Finland's final active coal-fired heat and power plant closes
The last coal-fired heat and power plant in Finland will be permanently shut down on Tuesday. This will allow the Helsinki energy group Helen, which is based in Helsinki, to reduce its emissions, and end rising energy prices for its customers. The capacity of Finland to produce renewable energy and heat, including wind and solar power, has grown rapidly over the last few years. This has led to a dramatic decline in coal use after the previous government passed a coal ban law in 2019. Helen CEO Olli Sikka said: "Ofcourse, we can't say that no coal will ever be burned again in Finland, as there are many crisis solutions.
EnQuest pays its first dividend after a swing to an annual profit
EnQuest, a North Sea oil producer, declared its first ever final dividend of 15 million dollars on Thursday. The higher oil prices helped to boost the company's annual profit after tax. The shares of the London listed energy group rose by 3.4% at 13.8 pence as of 0830 GMT after it announced that it would pay its first dividend of 0.616 penny per share in June. It reported a profit after tax of $93.8 millions for 2024. This follows a loss of $30.8 million the year before. EnQuest has declined to provide an update about the discussions ahead of EnQuest's deadline to submit an offer on April 4.
German energy transition could cost 300 billion euros less with greater efficiency, according to a study
According to a report released by the Boston Consulting Group on Thursday, Germany could save over 300 billion euros (326.49 billion dollars) by 2035 if it implements the energy transition in a more efficient manner. Germany will spend hundreds of millions of euros in the next few years to transition towards cleaner energy sources, with a goal of being carbon neutral by 2045. Berlin is also under pressure from the industry to reduce energy costs that are stubbornly high. The BDI report calculated the savings based upon current plans.
Trump hosts top US oil executives as trade wars threaten
Donald Trump, the U.S. president, will be hosting top oil executives in the White House this Wednesday to discuss plans for boosting domestic energy production amid falling crude prices and trade wars. This will be Trump's first meeting with oil and gas executives since he returned to the White House in January for his second term. According to a source familiar with planning the event, it will include members of American Petroleum Institute (API)'s executive committee. According to public bios, ExxonMobil's CEO Darren Woods is on the executive committee of the trade group…
Polish Minister sees the energy price cap expiring this year
According to Polish Climate Minister Paulina Hnnig-Kloska, the government should be able to lift the cap on energy prices in the final quarter of this year due the falling wholesale prices. Since 2022, Poland has capped power bills to protect vulnerable consumers from the rising costs of energy. It also pays compensation to utilities to offset these costs. The cap has been extended multiple times and is now in place until September. Poland's central banks has repeatedly stated that energy prices are a risk to policy, and that lifting the cap on price could lead to an increase in inflation.
RWE and TotalEnergies sign long-term agreement for green hydrogen supply
RWE, Germany's largest utility, announced on Wednesday that it had agreed to supply French oil giant TotalEnergies, with approximately 30,000 tonnes green hydrogen per year, starting in 2030. This is one of the biggest deals ever made by this sector. RWE stated that the agreement would last until 2044. It also said it was the largest amount of carbon neutral hydrogen ever purchased from a German facility. RWE will supply TotalEnergies Leuna refinery in eastern Germany via its 300 megawatt electrolysis plant located in Lingen, west of Berlin, that is expected to begin operation in 2027. No financial terms have been disclosed.
Aramco CEO: More likely Elvis will speak than energy transition plans to succeed
Saudi Aramco's CEO said Monday that policymakers and energy executives should rethink their energy transition plans. They must stop investing in elements of the energy transition which have failed and instead rethink the entire energy transition. The remarks from the head the world's biggest oil company comes as the administration under President Donald Trump pushes for maximum oil and gas production. This is a dramatic U turn in U.S. Energy Policy after former President Joe Biden passed legislation to accelerate the shift away from fossil fuels.
UK replaces windfall oil tax with consultation on clean energy future
Britain announced that it will end the windfall taxes on North Sea oil producers by 2030, and replace them with a new mechanism for responding to price increases. It is pushing ahead with its plan to turn the North Sea into an energy hub. On Wednesday, the government held two consultations. One was on how to transform the North Sea into a clean-energy area, while another focused on how taxes would be applied when energy prices were high. This will give producers more certainty about future tax rates. Oil and gas producers claim that the windfall tax, which was introduced three years ago, when prices were surging, has wiped out profits.
Romanian government extends the energy price cap
Marcel Ciolacu, Romania's Prime Minister, announced on Thursday that the coalition government would extend the price cap for electricity to households and businesses up until June, and for gas, for one year. This is in order to protect consumers from recent increases in energy prices. Since November 2021, Romania caps gas and electricity bills for households, small business, hospitals, schools, and public institutions at certain monthly consumption levels, and compensates suppliers for any difference. The scheme was modified several times, and it was set to expire by the end of march.
