Deal Roundup: KKR Buys Into Indian E-Bus Fleet in $310m Deal, Warburg Pincus Backs TheGuarantors
Private equity giant KKR is investing up to $310 million to acquire a majority stake in Allfleet, the electric‑bus platform of India’s PMI Electro Mobility Solutions, aiming to deploy more than 5,000 e‑buses. Warburg Pincus has taken a controlling interest in TheGuarantors, an AI‑driven lease‑guarantee platform that now backs over 3.5 million rental units and has protected $6 billion of lease value. Meanwhile, Nautic Partners sold its property‑management firm AKAM to Audax Private Equity, expanding Audax’s footprint in the U.S. residential services market. The three transactions highlight growing private‑equity focus on climate‑tech, fintech and real‑estate service consolidation.
LG, GM to Make LFP ESS Batteries in Tennessee, Recall 700 Laid Off Workers
General Motors and LG Energy Solution’s Ultium Cells will convert its Spring Hill, Tennessee plant to produce lithium‑iron‑phosphate (LFP) battery cells for stationary energy‑storage systems, investing $70 million in the retooling. Production is slated to start in the second quarter of...
Graphene Oxide Enables Improved Supercapacitors with 1683 C/G Capacitance
Researchers from Shanghai Institute of Technology and partners have created a highly porous NiCo₂V₂O₈@GO hollow‑sphere electrode that dramatically improves supercapacitor performance. The yolk‑double‑shell architecture, coated with graphene oxide, delivers a specific capacitance of 1683 C·g⁻¹ at 1 A·g⁻¹ and retains 87% at...
Britain’s Hydrogen Network Takes Shape with a 300-Mile Spine Along the East Coast
National Gas has launched Phase 1 of Project Union, a 300‑mile hydrogen pipeline stretching from Teesside through Yorkshire to the East Midlands, forming the backbone of a planned 1,500‑mile UK hydrogen network. The corridor will repurpose existing gas lines where feasible and...
National Grid Hits Wallend Substation Milestone
National Grid has finished the main building structure of the new 400 kV Wallend substation on the Isle of Grain, Kent. The substation is a key element of the company’s £2.7 billion South East investment programme and will enable the 1.4 GW NeuConnect...
Windar Renovables to Develop New Wind Turbine Facility in Poland
Windar Renovables will build a new onshore wind turbine tower plant at CTPark Legnica, securing roughly 29,000 m² of indoor space and 41,000 m² of outdoor storage. The facility, slated to start production in Q4 2026, aims to manufacture up to 200 towers...
VSB Secures Another Wind Farm Permit: Company Plans Construction of Pfaffenhausen Wind Farm in Hesse - Construction Start in 2026
VSB Gruppe secured a permit to build the Pfaffenhausen wind farm in Hesse, authorising five Vestas V172 turbines with a total capacity of 36 MW. Construction is slated for the end of 2026, contingent on winning the Bundesnetzagentur auction. The farm...
EDF Starts Taduff Solar Park Construction
EDF Power Solutions Ireland has started construction of the 80 MW Taduff Solar Park in County Roscommon, slated for completion in spring 2028. The solar farm will generate enough electricity to supply roughly 20,000 homes and help Ireland meet its 2030...
How to Choose a Carbon Accounting Tool for Your Business
Choosing the right carbon accounting platform is critical for sustainability teams, as it can streamline data collection, reduce costs, and turn emissions reductions into competitive advantage. Experts recommend evaluating core capabilities such as reporting, forecasting, and efficiency analysis, as well...
VIDEO: Interviews with IPPs R.Power, BW ESS and Econergy at the Energy Storage Summit 2026
At the Energy Storage Summit 2026 in London, independent power producers BW ESS, R.Power and Econergy shared insights on their large‑scale battery energy storage system (BESS) deployments across Europe and Australia. The executives highlighted recent project wins, evolving financing structures, and the...
Former NEM Review Chair Urges Industry Action as Australia Shifts From Fuel Storage to Energy Storage
Professor Tim Nelson, former chair of the National Electricity Market Review, warned that Australia’s power system has fundamentally shifted from fuel storage to energy storage, rendering legacy market rules obsolete. He highlighted a financing “tenor gap” where banks demand long‑term...
