Today's Energy Pulse
Scania pilots megawatt‑scale V2G for heavy‑duty electric trucks
Scania demonstrated one of the first vehicle‑to‑grid systems for heavy‑duty electric trucks using the Megawatt Charging System (MCS). The pilot showed bi‑directional power flow, allowing trucks parked at depots to feed electricity back to the grid, with real‑time communication between the truck, charger and energy‑management platform enabling dynamic charging and discharging. The test marks a step toward integrating large‑capacity EVs into grid balancing.
Also developing:
Japan, Oman Sign Carbon Offset Deal
Japan and Oman signed a joint offset agreement on April 9, creating a Joint Crediting Mechanism to spur decarbonising technologies in Oman. The deal marks Japan’s 32nd bilateral JCM partnership and targets 100 million tCO₂e reductions by FY2030‑31 and 200 million tCO₂e by FY2040‑41. Credits generated will count toward Japan’s nationally determined contributions while avoiding double counting under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement. The arrangement supports Japan’s broader climate goals of a 46% emissions cut by 2030‑31 and net‑zero by 2050.
TenneT Signs Contract with Developer for ‘First Controllable Congestion Mitigator’ BESS Project in Netherlands
Dutch transmission system operator TenneT has signed a contract with Green Energy Storage to build the 200 MW/800 MWh Sequoia battery energy storage system in North Brabant. The deal uses a time‑bound transmission right and a capacity‑control contract, making it the first...
World Shares Mostly Higher, Oil Gains Ahead of Planned US-Iran Ceasefire Talks
World equity markets rose on Friday, echoing Wall Street gains as investors priced in optimism around upcoming US‑Iran ceasefire talks in Islamabad. Asian indexes led the rally, with South Korea’s Kospi up 1.4% and Japan’s Nikkei jumping 1.8%, while Fast...
Australian Miner Proves Renewables Boost Profit and Planet
No "net zero" fluff: Giant Australian mining group proving that Real Zero is better for planet and profits >24-hour renewables operations by 2027 >100% fossil-fuel-free mining by 2030 >1.2GW solar + 600MW wind + 5GWh BESS >Electrified rail & 800+ haul trucks >$100m saved/ year If...
Eskom Confident of Meeting Winter Demand, Minerals Council South Africa Indicates
Eskom says it can meet South Africa’s winter electricity demand, even though its energy‑availability factor slipped to 66.8% in March, below the 68% target. The utility still holds over 4,000 MW of dispatchable reserve and has reduced unplanned outages to 9,201 MW...
EV Chargers, Solar Batteries and Smart Systems in Your Home Must Comply with These New Electric Rules From April 15
From 15 April 2026 the UK will enforce updated electrical safety regulations that reshape how solar‑battery storage, electric‑vehicle chargers, power‑over‑Ethernet, and smart‑home wiring are installed in residential properties. The rules prohibit battery placement in lofts or escape routes, demand proper ventilation, clear...
Oil On Track For Biggest Weekly Loss Since June Ahead Of Peace Talks
Oil prices rose on Friday but remain on track for the steepest weekly decline since June 2025 as traders await U.S. rig‑count data and the outcome of U.S.–Iran diplomatic talks. Brent hovered near $98 a barrel and WTI at $99.85,...
Japan Plans Another Oil Reserves Release
Japan announced it will release an additional 20 days' worth of strategic oil reserves beginning in May, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said at a cabinet meeting. The release follows earlier drawdowns aimed at stabilizing domestic fuel prices amid heightened global...
China Mar Power Battery Installations Flat as Production Surges 50%
China’s March power‑battery installations held steady at 56.5 GWh, essentially flat year‑over‑year but jumping 115% from February. Meanwhile, combined production of power and energy‑storage batteries surged 50% YoY to 177.7 GWh, reflecting a rapid capacity build‑out. Sales climbed sharply, with total battery...
Legend and Lone Star Power Stations Break Ground in Port Arthur, Adding 1,200 MW to Southeast Texas
Entergy Texas broke ground on the Legend and Lone Star natural‑gas power stations in Port Arthur, adding more than 1,200 MW of capacity that will serve over 300,000 homes. The twin plants, approved by the Texas PUCT in 2025, are slated...
