Minister says 60% of Morocco's water will be supplied by desalination
Rabat, the capital of Morocco, is accelerating investment in renewable energy-powered desalination plants, and plans to increase its supply of drinking water by 60% by 2030. This will be up from 25%. It is vital to maintain a steady supply of water and the status of Morocco as a major producer and exporter fresh produce in an era of climate change. Droughts have dried up many of its water reservoirs, and underground resources are depleted. Nizar Baraka, speaking on the sidelines at the World Water Congress held in Marrakech on Thursday…
Great British Energy announces plans to increase renewable energy by 2030
Great British Energy (GBE), a state-owned company that produces energy, announced a five-year strategy plan on Thursday to accelerate the country's shift to renewable energy to meet its climate goals. Britain wants to decarbonise the power sector largely by 2030. This goal will, it claims, help lower energy costs. It will also require an enormous increase in renewable capacities. GBE was established last year with the aim of investing in and co-developing clean energy projects. The government has committed a total of 8,3 billion pounds ($11.04billion) during the current parliament.
Clean energy companies in India are seeking better weather data, as regulations tighten.
India's clean-energy producers highlighted the lack of weather forecasting models on Wednesday, while the power regulator proposed stricter rules for developers to adhere to their grid commitments. The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission in India, which regulates the power industry, has issued stricter rules for wind and solar energy producers. This is under the Deviation Settlement Mechanism. The draft framework was to be implemented from April 2026. Its aim is to gradually reduce the gap between what electricity producers promise to supply and how much they actually produce.
Vulcan Energy secures $2.6 billion in financing for Germany Lithium project
Vulcan, a company listed in Australia, announced on Wednesday it had received a funding package worth 2.2 billion euro ($2.56 billion), which will be used to fund the entire first phase of Lionheart's lithium and renewable energy projects in Germany. The funding package, supported by stakeholders such as European and German Government agencies and commercial bankers, has allowed the Vulcan Board to make a final decision on the investment. Execution will begin in the next few days, according to the company. As part of its financing package, Vulcan plans to raise up 603 million euro in equity at the fixed price of 2,24 euros per share.
Trump removes the word "renewable" from the title of U.S. Energy Lab
In a latest attempt to devalue renewable energy sources like solar and wind, the Trump administration renamed an energy laboratory to remove the term "renewable". The National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado will be known now as the National Laboratory of the Rockies. This was announced on the lab's website late Monday. It is one of 17 Energy Department laboratories that also conducts energy efficiency research. The U.S. leaders who set it up included two of President Donald Trump’s Republican colleagues. In the 1970s, after the Arab Oil Embargo damaged the U.S.
Joint development of synthetic LNG by Tree Energy, TotalEnergies and Japanese firms in the US
PARIS, 2 December - French oil giant TotalEnergies, along with its partner Tree Energy Solutions, will develop synthetic methane in collaboration with Japanese companies Osaka Gas Toho Gas Itochu, at an American facility located in Nebraska. Osaka Gas and Toho Gas will be the primary offtakers or contracted buyers of the synthetic gases as part of an aim to inject 1% of Japan's gas grid and reduce emissions by 2030. The most common way to obtain methane, also called natural gas, is by drilling into the ground. However it can also be produced chemically. Synthetic methane releases greenhouse gases when burned.
India's November electricity output drops due to weak cooling demand and slower industrial activity
India's electricity output dropped for the second consecutive month in November, as a milder weather pattern and a slower pace of industrial activity kept demand for electricity low. Calculations based on data daily from the federal grid regulator Grid India showed that total electricity production in November decreased about 1% compared to last year, after a 6% drop in October. The Indian manufacturing sector has lost momentum in November, with the growth slowing to its lowest pace in nine-months as U.S. Tariffs have taken a heavy toll. It was also the first time in at least five year that the power demand in November had decreased.
Serentica, a KKR-backed company, may raise as much as $8 billion for India's green energy expansion
A top executive at the Indian company Serentica Renewables said that it plans to raise between $8 billion and $6 billion in the next five year to fund acquisitions and projects, as well as to double its clean energy production capacity. Pratik Agarwal said that Serentica is looking to spend $10 billion to 11 billion dollars to increase its clean energy portfolio by 17 gigawatts by 2029/30. The company wants to buy projects that are currently operating or under construction. There are currently 2 GW installed of solar and wind power and another 2 GW is due to be put into service within the next 10 month.
EDF Considers Selling US Renewable Unit to Focus on French Nuclear
French state-owned utility EDF is considering selling all of its U.S. renewable energy business, its CEO said on Wednesday, as the company focuses on building up its domestic nuclear operations and U.S. support for wind and solar has been rolled back.Bernard Fontana said the company was considering selling "between 50% and 100%" of its U.S. renewable unit, revising an earlier plan to sell only a minority stake.A deal could value the equity of the unit at nearly 4 billion euros ($4.6 billion), one person familiar with the sale said.FOCUS ON FRENCH NUCLEAR FLEETFontana…
Shell is ready to invest in Italy more if drilling rights are unlocked
Shell is willing to increase its investment in Italy to boost the hydrocarbon production. The head of Shell's Italian division said this on Wednesday. He urged the government to permit new drilling. Shell spends approximately 500 million euros (578 million dollars) per year in Italy and is the largest foreign investor in this sector. Shell's hydrocarbon production is decreasing in Italy as it waits for approval to drill new wells on the two concessions it operates in. Shell Country Chair for Italy Joao Santis Rosa stated at an event held in Rome that "the potential is much greater than what we currently invest...
