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:
Gas Shortfall Fears Pushed Out Again as Grid Battery Boom and Electrification Take Fresh Bite From Demand
The Australian Energy Market Operator’s 2026 Gas Statement of Opportunities shows that expanding grid‑scale battery storage and accelerated electrification have pushed the nation’s first major gas shortfall from 2026 to 2030. AEMO still flags a peak‑day risk in the southern states in 2029 and a structural supply gap from 2030, requiring new gas projects. Domestic gas consumption is falling faster than projected as households and industry shift to electric appliances and processes. The report also notes that gas‑fired generation will become a more seasonal, back‑up resource as renewables and storage dominate the grid.
Global PV Equipment Market to Reach 2.6 Times Current Size by 2035
A study by Germany’s VDMA and Fraunhofer projects global capital expenditure on photovoltaic manufacturing equipment to rise from about $16.6 billion in 2025 to $43.8 billion by 2035, roughly 2.6 times current size. The growth mirrors an expected 2.5‑fold increase in annual...
The West Has Long Characterized Iran’s Oil As A Prize To Be Claimed
The article traces how Western powers have long portrayed Iran’s oil as a coveted prize, beginning with the 1908 discovery that birthed the Anglo‑Persian Oil Company, later BP. It shows how BP’s interwar advertising turned Iran into an exotic backdrop...
‘It’s All About Oil, Isn’t It?’: BESS and EV Expansion in the US vs Europe
Battery energy storage systems (BESS) and electric‑vehicle (EV) infrastructure are expanding in both the United States and Europe, but growth patterns diverge sharply. Europe benefits from consistent, long‑term government incentives that keep EV adoption and grid‑scale storage on an upward...
Sekisui-Led Consortium Testing Film-Type Perovskite Solar for Agrivolatics
A Japanese consortium led by Sekisui Solar Film has launched a three‑year agrivoltaic pilot that places film‑type perovskite solar cells over rice paddies at Chiba University. The study will monitor electricity generation, rice yield, methane emissions and overall commercial viability....
Microsoft Signs 1 Million Ton Carbon Removal Deal with U.S. Biochar Company Liferaft
Microsoft has signed a ten‑year offtake agreement with U.S. biochar firm Liferaft to purchase one million carbon removal units (CRUs). The deal, delivered from Liferaft’s Iowa and Illinois facilities, is the largest biochar‑based carbon removal contract in the United States....
Charging Success Rate: A New Metric to Make EV Charging More Reliable
Germany’s National Centre for Charging Infrastructure and consultancy P3 have introduced a new user‑centric metric called the Charging Success Rate (CSR). CSR blends technical uptime with the actual success of charging sessions, revealing that while network availability hovers around 99%,...
ADES Expects Up to 44% Earnings Rise Despite Regional Tensions Impacting Rigs
Saudi Arabia‑based ADES International Holding projects core earnings to rise between 33% and 44% in 2026, targeting EBITDA of $1.2 billion to $1.29 billion despite several Gulf offshore rigs being temporarily idle due to regional tensions. The company operates 123 rigs in...
Geopolitics Sidelining Climate Goals, Says BHP’s Slattery
BHP’s Australian operations chief Geraldine Slattery warned that recent geopolitical upheavals are pushing energy security ahead of climate objectives, reshaping policy priorities in major economies. She cited Middle East conflicts and disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz as catalysts for...
How Many Solar Projects Have Been Backed by the UK Government?
Since the July 2024 election, the UK government has backed at least 780 solar projects, spanning rooftop installations on schools and hospitals to utility‑scale farms over 500 MW. The contracts‑for‑difference (CfD) scheme accounts for 247 projects with 8.1 GW capacity, including 90...
Oil Falls, Asian Markets Rally as News of US Peace Plan Emerges
The United States delivered a 15‑point peace proposal to Iran via Pakistan, prompting Tehran to announce safe passage for non‑hostile tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. Oil benchmarks reacted sharply, with Brent sliding to $98 a barrel and WTI to...