Zelestra Signs Renewable Contracts Totalling 1.5TWh in Italy
Zelestra has signed bilateral renewable energy contracts under Italy’s Energy Release 2.0 framework, totaling 1.5 TWh. The flagship deal with Burgo Group provides 950 GWh of renewable electricity, giving the paper producer stable supply and lower market risk. The agreements support Zelestra’s plan...
Zelestra Signs Renewable Contracts Totalling 1.5TWh in Italy
Zelestra has secured bilateral renewable contracts totaling 1.5 TWh under Italy’s Energy Release 2.0 scheme, including a 950 GWh long‑term supply deal with paper manufacturer Burgo Group. The agreement gives Burgo stable, renewable electricity, shielding it from wholesale market swings and supporting its...
Spiorad Na Mara Submits Offshore Consent
Spiorad na Mara, a 900 MW offshore wind project off the Isle of Lewis, has lodged its planning‑consent application with Scotland’s Marine Directorate. The development is a joint venture between Northland Power (75.5%) and ESB (24.5%). If approved, the farm could...
How Diamond Nanoparticles Could Be the Trick for Clothes that Keep You Cool in Extreme Heat
Researchers at RMIT University have created a fabric coated with nanodiamond particles that can pull heat from the body and release it, lowering skin temperature by about 2‑3 °C. The diamonds are synthesized from carbon waste such as plastic, making the...
Is Platinum a Proton Blocking Catalyst?
Platinum, long‑held as the benchmark electrocatalyst for acidic hydrogen evolution, is shown to absorb hydrogen and deuterium deep within its lattice rather than merely at the surface. Operando quartz crystal microbalance measurements revealed an irreversible mass increase during water splitting,...
China to Double Size of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle Fleet by 2030
China’s central government announced a target of over 100,000 fuel‑cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) by 2030, more than double the roughly 40,000 on the road today. By the end of 2025 the country operated 574 hydrogen refuelling stations capable of dispensing...
Ofiniti Raises $6.8M to Push Its Maritime Fuel Software Into Global Shipping Hubs
Ofiniti, an Oslo‑based spin‑out of DNV, raised $6.8 million in a growth round led by Verb Ventures, bringing its total capital to $9 million. The funding will fuel its expansion beyond Singapore, where it commands roughly 40 % of the digital bunkering market,...
Hydropower Sector Market Outreach Webinar
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is hosting a market outreach webinar for hydropower stakeholders, showcasing upcoming EIB‑financed projects in Africa, the Eastern Neighbourhood, the Western Balkans, and Asia. The agenda includes a procurement office presentation, sector overview with lending figures,...
Equinor Makes New Oil Discovery at Johan Castberg
Equinor announced a new oil discovery in the Polynya Tubåen prospect, estimating 14‑24 million barrels of recoverable oil equivalents. The find will be tied into the Johan Castberg field, which already holds 500‑700 million barrels and aims to add another 200‑500 million barrels. Production at...
GE Vernova, IHI Achieve 100% Ammonia Combustion in F-Class Gas Turbine Test
GE Vernova and Japan’s IHI Corp. successfully demonstrated full‑scale combustor components for GE’s F‑class gas turbines operating on 100 % ammonia at full load, marking the first such test at IHI’s Large‑Scale Combustion Test facility. The joint effort aims to commercialize...
Iran Could Escalate Attacks on the Gulf’s Energy Sector
Iran has signaled it may intensify attacks on the Gulf’s oil and gas infrastructure, targeting tankers, pipelines and offshore platforms. The threat follows a series of drone and missile strikes on regional shipping and heightened tensions over sanctions and Israel‑Iran...
Greece Risks Becoming Trump’s Trojan Horse in the Fight to Decarbonise Shipping
Greece abstained from the IMO’s historic climate vote and later announced a joint CO₂‑curbing position with Saudi Arabia, sidestepping the EU’s coordinated strategy. The move could trigger an EU infringement procedure and reflects growing US‑Saudi pressure on maritime decarbonisation. Greek...
