In the Iran Crisis, the IMF’s Voice Is Urgently Needed
The IMF has been slow to deliver a comprehensive analysis of the Iran crisis and the de‑facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, despite its mandate to safeguard global financial stability. Standard IMF publications such as the World Economic Outlook and the Global Financial Stability Report will lag behind the fast‑moving energy shock, leaving policymakers without timely guidance. The article calls for a shift toward real‑time, scenario‑driven surveillance, integrated rapid‑response reports, and expanded capacity to map supply‑chain vulnerabilities. It urges the Executive Board to protect staff independence and provide actionable policy recommendations before the April meetings.
Lula Says Petrobras, Pemex Could Partner on Oil Exploration
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva told Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum that Petrobras could join Pemex in deep‑water oil exploration in the Gulf of Mexico, targeting depths around 2,500 metres. The proposal follows Petrobras’ push to expand overseas and replenish its reserves,...
Echion Technologies and GUS Unveil Launch of XNO® Battery Products at Battery Japan
Echion Technologies and GUS Technology announced the commercial launch of XNO® fast‑charging, high‑power battery products at Battery Japan. The cells, produced at GUS’s Zhongli plant in Taiwan, can reach 80% state‑of‑charge in five minutes, operate at –30 °C, and retain over...
Oil Waivers Risk Sustaining Russia’s War Effort Amid the Iran War
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a short‑term general license allowing the purchase of Russian crude already on board vessels, effective March 12 through April 11. The waiver follows a similar 30‑day exemption for India and aims to dampen market turbulence caused...
Texas Instruments Pushes 800V Power Architecture to Tackle AI’s Looming Energy Bottleneck
Texas Instruments announced a push toward 800‑volt power architectures to meet the exploding energy needs of AI‑driven data centers. By moving from legacy 48 V systems to 800 V, TI aims to cut copper usage, lower losses, and improve power density as...
Sheinbaum Vows to Slash Mexico’s 75% Reliance on U.S. Natural Gas Imports
Mexico currently sources about three‑quarters of its natural gas from the United States, importing over 7 billion cubic feet per day. President‑elect Claudia Sheinbaum announced a plan to cut that reliance dramatically, aiming to halve imports by 2030 through expanded domestic...
Battery Energy Storage Systems Are Transforming Facility Resilience
Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are evolving from idle backup assets into active tools that cut electricity costs and boost facility resilience. By charging during low‑price periods and discharging at peak demand, BESS enables daily peak‑shaving and supports microgrid configurations...
Texas Takes Over Permitting for Carbon Storage Projects
The Texas Railroad Commission secured EPA approval to issue Class VI carbon‑storage permits, shifting authority from the federal level to the state. This primacy is intended to streamline applications, with a $50,000 filing fee, an annual $50,000 idle‑well charge, and a...
Iran War Puts Global Energy Markets on the Brink of a Worst-Case Scenario
The war between Israel and Iran has escalated into direct strikes on oil and gas infrastructure, effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz and pushing crude prices above $100 a barrel. Missile attacks have damaged the South Pars gas field and...
Tanker Bound for Cuba with Fuel Cargo Diverts to Trinidad
The Hong Kong‑flagged tanker Sea Horse, loaded with Russian diesel originally bound for Cuba, has diverted to Trinidad and is expected to arrive on Monday. The change follows a U.S. Treasury decision to tighten a waiver, now excluding sales to...
These Energy Stocks Could See Gains for Years From Middle East Supply Disruptions
Three weeks after the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran, oil prices have surged to $96 per barrel for WTI and $110 for Brent, reflecting heightened Middle‑East supply risk. Natural‑gas prices rose modestly, yet U.S. LNG exporters Cheniere Energy...
UK’s First Hygdogen Fuel Cell-Powered VMS Deployed by National Highways
Fuel Cell Systems partnered with Swarco UK & Ireland to install the United Kingdom’s first fuel‑cell‑powered variable message sign (VMS) on the National Highways network at the M6 Lancaster Motorway Services. The deployment uses an Efoy Pro 12000 direct methanol...
