Oilfield giants shift focus to AI infrastructure after drilling demand declines
SLB, Halliburton, and Baker Hughes, oilfield services giants in North America, are focusing on data centers and artificial intelligence infrastructure to fuel their next phase of expansion as they deal with a slowing drilling market and idle rigs. U.S. producers of oil have reduced exploration budgets, as the price of a barrel hovers in the low 60s, under pressure from rising production by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies. Meanwhile, power demand has risen due to the surge of AI workloads.
Britain announces a budget of $1.45 billion for offshore wind auction
Government documents revealed on Monday that Britain will offer a lower budget for offshore winds in its next round of auctions to encourage investment in renewable energy capacity. One analyst said the country would struggle to reach its clean power goals. The documents released on Monday show that the next round of auctions will have a budget for fixed, traditional offshore wind projects of 900 millions pounds, down from last year's 1.1 billion pounds.
Sponsored: UAE Breaks Ground on World First Gigascale Renewable Energy Project
In line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, world-first project reaffirms UAE’s leadership position in clean energy, directly addressing intermittency of renewables. Project will reimagine potential of renewable energy, delivering 1GW of baseload power at a globally competitive tariff, establishing a blueprint for future international deployments.Masdar and EWEC are…
Singapore's power demand expected to increase in the next decade
The chief executive of Singapore's Energy Market Authority, who spoke on Monday, said that the expansion of advanced manufacturing and technology in Singapore, as well as the electrification of cars, will increase the growth of power demand in the next decade. EMA CEO Puah Kok Keong said that electricity consumption would grow between 2% to 5% by 2035. This compares with an average increase of 1.9% in the 10 years up until 2024. Singapore's power consumption is growing faster than that of its regional neighbours Australia or Japan…
Singapore allocates more land to green energy and data centre park
Singapore has allocated more land to its manufacturing hub Jurong Island for renewable energy and data centres, according to a statement released by the Singapore Economic Development Board (SEDB) and JTC Corporation on Monday. The agencies have announced that about 300 hectares (741.32 acre) of land, or roughly 10% of Jurong Island, will be reserved for renewable energy projects and low carbon fuel production. Two of Singapore's three refineries…
Singapore allocates more land to green energy and data centre park
Singapore has allocated more land to its manufacturing hub Jurong Island for renewable energy and data centres, according to a statement released by the Singapore Economic Development Board (SEDB) and JTC Corporation on Monday. The agencies have announced that about 300 hectares (741.32 acre) of land, or roughly 10% of Jurong Island, will be reserved for renewable energy projects and low carbon fuel production. Two of Singapore's three refineries…
Prime Minister says nuclear power and perovskite as Japan's energy sources are important
Sanae Takaichi, the Japanese prime minister, told the parliament on Friday how important it is for Japan to have its own sources of energy such as nuclear power and solar cells made from perovskite. Takaichi (64), the first woman to be elected as prime minister in Japan, was elected this week. After her ruling Liberal Democratic Party lost recent elections due to rising consumer prices, she faces a persistent inflation problem. Takaichi…
Baker Hughes exceeds profit expectations on the strength of industrial and energy technology demand
Baker Hughes, a provider of oilfield services, beat Wall Street expectations for its third-quarter profits on Thursday. This was due to the strength in their industrial and energy technologies (IET) division. Oilfield services firms are navigating a volatile oilfield market. Resilient areas such as LNG infrastructure, upgrades to the power grid, and increasing electricity demand by data centers help support growth. Baker is also relying on the Industrial and Energy Technology (IET)…
Woodside rallies to cap losses; miners and tech drag Australian shares down
Australian shares dropped for the second session in a row on Thursday. Mining and tech stocks were to blame, but losses were mitigated by Woodside Energy's surge following new investment in Louisiana LNG. S&P/ASX 200 Index fell 0.4% at 8,993.5 by 0002 GMT. The benchmark closed Wednesday 0.7% lower. After three sessions of gains, technology stocks dropped by 1.2%. U.S. stocks closed lower overnight after a wave mixed earnings reports from corporates dampened sentiment.
Energy Traders Steer Shipping Toward Greener Horizons
The maritime industry is charting a new course toward decarbonization, yet this time round it is not only traditional shipowners at the helm. Major energy and commodity traders, whose shipping operations often carry large carbon footprints, are now investing in cleaner and more efficient shipping. With the International Maritime Organization (IMO) calling for a 40% reduction in shipping’s carbon intensity by 2030 from 2008 levels, these players are now deploying new methods to cut emissions at sea.
