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Energy Markets
Investors relax as they consider US-Iran talks of peace; the yen is nearing a 40-year-low
Global shares fell on Friday as U.S. negotiators and Iranian negotiators canceled peace talks. Meanwhile, the possibility of an official Japanese intervention was brewing. The yen traded near a '40-year low. The dollar is on its way to its biggest weekly gain in over a month. This was mainly due to the weakening of the yen. It has been falling for five of the six last weeks, and now trades at its lowest level since late 1986. Officials in Tokyo have warned that they are considering intervening. The MSCI All-World Index was down by 0.15% after U.S. vice president JD
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Heating Oil
Brent paper and physical prices continue to fall as Hormuz flow increases, traders report
The Crude Oil differentials in Europe that help set the Brent benchmark for the world have dropped further this week, as increased flows via the Strait of Hormuz has eased fears about Middle East supply disruptions. JD Vance, the Vice president of the United States, said that on Thursday 12.5 million barrels flowed through strait since the U.S. signed an interim agreement with Iran to end their conflict. Since the beginning of the fighting in late February, the strait has been closed to oil flow. It used to carry up 20 million barrels a day before. Six grades are used
Natural Gas
Crude Oil
Cambodians are now more motivated than ever to tap into $300 billion of energy resources, due to the global fuel crisis
Cambodia's energy minister stated on Wednesday that the oil shock caused by the conflict in Iran has prompted Cambodia to resolve its maritime dispute with Thailand and unlock underwater energy resources worth $300 Billion. The grip of Iran on the Strait of?Hormuz - the conduit for a fifth of global oil supplies - has made the conflict in the region the worst ever global energy crisis. In an interview, the Minister of Mines and Energy Keorottanak said that Cambodia relies on renewable energy, including hydropower and solar power, to help it weather this current crisis. However, its hopes for industrialisation...
Power Markets
EIA: US power consumption will surpass previous records in 2026 and '27, as AI usage surges.
The Energy Information Administration's Short-Term Energy Outlook released on Tuesday predicted that U.S. electricity consumption would continue to rise in 2026 & 2027. The EIA projects that the power demand in 2027 will increase from 4,195 billion Kilowatt-hours in 2025, to 4,248 in 2026, and 4,379 in 2027. The demand for electricity is increasing as more homes and businesses are using less fossil fuels to heat and transport their vehicles and use more electricity. The agency stated that the increase in electricity demand is being led by the commercial sector. This is expected to surpass residential demand for the first...
Natural Gas
Venture Global signs new LNG Supply Deals with TotalEnergies and Vitol
Venture Global announced on Tuesday that it had signed new LNG supply contracts with TotalEnergies, and trading house Vitol for combined sales of over 1 million metric tonnes per annum (mtpa), over the next five-year period. Mike Sabel, the CEO of Venture Global, said on a Tuesday earnings call that the company charges customers more than twice the price of long-term LNG for the five-year contracts. This reduces the risk profile. Sabel said, "It gives us the opportunity to blend out...the risks with much higher prices than 20-year contracts. We can double our long-term contracts." These deals bring the total...
Coal
The US coal industry is given a reprieve by the US government, but this will not last long: Jenarthan & Jain
Coal has been given an unlikely reprieve by the combination of U.S. support and the Iran War. Don't call this a comeback. In the first weeks of Tehran’s war against the U.S., and Israel, the global seaborne thermal prices of coal rose by over 25%. Prices rose to the highest level since late-2024, adding new momentum to a 'unexpected' rebound. This price rise reflects short-term market conditions, not a structural improvement in the?coal economy, as is evident by the fact that prices are only 15% higher than pre-war levels. These recent steps come after coal achieved several positive milestones in...
