Carbon & Power Markets News

Jun 01 - New global renewables capacity additions to rise by a third this year – IEA
Global additions of renewable power capacity are expected to rise by a third this year, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Thursday, as stronger government policies and energy security concerns drive more clean energy deployment. In its Renewable Energy Market update report, the IEA said additions of renewable capacity worldwide are set to jump by 107 gigawatts (GW), the largest absolute increase ever, to more than 440 GW in 2023. 

Jun 01 - JERA says on track to meet 2025 renewable energy goal
Japan's biggest power generator JERA is on track to meet its 2025 target of holding five gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy assets after its recent acquisitions of two energy companies, Chairman Yukio Kani said on Wednesday. JERA said it has agreed to buy Parkwind, Belgium's largest offshore wind platform, in March, and announced a deal this month with Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) to jointly purchase local renewable energy firm Green Power Investment.

May 31 - India considers cutting solar panel import tax to make up domestic shortfall
India is considering cutting its import tax on solar panels by half and is seeking a rollback in goods and services taxes on the devices to make up a shortfall in local output amid rising demand for renewable energy, three government sources said. India's renewable energy ministry has held talks with the finance ministry to approve its request to cut the import tax on solar panels from 40% to 20%, said the three sources, who declined to be identified as the decision has not yet been finalised. 

May 31 - Portugal's first offshore wind auction aims for more than 1 GW
Portugal's first auction of licenses to build offshore wind farms, set to be launched by year-end, is aimed for projects with a total installed capacity of more than 1 gigawatt (GW), Energy Secretary Ana Fontoura said on Tuesday. In January, the government announced a public hearing to propose five areas off the Atlantic coast where wind farms could potentially be built.

May 30 - Wind industry aims to provide a third of Japan's power by 2050
Japan's wind power body has set a mid-century goal to increase capacity to 140 gigawatts (GW) from less than 5 GW now, it said on Monday, to meet a third of the country's electricity demand and help it to hit its 2050 carbon neutrality target. Offshore wind is meant to be central to Japan's expansion of renewable energy, but progress has been delayed and a government goal of up to 45 GW of offshore wind power in 2040, looks less ambitious than the new Japan Wind Power Association (JWPA) targets. 

May 30 - Asia's seaborne thermal coal imports hit record high as prices slip: Russell
Asia's imports of seaborne thermal coal surged to the highest on record in May as cheaper prices tempted buyers in the region's developing economies. A total of 78.38 million tonnes of the fuel used primarily to generate electricity is likely to be offloaded across Asia in May, according to data compiled by commodity analysts Kpler.

May 29 - Biden, McCarthy debt deal would speed up Mountain Valley gas pipeline
U.S. energy company Equitrans Midstream Corp's long-delayed $6.6 billion Mountain Valley natural gas pipeline could win federal approval as part of Washington's debt limit deal. Streamlined federal approval for the 303-mile project was placed into the text of the budget deal between U.S. President Joe Biden and House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy that may end the debt limit crisis.

May 29 - Carbon removal industry challenges findings of skeptical UN body
Carbon removal industry representatives have challenged a document a United Nations scientific body released this week that casts doubt on the nascent technology's usefulness in efforts to limit global warming. The Carbon Capture Coalition represents over 100 member companies, NGOs and labor groups working on direct air capture, carbon capture and storage technologies, into which governments such as the United States and the private sector have poured billions of dollars to help the technology's commercialisation.

May 26 - Global thermal coal prices settling into $200/T range after volatile 2022
Global thermal coal prices are stabilising this year in a range near $200 a tonne that is less than half of 2022's record highs, analysts and industry officials say, with rising supplies providing respite to consumers roiled by last year's volatility. Analysts expect the benchmark Newcastle coal index to average $175-$212 a tonne this year, a steep premium to the $86 average for the ten years preceding Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but down more than 50% from September's highs at $440.

May 26 - Singapore's Keppel signs deals to ramp up green hydrogen, ammonia output
Singapore's Keppel Corp said on Friday it has signed two deals to intensify its efforts in the development of green hydrogen and ammonia production for use in Australia and export to Asia. The Singaporean conglomerate has signed up to join the Central Queensland hydrogen (CQ-H2) project consortium, which is developing a hydrogen production facility, among other related infrastructure.

May 25 - Solar power due to overtake oil production investment for first time - IEA
Investment in clean energy will extend its lead over spending on fossil fuels in 2023, the International Energy Agency said, with solar projects expected to outpace outlays on oil production for the first time. Annual investment in renewable energy was up by nearly a quarter since 2021 compared to a 15% rise for fossil fuels, the Paris-based energy watchdog said in its World Energy Investment report.

May 25 - The 'Big 4' drivers of coal imports and power emissions:  Maguire
Just four countries account for over half of all thermal coal imports and more than 70% of global power sector emissions from coal use, data shows, underscoring the extent of global dependence on these nations when it comes to cutting pollution. China, India, The Philippines and Vietnam accounted for 53% of world thermal coal imports during the first four months of 2023, compared to 40% for the same period in 2022, showed data from ship tracking firm Kpler.

May 24 - Climate activists storm Shell shareholder meeting
Shell shareholders overwhelmingly supported the energy giant's strategy at a raucous annual general meeting disrupted by climate activists who tried to storm the stage. Tuesday's meeting highlighted the growing tension Shell and its peers face as they try to navigate growing investor pressure to accelerate their shift away from oil and gas while other shareholders focus on profit after record earnings last year.

May 24 - Methane hunters tap new technology to reshape policing of U.S. greenhouse emissions
Charlie Barrett, who works for environmental group Earthworks, is hunting for methane - a greenhouse gas accounting for about a third of global warming that has become a focus for the oil industry's and the Biden administration's climate agenda. Methane emissions, which come from oil and natural gas production, plant decay and agricultural waste, are 25 times more potent in warming than carbon dioxide.

May 23 - EU Parliament delays renewable energy vote after late backlash
The European Parliament has delayed a planned vote to approve new EU renewable energy targets, after France and other countries lodged last-minute opposition to the law last week, according to an internal email seen by Reuters. The vote in the Parliament's energy committee had been due to take place on Tuesday. The email said the vote was postponed until June, without specifying a date.

May 23 - Italy's Enel to invest more than $1 bln in Oklahoma solar panel factory
Italy's Enel SpA said on Monday it will invest more than $1 billion in a solar cell and panel factory in Oklahoma, seeking to capitalize on a U.S. push to build a homegrown clean energy manufacturing sector to compete with China. The facility will be among the largest to produce solar equipment in the United States, where most projects are built with imported panels. It is also one of the first U.S. factories to produce silicon-based solar cells on a large scale.

May 22 - China's April Australian coal arrivals jump, but import profit declines
China's coal arrivals from Australia in April returned to a level last seen before Beijing's unofficial ban in September 2020, as traders took advantage of cheaper Australian cargoes and strong demand for high-quality coal from Chinese end users. China imported 3.89 million tonnes of Australian coal last month, comprising 3.72 million tonnes of thermal coal and 171,067 tonnes of coking coal, data from the General Administration of Customs showed on Saturday.

May 22 - G7 brings gas investments back in 'temporary' solution, to dismay of climate activists
The Group of Seven rich nations put support for gas investments back into their communique on Saturday, calling it a "temporary" step as they try to de-couple from Russian energy, in a move climate activists say may hurt climate goals. The April meeting of G7 climate ministers eventually agreed, despite tussles between Japan and European nations, that gas investments "can be appropriate to help address potential market shortfalls" following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the disruption it has caused in global energy markets.

