Data shows that Russia's LNG imports fell by 1.2% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2018.
LSEG's preliminary data on Tuesday showed that Russia's LNG exports in the first quarter of this year fell by 1.2% compared to a year ago, reaching 8.1 million metric tonnes. Due to U.S. sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine, Russia has been unable to increase its LNG exports. The new Arctic LNG 2 facility has effectively been frozen due to the Western sanctions. According to two sources, Arctic LNG 2 resumed processing in the last month. According to LSEG, Russia's exports of LNG rose 3.7% in March, from 2.7 millions tons a year earlier.
Finland's final active coal-fired heat and power plant closes
The last coal-fired heat and power plant in Finland will be permanently shut down on Tuesday. This will allow the Helsinki energy group Helen, which is based in Helsinki, to reduce its emissions, and end rising energy prices for its customers. The capacity of Finland to produce renewable energy and heat, including wind and solar power, has grown rapidly over the last few years. This has led to a dramatic decline in coal use after the previous government passed a coal ban law in 2019. Helen CEO Olli Sikka said: "Ofcourse, we can't say that no coal will ever be burned again in Finland, as there are many crisis solutions.
Miner Vale to receive $1 billion in Alianca Energia JV deal
The Brazilian miner Vale announced on Monday that it had agreed to create a joint venture through Alianca Energia, its Brazilian renewable energy company. Vale announced in a filing that it will sell 70% of Alianca Energia, and receive approximately $1 billion cash, once the transaction has been completed. In February, citing reliable sources, it was reported that Vale had advanced discussions to sell a major stake in Alianca Energia as well as a solar power plant to GIP. Vale stated in its filing that Alianca Energia would consolidate the Sol do Cerrado solar power plant…
Sources say that the Energy Department may cut funding for US carbon removal hubs.
Three sources familiar with this matter have confirmed that the U.S. Department of Energy has been considering cutting hundreds of millions of dollar in grants for two projects in Texas or Louisiana, which are aimed at demonstrating commercial-scale technology to capture CO2 from the air. Direct Air Capture hubs were developed by the DOE Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations as part of the former president Joe Biden’s efforts to reduce U.S. greenhouse gases emissions. The hubs are expensive and new technology for carbon removal. The two hubs, when fully operational, could remove over 2 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.
Gas turbines from GE Vernova will be used in a new Missouri power station
GE Vernova announced on Friday that it has received an order for its aeroderivative GE Vernova gas turbines to be used in Springfield City Utilities (CU)'s new power generating plant in Missouri. The McCartney Generating Station, a 100 Megawatt (MW), is expected to begin operations in 2027. GE Vernova has not disclosed the value of the deal or the anticipated delivery date for the turbines. Gas turbines for large-scale power production will be in demand as data centers, which require a lot of energy to run, are used to develop artificial intelligence.
Sources say India is considering scrapping the import tax on US LNG to boost purchases.
Four government and industry sources have said that India is considering scrapping the import tax on U.S. LNG to increase purchases and reduce the trade surplus, which is a major irritation for President Donald Trump. Both sides want to increase volumes in order to meet the energy needs of India's fast-growing economy. Qatar is India's top LNG supplier. India and the United States agreed that they would increase their energy purchases in the U.S. by $10 to $25 billion over the next few years. Both leaders also agreed to reach $500 billion of bilateral trade by 2030.
Government data shows that Britain's greenhouse gases emissions decreased by 4% between 2024 and 2025.
The government released preliminary data on Thursday showing that Britain's greenhouse gases (GHGs) will fall by 4% between 2024 and 2025. This is due to the closing of the last coal-fired plant in the country, and the reduction in emissions from the industrial sector. Britain's goal is to achieve net zero emissions in 2050. This will require an increase in renewable energy and the switch to cleaner electric cars. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, or DESNZ, said that total greenhouse gas emissions are estimated to be 371 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2024.
Australia's east Coast could experience gas shortages during winter, warns regulator
The Australian Competition Regulator warned on Thursday that the East Coast could be left with a shortage of gas during its winter period spanning from July to September if LNG producers export all their gas not contracted. In its quarterly update, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said that the east coast may face a shortage of 9 petajoules while the southern states might face a 40 PJ deficit. Winter in Australia is a time of peak demand for gas due to the colder temperatures. Unexpected weather events and power plant failures can also increase the risk of shortages.
Galp, a Portuguese company, is confident that it will find other markets in the event of US tariffs.
The Portuguese oil company Galp Energia is confident that it can find other destinations for its gasoline exports. Galp's Executive Board member Ronald Doesburg who is responsible for industrial assets said on Tuesday that the company will be able deal with a drop in demand from Americans due to higher prices resulting from proposed tariffs of 25%. Galp's Sines refinery produces approximately 2 million metric tonnes of gasoline each year. Of this, between 1.2 and 1.5 million tons is exported to the United States. The Portuguese market takes the remainder. Trump has threatened to impose a 25% tariff on all European goods.
LSEG data indicates that Freeport LNG will resume service in Texas after a lightning strike.
Data from the financial firm LSEG revealed that natural gas flows at Freeport LNG's Texas export plant were expected to increase on Tuesday, after a lighting strike on a pipe caused it to close on Monday. Freeport is one the most closely monitored LNG export plants around the world, as the start and end of its operations can cause large price swings on global gas markets. Gas prices in the U.S. typically drop when flows to Freeport decrease due to the lower demand from the export plant for the fuel. Prices in Europe tend to increase because of a reduction in LNG supplies to global markets. Gas prices in the United States rose on Monday.
