Equinor Explores Role in Germany Gas Plant Capacity Expansion
Norwegian energy producer Equinor is looking at options for participating in a planned German gas-fired power plant tender but requires more detail before making any decision, a senior executive said on Tuesday.Germany plans to tender eight gigawatts (GW) of new gas-fired power plant capacity next year, with a further 2 GW to be offered in 2026 and 2027 to strike a balance between decarbonisation and backing up intermittent renewables."We have had, and are having, conversations with actors who will most certainly be in the picture and then we need to see whether we can play a role in this," Helge Haugane, head of Equinor's power business
Equinor looks at its role in expanding Germany's gas capacity
A senior executive at Equinor said that the Norwegian energy company is considering its options to participate in a German gas-fired plant tender, but needs more information before taking a decision. Germany will tender 8 gigawatts of new gas-fired plant capacity in the coming year. A further 2 GW will be offered by 2026 or 2027, to strike a balanced between decarbonisation while supporting intermittent renewables. Helge Haigane, Equinor's head of power business, said: "We are in discussions with actors that will be most definitely in the picture. He added that the involvement of any company was also dependent on economics.
Woodside and East Timor target first LNG from Greater Sunrise by 2032
East Timor and Australia's Woodside Energy have agreed to investigate sending gas from large, undeveloped Greater Sunrise field to a new plant that will produce liquefied gas in Southeast Asia. The plant could begin exporting gas in seven years. In a Tuesday joint statement, Woodside and East Timor’s Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ministry said that the agreement requires the two parties to examine the commercial and technological viability of a 5 million-metric-ton LNG project. The plan is to begin production as soon as 2032-2035.
Analysis finds that China's coal plant permits will be at a four-year low by 2025.
A new Greenpeace report showed that China's coal plant permits will fall to their lowest level in four years. This is due to the growing demand for renewable energy sources. Greenpeace has found that China allowed 41.8 gigawatts to be added to coal plant capacity during the first quarter of 2025. If the current pace is maintained, the 2025 permits will be the lowest since 2021. Greenpeace estimates that the approvals for 2025 will represent between 171.5 billion and 181.5 billion dollars in new coal investments. 85% of these investments are owned by state-owned companies.
Shell and Ferrari Sign Long-Term Green Power Supply Deal
Shell announced on Tuesday that it had signed a long-term agreement to provide Ferrari with renewable energies until 2034. This will help the luxury automaker reduce its carbon emissions. In recent years, power purchase agreements have become more popular in Italy as a means for manufacturers to lock-in energy costs and secure renewable power. Shell will provide 650 gigawatt-hours of electricity over a period of 10 years, using a plant that was developed by the oil group. This will cover almost half the energy requirements of Ferrari's Maranello factory near Modena and help to decarbonise its production.
Woodside and East Timor target first LNG from Greater Sunrise by 2032
East Timor and Australia's Woodside Energy have agreed to investigate sending gas from large, undeveloped Greater Sunrise field to a new plant that will produce liquefied gas in Southeast Asia. The plant could begin exporting gas in seven years. In a Tuesday joint statement, Woodside and East Timor’s Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ministry said that the agreement requires the two parties to examine the commercial and technological viability of a 5 million-metric-ton LNG project. The plan is to begin production as soon as 2032-2035. This is the first time that the two sides have given a possible start date.
Exxon freezes plans for major hydrogen plant amid weak customer demand
Exxon Mobil has halted plans to build one of the largest hydrogen production plants in the world due to low customer demand, CEO Darren Woods said in an interview with Business Insider on Friday. The project's suspension, which was already delayed, reflects the slowdown of efforts by oil and gas companies to switch to cleaner energy sources, as many initiatives are struggling to make a profit. Donald Trump, the U.S. president, had also cut funding for green projects to concentrate on fossil fuels. Exxon, the oil major, announced in 2022 plans to build a plant in its Baytown, Texas refinery and chemical complex.
After 0.2% price cap increase, energy bills for most Britons are on the rise
The regulator Ofgem has announced that it will increase its domestic price caps by 0.2% in January, due to increased policy costs. The government will suffer a setback, even though the increase is small. It has promised to lower energy prices, and it faces pressure next week to unveil budget measures to help reduce household bills. The increase is due in part to an addition of nearly one pound per bill to pay for the new Sizewell nuclear plant, which is estimated to cost around 38 billion pounds ($50billion). This is despite wholesale energy prices falling by 4%.
China's first coal-to-chemicals project with green hydrogen begins commercial operations
According to a report by state-run CCTV, China's first project for coal-to chemicals that integrates green hydrogen began commercial operations on Friday. Cao Guoan, station manager at CCTV, said that the project, operated by state-owned energy producer Datang Group is expected to produce 70,59 million cubic meters of hydrogen per year. He didn't say how much coal the plant currently produces or if it will also produce other chemical derivatives. Coal chemical plants convert coal into syngas, which is a mixture of carbon monoxide with hydrogen. This can then be transformed into ammonia or olefins.
India's top solar regulator blocks 3.2 GW of coal power plant, citing clean-energy push
A filing revealed that the power regulator in Rajasthan, India’s largest solar producer, refused to approve a 3,200 megawatt coal project. The regulator said it was against clean energy goals, and lacked justification based on demand forecasts. In an order published Thursday, the Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission announced that it had rejected a petition filed by state-run Rajasthan Urja Vikas and IT Services Ltd to obtain coal power through bidding for a period of 25 years. The utility claimed that the new capacity would be needed to meet the rising demand for electricity around-the-clock.