South Africa plans to revive its small-nuclear reactor technology
The electricity and energy Minister said that South Africa expects its Pebble Bed Modular Reactor to be removed from the status of care and maintenance by the first quarter next year, or even sooner. South Africa, once considered a leader in the field of small modular reactors (PBMR), halted research on PBMR in 2010, after spending over 10 billion rand (577 million dollars) and without building a planned demo model. Kgosientsho RAMOKGOPA…
Abby Ross Hopper will retire as the top US solar lobbyist in 2019.
The organization announced in a Tuesday statement that the longtime leader of the U.S. top solar industry trade group would step down at the end of next year. Abigail Ross Hopper, the president and CEO at Solar Energy Industries Association will be leaving her position on January 30, 2019. SEIA is currently searching for her replacement. Hopper's resignation after nine years in the top position of the U.S. Solar Industry's lobbyist coincides…
As US onshore oil growth slows, will improved drilling boost Gulf of Mexico offshore oil production?
Analysts and consultants predict that offshore investment will continue to grow as new technology and more friendly regulations encourage investment. In recent years, the offshore oil and natural gas sector has been overshadowed by shale because it requires more upfront investment and years of construction. The entry costs for shale were lower and the returns faster, so the rapid expansion of shale led to the U.S. becoming the top oil producer in the world. The U.S.
Santander combines digital bank with consumer finance unit in Europe
Santander, a Spanish bank, announced on Wednesday that it would merge its digital lender Openbank into its consumer finance division in Europe to streamline its structure and cut costs. Santander announced that the new entity would manage Santander’s consumer finance operations, under the Openbank name, beginning with Germany and other markets following. Openbank and Santander Consumer Finance are part of the global digital consumer banking business. This business in Europe has 84 billion euro ($98 billion) of customer deposits.
India panel calls for faster nuclear approvals and fuel security in order to reach 100 GW goal
India's nuclear projects should be accelerated, it should secure long-term uranium fuel supplies, and it needs to expand its reprocessing capabilities, according to a report by a panel appointed by the government. India is easing rules to end the decades-old state monopoly, and to remove a strict liability provision in order to attract foreign technology suppliers and to encourage private participation. The country aims to reach 100 gigawatts in nuclear power by 2047, compared to the current 8.88GW.
Brookfield invests $5 billion in Bloom Energy to support fuel cells for AI data centers
Brookfield Asset Management announced on Monday that it would invest up to five billion dollars in Bloom Energy fuel cell technology for data centers. Companies are looking to cleaner energy sources to meet the demands of artificial intelligence. Bloom Energy shares were up 31% in premarket trading at $113.72. As they spend billions on building and expanding their data centers, companies are looking to clean power sources like nuclear, renewables, and fuel cells to meet the demand for AI, Cloud Computing, and digital services.
Chinese wind turbine manufacturer invests up to $2 Billion in Scottish factory
Ming Yang Smart Energy, a Chinese wind turbine manufacturer, will invest up 1.5 billion pounds ($2billion) in Scotland to build a manufacturing facility for wind turbines that could create as many as 1,500 jobs. Britain hopes to create thousands more clean energy jobs and to increase its renewable power in order to meet its climate goals. Ming Yang stated that the project will be constructed in three phases. The first phase is a 750-million-pound investment to create a facility for manufacturing wind turbine blades…
The Extreme H World Cup is the pioneer of hydrogen racing in Saudi Arabia
Timo Scheider is a two-time German Touring Car Champion in a career which includes Le Mans 24 Hours, rallycross and the Le Mans 24 Hours. But on Thursday in the Saudi Arabian Desert, he became a pioneer in motorsport. The 46-year old self-described petrolhead was one of sixteen drivers from eight teams competing in the offroad Extreme H World Cup, the first FIA sanctioned hydrogen powered race event in the world, in Qiddiya. "The world is changing and we are trying to decide what the best decision and direction is for us all.
Chevron expands India Hub to boost AI and digital capabilities
Chevron India opened a 312,000 square foot facility for its Engineering and Innovation Excellence Center in Bengaluru on Thursday, a year and a half after launching this unit. The unit was launched to consolidate its technical work and enhance its digital and AI capabilities. India is playing a growing role in energy transition, as technology plays a central role in cost reduction and competition. The U.S. oil giant also targets cost savings of up to $3 billion by 2026, and streamlines its global operations.
Eni wants to build a biorefinery and recycling plant in Sicily
Eni, an Italian energy company, announced on Thursday that it has begun the environmental approval process for the transformation of its industrial site at Priolo in Sicily into a biorefinery, and a chemical recycler plant for plastics. The Italian energy ministry has recently approved the application for the project. It will be built on the site of Eni's decommissioned ethylene plant. Eni is implementing this move as part of its plan to revamp its chemical business.