Overview Energy Awarded Contract to Provide Space-Based Solar Power to U.S. Air Force
Overview Energy, a Virginia‑based solar aerospace startup, secured a U.S. Air Force contract to field its orbit‑to‑grid system for resilient power in logistics‑constrained environments. The technology places geosynchronous satellites in space to harvest solar energy and beam it via infrared lasers to remote installations such as Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska and Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. The Air Force contract follows a recent agreement to supply Meta with a 1 GW space‑based solar array, and Overview aims to demonstrate low‑Earth‑orbit energy transfer by early 2028. The company claims the approach can generate roughly five times the power of a comparable ground‑based solar array.
UK Bitumen Imports Increase in 1Q
UK bitumen imports rose 18% year‑on‑year to 225,000 t in Q1, despite a sharp spike in crude and bitumen prices after the US‑Iran war began on 28 February. Fixed‑price term contracts secured before the conflict helped offset higher input costs, keeping domestic...
Xcel Energy: Google Deal Sets Template for Large Load Tariff Strategy
Xcel Energy’s pending deal with Google for a near‑1 GW data center in Minnesota will serve as a template for large‑load tariffs in Colorado, Texas, New Mexico and Wisconsin. Under the agreement, Google funds all infrastructure, and Xcel is filing similar tariffs...
Ballard to Supply Fuel Cell Modules for New Solaris H2 Bus
Ballard Power Systems will equip Solaris’s next‑generation hydrogen bus with its new FCmove‑SC fuel‑cell module. The partnership, which began in 2019, previously used the 70 kW FCmove‑HD and 100 kW FCmove‑HD+ modules for the 12‑metre and 18‑metre Urbino models. Ballard’s order for...
Nuclear Power Is Becoming Part of the AI Infrastructure Supply Chain
AI-driven data centers are turning electricity into a strategic bottleneck, with projects like Meta's El Paso campus targeting roughly 1 GW of continuous power by 2028. This demand has revived interest in nuclear energy, especially advanced small modular and micro‑reactor designs that...
Some in Oil, Natural Gas Sector Expected Quick Hormuz Reopening Before ‘Project Freedom’
A Dallas Federal Reserve survey found that 20% of oil and natural‑gas executives expect the Strait of Hormuz to resume normal traffic by May 2026, while 39% see reopening only by August 2026. The timeline follows President Trump’s announcement of...
Duke Energy Added 2.7 GW of Contracted Data Centers in Q1
Duke Energy announced it has signed 2.7 GW of new data‑center service agreements in Q1, bringing its total executed contracts with data centers to 7.6 GW, most of which are already under construction. The utility also highlighted a 7.8 GW high‑confidence pipeline of...
Economic Recovery Lifts German Diesel Demand in 2025
German diesel consumption rose in 2025, marking the first increase in six years and signaling a tentative rebound in industrial activity after two years of recession. The economy grew 0.2% in 2025, ending a downturn that saw GDP contract by...
Baleària Dual-Fuel Fast Ferry Newbuild Aces Sea Trials
Baleària’s new 123‑metre dual‑fuel Ro‑Pax fast ferry Mercedes Pinto completed sea trials, hitting a top speed of 38 knots. Built by Astilleros Armon in Gijón and designed by Incat Crowther, the vessel can transport up to 1,200 passengers and 425 vehicles. Powered by...
Electric Buses Are Over Half Of National Park Site’s Bus Fleet
The Presidio Trust is adding five battery‑electric buses to its free shuttle fleet, pushing the share of electric vehicles above 50 percent. The transition promises lower maintenance costs, reduced emissions, and cleaner air for drivers, passengers, and nearby residents. The...
India’s Energy Risk Surges as Sea Routes Turn Strategic
India’s energy security is increasingly threatened by the strategic weaponisation of maritime chokepoints. About half of its crude oil and 90% of LPG/LNG imports travel through the Strait of Hormuz, while over a third of its overall trade depends on...
UAE's Fujairah Bunker Sales Rebound in April
Marine fuel sales at Fujairah, the world’s fourth‑largest bunkering hub, rebounded in April, climbing to 57,000 t (910 t/d) from a March low of 29,000 t (460 t/d). Very‑low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) volumes rose to 37,000 t, while high‑sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) increased to...