May 19 - Britain awards 20 offshore carbon storage licences
Twelve companies were awarded a total of 20 licences to develop carbon dioxide (CO2) storage offshore, in Britain's first licensing round for such projects, the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) said on Thursday. Britain aims to use carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, which involves filtering planet-warming carbon from industrial smokestacks before it hits the atmosphere and storing it underground, to hold 20 million to 30 million tonnes of CO2 by 2030.

May 19 - World can't afford US-style home energy consumption habits: Maguire
The U.S. is hoping to play key leadership roles in an array of areas tied to the global energy transition, from developing corporate champions that drive emissions reductions to funding research and development of clean-burning fuels. But while the global community will welcome American ingenuity being deployed to help solve climate-related challenges, many will be wary of following the United States' example in terms of electricity use per household, which on a per capita basis is by far the highest of any major economy.

May 18 - US EPA tightens rules to clean up toxic coal ash at power plants
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to force some utilities to clean up older piles of toxic coal ash at their power plants to prevent contamination of groundwater, the latest in a series of rules to reduce pollution in the sector. The proposed rule follows a legal petition by environmental groups last August asking the EPA to end exemptions to its 2015 coal ash rule that had enabled utilities across the country to sidestep responsibility for handling up to a half a billion tons of cancer-causing toxic waste.

May 18 - Chevron, Exxon seek state backing for Australia carbon capture, hydrogen projects
Chevron Corp and Exxon Mobil Corp, the two largest U.S. fossil fuel companies, are seeking Australia's backing for carbon capture and storage (CCS) and hydrogen projects as they look to increase investment in a bid to slash intensity of carbon emissions. Scaling up CCS projects and generation of hydrogen from renewable energy are crucial for Australia, the world's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG), to wean its economy off carbon, even as it seeks to meet LNG demand from top buyers such as Japan and South Korea.

May 17 - Biden administration announces $11 bln for rural clean energy projects
Rural electric cooperatives, utilities, and other energy providers will soon be able to apply for nearly $11 billion in grants and loans for clean energy projects, funded by the $430 billion Inflation Reduction Act signed into law last August, the Biden administration said on Tuesday. Expanding clean energy to rural communities is critical to meeting the administration's goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, officials told reporters on a Monday press call.

May 17 - Pro-nuclear countries pitch atomic role in Europe's green transition
Pro-nuclear countries made the case the energy form is central to Europe's transition to a low carbon economy on Tuesday, against a background of deep disagreement in the European Union over its role in meeting climate commitments. Long-standing divisions over nuclear energy in the 27-member bloc deepened this year after countries clashed over whether low carbon nuclear power should count towards renewable energy goals.

May 16 - China April coal output eases from record high in March
China's average daily coal production dipped in April from a record level a month ago, official data showed, as some miners trimmed output because of harsh weather and as demand fell. China produced 381.45 million tonnes of coal last month, up 4.5% from a year earlier and down 8.6% from March, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed.

May 16 - France to host pro-nuclear meet to push for EU recognition of climate benefits
France will host a meeting of ministers from 16 pro-nuclear European states aimed at coordinating expansion of atomic power and urging the EU to recognise its role in meeting climate goals for 2050, the country's energy ministry said. The meeting in Paris will include EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson and representatives from 14 EU countries including France, Belgium and the Netherlands, plus Italy as an observer and the United Kingdom as a non-EU invitee.

May 15 - US Treasury takes middle road on solar panels 'Made in the USA'
The U.S. Treasury Department on Friday clarified that developers of solar energy projects can claim a new subsidy for facilities built with American-made products even if the system's panels contain cells made entirely with Chinese materials. The long-awaited rules around how companies can claim a new tax credit for clean energy projects built with domestic equipment represented a compromise between conflicting proposals by solar project developers, which rely on cheap imports to keep costs low, and manufacturers that want to expand and compete with China to supply the U.S. market.

May 15 - Biden's power plant proposal poses huge test for carbon capture
The Biden administration's plan to decarbonize the U.S. power sector envisions the first-ever large-scale use of carbon capture and green hydrogen over the next decade - raising questions about whether the climate-fighting technologies can rise to the challenge. The issue could emerge as a legal vulnerability for the plan, one of President Joe Biden’s biggest steps in his strategy to combat global warming, as fossil fuel companies and their representatives explore challenging it in court on the basis the technologies are unproven.

May 12 - Biden's EPA proposes crackdown on power plant carbon emissions
The Biden administration on Thursday unveiled a sweeping plan to slash greenhouse gas emissions from the U.S. power industry, one of the biggest steps so far in its effort to decarbonize the economy to fight climate change. The proposal would limit how much carbon dioxide power plants, which are the source of more than a quarter of U.S. emissions, can chuff into the atmosphere, putting the industry on a years-long course to install billions of dollars of new equipment or shut down.

May 12 - Europe’s gas prices slide on swollen inventories: Kemp
Europe has made a relatively slow start to rebuilding gas inventories but stocks were so high at the end of last winter that storage sites are still on course to be full well before summer ends, putting downward pressure on prices. Stocks in the European Union and the United Kingdom increased by +73 terawatt-hours between March 31 and May 9, according to data compiled by Gas Infrastructure Europe (“Aggregated gas storage inventory”, May 11).

May 11 - Turkey defers $600 million Russian energy payment under deal
Turkey has deferred payment to Russia of a $600 million natural gas bill to 2024, two sources said on Wednesday, the first such postponement under a deal announced last week that underlines deepening ties between Ankara and Moscow. Under the terms of the agreement, up to $4 billion in Turkish energy payments to Russia may be postponed until next year, both sources told Reuters under condition of anonymity. 

May 11 - South East Asia set to enter coal importer big leagues: Maguire
Southeast Asia only accounts for around 12% of global thermal coal imports, so is often overshadowed by China and India in discussions about key coal consumer markets and the associated impact on emissions. However, the region routinely imports well over 100 million tonnes of coal annually, and has outpaced other major importers in terms of annual growth rates since 2018, expanding at an average rate of 14% per year, flows data from Kpler shows.

May 10 - Trump abuse ( Bloomberg )
- Former President Donald Trump has been found liable for sexual abuse and forcible touching of author E. Jean Carroll, who accused him of attacking her in the dressing room of a Fifth Avenue department store in the 1990s and then harming her reputation by saying she’d fabricated the story when she went public with her account in 2019.
- Trump has been mandated to pay her $5 million in damages, $3 million of which for defamation. The trial brings fresh attention on Trump’s fraught history with women as he embarks on another run for the White House.

May 10 - US power use to slide in 2023 on slower economic growth
U.S. power consumption will ease in 2023 from last year's record high as slower economic growth and milder weather depress usage, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in its Short-Term Energy Outlook on Tuesday. EIA projected power demand will slide from a record 4,048 billion kilowatt-hours in 2022 to 4,031 billion kWh in 2023, before rising to 4,081 billion kWh in 2024 as economic growth ramps up. 

May 10 - EU set for tough talks after lawmakers back stricter methane rules
The European Parliament voted on Tuesday in favour of rules that would force companies selling oil and gas in Europe to cut their methane emissions, setting itself up for tough negotiations with EU countries seeking weaker limits on the potent greenhouse gas. Methane is the second-biggest cause of climate change, after carbon dioxide.

