Australia sues Exxon for falsely representing its local petrol brand
The Australian Competition Watchdog announced on Tuesday that it had taken Exxon Mobil’s local brand affiliate, which sells fuel at six of their branded petrol stations throughout Queensland, to court. Exxon Mobil, an American oil and gas company, owns and operates the Mobil brand. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission alleges that Mobil misrepresented that "Mobil Synergy", its "Mobil Synergy", contained certain additives when it didn't. ACCC said…
SSE, a British utility, announces a $28 billion investment plan for grid infrastructure
The UK utility SSE announced on Tuesday that its power network arm SSEN Transmission will invest at least 28 billion dollars in grid infrastructure in a five-year span beginning April 2026. Britain wants to decarbonise the electricity sector in Britain by 2030. This will require an increase in renewable energy generation, and massive investments to connect these new projects to power systems. Network developers must submit project plans and expected costs under UK regulator Ofgem's Revenue=Incentives+Innovation+Outputs (RIIO) programme.
Vard Completes Conversion of IT Infinity PSV to Cable Laying Vessel
Norwegian shipbuilder Vard has delivered IT Infinity vessel to I.T. International Telecom Marine (IT), after completing its conversion from Platform Supply Vessel (PSV) to specialized Cable Laying Vessel (CLV).Built at Vard Brattvaag and delivered to Volstad Maritime in 2008 as the Volstad Princess, the vessel has changed ownership several times.SD Standard Drilling acquired the ship in 2017, before it was sold to IT in 2021 and renamed IT Infinity.In 2024, the vessel returned to VARD for an extensive conversion…
Sources say that BP is looking for buyers to buy its US Natural Gas Pipeline System stake.
Four people familiar with the matter have confirmed that BP is looking for buyers to take a stake in their U.S. Natural Gas Pipeline Network. Two people have said that the British energy company may be able to raise $3 billion through the sale. One of them added that BP could sell as much as a 49 percent stake in its business. Two other people confirmed that the sale is part of BP's CEO Murray Auchincloss’s efforts to reduce the debt levels at the company, which have risen in the last year. BP refused to comment.
Wind supply is expected to surge, prompting a reduction in wind levels.
The European spot power price fell on Wednesday from its highs as there was more wind forecast in the coming days and the demand in the area eased.LSEG analyst Francisco Gaspar Machado talked about "higher outputs of wind energy, aided with lower consumption and greater solar outputs."LSEG data shows that French baseload power for the day ahead was down 27.5% at 108 Euros ($113.31), remaining at highs of several weeks, at 0925 GMT.The German equivalent contract…
German Cabinet approves $1.4 billion subsidy to reduce 2025 electricity network fees
The German cabinet approved a proposal to provide a subsidy of 1.3 billion euros ($1.37 billion) for electricity network fees that consumers will pay next year. This was announced by the Economy Ministry on Tuesday. High energy prices are straining household budgets in Europe's largest economy and affecting industrial production. The ministry stated that the subsidy would be funded by federal funds. It is expected to reduce the network charges, which make up approximately 20% of the electricity bill.
Philippines communities challenge dash for fossil gas
The government claims that LNG is an alternative to coal, and the capacity to generate it is required to meet the energy demands of Luzon Island, which is also home to Manila, the capital city, located 110 km (68 mi) north. Many people in Santa Clara, an area adjacent to the port's terminal, claim that respiratory illness has increased dramatically, even among children as young five years old. They attribute this to the LNG plants. Welita Abanil is a 69-year-old Santa Clara healthcare worker. Gas plants in the area have also reduced our fishing income.
German rates drop, while French prices increase amid weather changes
On Wednesday, the European power prices showed divergent trends. Germany's fell on account of higher wind generation, while France's went up due to colder weather forecasts, which will increase electric heating demand. LSEG's analysis cited the wind power supply in Germany as the guiding force that will lead to net exports from the country for the next day. LSEG noted a decrease in lignite and natural gas availability among other factors. LSEG data shows that German baseload power for the day ahead was down 21.8% at 97 Euros ($102.00 per megawatt-hour (MWh) as of 0940 GMT.
German Minister proposes subsidies for stabilizing electricity network fees
German Economy Minister Robert Habeck proposed Tuesday subsidies to stabilize fluctuations of electricity network fees. Consumers and businesses are bearing the brunt due to high energy costs, which have hindered investment and production. Habeck, speaking at a Berlin industry conference, said that the subsidies would be "a short-term measure" for 2025. They could be technically implemented by a 2024 supplementary budget. In Germany, the cost of using the electricity network accounts for around 20%.
German wind power supply is falling, resulting in a split of spot prices
The European spot prices for Wednesday were split from Tuesday. German spot prices rose due to a falling wind supply, and a rise in demand was expected. However, forecasts of strong French wind production affected the spot price for France. LSEG data shows that German baseload power for the day ahead was up 10% at 124 Euros ($130.44 per megawatt-hour (MWh) as of 1052 GMT. The French equivalent contract fell by 27.1% to 82 euros/MWh. Naser said that this is likely to be different in the afternoon. As a result, Germany will import during the morning and export the rest of it.