Stochastic Methods for Forecasting and Power System Mode Optimization with a High Share of Renewable Energy Sources: A Case Study...
The study introduces a hybrid forecasting framework that combines Long Short‑Term Memory (LSTM) neural networks with GARCH econometric models to predict solar generation in Tajikistan’s hydro‑centric power system. Tested on 2021‑2023 data, the two‑loop algorithm achieved a Mean Absolute Percentage...
Security and Resiliency in Action: Supercharging the Energy Supply Chain
In the inaugural episode of JPMorgan’s Security and Resiliency in Action series, Dr. Sarah Kapnick and Michael Johnson discuss the escalating demand for energy, the need for diversified and resilient supply chains, and the role of the $1.5 trillion Security and...
Defiance Makes Its European Debut with a UCITS ETF Focused on Energy Infrastructure for Artificial Intelligence
Defiance launched its first European UCITS ETF focused on AI‑driven energy infrastructure, replicating the MarketVector™ Defiance US Listed AI and Power Infrastructure Index. The fund holds 57 US‑listed companies, with $243.7 million in assets and a 0.69% expense ratio. Sector allocation...
Tesla Reportedly Adds Sunwoda as Additional Battery Cell Supplier
Tesla has added Chinese battery maker Sunwoda as its fifth supplier of traction‑battery cells, joining CATL, Panasonic, LG Energy Solution and BYD. Sunwoda’s third‑generation LFP cells, capable of 3C charging, are already being used in vehicles built at Tesla’s Shanghai...
Eskom and Ferrochrome Producers Strike 62c/kWh Deal, with Nersa Process to Follow
South Africa’s state utility Eskom has struck a 62 c/kWh electricity tariff agreement with ferrochrome producers Glencore‑Merafe Chrome Venture and Samancor Chrome. The five‑year deal, still subject to National Electricity Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) approval, aims to curb high power...
Utility Accountability Bills Divide Maryland’s Democratic Leadership
The Maryland Senate overturned key consumer‑protection measures passed by the House, reinstating a $1 billion gas‑pipeline subsidy and allowing utilities to keep a share of unspent ratepayer funds. The Senate also kept cuts to the EmPOWER energy‑efficiency program, lowering its savings...
Same Old Story for Shippers, Asked to Recover From Steep Fuel Surcharges Again
U.S. diesel prices surged to an average $5.64 per gallon in April, up from $3.76 before the U.S.-Israel conflict, pushing fuel costs for truckers and freight carriers higher. The spike inflates per‑mile operating expenses, squeezes carrier margins and fuels broader...
Australia to Underwrite Refiners' Spot Fuel Trades
Australia’s Export Finance Australia (EFA) will underwrite spot‑market fuel and crude oil purchases for refiners Viva Energy and Ampol, reducing financial risk and enabling access to otherwise uncommercial cargoes. The government can direct the additional fuel to regions facing tighter...
Japan to Ease Oil Bottleneck, Ensure Stable Supply
Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has launched a task‑force to curb oil‑product bottlenecks, directing major refiners such as Eneos, Idemitsu and Cosmo Oil to supply critical facilities directly. The government mandates that monthly volumes match the same...
Shell Targets 2027 Gas Start-Up at Loran-Manatee Field
Shell announced that it will start natural gas production from the offshore Loran‑Manatee field in 2027, a joint development straddling Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago. The company has boosted the pipeline capacity to transport the gas to Trinidad to 1 billion...
ConocoPhillips Assessing Oil Opportunities in Venezuela
ConocoPhillips is sending a small evaluation team to Venezuela this week to assess oil and gas prospects. The U.S. producer, which left the country in 2007 after nationalization, is still owed roughly $12 billion plus interest from arbitration awards. The move...
RWE Installs CO2-Reduced Steel Tower and Recyclable Blades at Thor
RWE has installed an offshore wind turbine at the Thor project using a reduced‑CO₂ steel tower and recyclable rotor blades. The 1.1 GW farm, located 22 km off Denmark’s west coast, now delivers its first power to the grid and will host...
RWE Installs CO2-Reduced Steel Tower and Recyclable Blades at Thor
RWE has installed an offshore wind turbine at Denmark’s Thor wind farm using a reduced‑CO₂ steel tower and recyclable rotor blades. The turbine is part of the 1.1 GW project, which began delivering power to the Danish grid and will host...