May 09 - Vanguard overcomes Republican challenge to US utility stakes
Vanguard Group, the largest provider of mutual funds, has secured regulatory approval to continue to own big stakes in U.S. power utilities, overcoming Republican concerns over its environmental, social and governance policies. Various Republican politicians and officials had questioned the company's application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, including a group of 13 state attorneys general who sought a hearing on whether granting Vanguard's request to renew its right to own more than 10% of voting securities of publicly listed power utilities would be in the public interest.  

May 09 - India's pledge to stop new coal power plants to hit key states: Maguire
India's plans to stop building new coal-fired power plants beyond those already under construction mark a significant victory for climate campaigners keen to cap pollution from the second-largest coal user after China. The new draft policy, which still has to be approved by the federal cabinet, would signify more aggressive climate targets by the world's fifth-largest economy, and would leave China as the only major nation openly adding new coal capacity.

May 05 - EU joint gas buying scheme attracts demand from 65 firms
More than 60 companies have submitted demands to buy gas through the European Union's scheme for joint purchases, with the bloc aiming for the first deals to be signed within months. The EU is launching a joint gas buying scheme to help fill gas storage ahead of winter - and avoid a repeat of the record-high energy prices and fears of energy shortages in Europe last year after Russia slashed gas deliveries. 

May 05 - India amends power policy draft to halt new coal-fired capacity
India plans to stop building new coal-fired power plants, apart from those already in the pipeline, by removing a key clause from the final draft of its National Electricity Policy, in a major boost to fight climate change, sources said. The draft, if approved by the federal cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, would make China the only major economy open to fresh requests to add significant new coal-fired capacity.

May 04 - Global gas markets rebalancing, to remain tight in 2023 - IEA
Global gas markets are gradually rebalancing but are expected to remain tight in 2023 amid lower Russian pipeline gas deliveries to Europe, the International Energy Agency said on Thursday. The European and global gas markets suffered a major supply shock in 2022 when Russia reduced its pipeline gas deliveries to the European Union by 80%, triggering a global energy crisis. 

May 04 - Uniper swings to quarterly profit, maintains 2023 guidance
German utility Uniper on Thursday swung to a first-quarter profit of 6.7 billion euros from a loss of 3.1 billion a year earlier. The company maintained its expectations for positive group adjusted net income and adjusted earnings before interest and taxes in 2023.

May 03 - India, China propose 'multiple pathways' on cutting use of fossil fuels
India, backed by China, is trying to build a consensus within the G20 group to let countries choose a roadmap to cut carbon emissions instead of setting a deadline to end the use of fossil fuels, three Indian government officials said. India, the current G20 president, is keen on introducing the phrase 'multiple energy pathways' in a communique to be released at a group summit in September and has been supported by countries including China and South Africa, one of the officials said.  

May 03 - French court clears nationalisation of EDF
A French appeals court rejected on Tuesday a complaint filed by minority shareholders against the terms of a government buyout of power giant EDF, clearing the way for a full nationalisation of the company to go ahead. The court of appeals "rejected all of the plaintiffs' demands", according to a document summarizing the ruling seen by Reuters.

May 02 - U.S. LNG exports go full steam ahead, sales to Latin America rise
U.S. producers of liquefied natural gas exported at top capacity in April for a second consecutive month, with over two-thirds of shipments bound for Europe and rising volumes to Latin America, Refinitiv Eikon data showed on Monday. Following the full restart of a key Texas export facility in February, U.S. LNG producers are taking advantage of firm prices overseas and increasing demand in some markets. 

May 02 - China's manufacturing wobble may drive coal use even higher: Maguire
China is already on track to emit the most coal-fired power emissions in history in 2023, but may now push coal use up another gear after the manufacturing sector unexpectedly contracted in April following a strong start to the year. The softer manufacturing data is expected to trigger fresh stimulus measures designed to spur increased industrial output, as well as steps to help the country's ailing property sector, which will lead to greater energy use throughout the world's largest manufacturer, exporter and polluter.

May 01 - Analysts raise EU carbon price forecasts after reform agreement
Analysts have increased their average price forecasts for EU carbon permits for the next three years after EU countries this week approved plans to revamp the bloc’s carbon market, but warned prices could remain volatile along with swings in European energy costs. EU Allowances are expected to average 86.17 euros a tonne in 2023 and 96.19 euros in 2024, a Reuters survey of seven analysts showed. That is up 5.9% and 2.2% respectively from forecasts made in January.  

May 01 - The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday voted to repeal President Joe Biden's suspension of tariffs on solar panels from four Southeast Asian nations, a move aimed at supporting a domestic supply chain but that solar project builders say would stall clean energy development. The resolution passed in a 221-202 vote. It will now be sent to the Democratic-controlled Senate for consideration, where its fate is uncertain.

Apr 28 - New nuclear power could help US climate fight but faces hurdles
A next generation of smaller nuclear power plants could help the U.S. reach long term climate change goals but face technical, regulatory and economic hurdles, a report by nonprofit scientific institutions said on Thursday. Backers of so-called advanced nuclear reactors such as NuScale Power Corp say the smaller plants can be built in factories eventually at less cost than today's large light water reactors.  

Apr 28 - Australia's record renewable output lowers costs, emissions
Australia's renewable energy output surged in the quarter ended March, pushing down energy costs, driving carbon emissions to record lows and helping replace power generated from coal and gas, the country's energy market operator said on Friday. Renewable energy supply to the National Electricity Market hit a record of 66% in the first quarter, according to the latest quarterly update from the Australian Energy Market Operator.

Apr 27 - Kremlin warns of more asset seizures after move against Fortum and Uniper
The Kremlin said on Wednesday it could seize more Western assets in retaliation for foreign moves against Russian companies, after taking temporary control of assets belonging to two European state-owned utilities. President Vladimir Putin late on Tuesday signed a decree placing the Russian assets of Finland's Fortum and Germany's Uniper, which both operate power plants in Russia, under Moscow's control. Russia made clear that the move could be reversed. 

Apr 27 - China takes Australian thermal coal that used to head to India: Russell
China has usurped India as the premier importer of lower-grade Australian thermal coal, but there are questions as to whether the shift is structural or driven by temporary price factors. China's imports from Australia of the fuel used to generate electricity are estimated by commodity analysts Kpler at 4.44 million tonnes in April, more than double March's 2.21 million and the most since China ended its unofficial ban on Australian coal earlier this year.

Apr 26 - EU gives green light to revamp of Europe's main climate policy
EU countries on Tuesday gave the final approval to the biggest revamp to date of Europe's carbon market, which is set to make it more costly to pollute and sharpen the 27-member bloc's main tool for cutting carbon dioxide emissions. The world's first major carbon trading system has since 2005 forced power plants and factories to buy permits when they emit CO2, and has cut emissions from those sectors by 43%. 

Apr 26 - EU opens joint gas buying with eye to winter energy security
The European Union launched a scheme on Tuesday for European companies to place orders to jointly buy gas, with the aim of ensuring Europe has enough fuel and avoiding a repeat of last year's record-high energy prices. Companies have until May 2 to register how much gas they want to buy through the EU scheme, which will exclude Russian gas. Apr 26 - Turkey imposes 130% import tariff on some grain imports.

Apr 25 - European countries aim to turn North Sea into green power engine
Leaders from European countries surrounding the North Sea pledged on Monday to rapidly scale up offshore wind power generation in the region to strengthen energy security, at a summit in Ostend, Belgium. Leaders from seven European Union countries, including France, Germany and the Netherlands, alongside non-EU countries Norway and Britain pledged to speed up their buildout of wind farms, develop "energy islands" - or connected renewable generation sites at sea - and work on carbon capture and renewable hydrogen projects in the region.

