CERAWEEK - Small nuclear power struggles on the cusp of US electric demand boom

Small modular nuclear reactors are touted by everyone from the U.S. Energy Secretary to Big Tech as the answer to the booming demand for power. However, the technology has struggled to reach commercialization due to cost and regulatory obstacles. The artificial intelligence industry, which is powered by energy-hungry data centres, will likely increase electricity consumption in the United States.
Equinor Norway LNG plant will be off-line March 10-14
According to a Friday regulatory filing, Equinor will shut down its Hammerfest LNG Terminal from March 10 through March 14 to perform "corrective maintenance". This will reduce the daily production capacity from 18.4 millions cubic metres to zero. The Hammerfest plant (also known as Melkoeya LNG) has the ability to deliver approximately 6.5 billion cubic meters of gas each year.
British Energy Secretary to visit China to restart energy discussions, sources say
Three sources who have direct knowledge of this plan say that British Energy Secretary Ed Miliband is planning to visit China in march, where he will restart discussions on energy cooperation, and meet with Chinese investors. The Labour government wants closer ties with China amid the worsening U.S. and EU-China relationships. Sources…
British Energy Secretary to visit China to restart energy discussions, sources say
Three sources who have direct knowledge of this plan say that British Energy Secretary Ed Miliband is planning to visit China in march, where he will restart discussions on energy cooperation, and meet with Chinese investors. The Labour government wants closer ties with China amid the worsening U.S. and EU-China relationships. Sources…
British Energy Secretary to visit China to restart energy discussions, sources say
Three sources who have direct knowledge of this plan say that British Energy Secretary Ed Miliband is planning to visit China in march, where he will restart discussions on energy cooperation, and meet with Chinese investors. The Labour government wants closer ties with China amid the worsening U.S. and EU-China relationships. Sources…
British Energy Secretary to Visit China in March for Restarting Energy Talks and Meeting Investors
Three sources have confirmed that British Energy Secretary Ed Miliband is planning to visit China in march. He will be meeting with Chinese investors and restarting talks about energy cooperation. The Labour government wants closer ties with China amid worsening U.S. and EU-China relationships. British officials said that they wanted to…
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.
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…
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…
Two Russian sources claim that Saudi Arabia and the UAE are possible locations for a Trump-Putin meeting.
Two Russian sources familiar with the discussions said that Russia is considering Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as potential venues for a meeting between U.S. president Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin. Trump said that he would end the conflict in Ukraine as quickly as possible, and that he was ready to meet Putin.
Italy pilots self-driving cars in a car sharing program
A2A, along with its partners, announced on Wednesday that Italy had hosted a groundbreaking test of an autonomous vehicle for car-sharing as part of the utility's project in Brescia.Stellantis' electric FIAT500 city car left the charger, drove a kilometre in fully autonomous mode at a maximum of 30 km/h, and then stopped at a park area…
RODA responds to Trump EO on Offshore Wind & Permitting

The Responsible Offshore Development Alliance (RODA) extends gratitude to President Trump for his decision to temporarily withdraw all areas on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) from consideration for new or renewed wind energy leasing.This important move recognizes the vital role our communities, industries, and ecosystems play in the broader national interest.
Finland: Russia's Baltic oil exports have fallen 10% following EU sanctions
The Finnish Border Guard reported that the Russian oil exports via the Baltic Sea dropped by 10% in the final four months of 2024 as the EU sanctions on Russian oil and gas were implemented. Baltic Sea nations have been put on high alert following disruptions in power cables, gas pipelines, and telecom links since Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine 2022. Some of these disruptions are linked to tanker activities.
Protecting Employees in High-Risk Environments

For any business, ensuring the health and safety of its employees should be the number one priority – what is more, it’s a legal requirement.This is especially true when a company has employees that need to work alone. Whether it be in construction, healthcare or the public sector, lone workers face unique risks and challenges that those working in a team often don’t experience.
Sweden builds 100,000-year storage site for spent nuclear material
Sweden began building a final nuclear fuel storage facility on Wednesday. It is only the second site of its kind in the world where highly radioactive wastes will be stored for 100 years. Since the commercialization of nuclear reactors in the 1950s, the question of how to safely store radioactive waste has plagued the industry. Finland is the only nation that has a permanent site in its final stages of construction.
Sovcomflot, a Russian airline, says that new U.S. Sanctions create operational difficulties
Sovcomflot - the largest Russian tanker company - said that the new U.S. Sanctions would cause additional operational difficulties. It also accused the West for undermining global merchant shipping. Sovcomflot stated that the company's ships do not form part of a "shadow fleet". The sanctions against Sovcomflot were not based on any violations by the company or legal basis.
Danos Names Habbit Decommissioning Ops Manager

Danos has promoted Blake Habbit to lead the growth and development of the company's Gulf of Mexico decommissioning services.As operations manager, Habbit will oversee business operations and customer support throughout the decommissioning phase. Leveraging Danos’ diverse portfolio of service offerings, he will coordinate across entities to ensure safe…
Jordan and Syria will combat the arms and drug smuggling and Islamic State's revival
Jordan's Foreign Minister announced on Tuesday that Jordan and Syria had agreed to create a joint security panel to secure their border and combat drug and arms smuggling. They will also work to prevent a resurgence by Islamic State. Western anti-narcotics authorities say that captagon, a stimulant of amphetamine type, is mass produced in Syria.
Japan plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60% compared to 2013 levels by 2035
The Japanese environment and industry ministers finalised on Tuesday a plan that will cut greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 60% compared to 2013 levels by the year 2035. This is an increase from their 2030 goal of 46%. Officials said that states could achieve this goal even if Donald Trump, the president-elect, reverses federal policy.
ABS, Akselos Sign Floating Wind MOU

ABS and Akselos have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance engineering and certification processes for floating offshore wind projects.The companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on solutions aimed at optimizing design, reducing costs, and improving efficiency for the floating wind sector globally.The…