Today's Energy Pulse
Scania pilots vehicle‑to‑grid power for heavy‑duty electric trucks
Scania showcased one of the first V2G systems for heavy‑duty electric trucks using the Megawatt Charging System (MCS). The pilot demonstrated bi‑directional power flow, letting trucks feed stored electricity back to the grid while parked, with real‑time communication enabling dynamic charging and discharging. The company also opened orders for trucks equipped with an extra battery pack and MCS.
Also developing:
Equinor to Exit RE Producer Scatec
Equinor sold an 8.07% stake in renewable‑power producer Scatec for NOK 1.6 billion (about $169 million), cutting its holding to 8.05% and entering a 90‑day lock‑up on the remaining shares. The transaction makes Norway’s sovereign‑pension manager Folketrygdfondet the largest Scatec shareholder with 9.6% ownership. Simultaneously, Equinor announced a scaling back of its renewable‑energy ambitions, lowering its 2030 capacity target to 10‑12 GW and shifting capital toward offshore wind in the United States and a 10% increase in oil‑gas output. The company retained its carbon‑capture goals and a pledge to halve Scope 1‑2 emissions by 2030 while emphasizing cost discipline and free‑cash‑flow improvement.
Samsung Heavy Industries Handpicks GTT for LNG Vessel’s Tank Design
Samsung Heavy Industries selected French specialist Gaztransport & Technigaz (GTT) to design the cryogenic tanks for a new 174,000 cubic‑meter LNG carrier. The vessel will use GTT’s Mark III Flex membrane containment system and is scheduled for delivery in 2029. The contract, booked in Q1 2026,...
January Gas Expected Below $4.40 in Q4
January Gas: Above $5.40 or Below $4.40 in 4Q? A year ago, the January 2027 natural gas future was roughly the same as the $4.60 per MMBtu on April 14, indicating the price to expect in 4Q. A move below the...
Power Insider: The Markets Are Obsessed with the Strait of Hormuz. Why It Matters Less than You Think
Traders are fixated on the Strait of Hormuz, believing ship traffic can forecast oil prices, but new Saudi and UAE pipeline capacity has halved the waterway’s relevance. The U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports adds volatility, yet the market’s real...
These Are Not the Containers You Are Looking For — Or Are They?
A new wave of startups is packaging next‑generation nuclear microreactors inside standard shipping containers, delivering roughly one megawatt of electricity per unit. These factory‑built reactors promise rapid deployment, on‑site operation for years without refueling, and advanced safety systems that rely...
Manufacturers Develop Non-Penetrative Alternatives to Ballasts for Rooftop Solar
Manufacturers SolarStack and SolarStrap are rolling out non‑penetrative mounting systems that replace traditional concrete ballasts on flat commercial rooftops. SolarStack uses spray‑applied polyurethane foam to bond block‑style racks, while SolarStrap heat‑welds a thin roofing membrane to create a sealed, load‑bearing...
What Went Wrong With Biden’s Big Climate Law
A new report by three former Biden‑era officials details the implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean‑energy tax credits. Treasury published 96 guidance packages—over 5,000 pages—in just 26 months, driven by the law’s $80 billion IRS funding boost. Yet agencies faced...
Top Energy Democrat Probes Trump Administration's Preparations for Strait of Hormuz Closure
Sen. Martin Heinrich, the leading Democrat on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, has sent a formal letter to Energy Secretary Chris Wright demanding a full accounting of the Trump administration’s preparations for the effective closure of the Strait...
Asian LNG Demand Weakens as Iran Conflict Reshapes Energy Strategy
Asian LNG imports slipped to 20.4 million tonnes in March 2026, down from a 2025 average of 22.1 Mt, as the Iran‑related conflict disrupts supply routes through the Strait of Hormuz and curtails flows from Qatar and the UAE. The volatility and...
'Demand Destruction Will Spread': IEA Forecasts Sharpest Fall in Global Oil Demand Since Pandemic
The International Energy Agency (IEA) warned that global oil demand will contract by about 2.5 million barrels per day in the third quarter of 2024, marking the steepest quarterly drop since the COVID‑19 pandemic. The decline is driven by reduced consumption...