Apr 25 - Biden would veto legislation to block solar tariff waivers
U.S. President Joe Biden will veto congressional efforts to overturn his solar tariff waiver for four Southeast Asian nations for two years, the White House said on Monday. In June, Biden waived tariffs on solar panels from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam in an effort to create a "bridge" while U.S. manufacturing ramps up enough to supply the domestic projects needed to achieve climate change goals.

Apr 24 - UK, Netherlands plan cross-border power link to boost energy security
The Netherlands and Britain plan to build what would be Europe's biggest cross-border electricity link connected to an offshore wind farm, their energy ministers said on Monday, part of efforts to boost energy security. The "LionLink" interconnector will be able to transfer 1.8 gigawatts (GW) of power to Britain from a Dutch wind farm, or the same volume of electricity produced in Britain to the Netherlands, they said in a statement ahead of a leaders summit on energy in Ostend, Belgium. 

Apr 24 - Floating wind power gains traction but can it set sail?
After a bumper year for floating offshore wind farm tenders, the nascent industry is poised for explosive growth in the coming decade as countries strive to cut their carbon emissions. But it's unlikely to be all plain sailing. Rising costs and supply chain bottlenecks have hit some projects and without investment in infrastructure to launch the vast turbines and tow them to sea, hopes of harnessing the full power of the ocean's winds to hit climate targets could be dashed, industry experts say.

Apr 21 - EU, Norway plan cooperation on carbon capture, hydrogen, draft shows
The European Union and Norway aim to work together to develop infrastructure to capture and store CO2 emissions and scale up renewable hydrogen production in Europe, according to a draft "alliance" plan. The plan is set to be announced at a summit of European country leaders and energy ministers in Ostend, Belgium, on Monday, which will focus on making the North Sea an engine of offshore renewable energy and clean industrial technologies. 

Apr 21 - Learn by doing, German renewables companies bid to beat labour shortage
Germany aims for 80% of its gross electricity consumption to be covered by renewables by 2030, almost double its share in 2021 and one of the most ambitious targets in the world. But meeting that goal will largely depend on whether Europe's biggest economy can adapt its workforce in time.

Apr 20 - German cabinet approves bill to phase out oil and gas heating systems
The German cabinet on Wednesday approved a bill that bans most new oil and gas heating systems from 2024, the economy minister said, a policy designed to cut greenhouse gas emissions but that critics warned could be costly for poorer households. Berlin's ruling coalition last month agreed that almost all newly installed heating systems in Germany should run on 65% renewable energy from 2024, both in new and old buildings. 

Apr 20 - EU cut winter gas use 18%, surpassing energy crisis goalEuropean Union countries slashed their gas consumption this winter, beating a target to cut gas use 15% in the coldest months as they attempted to tame Europe's energy crisis. Overall gas use in the 27-country EU dropped by 17.7% from August to March, compared with the five-year average for the same period, according to data published on Wednesday by EU statistics office Eurostat.

Apr 19 - EU Parliament backs overhaul of Europe's biggest climate policy
The European Parliament on Tuesday approved sweeping reforms to make EU climate change policies more ambitious, including an upgrade of the bloc's carbon market that is set to hike the cost of polluting in Europe. Europe's carbon market forces power plants and factories to buy CO2 permits when they pollute. It has slashed those sectors' emissions by 43% since 2005, but is facing a revamp to hit more ambitious EU climate change targets. 

Apr 19 - Edison not for sale, reviewing options on gas storage, CEO says
Energy group Edison is not for sale, the chief executive of the Italian unit of French utility EDF said on Tuesday, adding the value of the unit could be well above 7-8 billion euros calculated by analysts. Answering a question over the potential sale of the company's gas storage business, Edison CEO Nicola Monti said the Italian group was considering strategic options for it.

Apr 18 - China's March coal output hits record ahead of railway maintenance
China's coal production hit a record high in March, official data showed, as consumers dashed to replenish stocks before a major coal transporting railway partially shut for maintenance. Miners churned out 417.22 million tonnes of coal last month, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed. That was equivalent to 13.46 million tonnes per day, an all-time high, Reuters calculations show. 

Apr 18 - G7 puts focus on push for global fossil fuel phaseout deal
A commitment from the Group of Seven wealthy countries to phase out fossil fuels faster has been welcomed as a potential step towards a global deal for all countries to do the same, but is facing criticism for not matching the pledge with firm action. G7 countries' climate ministers on Sunday agreed - for the first time - to speed up their phaseout of the fossil fuel consumption causing climate change, although they did not set a firm date for doing this.

Apr 17 - G7 ministers set big new targets for solar and wind capacity
The Group of Seven rich nations on Sunday set big new collective targets for solar power and offshore wind capacity, agreeing to speed up renewable energy development and move toward a quicker phase-out of fossil fuels. But they stopped short of endorsing a 2030 deadline for phasing out coal that Canada and other members had pushed for, and left the door open for continued investment in gas, saying that sector could help address potential energy shortfalls. 

Apr 17 - After 18 years, Europe's largest nuclear reactor starts regular output
Finland's much-delayed Olkiluoto 3 (OL3) nuclear reactor, Europe's largest, began regular output early on Sunday, its operator said, boosting energy security in a region to which Russia has cut gas and power supplies. Nuclear power remains controversial in Europe, primarily due to safety concerns, and news of OL3's start-up comes as Germany on Saturday switches off its last three remaining reactors, while Sweden, France, Britain and others plan new developments.

Apr 17 - China's imports of Australian coal surge on price advantage: Russell
Australia may become the swing supplier of coal to China after the world's biggest importer of the fuel ended its unofficial ban on imports from the world's second-biggest shipper. China's coal imports leapt to a three-year high in March, with official data showing arrivals of 41.17 million tonnes, up 151% from the same month in 2022.

Apr 14 - Biden admin greenlights LNG exports from Alaska project
The Biden administration on Thursday approved exports of liquefied natural gas from the Alaska LNG project, a document showed, as the United States competes with Russia to ship natural gas from the Arctic to Asia. The Department of Energy approved Alaska Gasoline Development Corp's (AGDC) project to export gas to countries with which the United States does not have a free trade agreement.  

Apr 14 - Europe’s gas outlook transformed after mild winter: Kemp
Europe has ended the winter of 2022/23 with a record volume of gas in storage – which leaves much less refill needed ahead of the next heating season in 2023/24. Inventories in the European Union and the United Kingdom amounted to 632 terawatt-hours (TWh) on March 31, according to Gas Infrastructure Europe.

Apr 13 - China's March coal imports jump to 3-year high
China's coal imports surged in March to their highest in any month over the past three years as utilities increased purchases on expectations for a demand recovery and after curbs on bringing in Australian coal were removed. The world's top coal consumer brought in 41.17 million tonnes last month, the highest level since January 2020, data from the General Administration of Customs showed on Thursday. 

Apr 13 - Train crunch to spur coal imports by Indian industries
Indian manufacturers, including aluminium smelters and paper mills, are set to boost thermal coal imports for a second consecutive year due to a shortage of trains, even as state-run Coal India plans to increase output. Higher demand from industry for seaborne coal will thwart efforts by India, the world's second largest producer and importer of the fuel, to cut its dependence on shipments from mines in Indonesia, Australia and South Africa.

