Spot prices drop on increased renewable output
The European baseload contracts fell on Wednesday due to a forecasted sharp rise in 'wind power supply', while the demand was expected?to fall. LSEG data shows that the German baseload day-ahead contract dropped 20.6% to 88.41 euros per megawatt at 0929 GMT. The French equivalent contract dropped 30% to 21 Euro/MWh. Data from LSEG showed that German wind power production is expected to increase by 9.9 gigawatts on Wednesday to 23.8 GW. Meanwhile, French?wind energy is projected to grow by 1.6 GW up to 6.1 GW.
The US AI boom is facing an electric shock
The race for artificial intelligence dominance by Big Tech may hit a snag soon as U.S. power grids struggle to keep up with hyperscalers who spend a lot of money. Microsoft, Amazon Alphabet, and Meta are among the technology giants in America that have announced in recent months plans to spend over $600 billion in AI by 2026. Investors are already unsure about the viability of this strategy due to the investment wave. The ambitious U.S. AI plans will be hampered by power-infrastructure bottlenecks such as turbine shortages…
Statkraft and OX2 battery deal in Finland to smooth out wind power volatility
Statkraft, the Norwegian state-owned utility, announced on Wednesday that it had signed an agreement for power purchase (PPA) to buy two battery energy systems (BESS), developed by Sweden's OX2 and installed in Finland where wind power has been expanding rapidly. Batteries of large size are essential to managing intermittent renewable energies such as wind energy. They help ensure supply reliability by charging when output is high, and emptying them when wind production drops.
Ukraine Delays Druzhba Oil Deliveries Again
Ukraine has told Slovakia's oil pipeline system operator Transpetrol that the resumption of oil deliveries via the Druzhba pipeline has been delayed by another day to February 26, Slovakia's country's economy ministry said on Tuesday.The ministry, which had expected flows to restart on February 25, said it was not given a reason for the latest delay.Slovakia announced the Druzhba pipeline outage on February 13, long after shipments of Russian oil via Slovakia…
French and Benelux stocks: Factors to watch
Here are some company news and stories that could impact the markets in France and Benelux or even individual stocks. Credit insurer Coface announced a?full year net income?of 222 millions euros ($261.16?million). They are proposing a dividend per share of 1.25 euro for 2025. GTT, a specialist in LNG containment systems, reported a full-year EBITDA totaling 542 million euro. The company proposed a record dividend per share of 8.94 euro. The company forecasts that its EBITDA in 2026 will be between 490 and 530 millions euros.
Hungary to Release 1.8 Million Barrels of Crude From Reserves
Hungary's government will release about 1.8 million barrels of crude oil from its strategic reserves after a drone attack on the Druzhba pipeline late last month stopped oil flow, according to a government decree published late on Thursday.Hungary and Slovakia, which have the only remaining refineries in the European Union using Russian oil through Druzhba, have been trying to secure supply since flows were halted on January 27 after what Ukraine said was…
Oil minister: Suriname and Guyana will form team to explore joint projects for gas exploration
Suriname’s oil minister said that Suriname and Guyana will 'create' a technical team to investigate the development of natural gas?production between the two South American nations. The team could be set up next month and would represent a significant step forward for Suriname, Guyana and other countries that have been discussing the possibility of collaborating across borders on natural gas exploration. The first gas project for both countries would be any future project.
REE, the Spanish power grid operator, defends its planning in advance of a blackout
REE, the Spanish grid operator, defended its plans for a widespread blackout that occurred last year on Tuesday and called the testimony of energy executives before a Senate committee hearing "mere speculations". On April 28, last year, Europe's biggest blackout in over two decades paralyzed cities and left people stuck on trains throughout Portugal and Spain. REE, owned by Redeia?correctly? operated the system, in strict compliance?with existing?regulations?, the grid operator stated in a Tuesday press release.
Spain's gas consumption is expected to fall this year, as the blackout-related boost fades
Spain's gas consumption?will fall by around 7 percent?this coming year?as a result of a softer response to the major blackout that occurred on April 28. The power grid operator has increased the use of stable sources such as gas plants for electricity generation, which cost more but can better control voltage. Arturo Gonzalo, the CEO of 2025, said that this increased the?gas consumption for electricity generation last year by about a third. The overall gas?demand rose 7.4%, including exports into countries such as France, to reach 372 terawatt-hours.
German Spot Contracts Rise Due to Lower Wind Forecast
Early trading saw the German and French baseload contracts split as wind output in Germany was falling but in France it was rising. LSEG data show that the German baseload day-ahead power?contract rose by 10.7% at?0928 GM time to 111.01 euros ($131.45 per megawatt hour). The French equivalent contract fell 5.2% to 41.25 euros/MWh. LSEG data shows that German wind power production is expected to drop by 5.1 Gigawatts on Wednesday to 10.2 GW. French wind power, however, is expected to increase by 1.9 GW up to 12.3 GW.