DNV’s Insight: 38 New Orders for Alternative-Fueled Vessels in April
DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insight reported 38 new orders for alternative‑fueled vessels in April 2026, bringing the year‑to‑date total to 83. LNG remained dominant with 20 orders spanning car carriers, container ships, crude tankers and cruise vessels, while LPG/ethane carriers secured...
Gasoline Costs 50% More Than It Did Before the Iran War
U.S. regular gasoline surged to an average $4.48 per gallon on May 5, a 50% increase since the Iran war began. The spike follows a 31‑cent weekly rise driven by crude oil climbing to $112 a barrel as the Strait of...
Dutch Partners Explore Bringing Silicon PV Into Space
The Netherlands’ research institute TNO, solar‑module maker MCPV and aerospace giant Airbus have launched a joint programme to adapt terrestrial silicon photovoltaic technology for space use. The effort targets back‑contact silicon cells as a cheaper alternative to the gallium‑arsenide (GaAs)...
Kenya: GDC Conference Opens as Experts Back Geothermal to Power Industrial Growth
The third Geothermal Conference 2026 opened in Nairobi on May 4, highlighting Kenya’s push to make geothermal the backbone of its industrial expansion. Principal Secretary for Energy Alex Wachira underscored that stable power is essential for economic growth, noting Kenya’s rank...
How the Solar and Storage 'Sweet Spot' Could Slash Europe's Energy Costs
SolarPower Europe’s new scenario projects that scaling solar generation together with battery storage across the continent could halve operating costs for power consumers by 2030. The model calls for roughly 300 GW of new solar capacity and 150 GW of storage, backed...
Gas Trading Boosts Equinor Profit
Equinor posted adjusted net income of $3.7 billion ($1.48 per share) in Q1 2026, more than twice the prior‑year level, driven by higher production and oil prices. The company highlighted strong gains from optimized piped gas trading in Europe and gas...
Solar Experts Offer a Solution to Satisfy Both Sides in Ivanpah Decommissioning Battle
Two California utilities, PG&E and SCE, are trying to terminate their long‑term power purchase agreements for the 392 MW Ivanpah CSP plant, citing chronic under‑performance and high costs. The California Public Utilities Commission has rejected the termination requests, emphasizing the need...
Norwegian Startup Testing Hybrid Solar, Wave, Wind System
Norwegian startup Flex2Future has begun testing a scaled‑down hybrid offshore energy platform that combines solar, wave and wind generation in a SINTEF ocean basin. Laboratory trials focus on the structure’s hydrodynamic response and the power‑take‑off performance of its wave converters....
Oil Price Pulls Back and FTSE 100 Rebounds After ‘TACO’ Trump Post
Oil prices slipped below $100 a barrel on Wednesday after President Trump announced a pause to the U.S. naval escort operation in the Strait of Hormuz, signaling possible progress toward a U.S.-Iran peace deal. Brent crude fell from around $115,...
European Solar-Plus-Storage Ramp-Up Could Cut 2030 Power Costs by 49%
SolarPower Europe’s new Solar+ report outlines an ambitious pathway for solar photovoltaic and battery storage deployment across the EU. By 2030, the EU aims to expand operational storage from 55 GW to 200 GW and double solar’s share to 26%, pushing renewables...
UK-US Consortium Targets First Nuclear Fusion Power Plant by Mid-2030s
A UK‑US consortium comprising Bill Gates‑backed Type One Energy, UK‑based Tokamak Energy, and infrastructure firm AECOM announced plans to build the United Kingdom’s first commercial nuclear‑fusion power plant. The partnership targets a mid‑2030s operational date, aiming to deliver a net‑zero...
UK Government Funds Battery Recycling Consortium
The UK government, via Innovate UK’s Battery Innovation Programme, has awarded funding to ReCam, a consortium of Recyclus, the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre, Watercycle Technologies and Polaron. The group will develop advanced lithium‑ion battery recycling processes that turn end‑of‑life cells into...
Macquarie Strategists Expect Another USA Crude Inventory Draw
Macquarie strategists, led by Walt Chancellor, project a 5.0 million‑barrel draw in U.S. crude inventories for the week ending May 1, following a 6.2 million‑barrel decline the week before. The forecast assumes a modest 0.1 million‑barrel‑per‑day increase in refinery runs, while net imports rise...
