Vopak's profits are unlikely to change much by 2025 as one-offs have a negative impact on the 4th quarter results
Dutch tank storage company Vopak said that it expects to see little difference in its earnings by 2025, despite the fact that strong demand for energy-storage infrastructure is boosting its results. Analysts cited a missed quarterly core profit and a cautious outlook as the reason for the 7% drop in shares of this company that operates terminals and stores fuels and chemicals around world. Vopak reported a negative impact in the fourth quarter of 2024 due to technical problems at one of their LNG terminals located in…
Vopak's earnings exceeded its guidance range
The Dutch tank storage company Vopak announced Wednesday that its core earnings for 2024 were above the previously-guided range, due to strong demand across its various business units. The proportional earnings before taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), which is the measure of profit before all other costs, rose by 9%, to reach 1.17 billion euro ($1.22 billion), with its top-end annual guidance at 950 millions euros. The company that operates terminals and stores worldwide said they expected their core profit to be between 1,15 billion and 1,20 billion euros in this year. The annual sales increased by 4%, to 1,32 billion euros.
DeepSeek fears subside, US power companies spend more on data centers
U.S. Electric utilities are increasing their spending plans by tens and even hundreds of millions of dollars in order to upgrade the grid and build new power sources as artificial intelligence data centers and cloud computing drives up energy consumption. PPL Corp announced on its earnings call that it will increase capital investment by almost 40%, to $20 billion. Dominion which is the largest provider of data centers in Northern Virginia and Exelon, the utility giant, both revised their capital plans in the past week. These investments will be used for a wider range of utility customers.
TE Connectivity to Acquire Richards Manufacturing
TE Connectivity entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Richards Manufacturing Co. from funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. and members of the Bier family, long-standing owners and leaders of the business. The transaction will strengthen TE's position in serving electrical utilities in North America by combining complementary product portfolios and adding the expertise of the Richards team, enabling TE to benefit from strong growth trends in underground electrical networks.Richards is widely recognized as a best-in-class provider of utility grid products and…
Shell's scenarios predict significant LNG growth within the next few years
Shell published scenarios on Wednesday that showed a rapid rise in global demand for liquefied gas. Gas will probably have a gradual increase, and oil could peak at the start of the next decade. The British energy company created three scenarios to model energy security on a long-term basis, but said that these do not reflect their strategy or business plans. Surge is the most optimistic outlook for economic growth. It assumes that artificial intelligence will be used widely to boost productivity and increase energy demand.
Shell's scenarios predict significant LNG growth within the next few years
Shell published scenarios on Wednesday that showed a rapid rise in global demand for liquefied gas. Gas will probably have a gradual increase, and oil could peak at the start of the next decade. The British energy company created three scenarios to model energy security on a long-term basis, but said that these do not reflect their strategy or business plans. Surge is the most optimistic outlook for economic growth. It assumes that artificial intelligence will be used widely to boost productivity and increase energy demand.
VEGOILS - Palm flat ahead of MPOB and exports; demand concerns weigh
Malaysian palm futures were in a narrow range on Monday, ahead of important data on the country’s stocks. Weak demand from key markets was offset by gains due to flood fears and Indonesia’s potential increase in export taxes. At the midday break, the benchmark palm oil contract on Bursa Malaysia's Derivatives exchange for April delivery fell 7 ringgit or 0.16% to 4,497 Ringgit ($1,006.72) per metric ton. Anilkumar bagani, commodity researcher at Mumbai's Sunvin Group, explained that crude palm oil futures were trading sideways before the Malaysian Palm Oil Board data. This was due to short-covering following Friday's gains.
Minister says Canada's Alberta is looking to Japan for new LNG contracts amid US tariff threats
Rebecca Schulz is the minister for environment and protected areas in Canada's Alberta, which is a major producer of gas. She said that expanding into Japan was an important goal in light of a U.S. Tariff threat. Schulz, in an interview with a Japanese journalist in Tokyo on Wednesday evening, said: "The United States is a good example of why we need to diversify the markets we export to. Over the last week, she has met with officials, business lobbies, and company representatives. These include JERA, Japan’s largest LNG buyer, JOGMEC (Japan Gas Association), which is chaired by a Tokyo Gas executive.
METI Japan says it is difficult to predict the impact of DeepSeek on electricity demand.
The Japanese industry ministry knows that the expansion of data centers may increase electricity demand, but it's difficult to predict what will happen with the advent of DeepSeek. The government published a draft version of its basic energy policy, which is a major document that is reviewed every three years. It projected an increase in electricity production between 10-20% from 2040, and also cited a higher AI usage. Analysts are divided on whether or not the rise of Chinese startup AI DeepSeek will lead to a decrease in electricity demand. Or, if it could increase, as the technology becomes more accessible and affordable.
Chevron will build gas plants for data centers in the AI boom
The oil and gas company Chevron announced on Tuesday that it will build natural gas power plants near data centers in the U.S. as the energy demand for artificial intelligence growth is expected to grow. The second largest U.S. oil and gas producer has partnered with Engine No. The project is a partnership between Engine No. 1 and electric service company GE Vernova. Chevron announced the project a day after Chinese startup DeepSeek revealed an AI model it claims uses much less computing power than leading models in the United States.