Natural Gas
Taiwan has received assurances from a'major country' about LNG supplies
Taiwan's economy minister announced on Saturday that the energy minister of a "major country" producing liquefied gas had given Taiwan assurances about supply. He was speaking in relation to the?impact of the Iran War on Middle East energy imports. Taiwan, which is a major producer of semiconductors, relied on Qatar to supply around a third its LNG prior to the conflict. It has now said that it has secured alternative supplies from countries such as Australia and the United States for the months ahead. Kung Ming Hsin, Taiwan's Economy Minister, told reporters in Taipei that Taiwan enjoys good relations with...
Natural Gas
Data centers forced to become more flexible by the US grid
In times of high demand for electricity, the U.S. tech industry is being pressured to reduce its power consumption. This comes amid growing public concerns that Big Tech's massive energy needs in expanding data centers will'max out' the country's electrical grid. When utilities and grid operators ask for it, the power industry and its regulators are increasingly pushing tech companies to make a concession that was previously unthinkable - they're asking them to?scale?back their energy consumption in giant server farms called data centers. The majority of the attempts to make data centres more flexible are in pilot mode. Data centers...
Power Markets
JERA's exec claims that there is no immediate shortage of LNG in Japan, but they are currently in negotiations for additional supply.
JERA, Japan’s largest power generator, is not facing a shortage of liquefied gas, despite the U.S. and Israel’s war against?Iran. However, JERA is in talks with long-term suppliers about possible additional supplies, according to a senior executive on Saturday. Global CEO Yukio KANI said that Japan's biggest LNG buyer, Global, handles around 35 million metric tonnes of super-chilled gas annually. Around 27 million tons of this fuel are used in Japan, with about 5% passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has disrupted the shipping in the'strait', which is a conduit for 80% of the world's fossil fuel?supplies. Kani, speaking...
Energy Markets
Germany releases oil reserves to combat the energy price spike caused by Iran war
Katherina Reiche, Germany's Economy minister, said that the International Energy Agency has recommended the release 400 million barrels from its stockpiles. This is the largest?such move? in IEA's history. Reiche confirmed to reporters in Berlin that the government intends to limit petrol price increases to one per day at filling station and introduce "more stringent antitrust regulations of the sector." She did not provide a definite time frame for these measures but said that the United States, Japan and other countries would contribute the most to the release. Reiche stated that the situation is tense as oil supplies are strained...
Nuclear Power
Greenpeace activists confront Macron at the nuclear summit in France
Two Greenpeace activists rushed onto the stage during a global nuclear summit held in France on February 2, interrupting Emmanuel Macron, President of France and Rafael Grossi, U.N. nuclear watchdog chief. The protesters were dressed in black suits with ties and held banners that bore the Greenpeace logo, and read "Nuclear Power= Energy Insecurity", and "Nuclear Power fuels Russia's War". Macron was shouted by one of the protesters, "Why are we still buying Uranium from Russia?" The president responded, "We produce nuclear power ourselves." According to the latest data from the French government, France not only has its own uranium-enrichment...
Energy Markets
Petronas' profit drops for the third consecutive year as oil price pressures weigh on margins
Petroliam Nasional Bhd, the Malaysian state-owned energy company Petronas, or Petroliam Nasional, reported a profit after tax of 45.4 billion ringgit ($11.68 billion) in 2025 compared to 55.1 billion ringgit in 2024. Revenues fell from 320 million ringgit to 266.1 billion rmb ($68.44billion) over the same period. Petroliam Nasional (or Petronas) reported a profit of $45.4 billion after taxes in 2025, compared to $55.1 billion in 2024. Revenues fell from 320 billion to 266.1 billion Ringgit ($68.44 Billion) during the same time period. Tengku Taufik Tengku, the Chief Executive Officer of Tengku Muhammad Tengku Aziz, said that oil prices were...
Natural Gas
The US AI boom is facing an electric shock
The race for artificial intelligence dominance by Big Tech may soon hit a bump in the road as U.S. power grids struggle with keeping up with hyperscalers who spend big. Microsoft, Amazon and Alphabet, among other technology giants in the US, announced in recent months that they plan to spend $600 billion in AI by 2026. Some investors are already concerned about the profitability of this strategy due to the investment wave. The ambitious U.S. AI plans will be hindered by severe power-infrastructure bottlenecks including turbine shortages and slow grid expansion. The processing and cooling of data centers that are...