Sinovoltaics Launches Free Tool for Project-Specific PV Module Test Scopes
Sinovoltaics unveiled PV Lab Test Advisor, a free web‑based platform that generates customized reliability‑testing scopes for utility‑scale solar projects. Users input site climate, technology and risk parameters, and the tool outputs a PDF‑ready testing plan. The service aims to replace...
Forestalia Advances Tosos Wind Plans
Forestalia announced it will build 13 wind turbines in Tosos, Zaragoza, delivering 77.9 MW of capacity. The turbines are part of four projects—Henar II, Henar III, Canteras IV and Canteras V—representing 43.6% of the 178.6 MW planned for the Campo de Cariñena region. The development involves...
PV Module Recycling Technologies ‘Progressing’, Says IEA-PVPS
The International Energy Agency’s Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme released its latest Task 12 report, showing measurable progress in PV module recycling. Commercial recyclers like Solarcycle and SPR now recover up to 98% of silicon and over 90% of silver and copper,...
Green Flexibility, Suncatcher, SWB and ArcelorMittal Progress Large-Scale BESS Projects in Germany Totalling 324MWh
Germany’s utility‑scale battery market received four major announcements in early May, adding 324 MWh of capacity. Green Flexibility inaugurated a 40 MW/80 MWh BESS in Bavaria, while SWB and Be.storaged plan an 85 MW/170 MWh system at a Bremen port for 2028. ArcelorMittal hired EDF...
DMPR Corrects Diesel Price Adjustment For May
South Africa’s Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) issued an erratum correcting a miscalculation in the May 2026 diesel price adjustment. The department had mistakenly applied a 0.93‑cent levy reduction instead of the intended 93‑cent cut, inflating the wholesale...
Adnoc Appears to Export Second LNG Shipment Through Hormuz
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) appears to have exported a second LNG cargo through the Strait of Hormuz, using the Mraweh tanker bound for Japan. The vessel likely loaded the gas at the Das Island export plant, the same...
Green Diesel Optimism Reigns in Chicago Amid Turnaround Buzz
The biomass‑based diesel sector is shedding its 2025 gloom as recent U.S. policy shifts spark optimism. The Trump administration has lifted biofuel‑blending volumes and introduced the 45Z tax credit, which rewards low‑carbon feedstocks. Concurrently, European biodiesel has traded below petroleum...
Record Turbine Blades Arrive at Mill Rig
OnPath Energy received the UK's longest on‑shore wind turbine blades—80 metres each—for the 33 MW Mill Rig project in South Lanarkshire. The blades will equip six Nordex N163/5.X turbines, giving tip heights of 199.5 metres and a 50 % larger swept area than previous UK...
Oil Futures Fall 8% on Report U.S. and Iran Are in Talks on Memo to End the War
Oil futures plunged after a report that the United States and Iran are drafting a memo to end the war. Brent fell 7% to $101.87 per barrel and WTI dropped 8% to $94.32. The price slide followed President Donald Trump’s...
Renewables Are Gaining on Fossil Fuels, IRENA Report Finds
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) reports that renewable power is closing the cost gap with fossil fuels as oil supplies tighten. Declining wind and solar prices, combined with cheaper battery storage, allow renewables to deliver steady electricity at lower...
Clean Hydrogen Created From Plastic Waste Using Battery Acid From Old Cars and Solar Power
Scientists at the University of Cambridge have unveiled a one‑pot method that converts PET plastic waste into valuable chemicals and clean hydrogen using solar energy and sulfuric acid extracted from discarded car batteries. The process first hydrolyzes PET into glycol...
Australia to Build Up 1B-Liter Fuel Reserve
Australia announced a AUD 10 billion ($7.26 billion) Fuel Security and Resilience package, dedicating AUD 3.2 bn ($2.3 bn) to create a government‑owned reserve of roughly 1 billion liters of diesel and aviation fuel. The initiative, combined with a 10‑day extension of minimum stockholding obligations funded with AUD 34.7 million...
€87 Million Luau Photovoltaic Park Project Commissioned as Africa’s Largest Off-Grid Solar Park
Angola commissioned the Luau Photovoltaic Park, a €87 million (≈$94 million) off‑grid solar‑plus‑storage project delivering 31.85 MWp of capacity and 75.26 MWh of battery storage. The hybrid plant supplies electricity to more than 90,000 remote residents, avoids about 47 tonnes of CO₂ and saves roughly...