The Oil Market Faces a Major Reckoning if US-Iran Peace Talks Fail
Oil futures on the NYMEX are trading below $100 per barrel, while spot prices for immediate delivery to Asia and the Middle East sit between $126 and $140. The $30‑$40 premium reflects supply constraints caused by Iran’s restriction of the...
Tanker with Russian Flag Transits Hormuz
A Russian‑flagged VLCC named Arhimeda transited the Strait of Hormuz, one of only four tankers flying Moscow’s colors. The supertanker, built in 2000, headed westward toward Iran’s Kharg Island before listing “for orders,” indicating no fixed next call. Its recent...
Why Fundamental Research in Photovoltaics Remains Critical for an Established Technology
A new paper led by Professor Rebecca Saive of the University of Twente warns that fundamental research in photovoltaics is losing traction as scientists drift toward other fields. The authors cite a 15% drop in dedicated funding over the past...
How Energy Market Swings Are Reshaping Monetary Policy
Energy market turbulence is reverberating across the financial system, with crude‑oil price swings reigniting inflation worries and driving Treasury volatility to its highest level since the 2025 Liberation Day rally. The surge in Treasury convexity signals heightened directional uncertainty, forcing...
DTU 3D Prints Ceramic Gyroid Fuel Cells For Lightweight Power
Researchers at the Technical University of Denmark have 3D‑printed a monolithic solid‑oxide fuel cell using a gyroid lattice, achieving roughly 1 W per gram—about five times the power‑to‑weight of conventional planar SOFCs. The device is built from yttria‑stabilized zirconia (8YSZ) on...
Trailblazing UK Floating Wind Project Sold for £1 After Contract Cancelled
Hexicon sold its TwinHub floating offshore wind project for £1 after the UK government cancelled its Contract for Difference. The 32 MW Celtic Sea pilot had secured the first UK floating wind CfD at £87.30/MWh ($115.69) but faced soaring inflation‑driven costs...
Commodities: Oil Supported By Ongoing Supply Risks
Oil prices rose for a second consecutive session as fresh supply‑risk concerns in the Middle East kept Brent near $96 per barrel. Attacks on Saudi and Kuwaiti infrastructure have tightened the market, preserving a geopolitical risk premium despite cease‑fire talks....
Order Book Swells with ₹3.8 Bn New Contracts
Order Book Strength: This win adds to an already robust order book. Earlier in 2026, the company secured major contracts including a ₹710 crore O&M deal from the Adani Group and a massive ₹3,126 crore battery storage project.
Petronas Tasks Petra Energy with Work on Malaysian Gas Project
Petronas Carigali has awarded Petra Resources Sdn. Bhd., a subsidiary of Petra Energy, four work orders for hook‑up and commissioning (HUC) services on the Bintulu Integrated Facilities (BIF) rejuvenation Phase 2. The orders, dated Dec 1 2025 and Jan 2026, total RM 298 million (about $75 million)....
Kuwait Reports Iranian Attacks on Vital Infrastructure; Mystery Explosion-Air Defense Activity in Tehran; Strait of Hormuz Still Not Open
Kuwait’s Defense Ministry said Iranian drones struck several vital infrastructure sites on April 9, despite a U.S.–Iran ceasefire. Simultaneously, OSINT sources reported multiple explosions and air‑defense activity in northern Tehran. The Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed, with shipping constrained and...
In a First, Renewables Beat Natural Gas on US Grid Last Month
U.S. electricity generation in March 2026 saw renewables outpace natural gas for the first full month, according to data from Ember. Solar and wind together supplied more megawatt‑hours than gas, while emissions‑free sources accounted for just over half of total...
Fossil Fuels Must End: They Threaten All Life
A GENTLE REMINDER: we are trying to eliminate fossil fuels because using them kills us. If fossil fuels were cheap (they're not) or reliable (they're SO NOT), it would still be urgent to get rid of them because their intended...
Australia Steps in to Fill Singapore's LNG Gap
An example of how Australia is using its LNG cloud to secure fuel 👇 Singapore guaranteed fuel supplies, like diesel, to Australia during leaders summit Qatar was Singapore's top LNG supplier, but those shipments have stopped due to the war. Australia can...