Natural Gas Utilities
Shell and Metlen sign a deal for LNG trading and supply.
Metlen, a Greek company, announced on Wednesday that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Shell to collaborate on the supply and trading of liquefied gas. Greek energy companies are seeking to replace Russian gas with U.S. LNG in central and southern Europe. Metlen is a London and Athens listed energy and metals company. The agreement will allow it to trade and secure between 0.5 billion cubic metres of LNG per year from 2027 until '2031. Deliveries are routed through Greece's Revithoussa terminal and Alexandroupolis. The agreement also envisages the use of the Vertical Gas corridor, a route...
Environment
Next week, nuclear power production will be limited by high temperatures in the French River
The French utility?EDF warned Thursday that production at three nuclear reactors would be curtailed next week due to high temperatures along the Rhone and Garonne rivers. France is currently experiencing its second heatwave of this spring. The French nuclear output has been fairly consistent in recent years, as it has recovered from the lows of several previous years. However, the exceptional heatwaves that occurred at the end of spring in the northern hemisphere have increased water temperatures above levels where reactors are at risk of a?curtailment of their output. EDF, the operator of the nuclear fleet in the country, limits...
China will open its lithium futures market to foreign traders in the next month
China's Guangzhou Futures Exchange (GFEX), will begin opening its?lithium-carbonate futures and options for overseas traders on July 3. This gives global investors direct access in the largest lithium market of the world and strengthens China's control over pricing. The announcement of Thursday follows that made in April by the Shanghai Futures Exchange, which internationalised the main Chinese futures contracts for nickel, another battery metal. The domestic launch of the lithium contract was in July 2023. China's securities regulator has designated both contracts as internationalisations at the start of this year. Beijing is pushing for a wider use of yuan, and...
China defends crucial minerals export controls following G7 statement
China defended its export controls on 'critical mineral supplies' and called on the Group of Seven nations to respect market economy principles and international trading rules, rather than favouring a "small clique", said its Foreign Ministry on Thursday. The comments follow an agreement made by G7 leaders Wednesday to increase coordination in order to reduce their countries' dependence on China for essential minerals, including plans to align stocks and to?expand? the role of International Energy Agency. Lin Jian, spokesperson for the foreign ministry, said that China's efforts to improve and standardise its export control system were in line with international...
Pollution
Pollution
Europe BEV shares reach record high in May
In May, battery electric vehicle registrations in Europe hit a record market share, continuing a strong growth due to?subsidies and policy support?and higher petrol prices. Data from E-Mobility Europe (EME), New Automotive and Fier Automotive revealed that battery electric vehicle registrations in 17 European markets increased by 34.4% compared to the previous year, reaching 212,387 cars in May. This gives fully electric vehicles a market share of 23.6%. This followed growth of 34.1% in March and 51.3% in April, according to data from E-Mobility Europe. In a press release, Chris Heron, secretary general of E-Mobility Europe said that "consumers and...
Energy Markets
Russian-held Crimea restricts motorcycle use, claiming they sound like drones
Moscow-installed officials in Crimea have banned motorised vehicles such as quad bikes, motorcycles and scooters from being used at night. They claim that they sound like drone attacks. The peninsula's Russian-installed Governor, Sergei Aksyonov said that the ban would be enforced between 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Wednesday. He called it a temporary measure for the protection of military and important facilities. The moped's noise interferes with the operation of defense systems. "Their engines sound like drones,"?Oleg?Kryuchkov, Aksyonov’s advisor, said on Telegram separately on Tuesday. "The enemy is enlisting your children for nighttime rides." The Crimea ban does not...