Natural Gas Prices Weekly Update – JKM, TTF and Henry Hub (13 April 2026)
Natural gas prices fell across Asia, Europe and the United States last week as warmer weather and easing supply‑demand pressure outweighed earlier geopolitical spikes. The JKM index slipped to the high‑$16 per MMBtu range after briefly touching low‑$18s amid Middle...
Tata Motors to Launch Hydrogen Bus Production in Lucknow
Tata Motors announced it will start producing hydrogen fuel‑cell and hydrogen internal‑combustion‑engine buses at its Lucknow plant, expanding its green‑mobility portfolio. The launch was unveiled by Tata Sons chairman N. Chandrasekaran alongside Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, coinciding with...
Data Shows the U.S. Blockade Is Halting Ships in the Strait of Hormuz
Financial Times tracking data confirms the United States’ naval blockade is halting vessels at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz. Several tankers, including two sanctioned Iranian ships, turned back or stopped before reaching the Gulf of Oman. China has denounced...
EIA Boosts 2026 Brent Oil Price Projection to $96
The U.S. Energy Information Administration raised its 2026 Brent crude price outlook to an average of $96 per barrel, up sharply from the $78.84 forecast in March. The agency now expects a volatile quarterly path, with Brent hitting $114.60 in...
Norway Eyes Enhanced Oil & Gas Recovery Projects to Boost Production
Norway’s Offshore Directorate (NOD) has launched a task force to fast‑track enhanced oil and gas recovery (EOGR) pilots on the mature Norwegian Continental Shelf. A prior Imperial College study put the theoretical upside at 350‑700 million standard cubic meters of oil...
Oil Doom Forecasts Wrong: Blockade Didn’t Spike Prices
One month ago, I wrote that oil price forecasts of $150 or $200 were fear-mongering and that a blockade was the way to go. We now have a blockade - an important and courageous step - and oil prices aren't...
Why Oil Refiners Are the Real Winners of $100 Oil Prices
Oil prices breaching $100 a barrel have lifted refinery crack spreads to an unprecedented $54 per barrel, fueling robust margins for U.S. refiners. Valero, Marathon Petroleum and Phillips 66 are capitalising on geographic advantages, heavy‑crude access and diversification, posting record throughput...
Post-Iran Logistics – In Pipes We Trust
The 2026 Iran crisis triggered a full closure of the Strait of Hormuz, turning a theoretical chokepoint risk into an immediate reality. With roughly 20% of global oil and LNG supplies previously transiting the strait, market participants now see a...
High‐Performance Electrocatalytic Carbon Dioxide Reduction to Formic Acid on Cypress‐Like Enzyme‐Antimony‐Bismuth Biohybrid
Researchers have created a cypress‑like biohybrid catalyst that couples carbonic anhydrase enzyme with antimony‑decorated bismuth to electrochemically reduce CO2 into formic acid. The enzyme acts as a CO2 shuttle, concentrating the gas at the electrode surface, while antimony tunes the...
Synergistic Polysulfide Regulation by Nanodiamond and Sulfur Iodide on Cathode for Achieving Long‐Cycling Na–S Batteries
Researchers have created a sulfur‑iodine‑carbon‑nanotube/nanodiamond (SIC/ND) composite cathode for sodium‑sulfur batteries. The design uniformly coats sulfur iodide on a conductive CNT framework while embedding nanodiamonds for mechanical support and catalytic activity. The cathode delivers a specific capacity of 1,096.7 mAh g⁻¹ after...
Assessing Russia’s Current Oil Export Capacity
Ukrainian drones have intensified a campaign against Russia’s key oil export terminals, executing at least 11 attacks between March 1 and mid‑April 2026. The strikes hit Primorsk, Ust‑Luga and Novorossiysk—ports that together move roughly 3.4 million barrels per day, nearly half of Russia’s...
Coverage of the Fossil-Fuel Industry ‘Doesn’t Have to Be This Way’
Michelle Amazeen, a Boston University scholar, warns that legacy newsrooms are allowing fossil‑fuel money to shape energy coverage through undisclosed native advertising. She cites the New York Times’ paid partnership with Chevron that framed oil as essential and local propane ads that...
Saudi Pipeline Restores, Red Sea Crude Loads Surge
Iranian coast blockade to lift April’s Red Sea crude loadings to new highs ▶️Saudi pipeline restored at the weekend following Iran attacks, minimising delays in exports from its west coast ▶️Red Sea loadings peaked in March and likely to surge in April...