Lightbridge Secures European Patent Allowance for 3D Printed Multi-Zone Nuclear Fuel Design
Lightbridge Corporation received a Notice of Allowance from the European Patent Office for its Multi‑Zone Fuel Element, extending patent protection across 39 European states including the UK, France and Germany. The design features three radial zones of differing materials whose...
Urenco Produces Europe’s First Batch of Longer-Lasting Nuclear Fuel in UK
Urenco has completed Europe’s first commercial production of LEU+, a higher‑enrichment low‑enriched uranium fuel, in a five‑day trial at its Capenhurst facility. The fuel, enriched to 5‑10% U‑235, is designed for existing gigawatt‑scale pressurised water reactors and the forthcoming Rolls‑Royce...
Sentinel Midstream Texas GulfLink $2.1 Billion Deepwater VLCC Port Commences Construction
Sentinel Midstream has begun construction of Texas GulfLink, a $2.1 billion deep‑water VLCC port located 30 miles off Freeport, Texas. The terminal will fully load Very Large Crude Carriers at roughly two million barrels per day, eliminating lightering and cutting export costs....
DOF to Build Four New Subsea Vessels for Petrobras Work
DOF Group has secured four 12‑year charter and services contracts with Petrobras, valued at nearly $2 billion. The agreements call for the construction of four 98‑metre DP2‑class remotely operated vehicle support vessels at Brazil’s Navship yard, with the first two to...
Orsted Hits Delays on Hornsea 3, Riffgrund 3
Ørsted said its Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm (2,852 MW) in the UK and Borkum Riffgrund 3 (913 MW) off Germany will miss original commercial‑operation dates due to grid‑connection delays. Hornsea 3’s COD moves from H2 2027 to Q4 2027/Q1 2028, while Riffgrund 3 shifts from May to August‑September 2026. The...
New Battery Design for Longer-Range EVs
University of Surrey researchers unveiled a silicon‑coated carbon‑nanotube (VISiCNT) anode that can be produced via roll‑to‑roll manufacturing in just seven minutes. The design delivers up to 3.5 Ah kg⁻¹ (≈3500 mAh g⁻¹) reversible capacity, far surpassing the 370 mAh g⁻¹ of conventional graphite anodes, while maintaining...
Octopus Invests €584m in European Wind
Octopus Energy Generation is committing roughly $637 million to buy 321 MW of on‑shore wind capacity across 17 sites in France, Germany and Poland. The acquisition, made through the Sky fund, adds 143.5 MW in France, 102.5 MW in Germany and 75 MW in Poland,...
Turbine Prices 'Surge as Supply Tightens'
Europe’s offshore wind market is confronting a structural supply crunch as turbine prices have jumped 40‑45% since 2020. The surge stems from a shrinking manufacturer pool, with GE Vernova pausing new orders and Siemens Gamesa and Vestas supplying almost all available...
Lithium Metal Battery Tops 1270 Wh/L
Researchers from POSTECH, KAIST and Gyeongsang National University have demonstrated an anode‑free lithium‑metal pouch cell that reaches a volumetric energy density of 1,270 Wh/L, roughly double the ~650 Wh/L of today’s lithium‑ion EV batteries. The breakthrough relies on a reversible host infused...
‘Keystone Light’: These Wyoming Oil Tycoons Are Reviving the Controversial Pipeline
President Trump signed a presidential permit for the Bridger expansion pipeline, a project led by Wyoming’s True family that would transport Canadian tar‑sand crude to a hub in central Wyoming. The line is slated to move at least 550,000 barrels...
European Gas Traders Rush Into Options as Winter Price Risks Mount
European gas traders are rapidly increasing their purchase of options as winter approaches, seeking protection against heightened price volatility. In the past month, volumes of TTF winter call options jumped roughly 45% year‑over‑year, pushing implied volatility to about 30%, the...
Large Language Model‐Guided Design of Anti‐Swelling Hybrid Dual Network Membranes for Long‐Duration Alkaline Zinc Iron Flow Batteries
Researchers used a large language model (LLM) to screen crosslinkers and engineer a hybrid dual‑network (H‑DN) membrane that integrates a chemically crosslinked polysulfone network within a sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) matrix. The resulting membrane reduces swelling by 68%, achieves...