Climate Change
Scientists find 64,000 sq. miles of coral reef that can survive climate crisis
Researchers found that scientists have discovered a coral reef area of nearly 166,000 sq km (64,00 sq miles) which is capable of recovering and surviving climate change. This was a?three-fold increase over what they had previously estimated. Scientists have identified a 'three-fold increase' in the area of coral reefs that are capable of surviving and recovering from climate change. A study of 45,000 coral surveys, along with decades of ocean and climate data, has revealed climate-resilient coral reefs in 71 countries. This includes parts of the Caribbean Ocean and Pacific Oceans. Emily Darling, director of the Wildlife Conservation Society's coral...
Climate Change
Scientists find 64,000 sq. miles of coral reef that can survive climate crisis
Researchers have found that scientists are able to identify a coral reef of 166,000 square kilometers (64,000 square miles) which is capable of recovering from climate change. This is three times greater than what was previously thought. Scientists have warned that the world's coral reefs, which support a quarter of all marine life on earth, are under extreme stress due to violent tropical storms and pollution, as well as mass "bleaching events" caused by rising ocean temperatures. A combination of decades of climate and ocean data and 45,000 coral surveys has revealed climate-resilient coral reefs in 71 countries. This includes...
Pollution
Venezuela: Oil spillage from Trinidad and Tobago may harm fishing and environment
Venezuela's government announced on Friday that an?oil?spill from Trinidad & Tobago puts?fishing? and the environment in danger. The government released a statement in which it stated that the spill was "much larger than the one in May" and confirmed the drift of pollutants towards Venezuelan waters. It did not provide any further details on the extent of this spill, but said satellite imagery had confirmed its existence. Venezuelan Foreign minister Yvan Gil requested compensation from Trinidad and Tobago for an oil spill in the country's far east in?May. Trinidad and Tobago said that it was using its Air Guard, Coast...
Pollution
The top cases in the US Supreme Court docket
During its current term, the U.S. Supreme Court will decide a number of important cases involving voting rights, presidential power, tariffs and birthright citizenship. Other issues include race, transgender sportspeople, campaign finance laws, LGBT "conversion therapies" and federal agency authority. The term began in October, and will run through the end of June. Separately, the court has also acted in emergency cases in several cases that challenge President Donald Trump's policy. VOTING RIGHTS ACT On April 29, the court gutted a crucial provision of the Voting Right Act, making minorities less likely to challenge a map as racially biased under...
Pollution
Albania protests continue to grow as opposition to Kushner Resort persists
On Wednesday, thousands of Albanians took to the streets in Tirana's capital city for the largest protest yet against the construction of a resort planned by Donald Trump's son-in law Jared Kushner. The project is 'expected to cost about 5 billion euros.' It has sparked outrage among Balkan citizens because it is located near a wetland that protects flamingos, seals, and sea turtles. But also, there was a perception of a lack of transparency in the plans designed by the foreign investors. The crowd stretched for half a mile down one of the main boulevards in the city. Protesters chanted,...
Pollution
Pennon UK returns to profit in annual report; CEO warns about operational work ahead
The British water utility Pennon Group reported a profit on Wednesday. However, its new CEO warned that operational discipline was needed to improve after extreme weather conditions and rising performance targets led to regulatory penalties. South West Water's?owner? posted an adjusted profit of PS135.1 (US$180.95) million for the year ending March 31. This is after a PS35.1 loss in the previous year. Regulated water revenues increased by around 25% on higher tariffs and consumption. Below are some details. * Chief Executive Keith Haslett stated that "Improving the operational discipline and capital delivery will be key to meeting our commitments." *...
Pollution
Musk's xAI and SpaceX are the targets of a class action lawsuit over 'nuisance data centers'
Residents of Mississippi have sued Elon Musk’s xAI, SpaceX and xAI for allegedly causing "omnipresent" and "inescapable noise" that has eroded the value and health of their homes and homes. The 'lawsuit', which was made public in Federal Court in Oxford, Mississippi on Tuesday, alleges that Musk’s companies were negligent in failing to stop the disturbance, and creating a public nuisance by excessive and offensive sound. Three residents brought the lawsuit on behalf of an estimated class size of more than 10,000 people. The lawsuit claimed that the artificial intelligence boom was causing havoc in communities "across the United States",...