MSE Int'l Wins Funding for Port Recharging Project
MSE International has won funding from TRIG 2024 to lead a new project, PRIMET; Port Recharging Infrastructure for Maritime Energy Transition.The project will accelerate the roll-out of port and harbor infrastructure needed to support the rapid expansion in vessel recharging and shore-powering facilities which are essential to realize the government’s Clean Maritime Plan. PRIMET will develop outline solutions for supplying energy to shore power/recharging facilities…
Officials say that South Africa has a significant reworking of its long-term energy plan.
Officials said that a reworked long-term South Africa power plan would be soon presented to the cabinet. The plan is designed to put an end to the electricity blackouts which have plagued the country over the past decade. Only in January was the last plan released, which laid out scenarios for power supply up to 2050. The plan included a wide range of energy sources, including nuclear, renewables, and natural gas. Coal, the current dominant power source, was also covered.
Chinese giant CATL expands beyond batteries to power grids and EV platforms
Robin Zeng is the billionaire founder and CEO of CATL. He wants to transform the world's biggest battery manufacturer into a provider of green energy, as well as reduce the costs of developing electric cars, thus upending the economics that have driven the growth of the industry. Zeng said in an interview he expected the business of developing "zero-carbon" electric grids to be "ten times larger" than supplying batteries for electric vehicles, a sector CATL currently leads with 37% share.
EIP, a Swiss asset manager, increases its stake in Eni Plenitude from 10% to 10%
Eni announced that Swiss asset manager Energy Infrastructure Partners will increase its stake in Eni Plenitude to 10%. The deal values the group’s retail and renewable businesses at more than 11 billion euros, including debt. In a Monday statement, the Italian energy group EIP said that it had agreed to subscribing to a new issue of shares worth approximately 209 million euro. This deal is part Eni's "satellite" strategy. It aims to create separate units that can attract investments for their business growth.
US Extends Protections for CITGO to March 2025
The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday extended a license protecting Venezuela-owned Citgo Petroleum from bondholders to March 2025, a key decision amid a seven-year-long legal case in which the refiner's parent might be auctioned to pay creditors.Citgo's parent, PDV Holding, was found liable by the court for Venezuela's debts from asset expropriations and debt defaults. The case has opened a route for creditors to fight for a piece of Venezuela's crown jewel - Citgo's 807…
Chinese solar firms are ever-nimble and go to places where US tariffs do not reach
The U.S. tariffs on Vietnam and three other Southeast Asian nations have prompted some of the largest Chinese-owned factories to cut production and lay off workers. In the meantime, a number of Chinese-owned solar power plants are being built in Indonesia and Laos. These are outside of Washington's protections on trade. Reports show that their planned capacity would be enough to provide about half of the solar panels installed in the U.S. Chinese solar firms have shrunk their output in existing hubs, while building new factories elsewhere.
Adani Total Gas, India's largest CNG producer, posts higher Q2 profits on stable demand
Adani Total Gas, India's largest gas company, posted higher profits for the seventh consecutive quarter on Thursday. This was aided in part by increased sales of compressed natural gas (CNG), as the government pushes for more gas-powered vehicles. The company, which is part of the Adani conglomerate that specializes in ports-to-power, reported a 7.5% increase in its consolidated profits to 1,87 billion rupees (US$22.24million) for the three-month period ended September 30.
Iberdrola, a Spanish company, doubles its British investment plan from $11 billion to $21 billion
Iberdrola, the largest Spanish power company, has increased its investment plan in its British subsidiary Scottish Power from 24 billion pounds ($31.37billion) to 2024-2028. This was announced ahead of an international investment summit held in London. The investment comes at a time when Britain's Labour government is trying to attract billions of pounds worth of foreign investment as it celebrates its 100th day in office, and hosts global business leaders in the Oct. 14 Summit.
Prompt prices jump on declining wind, nuclear output
The wholesale European spot electricity price soared on Thursday due to a decline in the supply of wind and nuclear energy in the days ahead. LSEG data shows that the French baseload day-ahead power rose by 80.4% to 83.0 Euros ($90.74 per megawatt hour) at 0830 GMT. The German equivalent contract was not exchanged but displayed a range of bids and offers between 84.5-88.4 Euros compared to a closing price on Wednesday at 59.0 Euros. LSEG data shows that the German wind output will plummet on Friday to 16.9 gigawatts from 32.7 GW predicted for Thursday.
Citgo auction at risk as Venezuelan bondholders file parallel claims
Holders of billions in Venezuelan bonds, notes and other securities have emerged in the last minute as protagonists in an American court case that will decide ownership of oil refiner Citgo Petroleum. They threaten to derail a compensation auction for more than a dozen firms to compensate them for unpaid debts or expropriations. Two groups of holders have taken their cases to other U.S. court to enforce them, and are pursuing the Citgo assets which industrial conglomerates, oil companies, and mining firms have pursued for years.