Partnering with World Bank to Accelerate Energy Access
I am attending #WBGMeetings and had productive meetings with @WorldBankGroup's @bjerde_anna & Franz Drees-Gross. I look forward to our continued partnership to accelerate #energyaccess by scaling investments & sustaining delivery momentum through initiatives such as #Mission300. https://t.co/SPLfczfKLe
India's Solar Market Faces Export Hurdles, Pivots to Domestic Power
The episode examines how recent U.S. tariffs—up to 126% countervailing duties—have crippled India’s solar module exports, prompting manufacturers to shift focus to the domestic market and explore new overseas opportunities in Europe, Africa, and Oceania. Analysts explain that while U.S....
EU Favors Centralized Carbon Credit Purchases over Corporate Buying
The EU said it prefers controlled purchases of international carbon credits over the acquisition of them by individual companies https://t.co/RVw7et7wBO
Diesel Prices Near 2022 Peak, Close to 2008 High
Real diesel price now within 90 cents of the 2022 peak and $1.65 from the 2008 high (using monthly closing prices) @jkempenergy https://t.co/sCJ6D7sfbJ
European Solar Must ‘Embrace Volatility’ (and Energy Storage)
European solar developers are being urged to treat market volatility as a source of value rather than a threat, amid macro‑economic shocks, regulatory swings, and volatile power prices. Speakers at SolarPLUS Europe highlighted that energy storage is now essential, turning...
Public Grumpiness Undermines Support for New Energy
One problem, independent of any ethical arguments. This has damaged public support for new forms of energy generation. It has made people collectively grumpy about something they should be individually excited by.
US Warns China Will Lose Access to Iranian Oil
Escalation either way: US Treasury Secretary Bessent says China will no longer be able to get oil from Iran.
Swedish Firm Looking to Deploy Its Hybrid Ocean Energy Platform in Costa Rica
Swedish renewable energy company NoviOcean has signed a memorandum of understanding with Costa Rican partner MIR Green Energy to study deployment of its 850 kW hybrid wave‑wind‑solar platform, the Medi Wave 850H, along the Pacific coast. The feasibility study will focus on three...
Pre‑war Shipments Arrive, Marking Energy Crisis Turning Point
The global energy crisis has moved from theoretical to very real. As the last shipments sent before the war begin to arrive, we are now hitting a turning point in the energy crisis. Full Newsletter: https://t.co/8EQyEETy7t #crudeoil #energy #geopolitics https://t.co/HnrMkQSYy5
Persistence Birthed Slickwater Fracking, Unlocking Cheap Shale Gas
tweet of the day: George P. Mitchell spent nearly 20 years and millions of his own dollars trying to crack the Barnett Shale in Texas. His team eventually figured out "slickwater fracking", which finally made extracting gas from shale cheap...
BP Names Meg O’Neill CEO and Reverts to Two‑Business Structure Amid Green‑Strategy Pullback
BP has installed Meg O’Neill as chief executive and announced a return to a simpler two‑business model, separating upstream oil and gas from downstream refining and retail. The move follows activist pressure and a retreat from the company’s 2020 low‑carbon...
Whisky Distillery Uses Stored Green Power for 1200°C Steam
Heat batteries delivering up to 1,200C using off peak electricity: A Scottish whisky distillery just claimed a world first — producing high-temperature steam for distilling using stored green electricity instead of fossil fuels. https://t.co/1A1cS5hLUt
Stegra Secures €1.4 Billion ($1.6 B) to Finish Sweden’s Flagship Green‑Steel Plant
Stegra announced a €1.4 billion financing package led by Wallenberg Investments, giving the Swedish green‑steel project a fully funded path to completion. The deal brings new equity, senior and junior lenders, and a governance overhaul that positions the plant as a...
Vår Energi Unveils $360 Million Investment in Barents Sea Field
Vår Energi announced a $360 million investment to modify the Goliat Gas Export (GGE) project in Norway’s Barents Sea, extending the field’s operational life to around 2050. The plan adds a 12‑kilometre gas export pipeline and connects the FPSO Goliat to...