Baltic CO2 Terminal Plans Advance to Support Cement CCS
Lithuania’s Environmental Protection Agency has moved the Klaipėda CO₂ transshipment terminal into the environmental impact assessment (EIA) phase, a key step for the CCS Baltic Consortium’s carbon capture and storage value chain. The terminal will receive CO₂ captured at cement...
Iran Now Controls Hormuz, Disaster Looming
Hate to beat a dead horse but Iran didn’t control Hormuz on February 27 but they do now. This is a disaster of epic proportions with no apparent end in sight and the worst effects yet to come
Oil Shock Exposes Fragile Global Fiscal Buffers, Says IMF Chief
IMF chief says the oil shock tests a world with little fiscal buffer https://t.co/AVPFNRJb5I via @jdorosario https://t.co/bV6T4JCGWB
PPC Boosts Sustainable Cement Production with 20MW Solar Launch
PPC Ltd has commissioned two 10 MW solar farms at its Slurry and Dwaalboom cement plants in South Africa, delivering renewable power directly to the production lines. The behind‑the‑meter installations, built with Sturdee Energy, use bifacial panels and single‑axis trackers to...
President Claims Load Shedding Ended, Urges CAB3 Support
President @edmnangagwa DELIVERED, that’s why LOADSHEDDING is gone… and that’s why you should all support CAB3 for more development… There are lots of power generation projects in the pipeline, it will get better and better..:
Libya’s Oil Steady, Prices Surge, Dinar Jumps 27%
Since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran, Libya's oil production has stabilized at ~1.3 million barrels/day and the price has SOARED. As night follows day, the Libyan dinar APPRECIATED by 27% vs. the USD. https://t.co/5PPdIEUYSV
US-Iran Ceasefire Eases Oil Prices but Gulf Economies Showing Strain – Oxford Economics
A two‑week US‑Iran cease‑fire announced on April 7 triggered a 13% drop in Brent crude, pulling prices to about $93 per barrel. Oxford Economics still expects a two‑month closure of the Strait of Hormuz followed by lingering disruptions, forecasting a 0.8%...
World's Largest Sand‑Based Heat Battery to Decarbonise Finland
Heat batteries are a game changer for decarbonising heat. Polar Night Energy and Lahti Energia Oy have partnered to construct what is expected to become the world’s largest sand-based thermal energy storage system, to be built in Vääksy, Finland. https://t.co/vDUn27Tawr https://t.co/sm8e5BJTH9
Burning Ships, Smoke, and the Limits of Decarbonisation
The article highlights a paradox in maritime emissions accounting: while shipowners painstakingly reconcile fractions of a tonne for EU ETS compliance, large‑scale emissions from conflict‑related ship fires and bombed fuel depots are largely ignored. Recent attacks in the Red Sea,...
Singapore Company Signs Deals with Indonesian Firms to Scale Biofuel Production
Singapore‑based Aligned Energy has signed two MOUs with Indonesian partners PT Beon Parama Energi and PT Cipta Jagat Lestari to launch large‑scale sweet sorghum plantations on former bauxite mines in Bintan. The plan targets roughly 2,000 ha of degraded land and...
FELDA Mulls B100 Biodiesel Malaysia Policy Change
FELDA chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek urged the Malaysian government to adopt B100 biodiesel, which could be priced below RM5 ($1.10) per litre, compared with diesel at RM6.72 ($1.48). The proposal is still at the policy stage, with pilot...
Guildmore Hires United Living Retrofit Chief
Guildmore has appointed the former head of retrofit at United Infrastructure, Whiterod, to lead its next phase of growth. He arrives with more than 15 years of construction and social‑housing experience, including national‑scale decarbonisation programmes. The new role will oversee a...
Middle East Producers Gear Up for Hormuz Export Restart
Middle East oil producers are urging Asian refiners to submit loading programmes for April and May as they prepare for a possible reopening of the Strait of Hormuz following a U.S.-Iran cease‑fire. Saudi Aramco has asked customers to nominate cargoes...
Middle East Producers Gear Up for Hormuz Export Restart
Middle Eastern producers are urging Asian refiners to submit crude loading programmes for April and May as they prepare for a potential reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. A two‑week U.S.-Iran ceasefire raised hopes of resuming shipments, but Tehran has...