EU energy plan could save 45 billion Euros on fossil fuel import bill
According to an analysis by the EU executive, plans due to be released on Wednesday by the European Commission could save 45 billion euros (47.3 billion dollars) from the EU's import bill for fossil fuels this year. The Commission will propose a number of measures that aim to help European industries who are struggling to cope with a weak demand, low-cost imports and energy costs higher than in the U.S. or China. The draft EU energy measures that was previously reported on included proposals for speeding up permits for renewable projects…
German business leaders react to the election results
The conservative CDU/CSU group won the most votes at Sunday's election. They could form a coalition with the Social Democrats, easing market concerns that Europe's largest economy would be run by a three-way alliance. "We do not need to discuss the issues anymore, they are already well-known. We need action now." We must act now because the rest of world isn't waiting. And the pressure on Germany to be competitive is immense. "Germany needs to quickly regain its competiveness." Energy policy is crucial. It is essential to expand gas-fired plants…
German business leaders react to the election results
The conservative CDU/CSU group won the most votes at Sunday's election. They could form a coalition with the Social Democrats, easing market concerns that Europe's largest economy would be run by a three-way alliance. "Germany needs to quickly regain its competiveness." Energy policy is crucial. It is essential to expand gas-fired plants, strengthen wind energy and modernize electricity grids, as well as ensure a reliable supply of raw materials. "Germany needs a government who is willing and able to act quickly. Our country faces enormous challenges: our economy needs to be given a new start through fundamental reforms.
Cornwall Insight: Britain to see a 5% increase in energy prices by April
Analysts at Cornwall Insight predicted that Britain's energy price cap would rise by almost 5% this April. Cold weather and low levels of gas storage in Europe are keeping wholesale prices high. This would be the third consecutive quarter of increases, and would be a major blow to the government, who has set a goal of reducing energy costs. Craig Lowrey is a principal consultant with Cornwall Insight. He said that the market was more volatile than in recent memory, and households were bearing the brunt due to cold weather, low gas storage, and other factors. Ed Miliband, Britain's energy minister, wrote a letter on Tuesday to the regulator Ofgem.
Woodside, Santos face earnings dip; growth projects in focus
Investors are seeking greater clarity regarding dividend payouts due to the lingering risks associated with key growth projects. John Lockton is the head of Sandstone Insights' investment strategy. He believes that lower energy prices will be the primary cause for a decline in annual profits. Visible Alpha's consensus estimates predict that Woodside will report a underlying net loss of $2.96billion for fiscal 2024. This is down from $3.32billion last year. Woodside's line-item projection, released on Monday by the company…
In the shadow of tariffs, Europe's markets can benefit from a ceasefire in Ukraine
The markets have bet that a ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine will ease the pressure on energy and euro prices, and also reduce the impact of increased U.S. tensions. Meanwhile, expectations about defence spending has already sent stocks in this sector soaring. Marco Rubio, Secretary of State, arrived in Saudi Arabia Monday to discuss with Russian officials. President Donald Trump ordered U.S. officials last week to start talks about ending the war. The talks are not expected to include either Ukraine or European nations. On Monday, European leaders will hold an emergency summit. The U.S.
Sources: Validus Energy will buy natural gas producer, 89 Energy III, for $850 Million.
Sources familiar with the deal said that Validus Energy, a privately owned U.S. gas and oil producer, has agreed to purchase 89 Energy III, a rival company, for $850 million including debt. According to sources, the deal will add more than 25,000 barrels equivalent to oil per day to Validus’s growing footprint in Oklahoma's Anadarko Shale Basin, making it one of the biggest private players in U.S. Mid-Continent region oil. According to its website, 89 Energy III produces 70% gas. Kayne Anderson announced the formation of this company in May 2021, after a merger between three Mid-Continent oil and gas producers.
European energy industry urges EU to not cap gas prices
The European Union's gas and trading industries are urging it not to cap the gas price, while Brussels is looking for ways to protect businesses and consumers from rising energy prices. The European Commission has been preparing a set of measures that will be presented on 26 February to help improve the competitiveness of industries and lower energy prices. The cold weather and the depletion of gas storage tanks boosted this week's benchmark European gas price to a 2-year high of €58 per megawatt-hour (MWh). This has increased concerns over the higher energy costs European firms pay compared to their competitors in the U.S. or China.
European energy industry urges EU to not cap gas prices
The European Union's gas and trading industries are urging it not to cap the gas price, while Brussels is looking for ways to protect businesses and consumers from rising energy prices. The European Commission has been preparing a set of measures that will be presented on 26 February to help improve the competitiveness of industries and lower energy prices. The cold weather and the depletion of gas storage tanks boosted this week's benchmark European gas price to a 2-year high of €58 per megawatt-hour (MWh). This has increased concerns over the higher energy costs European firms pay compared to their competitors in the U.S. or China.
European energy industry urges EU to not cap gas prices
The European Union's gas and trading industries are urging it not to cap the gas price, while Brussels is looking for ways to protect businesses and consumers from rising energy prices. The European Commission has been preparing a set of measures that will be presented on 26 February to help improve the competitiveness of industries and lower energy prices. The cold weather and the depletion of gas storage tanks boosted this week's benchmark European gas price to a two year high of 58 euro per megawatt-hour (MWh). This has increased concerns over the higher energy costs European firms are facing, in comparison with their competitors in the U.S.
BP promises fundamental reset as Q4 profit hit four-year low
BP announced a quarterly profit of $1.1 billion on Tuesday. This was lower than expected, and the lowest since 2004. The company also promised to reset its strategic direction after it became known that Elliott Management, an investor, had acquired a stake. BP has experienced a decline of earnings for the entire year 2024. This follows two years of record earnings, when energy prices stabilized and global oil demand weakened. But BP is underperforming its peers, and CEO Murray Auchincloss has been put under pressure to bring about change. The share price of 467.90 pence was up 0.6%, or about flat.