Pollution
Since May, a cholera outbreak in Nigeria’s Borno has killed 74 people and infected thousands.
Medecins Sans Frontieres, an aid group, said that a cholera outbreak in Nigeria's Borno state, which began in early May, has caused the death of at least 74 individuals and infected over 7,000 others, overwhelming local health facilities. MSF reported 7,850 suspected cases across 14 local governments areas by June 7, citing data from the state health ministry. Infections were increasing 'dramatically each day,' according to MSF. The outbreak strains an already fragile healthcare system in a area at the center of a 17 year Islamist insurgency. There are also problems with water and sanitation and mass displacement. MSF has,...
Climate Change
Italian study finds antibiotic resistance genes in the world's oceans
According to a?research project led by Italy that analyzed?seawater samples worldwide, the presence of genes?linked to resistance to antibiotics is present in multiple 'ocean basins including remote waters. The SeA Care project found antibiotic-resistance genes in the Mediterranean, Atlantic, Arctic and other regions, with higher concentrations detected near busy shipping routes and densely populated coastal areas. Researchers said that the results showed oceans as a global repository for pollution coming?from land. They also found genetic traces from antibiotic use and urban discharges far beyond their sources. Researchers added that this could facilitate their spread to remote communities. The study was...
Pollution
Environmental concerns are a challenge for Equinix to Cape Town data centers
The plan of U.S. listed Equinix, to build two data centers in Cape Town, should not be approved unless its full disclosure regarding?water, electricity and environmental impact is made, according to a formal complaint lodged with?city planners. Housing Assembly (HA), a South African social movement that represents more than 20 communities, and UK non profit Foxglove claim the application can't be approved without key information for officials to evaluate the project. Equinix has said that it did not submit any planning applications for Cape Town. The company already operates an energy-only site in Johannesburg. We can confirm that the purchase...
Wind Farms
New York files suit against the Trump administration for a halt on two offshore wind project
New York's Attorney General sued the Trump Administration on Friday over the suspension of construction on two offshore?wind farms that it says are needed to power a million homes and reduce the state's reliance on fossil-fuels. Letitia J., New York's Attorney General, has filed two separate lawsuits asking the federal court in Washington not to allow President Donald Trump's freeze of federal offshore leases owned by Equinor from Norway and Orsted from Denmark on December 22, 2018. The Interior Department said that it had halted the project due to complaints from?the Pentagon, that wind turbines can cause radar interference which...
Japan’s KEPCO Buys Majority Stake in Ireland’s Simply Blue Energy
Japan’s Kansai Electric Power Co. (KEPCO) has signed a share subscription agreement with Ireland’s Simply Blue Group’s offshore wind development arm, Simply Blue Energy OSW (SBE OSW).The strategic investment marks KEPCO’s first investment involving management participation in an offshore wind developer.KEPCO will acquire a majority stake in SBE OSW through its wholly owned subsidiary, KPIC Netherlands BV.Simply Blue Energy OSW is actively engaged in multiple offshore wind projects across Europe and elsewhere and possesses extensive experience and expertise in offshore wind development from the early stages of project formation.With KEPCO’s investment, SBE OSW aims to accelerate the expansion of its...
L&T Joins Hitachi Energy to Support TenneT’s 2GW Offshore Wind Grid Scheme
India’s EPC contractor Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has been hired to deliver High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) converters in support of the Dutch-German transmission system operator (TSO) TenneT’s 2GW offshore wind grid program in the North Sea.Collaborating with Hitachi Energy, a global technology leader in electrification, L&T has been nominated by TenneT to deliver HVDC converter stations, as part of the initiative that aims to accelerate the integration of large-scale renewable energy into the European power grid, particularly across the German and Dutch sectors of the North Sea.The collaboration brings together complementary strengths in advanced technology, engineering excellence, and end-to-end...