Another Blow to Ukrainian Energy. Hungary Halts Gas Supply
Hungary announced it will suspend natural gas deliveries to Ukraine until crude oil flows resume through the damaged Druzhba pipeline. The halt cuts roughly 2.9 billion cubic metres of gas—about 45 percent of Ukraine’s imports and 20‑30 percent of its total consumption. The...
Robots Install 100 MW of Solar Panels on 1-GW AES Project
Maximo, an AES‑incubated solar‑robotics firm, installed 100 MW of panels at the 1‑GW Bellefield project in Kern County, California, using a coordinated fleet of four robots. The robotic system achieved peak installation rates of 474 modules per day, boosting human installer...
Nine Big Batteries Totalling 2 Gigawatts Shortlisted for Payments to Maintain “Heartbeat” Of the Grid
Transgrid has shortlisted nine large‑scale battery projects, totalling up to 2 GW, to deliver system‑strength services that keep the New South Wales grid stable. The contracts, expected to run about three years, will commence in the second half of 2026 and...
Oil’s 14‑point Swing Signals Massive Unresolved Risk Premium
Oil crashes 10% on diplomacy hopes. Snaps back 4% when Iran denies those talks. WTI: $88 to $91.62 in 24 hours. Same war. Same region. Different headline. The volatility is the signal — not the direction. A 14-point crude range in 48...
Solar PV and Wind Account for Record 17% of US Electricity Generation in 2025
Utility‑scale solar PV and wind together generated a record 17% of U.S. electricity in 2025, up from 16% in 2024. Solar output surged 34% year‑on‑year to 296,000 GWh, while wind grew only 3% to 464,000 GWh. The Energy Information Administration projects operational...
Gulf Energy Maritime in for MR Tanker Series at HD Hyundai
Dubai‑based Gulf Energy Maritime (GEM) has placed a $300 million order for six 50,000‑dwt medium‑range product tankers, split evenly between HD Hyundai’s Korean and Vietnamese shipyards. The vessels are slated for delivery between 2027 and 2029, expanding GEM’s fleet beyond ten...
![The European IoT Surge: How Czech Tech Won Vilnius [Sponsored]](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://cdn.tech.eu/uploads/2026/03/acrios-systems-875.png)
The European IoT Surge: How Czech Tech Won Vilnius [Sponsored]
Vilnius has completed a city‑wide smart‑meter rollout, deploying 10,000 IoT data concentrators from Czech firm ACRIOS Systems to automate utility reading for roughly 500,000 residents. The deployment was finished in just five months, with each unit capable of handling up...
Vostok Oil – Part 1: Logistical, Administrative Hurdles
Rosneft’s Vostok Oil, envisioned as Russia’s flagship greenfield oil development, is now years behind its original timeline. The project faces significant logistical bottlenecks, from remote Siberian terrain to inadequate transport infrastructure, and tangled administrative approvals that stall progress. Despite these...
Is the Oil Crisis About to Break Global Supply Chains?
In this episode, Ed Elson and Flexport CEO Ryan Peterson discuss the cascading effects of the Strait of Hormuz closure and Red Sea disruptions on global supply chains, highlighting soaring oil, diesel, and fertilizer prices and a 50% rise in...
Is the Iran Crisis a Game-Changer for Russian Gas?
The article examines how the escalating Iran crisis could reshape Russia’s gas exports to Europe, a market where Russia still accounts for roughly 40% of supply. It argues that the EU’s recent pivot toward liquefied natural gas (LNG) has swapped...
Ofgem Shortlists Five Bidders for Three UK Offshore Wind Transmission Assets
The UK regulator Ofgem has shortlisted five bidders for Offshore Transmission Owner (OFTO) Round 13, targeting the transmission links of the East Anglia Three, Inch Cape and Dogger Bank C offshore wind farms. The three assets, comprising cables, converter stations and substations, are valued at...
Report: Cutting Red Tape in Residential Solar Could Save Homeowners Billions
A coalition of industry groups released the Solar Permitting Scorecard, grading all 50 states on residential solar permitting practices. Only California, Texas, New Jersey and Colorado earned grades above D, while the rest fell into D or F categories. The...