Apr 12 - G7 climate ministers drop language on growing LNG demand in draft
Climate ministers of the Group of Seven countries have backtracked for now on earlier language touting growing future demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG), instead noting there may be "considerable uncertainty" for consumption. A previous draft communique for this week's meeting of G7 climate change and energy ministers had called for "necessary upstream investments in LNG and natural gas" amid the energy fallout from Russia's invasion of Ukraine and said "demand for LNG will continue to grow". 

Apr 12 - LNG imports test EU resolve to quit Russian fossil fuel
Political pressure is building within the European Union to tackle the daunting challenge of closing a loophole in its efforts to stop using Russian fossil fuels: liquefied natural gas (LNG). In the year since Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the EU has placed sanctions on seaborne oil and coal imports from Russia.

Apr 11 - Naftogaz says creditors have rejected its revised offer
Ukraine's state-owned gas company Naftogaz on Monday said a group of investors had rejected its sweetened debt-restructuring offer, failing to bring the company out of a months-long default. The rejection letter was sent on behalf of a group that consisted of more than 10 investors collectively holding well in excess of 50% of the company's 2022 Notes and nearly 20% of the 2026 Notes, Naftogaz said. 

Apr 11 - Industrial heat set for major energy source overhaul by 2050: Maguire
The world's main manufacturing hubs of Greater China, North America and Europe are set to embark on different paths to lower emissions from industrial heating, which is a critical but highly energy-intensive process for most manufacturers. Heat is vital to transform raw materials into useful finished goods, with everyday products from plastics and resins to chemicals and metals all formed, shaped and treated by various heat processes during production.

Apr 10 - Ukraine able to resume electricity exports after six-month gap - minister
Ukraine can now resume exporting electricity after a six-month gap, given the success of repairs carried out after repeated Russian attacks, Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said on Friday. Last October, Ukraine halted exports of electricity to the European Union - its main export market for energy since the war began - following Russia strikes on energy infrastructure.

Apr 10 - Europe facing costly winter without enough long-term LNG deals
Europe has not made enough progress in locking in long-term contracts for liquefied natural gas (LNG) as an alternative to Russian pipeline supply, which may prove costly next winter as a rebound in Chinese demand could sharply tighten the market. Buying LNG to replace curtailed Russian flows helped the bloc weather the first winter of the Ukraine conflict, with Europe importing 121 million tonnes of the fuel in 2022, a 60% increase from 2021.

Apr 06 - Mexico ups ante for control of power market with Iberdrola deal
Mexico's president said on Wednesday the government should control about two-thirds of the national power market within 18 months, doubling down on his pledge to give primacy to the state in defiance of a simmering dispute with foreign investors. Mexico unveiled on Tuesday a deal to buy $6 billion in assets from Spanish energy giant Iberdrola IBE.MC, casting it as a "new nationalization" that would raise state power utility Comision Federal de Electricidad's (CFE) share of the market to 55.5%. 

Apr 06 - India's power output grows at fastest pace in 33 years, fuelled by coal
India's power generation grew at the fastest pace in over three decades in the just-ended fiscal year, a Reuters analysis of government data showed, fuelling a sharp surge in emissions as output from both coal-fired and renewable plants hit records. Intense summer heatwaves, a colder-than-usual winter in northern India and an economic recovery led to a jump in electricity demand, forcing India to crank up output from coal plants and solar farms as it scrambled to avoid power cuts.

Apr 05 - Mexico snares Iberdrola power plants for $6 bln in 'new nationalization'
Mexican government has agreed to buy 13 power plants from Spanish energy giant Iberdrola in a deal worth $6 billion, which Mexico's president hailed as a "new nationalization" of the electricity market that will amp up state control. In a video posted Tuesday on his social media, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador called the accord historic and said it will give state-owned power company Comision Federal de Electricidad (CFE) majority control over the electricity market. 

Apr 05 - US details plan to draw clean energy into oil, coal communities
The Biden administration on Tuesday released final guidance on how clean energy companies can secure additional tax credits when investing in U.S. communities economically tied to fossil fuels like oil and coal. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) passed last year by Democrats extended a 30% tax credit for wind, solar and other green energy projects, but also provided an extra 10% boost to those investing in so-called "energy communities."

Apr 04 - U.S. LNG exports back on rising track, reached record in MarchU.S. producers of liquefied natural gas (LNG) last month regained momentum as the country's second-largest exporter Freeport LNG ramped up output, sending total shipments to an all-time record of 7.73 million tonnes, Refinitiv Eikon data showed on Monday. Freeport LNG's facility in Texas, which had suspended operations after a fire last year, exited an eight-month outage in February and on Monday was on track to pull in about 2.2 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) of gas, above its nameplate capacity, pushing up the country's overall processing rates.

Apr 04 - EU launches LNG benchmark in attempt to tame price spikes
European Union energy regulators have launched a liquefied natural gas (LNG) benchmark price in an effort to avoid the market mirroring spikes in volatile costs for pipeline gas. The EU conceived the plan last year after Russia cut pipeline gas deliveries to Europe, sending energy bills surging for companies and households.

Apr 03 - EU extends gas price cap system to all EU hubs
The European Commission will extend its gas price cap system to all trading hubs in the European Union from May to prevent potential distortions to Europe's energy markets, it said on Friday. EU countries agreed the cap in December after drawn-out talks over taming gas prices that hit record levels after Russia cut gas deliveries to Europe following its invasion of Ukraine. 

Apr 03 - Gas shortfall in Australia's east coast less likely as supply outlook improves
The Australian competition regulator said on Monday the country's east coast gas market could have sufficient supply to meet its demand forecast in 2023 if LNG producers committed supply of at least an additional 3 petajoules (PJ) of gas to the domestic market. An interim March report released by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) stated supply-demand outlook had improved by 27 PJ since its forecast in January due to rise in production estimates and drop in uncontracted gas.

Mar 31 - Freeport LNG's Texas export plant back at full power, data shows
U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) company Freeport LNG's export plant in Texas was on track to pull in as much natural gas from pipelines as the facility can process into LNG, a sure sign that it was back at full power, according to data provider Refinitiv. The plant has been slowly pulling in more feedgas since the end of an eight-month outage in February, having shut after a fire in June 2022. 

Mar 31 - EU reaches deal on higher renewable energy share by 2030
The European Union reached a provisional deal on Thursday on higher renewable energy targets, an important pillar of the bloc's plans to fight climate change and end dependence on Russian fossil fuels. Negotiators of the European Parliament and the Council, representing EU members, agreed that by 2030, the 27-country EU would commit to sourcing 42.5% of its energy from renewable sources like wind and solar, with a potential top-up to 45%.

Mar 30 - Big Oil splits over production vs carbon storage in Gulf of Mexico auction
Exxon Mobil Corp on Wednesday bid for offshore blocks to store carbon dioxide underground during a government oil and gas lease sale in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, while rivals Chevron Corp and BP Plc targeted areas for production. The largest U.S. oil company has been selling oil production blocks in the U.S. Gulf since 2018 as it shifts to more lucrative fields elsewhere. And yet, it bought dozens of blocks in the past couple of years in the same basin with a new purpose: burying carbon dioxide instead of pumping oil. 

Mar 30 - Financial hurdles rise for green-lighting new U.S. LNG plants
Financial hurdles are rising for U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) project developers aiming to get their proposed export terminals off the ground as investors become more demanding. The banking crisis added a new snag to rising interest rates and supply chain shortages for these multi-billion-dollar projects, which months ago were seen as sure bets.