Vingroup Vietnam plans LNG and renewable energy ventures
Vingroup, Vietnam's largest conglomerate, announced on Tuesday that it is looking to develop renewable energy sources and liquefied gas power plants. This would be the company's first ventures in the energy sector. The state-run newspaper VietnamNet reported, citing documents the company had submitted to the Government, that the company wanted to be added to a revised national power development plan. Vingroup responded to the request for comment by saying it was "interested and studying this issue" and that more information would be provided at a future date.
Trafigura cancels plans to build a $471 million hydrogen facility in South Australia
Trafigura, the global trading company for commodities, has canceled plans to build a green hydrogen plant worth A$750m ($471.2m) at its Port Pirie Lead Smelter in South Australia. A spokesperson said this on Tuesday. Trafigura, a Swiss company, had commissioned a design study, funded jointly by the South Australian government and Trafigura, in order to reduce the carbon emissions of the plant. Trafigura has completed a feasibility study worth A$5million for a green hydrogen project in Port Pirie. After the completion of the study it was decided not to continue," said the spokesperson in an email without disclosing any details.
Indonesia Minister says other countries will not follow U.S. withdrawal from JETP Energy Transition Funding
A senior Indonesian Minister said that the United States' decision not to continue with the Just Energy Transition Partnership (a commitment of developed countries to fund energy transition) will have no impact on the commitments made by the other partners. JETP, a global financing initiative that brings together rich nations with lenders from around the world to assist poorer countries adopt cleaner energy sources, has allocated $20 billion for Indonesia to reduce its emissions. Earlier this week, the U.S. announced that it was withdrawing from its JETP agreements with Indonesia and South Africa. The U.S.
Finland's Fortum explores options for long-term nuclear power
Fortum, a Finnish utility, said Monday that it would focus on renewable energy sources and nuclear life extension to meet the growing demand for electricity. It will also continue to explore long-term options such as new nuclear generation or pumped hydro. He added that the Nordics will meet this new demand by combining onshore solar and wind power with storage and flexibility solutions, and extending the life of existing nuclear reactors. Fortum has agreed to build pumped hydropower plants in addition to the pipeline of renewable energy projects it already has. The CEO of Loviisa Nuclear Power Plant said.
Laos signs clean energy agreement worth $1.45 billion with Chinese industrial company
Laos signed a clean energy agreement worth $1.45 billion with a Chinese manufacturer of power plant equipment as it continues its drive to generate and transmit clean electricity. China Western Power Industrial and a Singaporean construction company signed an agreement with Xekong Thermal Power Plant, Laos. The project will design, supply and build a 1,800 megawatt clean energy power plant in southern Laos. This was revealed in a filing on the Sichuan stock exchange by the Sichuan based company. The project will be completed at the beginning of 2020, and the initial designs should be complete by the end this year.
Cuba is on track to install fifty solar parks by the end of this year, according to the Ministry
The Energy Ministry announced late Wednesday that Cuba was making progress with a China-backed project to install over 50 solar parks in this year, capable of producing more than 1,000 Megawatts. This comes just days after Cuba's outdated grid collapsed, leaving millions without power. Energy officials released the most detailed report on the progress of the plan, stating that two solar parks were completed in February, one in Havana, and another in Cienfuegos, and six more by the end March. Ovel ConcepcionDiaz…
Shell plans to deliver gas from Venezuela to Trinidad by 2026, according to sources
Shell Plc aims to start producing natural gas in Venezuela's Dragon field and export it to Trinidad and Tobago, an hour earlier than the initial 2027 start date. The project demonstrates the industry's hope that sanctions against Venezuela will remain in place despite recent tighter enforcement. The people stated that the partners intend to begin survey work in January and decide to drill three wells. They will also need to renew their U.S. licence later this year. U.S. sanctions are aimed at virtually the entire Venezuelan gas and oil industry which is controlled and owned by PDVSA, the state-owned company.
Thyssenkrupp CEO: We can't guarantee that the $3.3 billion green steel plant will be cost-effective.
The CEO of Thyssenkrupp said that a planned 3 billion-euro ($3.3billion) Thyssenkrupp site in Duisburg, which is to produce carbon-neutral metals, could be left stranded without Germany ensuring there's enough green hydrogen to provide it. This project is not just about pushing the limits of technological feasibility. We are also operating at the limit of economic viability. "Or, as it stands today: beyond that," Miguel Lopez said. The comments cast doubts on the single largest investment of the company and reflect a more sobering evaluation around hydrogen supply in Europe’s top economy.
Bloomberg News reports that Trump will approve Venture Global LNG exports to Louisiana from the project.
Bloomberg News reported that the U.S. administration of President Donald Trump is expected to grant Venture Global LNG conditional permission to export natural gases from a proposed Louisiana plant, which was delayed under former president Joe Biden. A person with knowledge of the situation said that the Energy Department will authorize large-scale exports from CP2's project by the company as early as Wednesday. CP2 is still subject to the final approval of federal regulators. Venture Global, the White House and the U.S. Energy Department did not respond immediately to our request for comment.
The head of Trump's Energy Loan Office departs this week
The U.S. Department of Energy announced on Tuesday that the head of the U.S. Government's Energy Loans Office, which has provided funding to projects ranging from nuclear power and a sustainable aviation fuel facility supported by one of Donald Trump's Republican colleagues, will leave the agency in the coming week. John Sneed was reappointed to the position of LPO (Loan Programs Office) on January 20, to oversee the transition from the first Trump administration to the second. He will serve for a period of 30 days. His appointment was extended for another month, until March 21.