Asia Looks to Covid-Era Playbook to Tackle Fuel Crisis
Asia, which purchases more than 80% of the crude transiting the Strait of Hormuz, is confronting a severe fuel shortage after Iran blocked the waterway following its war on February 28. Governments from South Korea to the Philippines are reviving...
U.S. Diesel Hits $5.38/gal, 75th Percentile Since
U.S. RETAIL DIESEL prices including taxes climbed to an average of $5.38 per gallon on March 23 up from $5.07 a week earlier and $3.81 before the war started. Inflation-adjusted prices have averaged $4.80 so far this month (75th percentile...
Oman Oil Plunges From $170 to $90s, Market Wraps
Lots of headline whipsaw but call me crazy but I do find market price action useful. Oman oil back down to the 90’s from the 170 highs says this is a wrap https://t.co/0WwZo0Hanz
Glencore Merafe Confirms Counter Proposal to Eskom’s ‘Unworkable’ 62c/kWh Conditions
Glencore Merafe has lodged a final counter‑proposal to Eskom over the utility’s 62 c/kWh (≈ $0.03/kWh) tariff, labeling the attached conditions as commercially unworkable. The venture highlighted that the proposed five‑year contract, dividend restrictions, and take‑or‑pay clauses would jeopardise the viability of...
Democrats Unveil Draft Transmission Language Building on EPRA
Scoop in ME: Democrats on the Senate Energy Committee led by @SenatorHick are floating draft transmission language in permitting talks that I exclusively obtained. It builds upon Manchin/Barrasso EPRA bill from last Congress, and it intended to be a market...
Trump’s Tweets Sway Sentiment, Not Oil Reality
Trump's tweets can move sentiment, writes @JavierBlas They can’t move reality Two weeks to fix flows—or the market stops listening https://t.co/JOkeWKOjXl #Oil #EnergyMarkets #Hormuz #Inflation #Geopolitics
Race to July 2026: Securing Your PV Safe Harbour
Regulators have eliminated the 5 % test for solar projects over 1.5 MW, making the physical‑work test the sole path to safe‑harbour compliance, with a hard deadline of 4 July 2026. Recent observations from Enertis Applus+ across 80 independent‑engineering engagements reveal on‑site issues such as...
Oil Prices Global, Gas Prices Regional—Explaining US‑UK Gap
Some awkward facts: Oil is sold via a global price mechanism (there are some variations due to transportation costs). Gas is sold on a regional basis. If it was global, then why is US gas a fraction of UK gas?
What Could Convince a Zealot to Boost North Sea Production?
Wondering what it will take for this dribbling zealot to change his mind on maximising oil and gas production in the North Sea
€693 Million Financing to Support UK’s Subsea Electricity Superhighway
ScottishPower, owned by Iberdrola, secured £600 million (≈$770 million) financing from the UK National Wealth Fund to build the Eastern Green Link 4 (EGL4) subsea electricity superhighway. The 2‑GW HVDC link will stretch 530 km from Fife to Norfolk, delivering enough power for about...
Diesel Prices Fell Over 25% in Real Terms
Diesel was $7.25 in real dollars back in July 2008, $6.51 in June 2022 @jkempenergy .. $5.38 in real-time. I'd like to see @JeffWeniger work his magic on this chart https://t.co/u3Tn1K8vRc
Qatar's Largest LNG Plant Faces 2‑4 Year Restart Delay
The world's biggest LNG plant in Qatar wont be able to quickly restart even after the Iran war ends🇶🇦⚠️ Two of the plant's trains were damaged, and need new gas turbines to power LNG refrigeration compressors. Delivery will take 2-4 years...
LG Electronics India Inks 25-Year Solar Deals to Power Two Manufacturing Plants
LG Electronics India has entered 25‑year solar power purchase agreements with Hinduja Renewables Energy and Sunsure Energy to supply its Pune and Greater Noida manufacturing plants. The contracts cover 9.80 MWp and 11 MWp, delivering roughly 32.1 million kWh annually—enough for about 50,000...