Carmakers Navigating the Costly and Tricky Transition to Battery Storage Systems
U.S. automakers and battery makers are converting underused EV‑battery plants into factories for stationary energy‑storage systems as EV demand stalls. General Motors, Ford and LG Energy Solution together plan to spend billions on repurposing capacity, but the projected 76 GWh of...
Oracle Expands Bloom Energy Partnership, Securing up to 2.8 GW for AI Data Centers
Oracle announced an expanded master services agreement with Bloom Energy to supply up to 2.8 GW of solid‑oxide fuel‑cell power for its AI and cloud data centers. Bloom Energy’s stock surged nearly 20% on the news, underscoring growing demand for on‑site,...
RWE Completes Installation of Two Substations at Nordseecluster A
RWE has finished installing two massive offshore substations at the 660 MW Nordseecluster A wind farm, located about 50 km north of Juist island in the German North Sea. The 1,800‑ton and 2,500‑ton units were lifted onto their foundations by the Gulliver floating...
Study Says Grid Upgrades Needed to Unlock Vehicle‑to‑Grid Power From U.S. Driveways
Researchers modeling the San Francisco Bay Area conclude that upgrading transformers and transmission lines now is cheaper than retrofitting later, enabling vehicle‑to‑grid (V2G) to help balance renewable‑heavy grids. Energy systems engineer Ziyou Song warns that V2G alone cannot meet future charging...
New Episode: How Have Global Oil Supply Chains Shifted Around the Iran Conflict?
The latest episode of Energy Technology examines how the US‑Israel‑Iran conflict has reshaped global oil supply chains. With the Strait of Hormuz closed and U.S. blockades on Iranian vessels, Middle Eastern exporters such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE have...
New Episode: How Have Global Oil Supply Chains Shifted Around the Iran Conflict?
The latest Energy Technology episode examines how the US‑Israel‑Iran confrontation has reshaped global oil supply chains. With the Strait of Hormuz closed and U.S. blockades on Iranian tankers, Middle‑East exporters such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE have trimmed output...
German DAX Edges Higher as Oil Prices Slip and US‑Iran Talks Resume
German equities climbed almost 1% on Tuesday, buoyed by a drop in Brent crude to $96.50 a barrel and renewed expectations that U.S. and Iranian delegations will reconvene in Pakistan. The move reflects a tentative shift in market sentiment amid...
DOE Allocates $160M to Secure Energy Systems as Cyber Threats Converge With Grid Modernization
The U.S. Department of Energy’s FY 2027 budget earmarks $160 million for the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER). The funding will bolster protection of the nation’s energy grid, its supply chain, and nuclear assets while deploying rapid‑response experts...
DTE Energy Unveils $36.5 B Five‑Year Plan to Add 900 MW Renewable Capacity Annually
DTE Energy disclosed a $36.5 billion capital program through 2029, earmarking $10 billion for clean‑energy generation and $2 billion for renewable solutions by 2029. The plan arrives as Michigan’s attorney general attacks regulators over steep rate hikes and DTE works to restore a...
Vermilion Energy Beats Q1 Production Forecast, Hits 125,000 Boe/D
Vermilion Energy reported average first‑quarter production of about 125,000 barrels of oil‑equivalent per day, surpassing the top end of its guidance. The outperformance stemmed from faster Montney well tie‑ins, solid Canadian output and a pricing tailwind from European gas markets,...
Analyst Flags Peace Momentum but Gives Oil Market Warning
SEB commodities analyst Ole R. Hvalbye noted that front‑month Brent fell to $94.79 per barrel, a drop of more than 4% from the previous day's high of $103.87. He attributed the sell‑off to growing diplomatic momentum, including potential U.S.–Iran talks...
Asahi Kasei Postpones Canada Battery Plant as Honda Defers EV Plans
Japanese materials supplier Asahi Kasei has pushed back the start‑up of its Ontario battery separator plant to 2029 or later after Honda Motor deferred its own EV manufacturing plans in the province. The facility, originally slated for mid‑2027, would produce...
ABL Secures Work at South Korean Offshore Wind Farm
ABL Group has been selected as the marine warranty surveyor for South Korea's 390 MW Shinan Ui offshore wind project. The role covers technical document review, vessel‑suitability surveys, and on‑site supervision of marine operations for 26 turbines on bottom‑fixed foundations. The project...