Mar 29 - EU agrees to extend Spain-Portugal gas price cap until end-December
The European Union has agreed to extend a price cap set on natural gas used for power generation in Spain and Portugal until Dec. 31, Spanish Energy Minister Teresa Ribera said on Tuesday. "This tool allows to keep protecting Spanish and Portuguese consumers until the end of the year," Ribera told reporters in Brussels.  

Mar 29 - Investors push Norwegian government over Equinor climate planning
Investors have stepped up pressure on Norway's state-backed oil and gas company Equinor to cut its carbon emissions more quickly by holding the first direct talks with the government. The group of investors, which advise on or manage more than $2 trillion in assets, wrote in January to ask for a meeting, on concern that Equinor was not aligned with the world's goal of capping global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by mid-century.

Mar 28 - US plans ultimatum in Mexico energy dispute, raising threat of tariffs
The Biden administration plans to send Mexico an "act now or else" message in coming weeks in an attempt to break a stalemate in an energy trade dispute as bipartisan calls grow for the U.S. to get tougher with its southern neighbor, according to people familiar with the discussions. The move would represent a significant escalation in already-strained tensions between U.S. President Joe Biden and his Mexican counterpart, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. 

Mar 28 - EnBW speeds up coal exit as grid, renewables profits to soar
German utility EnBW expects its core profit to rise by as much as 58% in 2023 on the back of its energy networks, renewables and trading divisions, reason enough for the group to accelerate its coal power phase-out by seven years. EnBW, one of Germany's largest utilities, operates 4.3 gigawatts (GW) of lignite- and hard coal-fired power plants, accounting for a third of its total installed capacity. This compares with 5.4 GW of renewable capacity.

Mar 27 - Australia edges closer to big emissions reduction bill with hit to gas investments
Australia's lower house on Monday passed an emissions reduction plan with curbs on some new gas and coal investments and a cap on total greenhouse gas emissions from the country's biggest polluters after a key deal with the Greens Party. The "Safeguard Mechanism" reform legislation is key to the Labor government's pledge to cut emissions by 43% by 2030 in a country that ranks as one of the world's biggest carbon emitters per capita. 

Mar 27 - German power grid firms list costs to meet zero-carbon targets
Boosting German power transmission lines to accommodate a shift to zero-carbon generation industry will require 14,197 km (8821.61 miles) of new networks costing billions of euros, the country's high voltage grid firms (TSOs) said on Friday. A rolling development plan presented for public consultation by the four companies calls for additional investments of 128.3 billion euros ($137.72 billion) from now up to 2045, completion of some may need to be brought forward to 2037.

Mar 24 - French power sector battered again by ongoing strikes
Industrial action disrupting French refineries has left some petrol stations short of fuel as strikes stretched into a 16th day on Thursday, also hitting liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, power supply and nuclear reactor maintenance. The action is part of a nationwide movement against pension system changes championed by President Emmanuel Macron that include increasing the retirement age by two years to 64. 

Mar 24 - EU leaders agree to fast-tracked deal on power reforms
European Union leaders agreed on Thursday to back a revamp of the single market, simplified regulations and other steps to ensure the bloc can compete with the United States and China as an industrial leader in green and digital technologies. High energy prices and U.S. President Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, which offers $369 billion of green subsidies that often only apply to products made in North America, have raised EU fears of an exodus of European industry.

Mar 23 - Shell recommends shareholders reject climate activist resolution
Shell recommended on Wednesday its shareholders vote against a climate activist resolution asking for more stringent emissions cuts by 2030 at its May 23 general meeting. Activist group Follow This said in December it had co-filed resolutions with six major institutional investors managing $1.3 trillion in assets ahead of the annual general meetings of BP, Chevron, Exxon Mobil and Shell.

Mar 23 - Record $63 billion raised from carbon allowance sales in 2022 – report
Governments globally raised a record $63 billion from the sale of carbon allowances in emission trading systems in 2022, as many countries increased ambitions to cut pollution despite record high energy prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a report said on Wednesday. Many countries and regions have launched emissions trading systems (ETS) to put a price on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and incentivise companies to invest in low carbon technology and help meet climate targets.

Mar 22 - TotalEnergies' bet on gas means no big emissions cut by 2030
French oil major TotalEnergies forecasts its overall greenhouse gas emissions will not see a big reduction by 2030 given it wants to grow its gas business, executives said in an update on its climate strategy on Tuesday. TotalEnergies plans to boost its liquefied natural gas (LNG) output by 40% this decade. 

Mar 22 - EU drafts plan to allow e-fuel combustion engine cars
The European Commission has drafted a plan to allow sales of new cars with internal combustion engines after 2035 if they run only on climate neutral e-fuels, as it tries to resolve a spat with Germany over moves to phase out combustion engine cars. The draft proposal, seen by Reuters on Tuesday, suggests creating a new type of vehicle category in the European Union for cars that can only run on carbon neutral fuels.

Mar 21 - EU proposes extending energy crisis measure to curb gas demand
The European Commission on Monday proposed extending for a year an emergency measure to curb gas demand that is set to expire in order to help the continent get through next winter. The European Commission on Monday proposed that EU countries extend for a year an emergency measure to curb gas demand for the next 12 months, to help prepare Europe to get through next winter with scarce Russian gas. 

Mar 21 - Germany sees progress in EU talks for ban on fossil fuel cars
Talks between Germany's Transport Ministry and the European Commission about the planned end of new combustion engines from 2035 are moving forward, the ministry said on Monday, but added it could not say when an agreement would be reached.

Mar 20 - In show of unity, NATO and EU heads visit North Sea gas platform
The heads of NATO and the European Commission flew on Friday to a North Sea platform to discuss the security of supplies and infrastructure, a visit underlining Norway's importance for gas shipments since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Troll A platform extracts gas from Norway's biggest gas field.  

Mar 20 - China LNG buyers return to spot market, but coal to keep demand capped
Chinese liquefied natural gas (LNG) buyers have resumed spot purchases, drawn by easing prices and recovering domestic demand, potentially increasing competition with Europe for supplies. Economic challenges and a slowdown in the country's efforts to switch from coal to gas could limit demand growth of the cleaner fuel, however.

Mar 17 - Repsol scraps plans for east coast Canada LNG terminal
Repsol has decided against developing a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal on Canada's east coast because it would cost too much to ship the gas to the terminal, the company said on Thursday. Spanish company Repsol had been looking into developing an LNG export terminal in Saint John, New Brunswick, to supply European markets, part of a global push to secure alternative supplies to Russian gas following the invasion of Ukraine. 

Mar 17 - Biden administration tells Supreme Court Big Oil climate cases belong in state court
A lawsuit filed by several Colorado municipalities accusing ExxonMobil Corp and Suncor Energy Inc. of exacerbating climate change belongs in state court where it was filed, the Biden administration told the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday. The administration urged the justices to reject the oil companies’ petition for review of a February 2022 appeals court's ruling that sent the case back to state court, a venue generally considered more favorable to the municipal plaintiffs.

Mar 16 - Australia's LNG exports may have to be diverted to fend off winter gas shortage measures by month-end
Australia's east coast liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporters may need to divert excess gas supply for domestic customers to stave off any potential supply shortages this winter in the country's south, the energy market operator said on Thursday. Despite increased production commitments from the industry since last year, the supply in southern Australia is declining rapidly, raising risks of near-term shortages and long-term supply gaps, the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) said.  