Oil’s Wild Swing Shows Volatility Is the Real Indicator
Oil -10% Monday. Oil +4% Tuesday. Same war. Same geopolitics. The volatility IS the signal. $USO $XLE $SPY https://t.co/Od9t9fzbbl
IRA Spurs 920 New Manufacturing Facilities Nationwide
Like the Inflation Reduction Act that had 920 announced and under construction manufacturing facilities? https://t.co/3GozcfkM29
EU Must Ratify Trump’s Turnberry Deal or Forfeit First Call on US LNG
The European Union is pressing to ratify the Turnberry agreement, a sweeping U.S.-EU trade pact brokered at former President Trump’s Scottish resort, or risk losing preferential access to American liquefied natural gas. The deal, valued at roughly $750 billion in U.S....
India Targets 47% Emissions Cut by 2035
India’s long-delayed new climate policy set a modest target to cut a key emissions metric 47% by 2035, as the world’s third-largest polluter attempts to balance growing energy demand and action on global warming. https://t.co/RKUp7ehe38
May RBOB Price Drop Signals Lower National Average
May soon becomes the RBOB prompt.. it's $2.89... implying a $3.80-$3.85 national average (down from today's $3.99 level) https://t.co/0eD1CGzOZ5
Oil-Rich Nations Seek to Gain on Price Hikes
Iran’s abrupt closure of the Strait of Hormuz has sent oil prices soaring, prompting non‑Middle‑East exporters to step into the breach. Canada’s energy minister hailed the country’s surge as a strategic moment, positioning it as a reliable guarantor for allied...
Europe's Gas Reserves Deplete Amid War‑driven Supply Crisis
Europe faced with near-empty gas stores just as war hits supply https://t.co/AMi8Pr6NeH via @priazrocha https://t.co/iNtIl6DXzV
Japan’s Support Boosts IEA Oil Release Amid Middle East Crisis
Very productive meeting with PM Sanae Takaichi @takaichi_sanae to discuss impacts of the Middle East war on energy security in Asia & beyond I thanked her for 🇯🇵’s vital support for IEA’s historic oil stock release & we agreed to work...
South Korea Targets 2,500 Community Solar Cooperatives by 2030
South Korea’s Ministry of the Interior and Safety launched the Sunlight Income Village program, aiming to create more than 2,500 community‑owned solar cooperatives by 2030. Over 500 villages will be selected this year, with installations ranging from 300 kW to 1 MW...
Belgium: IPP Storm Raises €330 Million, Starts Building 1.2GWh Battery Storage Projects
Storm, a Belgian renewables IPP, secured €330 million (≈US$382 million) project finance to build two large‑scale battery energy storage systems totaling 300 MW/1,200 MWh in Ruien and Langerlo. The Ruien site, a former coal plant, will host a 200 MW/800 MWh system, while Langerlo will host...
DOF Group ASA - Awarded Cable Replacement Contract by Statnett
DOF Group ASA has secured a substantial contract from Norway’s transmission system operator Statnett to replace high‑voltage subsea power cables across Ofotfjorden. The scope involves removing ageing cables between Lødingen and Barøya and installing four new 170 kV submarine cables bundled...
Private Energy Market Deal Unlocks New Solar
UrbanChain has signed the first generation power purchase agreement within its private energy market, securing an 8 MW solar project in Devon that will generate about 9 GWh annually and start operating by summer 2026. A UK financial institution is providing project finance...
Xcel Energy, Google Team up on 1.6 GW Long‑duration Storage Project Amid AI‑driven Power Surge
Xcel Energy and Google have signed a deal to build a 1.6 GW multi‑technology generation stack in Pine Island, Minnesota, featuring iron‑air batteries for long‑duration energy storage. The partnership reflects soaring AI compute demand that is pushing utilities to seek multi‑day...
Restis Family Backs Fresh Tanker Order in Korea
Greek tanker owner Golden Energy Management, controlled by the Restis family, has placed a new 157,000‑dwt suezmax order with South Korea’s DH Shipbuilding for approximately $89.5 million, with delivery slated for 2029. This contract brings the company's total Korean‑built suezmax orders...