Japan's JERA plans on expanding US LNG purchases in order to diversify the energy supply
JERA, Japan's largest LNG buyer, is planning to increase its purchases from the United States in order to diversify their supply and meet the demand growth spurred on by data centres and AI. U.S. president Donald Trump promised to unleash the U.S. industry of energy to boost production and threatened the EU if it did not purchase more gas. This could mean that JERA would have to compete against other buyers to get more U.S. natural gas. Japan's largest utility, which handles between 30-35 millions metric tons of LNG per year, sources almost half of it from Asia Pacific, including Australia and Malaysia. This is a very high exposure.
Argentina negotiates gas imports with Bolivia and Chile after heatwave increases demand
Bolivia and Chile have begun talks to resume gas exports to Argentina, amid a spike in demand sparked by a heatwave this summer. This highlights the challenges facing the government of Buenos Aires in its quest to become self-sufficient in energy. Armin Dorgathen Taia, the head of Bolivia's state energy company YPFB told me by phone on Friday that "we are in a negotiations with Argentina to create a contract spot". These talks were previously unknown. In a Friday statement, Chilean authorities also stated that they expected to reach a new deal with Argentina for the supply of gas to Chile's remote northern region.
Executive: Bolivia and Argentina in talks to restart gas supply due to spike in demand
Bolivia's state energy company YPFB has begun talks with Argentina to resume gas exports, amid a spike in demand sparked by a heatwave this summer. This highlights the challenges facing the government of Buenos Aires in its quest to become self-sufficient in energy. Armin Dorgathen Tapiea, the YPFB's chief, told a reporter by phone on Friday that "we are in a discussion with Argentina about creating a spot contract." These talks were previously unknown. In September, after nearly two decades of exports to Argentina from Bolivia…
Masdar, UAE launches facility for uninterrupted production of 1GW renewable energy
The chairman of Masdar, a state-owned renewables company in the UAE, announced on Tuesday that the firm has opened a facility to produce clean energy at a rate of 1 gigawatt per hour. At the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week opening, Sultan Al Jaber - who is also the UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and the Chief Executive of Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC), called the project an important step in the transformation of renewable energy into baseload electricity. This will be the first time renewable energy has been transformed into baseload power. Al Jaber stated that it is a small step which could lead to a huge leap.
China estimates greenhouse gas emissions will reach 13 billion tonnes in 2021
China's latest official submission to United Nations was published on Friday by the state media. It said that China had emitted climate-warming, greenhouse gases of 13 billion metric tonnes in 2021. This is an increase of 4.3% compared to a year ago. This is the most recent official calculation of China's annual greenhouse gas emissions. China is by far the largest carbon polluter in the world. The latest official estimate measured total emissions of 11.55 billion tones in 2017. China, as a signatory of the Paris Agreement is now required to submit detailed emission numbers every two-years…
Shell's LNG strategy is a 'disconnect,' according to Shell shareholders' climate resolution
Shell's plans for increasing sales of LNG have been questioned by a major shareholder group that filed a motion asking if the strategy was compatible with a goal of cutting carbon emissions. Shell is the largest LNG trader in the world. CEO Wael sawan bets on the growing demand. Analysts and climate activists are concerned about the implications of this for climate targets. Shell shareholders, including Brunel Pension Partnership and Greater Manchester Pension Fund with assets totaling $86 billion have asked Shell for…
MUFG Americas CEO: AI data centres will boost renewable energy demand, even under Trump
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, the largest Japanese banking group, has said that the U.S.'s shift to renewable energy will continue under Donald Trump. Kevin Cronin, chief executive officer of MUFG Americas, said in an interview that the anti-renewables rhetoric of President-elect Trump has not led to a change in MUFG Americas' strategy. Cronin stated that the new administration would be more positive on fossil fuels but this does not mean that renewables will disappear. Cronin said that it takes several years to plan, finance, and build projects, and "we don't try to time our strategies around things outside our control".
Chugoku Elec restarts Shimane nuclear reactor for the first time in thirteen years
The company Chugoku Electric Power said that on Saturday, Japan's Chugoku Electric Power restarted Shimane Nuclear Power Station in western Japan. It had been shut down since 2011, shortly after the Fukushima nuclear meltdown. The 820 plant's megawatt No. The restart of the No. 2 reactor in Japan, which was closed down in January 2012. This brings Japan's total number of operational reactors up to 14. Tohoku Electric Power has recently resumed the operation of its 825 MW reactor No. Tohoku Electric Power recently resumed operations of the 825 MW No. 2 reactor at their Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant in northern Japan.
Researchers say that China is off track in its emissions targets as the energy demand offsets the renewables push.
Researchers said that despite rapid advances in renewable energy and electric vehicles, China's carbon dioxide emissions are expected to increase slightly this year. This puts a 2025 climate goal further out of reach. In its annual report, the Helsinki-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, or CREA, stated that China aims to reduce the amount of CO2 produced per unit of economic development by 18% between 2021 and 2025. However, it has fallen further behind due to the rising energy demand this year. CREA estimates that China will need to reduce emissions by 6% between 2024 and 2025 in order to catch up.
Orsted says US Green Energy Demand Will Grow Regardless of Election Results
Orsted said that the demand for green power will continue to grow in the United States, regardless of the person who is elected as president. However, the group also pointed out construction issues and increased costs at an offshore wind farm in the United States.The U.S. offshore industry is a young one, and it has already been affected by cancelled projects. Lease sales have also been put on hold. And there was a serious construction accident that occurred at the first major offshore project in the country.As part of the administration of President Joe Biden…