Mar 16 - Strikes at French refineries and LNG terminals enter second week
Strikes against the French government's planned pension reform entered a second week on Wednesday, disrupting maintenance at nuclear reactors, hitting liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices and blocking some shipments from refineries and depots. A broad alliance of unions has called for an eighth day of street protests across France since mid-January to contest President Emmanuel Macron's plans to raise the state pension age by two years to 64.

Mar 15 - Wave of new LNG export plants threatens to knock gas prices
A flood of liquefied natural gas (LNG) export projects due online worldwide in mid-decade will vie against lower-cost renewable energy and a revived nuclear power sector, which could rock gas prices and hurt some proposed projects, analysts say. Proposed and approved new LNG plants would boost LNG supply by 67% increase to 636 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) by 2030 from 2021 levels, potentially saturating the gas market. 

Mar 15 - Green groups sue Biden admin over approval of Alaska Willow oil project
Six environmental groups filed a lawsuit on Tuesday over the Biden administration's approval of ConocoPhillips' Willow oil and gas project in Alaska, which they claimed could be a stepping stone to more development in an ecologically sensitive region. Trustees for Alaska, the Alaska Wilderness League, the Sierra Club, The Wilderness Society and other groups said the U.S. Interior Department approved Willow on public lands on the north coast of the state despite acknowledging and failing to mitigate "known harms" to Arctic communities, public health, wildlife and climate.

Mar 14 - EU to revamp power market, aiming to blunt price spikes                           The European Commission is set to propose a revamp of Europe's electricity market rules on Tuesday, aimed at expanding the use of fixed-price power contracts to shield consumers from severe price spikes like those experienced last year. The European Union vowed to overhaul its electricity market after cuts to Russian gas after its invasion of Ukraine last year sent European power prices soaring to record highs, forcing industries to close and hiking households' bills.

Mar 14 - Philippines set to go from renewable laggard to leader in SE Asia
The Philippines is set to leapfrog Vietnam as the main renewable energy producer in Southeast Asia, thanks to an aggressive project development pipeline that will result in a 15-fold boost in combined solar and wind power by 2030. The Philippines currently ranks a distant second in the region in combined solar and wind power generation, with 1,766 megawatts (MW) of installed capacity, compared with 12,379 MW in Vietnam, data from Global Energy Monitor (GEM) shows.

Mar 13 - Gas cargoes stranded near Russia due to Crimea bridge restrictions
Several tankers loaded with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) have been unable to cross under Russia's Crimea bridge due to security restrictions, traders said on Friday, prompting suppliers to use other routes out of Russia. The 12-mile (19 km) road and rail bridge, which was personally opened by President Vladimir Putin in 2018, was bombed in October in an attack Russia said was carried out by Ukraine.  

Mar 13 - Britain pledges 20 bln pounds to capture carbon emissions
Britain will invest 20 billion pounds ($24 billion) over the next 20 years in projects to capture and store carbon dioxide (C02), the government said on Friday, as part of efforts to meet climate goals and create jobs. A report by Britain’s climate advisers on Thursday said technology that filters planet-warming carbon from industrial smokestacks before it reaches the atmosphere has a crucial role as Britain aims to reduce emissions to net zero by 2050.

Mar 10 - CERAWEEK-Trinidad in substantive negotiations with Venezuela on gas project
Trinidad and Tobago has held substantive talks with Venezuela on developing the promising Dragon offshore gas field following a U.S. authorization to begin the long-stalled project, Energy Minister Stuart Young told Reuters on Thursday.  Young is planning a third visit this month to Caracas to talk with Venezuela's Energy Minister Tareck El Aissami and Pedro Rafael Tellechea, president of Venezuelan state-run oil company PDVSA, he said.  

Mar 10 - CERAWEEK-Don’t let China control clean energy supply chain, US officials warn
Officials from President Joe Biden's administration warned leaders of the U.S. clean energy transition this week to decarbonize quickly and keep the supply chain out of China's control. Washington's message at the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston reflects growing concern that the rapid investment it is encouraging to fight climate change could backfire if it empowers China.

Mar 09 - U.S. clean energy 'carrots' could put Europe behind in decarbonization race, execs say
Billions of dollars in clean energy incentives are poised to speed investment on American soil while putting the European Union's energy transition at risk by luring away money and talent, executives at the CERAWeek energy conference said this week. U.S. President Joe Biden's landmark Inflation Reduction Act climate package was signed into law last year and has caused trade tensions between Washington and allies competing for cash and skilled labor to advance a shift from fossil fuels and combat climate change. 

Mar 09 - CERAWEEK-Big Oil on hydrogen: forget the rainbow, just make it profitable
Governments worldwide need to simplify rules around hydrogen supply to attract investment and scale it up to become competitive enough to substitute fossil fuel use in heavy industry, energy executives said this week. Hydrogen as a potential alternative to natural gas, coal or oil burned in heavy industry or shipping is seen as key to reducing emissions in industries in which electrification is not practical.

Mar 08 - Europe gas supplies to stay tight 2 more winters, Equinor CEO says     Europe will struggle over the next two winters to replace Russian natural gas supplies as China's appetite for the fuel recovers, the chief executive of Norwegian energy giant Equinor told Reuters on Tuesday. Equinor became Europe's top natural gas supplier last year after exports from Russia were mostly choked off following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.   

Mar 08 - Inside BP's plan to reset renewables as oil and gas boom
BP hasn't fallen out of love with renewables. It just wants to have more power. CEO Bernard Looney's pursuit of green energy outstripped all rivals three years ago when he outlined a radical blueprint to move away from fossil fuels. Last month he applied the brakes, slowing BP's planned cuts in oil and gas and scaling back planned renewables spending in the wake of the war in Ukraine.

Mar 07 - Asia demand to drive Cheniere's LNG shipments this year
Cheniere Energy expects to ship more liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Asia this year, after European customers took the lion's share of its 2022 cargoes, an official said on Monday. The top U.S. exporter of LNG shipped a total of 638 cargoes last year, with slightly over 70% delivered to Europe, Chief Operating Officer Corey Grindal said at the CERAWeek energy conference.  

Mar 07 - U.S. solar panel imports from China grow, alleviating gridlock, officials say
U.S. imports of solar panels are finally picking up after months of gridlock stemming from implementation of a new law banning goods made with forced labor, according to two Chinese solar companies.  A White House official confirmed the thaw in shipments at an energy conference on Monday, attributing it to clearer rules around complying with the Uyghur Forced Labor Protection Act (UFLPA).

Mar 06 - China leans on coal amid energy security push
China's state planner underlined a greater role for coal in its power supply on Sunday, saying the fossil fuel would be used to improve the reliability and security of its energy system. Soaring global energy prices following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and domestic supply disruption have prompted Beijing to step up its focus on energy security in recent years.  

Mar 06 - Biden admin works on 'green' natural gas as U.S. vies for top LNG spot
The Biden administration is holding talks with global energy companies and foreign officials in an effort to set standards for certified natural gas, a form of the fuel that producers market as climate friendly. The effort comes as the United States seeks to sustain its liquefied natural gas, or LNG, exports to Europe to displace Russian fuel, while also promoting efforts to fight global warming.