EDF considers selling the US renewable unit in full to concentrate on French nuclear
The CEO of the French state-owned utility EDF said that it is considering selling its U.S. Renewable Energy business. This comes as EDF focuses more on its nuclear operations at home and U.S. wind and solar support has been reduced. Bernard Fontana, the company's CEO, said that it was looking at selling between 50% and 100% of its U.S. Renewable Unit. This is a revision to an earlier plan which had only planned on selling a minor stake. One person familiar with the deal said that the equity in the unit could be valued at almost 4 billion euros ($4.6billion). Fontana is a former CEO of Adopt AI, which was held in Paris.
India approves $816 Million Rare Earth Permanent Magnets Manufacturing Programme
The information minister announced on Wednesday that India had approved a manufacturing program for rare earth permanent magnets worth 72.8 billion rupees (815.74 million dollars) in order to reduce reliance on imported elements, which are critical to industries ranging from aerospace and electric vehicles to renewable energy and defence. According to the Indian government, the country's demand for rare earth permanent magnetics - the strongest type of permanent magnets available - will double by 2030. However, it currently imports most of its supply.
India approves a $816 million programme to manufacture rare earth permanent magnets
The information minister announced on Wednesday that India had approved a manufacturing program for rare earth permanent magnets worth 72.8 billion rupees (815.74 million dollars) in order to reduce reliance on imported elements, which are critical to industries ranging from aerospace and electric vehicles to renewable energy and defence. According to the Indian government, the country's demand for rare earth permanent magnetics - the strongest type of permanent magnet - will double by 2030. However, it currently imports most of its supply.
EDF considers selling the US renewable unit in full to concentrate on French nuclear
EDF, the French state-owned utility, is looking at selling all of its U.S. Renewable Energy business, according to its CEO on Wednesday. The company has a focus on developing its nuclear operations in France, while U.S. wind and solar support has been reduced. Bernard Fontana, who spoke on the sidelines at the Adopt AI Conference in Paris, said that the company was considering selling between 50% and 100% of its U.S. Renewable unit. This is a revision of an earlier plan of only selling a minority stake. Bloomberg reported that a stake less than 50% would be worth around 2 billion euros.
India's energy regulator is considering auctioning grid slots if renewable projects fail.
According to a paper posted on the website, India's regulator of power is considering auctioning off transmission connectivity that was left idle due to renewable energy developers failing to sign power purchase contracts. According to the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission, approximately 31.8 gigawatts were granted as grid access for projects based on award letters. The connectivity is still unused, as no power purchase agreements were executed. This has blocked transmission capacity, and slowed the clean energy rollout. State power utilities have not purchased nearly 50 GW worth of clean energy projects.
Lower demand and rising green energy production curb spot prices
The European power prices fell on Wednesday due to a combination forecasts of higher wind and solar production and rising temperatures that weighed on the demand. LSEG's analysis noted a lower residual load, which would mean that thermal plants do not need to be boosted to match renewable energy output. LSEG data indicated that the electricity demand for the day ahead will probably fall by 2.1 gigawatts to 65.9 GW in France, and by 200 MW to 65.4 GW in Germany. LSEG data shows that French baseload day-ahead opened trading at 85 euros (98.36 dollars) per megawatthour (MWh), down by 13.3% from the previous close.
Equinor Explores Role in Germany Gas Plant Capacity Expansion
Norwegian energy producer Equinor is looking at options for participating in a planned German gas-fired power plant tender but requires more detail before making any decision, a senior executive said on Tuesday.Germany plans to tender eight gigawatts (GW) of new gas-fired power plant capacity next year, with a further 2 GW to be offered in 2026 and 2027 to strike a balance between decarbonisation and backing up intermittent renewables."We have had, and are having, conversations with actors who will most certainly be in the picture and then we need to see whether we can play a role in this," Helge Haugane, head of Equinor's power business area
Equinor looks at its role in expanding Germany's gas capacity
A senior executive at Equinor said that the Norwegian energy company is considering its options to participate in a German gas-fired plant tender, but needs more information before taking a decision. Germany will tender 8 gigawatts of new gas-fired plant capacity in the coming year. A further 2 GW will be offered by 2026 or 2027, to strike a balanced between decarbonisation while supporting intermittent renewables. Helge Haigane, Equinor's head of power business, said: "We are in discussions with actors that will be most definitely in the picture. He added that the involvement of any company was also dependent on economics.
Equinor plans to drill 250 oil and natural gas exploration wells by 2035 in Norway
Equinor plans to drill 250 oil-and-gas exploration wells in Norwegian waterways in the next ten years in order to achieve a goal that will maintain production in 2035, at levels of 2020, due in part, according its CEO, Tuesday, to expectations of continued fossil fuel demand. Anders Opedal, the CEO of Norwegian Energy Company, said at an energy conference that the company will invest 60 billion Norwegian crowns (5.86 billion dollars) per year over 10 years to maintain production on Norway's aging continental shelf.
Analysis finds that China's coal plant permits will be at a four-year low by 2025.
A new Greenpeace report showed that China's coal plant permits will fall to their lowest level in four years. This is due to the growing demand for renewable energy sources. Greenpeace has found that China allowed 41.8 gigawatts to be added to coal plant capacity during the first quarter of 2025. If the current pace is maintained, the 2025 permits will be the lowest since 2021. Greenpeace estimates that the approvals for 2025 will represent between 171.5 billion and 181.5 billion dollars in new coal investments. 85% of these investments are owned by state-owned companies.