Jinko, LONGi, Tongwei and Aiko Secure Solar Module Orders Exceeding 4.6GW in March
Chinese photovoltaic manufacturers JinkoSolar, LONGi Green, Tongwei and Aiko booked more than 4.67 GW of overseas module orders in March. Europe accounted for 51.1 % of the volume, Australia 42.5 %, with the remainder split across Asia‑Pacific and the Middle East. JinkoSolar led...
Texas Leads Nation in Oil, Gas Jobs
Texas led the nation in oil and gas employment in 2025, with 476,777 workers—about a quarter of all U.S. industry jobs—despite a modest dip from the previous year. When indirect and induced effects are included, the sector supports roughly 2.5 million...
Newave Energia, Gerdau Open 452MW Brazilian Solar PV Project
Renewable developer Newave Energia and steelmaker Gerdau have commissioned the 452 MW Solar de Barro Alto photovoltaic plant in Goiás, Brazil. The project cost R$1.3 billion (US$240 million) and comprises roughly 731,000 solar panels. Gerdau will purchase 40 % of the output to power...
Shipping’s Biofuel Gamble Could Deepen Africa’s Land Squeeze and Food Insecurity (Commentary)
The commentary warns that adopting crop‑based biofuels to decarbonise shipping could exacerbate Africa’s land pressure and food insecurity. Shipping accounts for roughly 300 million tons of fuel annually and 3 % of global emissions, so even modest biofuel uptake would demand large...
EU’s Von Der Leyen Pledges to Revise Carbon Pricing System, Introduce €30 Billion Cleantech Fund
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced imminent revisions to the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and the creation of a €30 billion "ETS Investment Booster" fund. The short‑term changes will adjust benchmarks for free allowances and strengthen the Market...
Why Data Centers Will Need a ‘Bring Your Own Power’ Strategy
AI‑driven workloads are set to push U.S. data‑center electricity demand up 22% in 2025 and nearly triple by 2030, straining an already stressed grid. Grid operators such as PJM warn that extreme‑weather events could push generation capacity to its limits,...
Funding Boost Supports Grangemouth’s Low-Carbon Transition
Scotland’s government has allocated £41,000 to Unite the Union to run the Grangemouth Jobs Prioritisation Scheme, tying public investment to local employment. Over the past year, £11.4 million has funded low‑carbon projects such as Celtic Renewables and MiAlgae, with 316 workers...
V-Green to Build 99 Fast-Charging Stations in Vietnam
V‑Green, a charge‑point operator and VinFast sister company, announced a plan to build 99 fast‑charging stations across Vietnam this year. The stations will be located along national and provincial highways in 34 provinces, each offering up to 100 chargers delivering...
Ohio Power Board Cancels 94-MW Agrivoltaic Solar Project
The Ohio Power Siting Board voted unanimously to deny Open Road Renewables' 94‑MW Crossroads Solar Grazing Center, an agrivoltaic project slated for 570 acres in Morrow County. The development, which would have paired solar arrays with sheep grazing, had been...
Oil Tanker Market’s Key Rate Thrown Into Chaos
The Baltic Exchange’s TD3 tanker rate, which benchmarks Middle‑East‑to‑China freight, was forced to continue referencing Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura port despite the Strait of Hormuz being effectively closed. With almost no actual voyages, shipbrokers were left to price a hypothetical risk,...
Nigeria Faces Iran War Oil Price Conundrum
Nigeria’s oil revenues are set to surge as the Iran‑Ukraine war pushes crude above $100 a barrel, a windfall for the country’s export‑driven economy. Yet the nation still imports most refined fuels, so higher global prices translate into steeper pump...
Midmorning Markets: Outsized South Central Natural Gas Storage Injection Pressures Permian Prices
Natural gas futures slipped Friday as traders weighed heightened Middle East war risk and a sharp rise in U.S. storage. The U.S. South Central region logged a 26 Bcf injection, pushing inventories to 721 Bcf, still 30 Bcf below the five‑year average. The...
Six EV Chargers That Offer Free Charging In North Carolina
Waynesville, North Carolina installed six new Level 2 EV chargers at its recreation park, offering free charging to the public. Each unit costs $700, with the town spending roughly $23,000 for installation and recouping $6,900 through a federal tax credit, bringing...