Australia’s Coal Plants Chalked up 108 Outages over Summer – 90 of Them Unplanned
Australia’s National Electricity Market recorded 108 coal‑plant outages over the 2025‑26 summer, 90 of which were unplanned. On average, 25% of coal capacity – roughly 5.3 GW – was offline across New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. Scheduled maintenance frequently overran, adding about...
UN Watchdog Says Projectile Struck Iran Nuclear Power Plant
The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that a projectile struck the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southwestern Iran, though the impact caused no damage and no staff were injured. Iran reported the incident to the IAEA, prompting a public statement...
Navigating Energy Price Volatility with Predictive Intelligence
GridBeyond’s FlexPilot platform shifts energy‑intensive manufacturers from reactive demand‑response tactics to predictive intelligence that blends real‑time operational data with forward price forecasts. The solution lets plants simulate schedule adjustments, inventory builds and asset controls before market spikes hit, reducing exposure...
Stand-Alone Big Battery Seals Landmark Offtake Deal with “Non-Traditional” Danish Newcomer
A $200 million, seven‑year revenue‑share agreement was signed between Danish trader InCommodities and Singapore‑based Vena Energy for Stage 2 of the 408 MW Bellambi Heights battery energy storage system in New South Wales. The deal secures 204 MW of capacity, enough to power roughly...
Turkey Emerges as Revived Route for Iraqi Oil Amid Hormuz Crisis
Iraq announced the rapid revival of the 600‑mile Kirkuk‑Ceyhan pipeline, aiming to resume crude shipments to Turkey and bypass the Hormuz bottleneck caused by the Iran‑US‑Israel conflict. The oil ministry expects the line to be operational within a week, targeting...
Philippines Down to Its Last Three Weeks of Fuel Reserves, Turns to Russia for Help
The Philippines faces a looming fuel shortage, with national reserves estimated at only three to four weeks of supply. The crisis stems from Iran’s restriction of the Strait of Hormuz, a key conduit for 20% of global oil, which has...
Quantum Battery Breakthrough Signals Future Critical Minerals Demand
Australian researchers led by CSIRO have demonstrated the world’s first proof‑of‑concept quantum battery, proving that a quantum system can charge, store and release energy. The laser‑charged organic microcavity prototype exhibits a counter‑intuitive effect: it charges faster as its size grows,...
Vulcan’s Lionheart Heads to Production
Vulcan Energy secured its first lithium production licence for the Lionheart project in Germany, clearing a critical regulatory hurdle and moving the $3.9 billion venture toward production. The licence, LiThermEx, covers the Insheim geothermal area and is valid for six years,...
SLB OneSubsea Awarded Integrated EPC Contract by CNOOC
SLB OneSubsea secured a multi‑well integrated EPC contract from China National Offshore Oil Corporation for the deep‑water Kaiping 18‑1 field, covering 20 wells. The agreement includes delivery of standardized subsea production hardware—dual electric submersible pumps, gas‑lift and gas‑injection horizontal trees, manifolds,...
Standard Chartered Predicts Oil Prices Will Remain Higher For Longer
Standard Chartered raised its 2026 Brent forecast to $85.50 a barrel, up from $70, citing a 7.4‑8.2 million bpd supply cut from the Middle‑East war and limited off‑ramps. The bank projects quarterly Brent prices ranging from $78 in Q1 to $98...
Russia's Rosatom Condemns Strike on Territory of Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Plant
Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom condemned a strike that hit the area adjacent to the metrological service building at Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant. The incident caused no injuries and radiation levels remained within normal limits, according to Iranian officials....
Trump, California Clash Over Offshore Oil Field
President Donald Trump announced plans to restart production at an offshore oil field off California’s coast that was shut down after a 2015 spill. The field, long held in a regulatory limbo, could add several thousand barrels per day if...
Oil Marches Higher as Mideast Crisis Persists
Benchmark crude oil prices surged to multi‑year highs on Tuesday after Iran struck a critical Gulf oil terminal and Israel reportedly killed Iran’s security chief in a bombing. The attacks heightened concerns over regional supply disruptions, prompting traders to bid...
Energy Economics Monitor: March 2026 Update
Energy Intelligence’s March 2026 update highlights rapid AI integration across the world’s 50 largest energy firms, with national oil companies leading and three regional hubs emerging in North America, Europe and the Gulf. Simultaneously, the escalating US‑Israel‑Iran conflict is disrupting...
