: Tenaska Energy Inc. has signed an agreement to acquire the 315 MW simple cycle oil fired Commonwealth Chesapeake Power Station in Virginia for $89m.

USA.(News digest)(Eurus Energy Holdings invest in enXco)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... USA: An affiliate company of Tokyo Electric Power, Eurus Energy Holdings, has invested in a Californian 60 MW wind farm project in California being operated by enXco, part of the Electricite de France Group.

USA.(News digest)(Department of Energy. National Renewable Energy Laboratory)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... USA: A new $2.8m unit at the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory will study the chemical and biological reactions which can transform renewable plant and waste materials into sources of energy.

Mirant agrees payout and plans $6bn restructuring.(companies)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Energy company Mirant has agreed to pay up to $750m to settle claims that it manipulated the California power market during that state's power crisis in 2000 and 2001. Shortly after reaching the agreement, the company filed a reorganization...

AES increases wind investment.(companies)(divestments of SeaWest Holdings )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... US-based power company AES Corp is to acquire SeaWest Holdings, in a move that AES says will make it one of the US's largest wind developers. SeaWest WindPower has been involved in the development and installation of 850 MW of wind...

UK DNOs accept new rules.(companies)(distribution network operators)(financial regime )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Britain's 14 distribution network operators (DNOs) have all accepted a revised financial regime that will apply for five years from April. As regulated businesses the DNOs' investment and charging regime is set on a five-yearly basis by...

US utilities looking to new generation.(companies)(reports of Electricity Outlook 2005)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Although utility executives are cautious about making predictions, around two thirds believe the industry's financial performance will improve in 2005, according to a regular survey, but respondents said regulatory certainty would be the key to...

PPM Energy buys US renewables company.(companies)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... PPM Energy, the US-based subsidiary of ScottishPower, has acquired Atlantic Renewable Energy Corp. and its wind development portfolio. The company will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of PPM, called PPM Atlantic Renewable. The renewables...

Saltend alternative.(News digest)(equity offering of Calpine Corp.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Saltend alternative: Among the alternatives being considered for Saltend, Calpine's UK power station, is an equity offering. The company has set up a Jersey-based subsidiary that will offer $260m of redeemable preferred shares; the proceeds...

Waukesha partners.(News digest)(ANGI International L.L.C.)(Waukesha Engine Div.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Waukesha partners: ANGI International has been named as Power Partner for Waukesha Engines. ANGI's natural gas vehicle refuelling stations will be powered by Waukesha products. Meanwhile, in Poland Lanre-Ruhaak, a subsidiary of Enerflex, has...

Capgemini.(News digest)(co-sourcing contract for EDF Energy )
February 1, 2005... Capgemini: EDF Energy has chosen Capgemini UK to help develop and maintain its customers branch IT applications. The co-sourcing contract is worth [pounds sterling]9m over three years.

New engine.(News digest)(Cummins Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... New engine: Cummins Inc is to announce a new-generation QSB engine in March 2005. The four and six cylinder engines will meet Environmental Protection Agency Tier 3 emissions requirements.

Sithe acquisition.(News digest)(Exelon Corp.)(Dynegy Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Sithe acquisition: The US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has given the all-clear to Dynegy's acquisition of ExRes SHC from Exelon Corp. The acquisition includes generating companies Sithe Energies and Sithe Independence.

Climate sector.(News digest)(joint ventures and planning of merchant banker Climate Change Capital)(forecasts and trends of climate change sector )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Climate sector: Grupo Santander and merchant banker Climate Change Capital are to jointly develop a financial advisory business in Spain. The companies estimate Spain's climate change sector will be worth [euro]1.3 bn in 2005.

Acquisition.(News digest)(divestments of Shaw Power Technologies)(divestments of Shaw Power Technologies International UK)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Acquisition: Siemens Power Transmission and Distribution has acquired the business activities of Shaw Power Technologies and Shaw Power Technologies International UK. Known as PTI, the company's focus is on network planning software and...

Rudden completion.(News digest)(divestments of R J Rudden Associates)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Rudden completion: Black & Veatch has completed acquisition of R J Rudden Associates. Adding the strategic, economic and management consulting company to Black & Veatch's portfolio will expand the company's ability to provide financial...

Alstom return.(News digest)(trends and planning of Alstom )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Alstom return: engineering company Alstom has returned to "a normal level of order intake", company chairman Patrick Kron told the Financial Times. He said orders in turbo systems were up by 6 per cent, as were power service sales. The company...

Competitive competition: now that a liberalized market has been established, policymakers should ensure the existence of a balanced and coherent regulatory framework.(MARKET REPORT)(influence of Climate-change policies)
February 1, 2005... The new European Commission President Jose Barroso has vowed to have his five-year tenure at the head of the EU executive body remembered as the 'Lisbon Commission'. This is not a reference to his Portuguese nationality, but to his intention to...