Norway Gas Production Down in February
Norway’s natural gas production slipped to 355.13 MMcmd in February, a 2.6 % decline from January and 0.4 % below February 2025, missing the NOD forecast by 2.1 %. Gas sales fell to 9.9 Bcm, down 1.4 Bcm from the previous month. Oil output rose to 1.97 MMbpd,...
FERC Rejects RWE Complaint over PJM Interconnection Practices
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) dismissed RWE Clean Energy's complaint that PJM Interconnection violated cost‑allocation rules after the project’s upgrade estimate ballooned from $1.25 million to nearly $72 million, prompting the developer to withdraw a 125‑MW solar‑battery project. At the same...
SBM Offshore Interview: Advancing Future-Ready FPSOs Through Standardization, Robotics, AI and Lower‑carbon Solutions
SBM Offshore’s COO Alex Glenn detailed the Fast4Ward program, which shifts the company from bespoke FPSO designs to a standardized, modular, data‑driven model. The initiative introduces pre‑engineered hulls and topside modules, cutting delivery schedules by up to a year and...
Industrial Diesel Hiked by 25%: Textile Industry Faces Rising Input Costs
Indian Oil Corporation raised the price of industrial diesel to Rs 109.59 per litre, a 25% increase effective 20 March 2026. The hike targets bulk consumers such as factories, where diesel fuels captive power plants and heat‑intensive processes. The textile sector, which relies...
Wales Introduces New Deal to Drive Its Renewable Energy Potential
Wales has unveiled a Renewable Energy Sector Deal to accelerate its clean‑energy transition. The plan sets a 70% renewable electricity share by 2030 and 100% by 2035, with a target of 1.5 GW locally owned capacity by 2035. It spans on‑shore...
LPG-Dependent Operations Halted at IFGL Refractories’ Kandla Plant in Gujarat
IFGL Refractories Ltd. has temporarily halted LPG‑dependent operations at its Kandla plant in Gujarat after the Indian government ordered oil‑marketing companies to prioritize domestic LPG supplies amid a Middle‑East conflict‑driven shortage. The stoppage affects high‑temperature kiln and heat‑treatment processes, but...
Energy Vault Continues to Diversify as It Experiences Q4, Full Year 2025 Growth
Energy Vault reported a 340% revenue surge to $203.7 million in 2025, driven by its entry into AI‑infrastructure, Australian projects, and the Asset Vault subsidiary. The company narrowed its GAAP net loss to $103.6 million and boosted cash on hand to $103.4 million, more...
Middle East Energy Infrastructure Strikes and European Power Markets: Rising Power Prices, Stable Credit Profiles
Recent U.S., Israeli, and Iranian strikes on Middle East oil and gas infrastructure have sharply lifted European natural‑gas prices. Because gas‑fired plants often set marginal electricity rates, merchant power prices across Europe are expected to rise in the near term....
Goldman Sachs Says Oil Prices Could Stay in the Triple Digits for “Years”
Goldman Sachs analysts project that oil prices will remain above $100 per barrel through 2027, citing recent Brent levels at $110.2 and WTI at $95.9. The forecast reflects persistent supply shocks, especially the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz,...
China’s Russian Oil Imports Spike in Early 2026, but Iran War Changes Outlook
China’s imports of discounted Russian crude surged to 21.8 million tonnes in January‑February 2026, a 40.9% year‑on‑year increase, while the dollar value rose only 5.8% due to steep discounts. Russian oil now makes up more than one‑fifth of China’s total crude...
AGL Commissions 500MW Liddell Battery in NSW
AGL has started commissioning its 500 MW, two‑hour Liddell Battery at the Hunter Energy Hub in New South Wales, with the first 250 MW already under test. The project is slated for full commercial operation by June 2026 following staged performance testing and...
India Steps up Regional Energy Diplomacy, Supplies Bangladesh with Diesel
India will deliver 45,000 tonnes of diesel to Bangladesh by April, with 5,000 tonnes already shipped via the 131.5‑km India‑Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline. The move comes as global fuel prices surge amid the Iran‑Israel conflict and reflects New Delhi’s self‑styled role...