MOL Orders Alternative Oil to Supply Hungary, Slovakia Refineries
Hungary's MOL group has ordered tankers delivering Saudi, Norwegian, Kazakh, Libyan and Russian oil to supply its Hungarian and Slovak refineries and halted diesel supplies to Ukraine as it scrambles to overcome an outage of the Druzhba pipeline, officials said on Wednesday.MOL's refineries, the last in the EU to receive Russian oil through Druzhba, have struggled since a supply halt that Ukraine says was due to a Russian attack that damaged the pipeline infrastructure on January 27.The refineries plan to start tapping state oil reserves, with the Slovak governmen
French and Benelux stocks: Factors to watch
Here are some company news and stories that could have a significant impact on markets in France and Benelux or individual stocks. Aeroports de Paris, the French airport operator, reported a 7.8 million passenger increase in January for Paris, while group traffic reached 29.5 millions passengers, an increase of 5.0 percent. EIFFAGE: French concessions and construction company Eiffage will strengthen its presence in Germany by acquiring the assets of Claus Heinemann Elektroanlagen. The transaction is expected to be completed during the first quarter 2026.
EDF's costs are higher due to oversupply of electricity
EDF, the French nuclear operator, said that it would have to increase its maintenance costs by around 1.5 million euros to 3.75 millions euros per year because it has to reduce power in 'its nuclear reactors' to a'respond to an increased electricity supply and a slow demand. Around 70% of French power comes from nuclear energy, which accounts for about half of the state-owned EDF revenue. However, the recent addition of solar power has changed the way nuclear reactors are operated.
TC Energy exceeds profit expectations as natural gas and power demand increases
Canadian 'pipeline operator TC Energy' beat analysts' expectations for the fourth quarter?profit % on Friday. This was helped by record natural-gas flows across its North American networks as soaring demand for power from data centers boosted volume. Major pipeline operators are doubling down on expectations of rising natural gas demand as LNG export facilities expand, and cryptocurrency miners and artificial-intelligence ?systems ramp up electricity use.
Iberdrola denies grid operator's claim its solar plant caused blackout
Iberdrola's CEO in Spain,?on Thursday, rejected the 'claim' by the head of Spain's power grid operator that mismanagement at a'solar plant' owned by Iberdrola could have led to the massive blackout of April 28, last year. Mario Ruiz Tagle's testimony in front of an investigating committee before the Spanish Senate was the first public acknowledgment by Iberdrola, that it owned the infrastructure that the grid operator had singled out, the Nunez de Balboa Solar Plant in the southwest province of Badajoz.
Draft document reveals EU plans to boost investment in energy infrastructure
A draft document seen by?by revealed that the European Union, and its lending arm European?Investment?Bank, are developing a new suite of?funding mechanisms to support energy infrastructure investment. Plans are being developed to help reduce the cost of energy for European households and industries, who claim that high bills make it impossible to compete in global markets. The draft European Commission strategy seen by revealed plans for the EIB in order to mobilize more private investments in the energy sector…
Spanish grid blackout risks remain, Endesa CEO says
The widespread 'blackout' that affected Spain and Portugal last year could be repeated under similar circumstances, according to the CEO of Endesa, who blamed the Spanish grid operator REE, for the outage. On April 28, last year, Europe's biggest blackout in over two decades paralyzed cities and left passengers stranded aboard trains throughout Portugal and Spain. After the outage, grid operators increased the use of stable power generation, such as?gas plants. This helps better control voltage, but increases costs.
Norway Wealth Fund seeks investment in battery storage as the market matures
Norway's sovereign fund announced on Wednesday that it hopes to make its initial investments in battery storage systems. This reflects the increasing importance of batteries for stabilising increasingly intermittent electricity markets. Since 2021, the $2.2 trillion sovereign fund, 'the largest in the world,' has invested in renewable energy infrastructure that is not listed, with a focus on offshore wind farms, as well as solar and wind assets located both onshore and off-shore. It became an investor in German transmission grid operator Tennet last year.
As Pipeline Projects Grow, Williams Predicts Higher 2026 Profit
U.S. pipeline operator Williams Companies on Tuesday forecast 2026 profit above analysts' expectations as new pipeline and offshore projects drive growth and natural gas demand continues to rise.Williams, which also increased its annual dividend by 5% to $2.10 per share for 2026, saw its shares rise 2.8% in morning trade.Rising electricity use from crypto-mining, households, businesses and an AI-driven boom in data centers is set to boost natural gas demand this year…
In January, US LNG imports accounted for almost half of Spain’s gas supply.
Data released on Tuesday showed that liquefied natural gases from the United States accounted for 44.4% of Spain's total imports of gas in January. This is a significant increase from last year. As Europe tries to reduce its energy imports from Russia following the invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. is now the dominant LNG supplier. Tariffs and the President Donald Trump's move to take over Greenland have raised concern among some officials regarding the?growing dependence on U.S. Energy.