Market Watch: Nymex Clings to $3 Handle as Winter Wanes
April natural‑gas futures on the NYMEX edged up 1 cent to $3.033 per million Btu, keeping the contract near the psychologically important $3 handle. Gelber & Associates highlighted a tug‑of‑war between brief late‑season cold snaps and a broader spring‑warming trend,...
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BUSINESS REFLECTION: After the Bell: Is This the Moment to Drill, Baby, Drill?
South Africa’s Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe announced plans to ease regulations and accelerate oil and gas drilling, including fracking, as global oil prices spike amid the Iran conflict. The move aims to reduce the country’s heavy reliance...
Oil Prices Top $103 as U.S. Allies Reluctant to Escort Tankers in Strait of Hormuz
Oil prices surged on Tuesday, with Brent climbing to $103.42 a barrel and U.S. crude reaching $96.21, reflecting a 2‑3% jump amid heightened geopolitical tension. President Donald Trump warned that NATO allies are unwilling to join a U.S.-led naval escort...
These High-Yielding Energy Plays Could Be a ‘Win/Win,’ Regardless of What Happens with Oil, Bank of America Says
Bank of America recommends master limited partnerships as a high‑yield, low‑valuation play amid volatile oil prices. The firm cites MLP‑focused ETFs TPYP (3.3% yield) and MLPX (4.1% yield), both up about 20% in 2026, and highlights Energy Transfer’s 7.1% dividend...
How the Iran War Could Trigger a Global Credit Crunch
The Iran‑Israel war has shut the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off a vital source of petro‑capital that Gulf sovereigns traditionally channel into global finance. This disruption threatens the $1.4 trillion of assets held in UAE financial hubs and has already forced...
China Cannot Escape the Energy Shock
China is grappling with a global energy shock that has widened the price gap between its domestic fuel and the higher rates in neighboring Hong Kong. The disparity, driven by lingering subsidies and import dependence, prompts Hong Kong motorists to cross the...
419th Fighter Wing Reservists Support First-Ever Microreactor Airlift
On February 13, 2026, the 419th Fighter Wing Reservists executed Operation Windlord, the first-ever military airlift of a containerized microreactor. The mission moved a reinforced steel‑framed nuclear power unit from March Air Reserve Base, showcasing the Department of War’s ability to...
Why Taking Over Utilities Won’t Deliver Cheap Electricity
Renewable energy’s rapid cost declines are outpacing traditional utility models and municipalization efforts aimed at lowering consumer rates. The authors argue that buying outdated utility assets carries financial risks, including overpaying, stranded‑asset exposure, and uncertain savings despite cheaper municipal debt....
New Jersey Announces 355-MW Storage Procurement, Solicits 645 MW More
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities approved incentives for three transmission‑connected battery projects totaling 355 MW and simultaneously opened a solicitation for an additional 645 MW of standalone or solar‑plus‑storage capacity. The combined 1 GW procurement meets the BPU’s short‑term target and...
UK May Extend Heating Oil Subsidy to LPG Fuel
The UK government is considering extending its £50 million heating‑oil subsidy to include liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), giving local authorities discretion to apply the aid. The scheme, which starts on 1 April, allocates £27 mn to England, £17 mn to Northern Ireland, £4.6 mn to...
Grid Consolidation Gathers Pace Amid India’s Renewable Energy Surge
India’s power grid is undergoing rapid consolidation as renewable generation surges, with the country adding roughly 30 GW of solar and wind capacity in 2023 alone. State‑run utilities are merging transmission assets to create larger balancing entities capable of handling intermittent...
Energy Department Offers $500M to Scale Critical Minerals Production
The U.S. Department of Energy announced up to $500 million in grants to expand domestic production of critical minerals for advanced batteries, marking its third funding round since 2022. The Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation will fund up to...
Paua Partners with UK Truck Dealers on 16 New Charging Sites
Paua, a leading UK commercial EV charging network, has partnered with DAF truck dealers Motus and Ford & Slater to launch 16 new shared charging sites at their depots. The sites, integrated into Paua Share, allow any brand of electric HGV to...