Bosch Presents Electric Powertrain for Heavy-Duty Trucks and Off-Highway Machiner
Bosch Engineering unveiled an 800‑volt electric powertrain at LogiMAT 2026, targeting heavy‑duty intralogistics equipment such as forklifts, truck tractors and port transporters. The SMG230 motor delivers 188 kW continuous power and up to 550 Nm peak torque, while a silicon‑carbide inverter pushes...
Buy Chevron, as Its Middle East Exposure Is Lower than Rival Exxon's, Says HSBC
HSBC upgraded Chevron to Buy, lifting its price target to $215, implying roughly 7% upside from the latest close. The bank highlighted Chevron’s markedly lower exposure to Middle‑East oil—under 200,000 barrels per day versus Exxon’s 900,000+—as a key risk buffer...
Serbia Secures US Sanctions Waiver for Its NIS Oil Firm, Energy Minister Says
Serbia secured a U.S. Treasury waiver extending sanctions relief for the Russian‑owned Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS) until April 17, 2026, allowing continued crude oil imports amid the war on Iran. The waiver comes as Serbia imposed a ban on crude and...
Oil Whipsaws as War Risk and Emergency Supply Measures Collide
Oil prices swung sharply this week as escalating war risk in the Middle East collided with a series of emergency supply measures. WTI fell to $94.13, down 3.98%, after traders weighed tanker delays in the Strait of Hormuz against strong...
The Race to Stabilize Oil Markets as the Iran War Expands
The Iran‑Israel conflict is spilling into global oil markets as strikes target both the Hormuz corridor and Iran’s Kharg Island export hub. U.S. officials have responded with a Jones Act waiver, Strategic Petroleum Reserve drawdowns, and the prospect of releasing...
‘The Barriers I Encountered Were Never Dramatic, They Were Cumulative’
Women in Solar+ Europe featured Delfina Muñoz, CEA research director, who argues that diversity is a catalyst for faster, fairer clean‑energy innovation. She describes how everyday micro‑biases accumulate to create barriers for women, and stresses that inclusion must be embedded...
How We Deliver Energy Matters More Than Sources
The article argues that reliable power delivery, not just source mix, is the critical challenge for global energy systems. Abu Dhabi showcases a converged model that blends natural gas, over 45% renewables, and AI‑driven platform AD.WE to manage electricity and...
Why Technical Due Diligence Is Becoming the Backbone of Europe’s Solar-Storage Boom
Europe’s hybrid solar‑plus‑storage projects are scaling rapidly, turning isolated PV and battery assets into integrated systems that deliver firm capacity and grid services. The added electrical, mechanical and digital interdependencies raise failure risks, making superficial technical due diligence a liability....
Offshore Vessel Charging Tech Developer Plans Commercial Rollout in UK
Stillstrom, the Maersk‑backed offshore charging specialist, has launched a dedicated UK entity in Aberdeen to commercialise its eCharger system for service operation vessels. After years of development and full‑scale trials in 2024, the solution is now ready for operational deployment...
Oil Firm Breaks Environmental Rules Nearly 500 Times
Essar, operator of the Stanlow refinery in Ellesmere Port, admitted breaching environmental regulations 491 times between 2018 and 2020. The violations included discharging cyanide above permitted levels into the Manchester Ship Canal, a river and a brook. The company pleaded...
VIDEO: Financial Strategies for Energy Storage Assets, Beyond Arbitrage
The energy‑storage market is reaching an inflection point as physical market revenues shrink, prompting operators to seek financial strategies beyond simple arbitrage. GridBeyond’s on‑demand webinar, hosted with Energy‑Storage.news, outlines how sophisticated hedging tools, structured derivatives, and revenue‑floor contracts can protect...
Danantara Secures US$1.4 Billion to Build PV Module Assembly Plant in Indonesia
Indonesia’s sovereign investment agency Danantara has secured US$1.4 billion to build a domestic PV‑module assembly plant, slated for completion by the end of 2026. The funding underpins the government’s goal of adding 50 GW of renewable capacity by 2035 and ultimately 100 GW...
India's Installed Energy Storage Capacity to Hit 346 GWh by 2033: Industry Paper
India’s stationary energy storage capacity is projected to surge from less than 1 GWh today to 346 GWh by 2033, according to a white paper unveiled at the SESI 2026 conference. The paper notes a pipeline of 92 GWh of battery energy storage system...