India's top solar regulator blocks 3.2 GW of coal power plant, citing clean-energy push
A filing revealed that the power regulator in Rajasthan, India’s largest solar producer, refused to approve a 3,200 megawatt coal project. The power regulator said it was against clean energy goals, and lacked justification based on demand forecasts. In an order published Thursday, the Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission announced that it had rejected a petition filed by state-run Rajasthan Urja Vikas and IT Services Ltd to obtain coal power through bidding for a period of 25 years. The utility claimed that the new capacity would be needed to meet a growing demand for electricity around-the-clock.
US Natural Gas Futures Ease 1% on Ample Gas in Storage
U.S. natural gas futures eased about 1% on Thursday on near-record output and ample amounts of gas in storage despite near-historic flows to liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plants and forecasts for colder weather and higher demand over the next two weeks than previously expected.The price decline also came despite a federal storage report that showed energy firms pulled gas out of storage for the first time this winter during last week's cold weather.Front-month gas futures for December delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange fell 3.7 cents, or 0.8%, to $4.513 per million British thermal units (mmBtu) at 10:33 a.m.
US Natural Gas Futures Climb 4% with LNG Flows, Cold December Forecast
U.S. natural gas futures climbed about 4% on Wednesday on near-record flows to liquefied natural gas export plants and forecasts for higher demand than previously expected as the weather turns colder than normal going into December.Front-month gas futures for December delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 17.9 cents, or 4.1%, to settle at $4.550 per million British thermal units (mmBtu).LSEG said average gas output in the Lower 48 states rose to 109.1 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) so far in November…
Aramco signs preliminary US deal worth more than $30 Billion
Saudi Aramco, the oil giant, said that it signed 17 preliminary agreements with U.S. firms with a total potential value of over $30 billion during a trip to Washington by Saudi Crown Prince. In a press release, the company said that these projects include liquefied gas, financial services and advanced materials manufacturing, as well as procurement of materials and other services. Saudi Arabian and U.S. officials highlighted billions of dollars in new investments, and the growing financial ties that exist between the two nations on Wednesday. This coincided with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman's visit to the White House.
INSIGHT- West scrambles fill the heavy rare earth gap, as China rivalry intensifies
Western efforts to create a domestic magnets supply chain in order to reduce their reliance on China, led by the massive U.S. support for Nevada-based MP Materials, are running into a major problem: a scarcity of heavy rare earth elements. United States and its allies are scrambling to find an alternative supply chain for super-strong rare earth magnetic components, which are essential in everything from electric vehicles and defence technology to electronics and windmills. MP Materials has ambitious plans for producing magnets in the next few years. This is backed by a deal signed with the U.S.
Malaysia's Sarawak Oil Palms focus on yield improvements amid land cap
Sarawak Oil Palms Berhad, a Malaysian palm oil manufacturer, is focused on maximising the yields of existing plantations. The state struggles with lower productivity than other regions in Malaysia. Sarawak's 1,62 million hectares of oil palm plantations (4 million acres), which account for 29% Malaysia's total palm acreage, produced only 21,6% of Malaysia's palm oil production, with yields falling behind the neighbouring Sabah Peninsular Malaysia. It is the second largest palm oil producer in the world. In an interview conducted on Wednesday, the CEO of Sarawak Oil Palms, Eric Kiu, said that there are no new land areas for expansion.
The Japanese Governor is set to approve the restart of the world's largest nuclear plant
Kyodo reported that the Japanese governor who oversees the region which is home to the largest nuclear power station in the world is expected to approve its restart this week. The approval is one of the last remaining milestones for Tokyo Electric Power Co to bring back the Kashiwazaki/Kariwa power plant, which was shut down more than 10 years ago after the Fukushima disaster. Kyodo reported that Niigata Prefecture governor Hideyo Hanadazumi will announce his approval for a partial resumption of Kashiwazaki - Kariwa by Friday. This was based on multiple sources unnamed in the prefecture's government.
DTEK, a Ukrainian company, imports US LNG through Lithuania
The Ukrainian energy company DTEK said that it has imported its first cargo via Lithuania's Klaipeda Import Terminal of U.S. LNG in order to improve energy security for Ukraine as well as other Eastern European countries. DTEK’s trading arm imported cargo from Louisiana’s Plaquemines Plant aboard the GasLog Houston. The cargo was equivalent to 100 million cubic meters, or one terawatt-hour (TWh) of natural gas. Privately owned company says that the plan is to deliver gas to Ukraine and Baltic countries as well as Poland and other Eastern European markets.
Kuwait's latest tender invites bids on a new 0.5-GW Solar Project
Kuwait invited pre-qualified consortiums to submit bids for a new solar power project of 0.5 gigawatts, which aims to expand clean energy generation in the Gulf State. Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects announced in its official gazette on Sunday that the second tender of the year will cover the Al Dibdibah Power & Al Shagaya Renewable Energy Phase III - a Zone 2 Solar Power PV Independent Power Project. KAPP said that the company will provide power to the Ministry of Electricity through a 30-year agreement for purchase of electricity.
China finds bigger role as US sidesteps Brazil climate summit
China has stepped into the spotlight as a leader of the global warming fight, with the United States missing the U.N.'s annual climate summit in New York for the first three decades. The country's pavilion dominates the entrance of the sprawling COP30 grounds in Brazil’s Amazonian city of Belem. Executives from its largest clean energy companies present their visions of a greener future in English to large audiences, while its diplomats work behind the scenes to facilitate constructive discussions. Washington used to play these roles. Now, they are played by Beijing.