Mar 03 - China 2023 gas demand likely to grow, but LNG outlook cloudy - PetroChina Intl exec
Natural gas demand in China is likely to grow this year as the economy recovers, but whether the country's imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) rebound will depend on spot prices, an executive of PetroChina International said. China's LNG imports dropped nearly 20% to 63.4 million tonnes last year, pushing it down to the world's No.2 LNG buyer behind Japan as zero-COVID lockdown measures and high spot prices hit demand. 

Mar 03 - In big power producer Norway, plans for greener industry meet resistance
At Heroeya in southern Norway, the country's biggest onshore industrial site is planning to go fully electric by replacing its use of natural gas with power from the grid, part of a nationwide push to cut the country's CO2 emissions. But Oslo's plan to electrify big industrial sites to comply with the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement is clashing with voters' concerns their power bills will increase, as higher demand puts heavy pressure on limited supply.

Mar 02 - Pipeline operator Enbridge to invest $2.4 bln in infrastructure, renewable energy
Canada's Enbridge Inc on Wednesday set out plans to invest C$3.3 billion ($2.4 billion) in natural gas and liquids infrastructure and renewable power this year, and said there were better investment opportunities in the U.S. due to green energy subsidies. The Calgary-based company said the Biden administration's Inflation Reduction Act, a $430-billion clean energy subsidy package, made the U.S. more competitive in attracting capital. 

Mar 02 - Japan's Marubeni, Saudi's PIF weighing clean hydrogen production in kingdom
Marubeni Corp has agreed to study clean hydrogen production in Saudi Arabia together with the kingdom's sovereign wealth fund, the Japanese trading house said on Thursday, as Riyadh is exploring cleaner energy to cut its reliance on oil. Saudi Arabia, a leading oil-producing nation and a key player in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, is looking to add other types of energy sources, including cleaner fuels and renewables, to diversify its economy.

Mar 01 - China widens renewable energy supply lead with wind power push: Maguire
China has been the world's largest and fastest-growing producer of renewable energy for more than a decade, but has widened its lead over international rivals through a steep acceleration in the roll out of wind capacity since 2021. China added more wind generation capacity in the past two years than over the previous seven, and in 2022 generated 46% more wind power than all of Europe, the second largest wind generation market, according to data from think tank Ember.

Mar 01 - Australian watchdog sues coal miner TerraCom over whistleblower protections
Australia's corporate regulator has filed a lawsuit against coal miner TerraCom Ltd alleging it breached whistleblower protections after a former employee claimed it had falsified the quality of its coal for export. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has been investigating TerraCom over allegations of inflated coal quality in export documentation since claims were first aired in early 2020 as part of an unfair dismissal case.

Feb 28  - Essar creates new unit to drive $3.6 bln low-carbon plan in UK, India
India's Essar Group said on Monday it has created a new entity that will control its various businesses and drive $3.6 billion worth of low carbon projects in UK and India over the next five years. Essar, built by billionaire brothers Shashi and Ravi Ruia, sold some of its Indian assets in telecom, oil refining and steel over the years to settle its huge debt.

Feb 28  - India, China demand boost low-rank thermal coal prices in Asia: Russell
Signs of stronger import demand from India have arrested the decline in price of the thermal coal grades most commonly sought by the world's second-biggest importer of the fuel used to generate electricity. The price of low-grade Indonesian coal with an energy content of 4,200 kilocalories per kg (kcal/kg), as assessed by commodity price reporting agency Argus, increased to $73.42 a tonne in the week to Feb. 24.

Feb 27  - China's new coal plant approvals surge in 2022, highest since 2015 - research
China approved the construction of another 106 gigawatts of coal-fired power capacity last year, four times higher than a year earlier and the highest since 2015, driven by energy security considerations, research showed on Monday. Over the year, 50 GW of coal power capacity went into construction across the country, up by more than half compared to the previous year, the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) and Global Energy Monitor (GEM) said.

Feb 27  - US 2022 power plant emissions fell on switch from coal to gas - EPA
China approved the construction of another 106 gigawatts of coal-fired power capacity last year, four times higher than a year earlier and the highest since 2015, driven by energy security considerations, research showed on Monday. Over the year, 50 GW of coal power capacity went into construction across the country, up by more than half compared to the previous year, the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) and Global Energy Monitor (GEM) said.

Feb 24  - China Gas Holdings signs two 20-year LNG supply deals with Venture Global
China Gas Holdings, one of China's largest independent gas distributors, agreed to two 20-year liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply contracts with U.S. exporter Venture Global, adding to a flurry of deals signed between China and the U.S. since 2021. China Gas Holdings, via its wholly owned subsidiary China Gas Hongda Energy Trading Co, would buy a total of two million tonnes per year of LNG from Venture Global under the two contracts, the company said in a statement.

Feb 24  - Investors in South Africa's Eskom cheer government debt plan
Investors welcomed plans by South Africa's government to take on some 60% of Eskom's debt over the next three years, saying it could pave the way to a sustainable future for the troubled state utility. Eskom, which has received 263.4 billion rand ($14.4 billion) in bailouts since 2008/09, is implementing the worst power outages on record as it fails to generate enough electricity to keep Africa's most industrialised economy running.

Feb 23  - U.S. gas prices near record low amid over-production: Kemp
U.S. gas prices have slumped close to their lowest level on record, after adjusting for inflation, as traders respond to signs of a persistent production surplus in the domestic market. The front-month futures for gas delivered at Henry Hub in Louisiana have fallen to just $2 per million British thermal units down from more than $9 at the end of August 2022.

Feb 23  - Chesapeake Energy to reduce drilling amid natgas price slump
U.S. natural gas producer Chesapeake Energy Corp on Wednesday said it would pull back on drilling and completing wells this year as natural gas prices have crashed to a quarter of what they were last summer. Chesapeake said it will drop two rigs in the Haynesville region that covers parts of Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana this year, and one rig in Marcellus shale of Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Feb 22  - Europe slashed winter gas use amid energy crisis
European countries slashed their gas use from August to January, as unusually warm weather curbed household heating, soaring prices curtailed industrial output and governments launched emergency measures to contain the energy crisis. Overall gas use in the 27-nation European Union plunged by 19.3% from August to January compared with the five-year average for the same period, according to data published on Tuesday by EU statistics office Eurostat.

Feb 22  - Falling gas costs, rising carbon prices spur change in fuel dynamics
Falling gas prices over recent weeks have paired with rising coal and carbon costs to make European power generation from gas-fired power plants more economical, marking a trend reversal since coal took over as the cheaper fuel source last year. Analysts say the switch in so-called clean-dark and clean spark prices indicates that gas power is becoming more competitive from a cost perspective, but supply security remains challenging, especially for countries that used to rely on Russian gas.

Feb 21 - Gas shortage exposes fragile South Asian economies to more pain
Fear in the retail sector highlights how a shortage of imported gas has cut power output and hit the economy in Pakistan, just as it reels from soaring inflation and a sliding currency. Bangladesh faces the same issues. Both countries are scrambling to avoid a repeat of massive power cuts they faced last year, but industry officials and analysts say the crisis is likely to worsen this year because of a sharp drop in imports of liquefied natural gas.

Feb 21 - EU carbon price hits record high nearing 100 euros/tonne
The benchmark European carbon contract hit a record high approaching 100 euros a tonne on Monday, with cooler weather forecasts and expectations of lower wind power output driving up demand. The benchmark EU Allowance (EUA) December 2023 contract closed at 98.30 euros a tonne, up 2.1% since Friday's close and having earlier touched a record high of 99.99 euros tonne.

Feb 20  - U.S. LNG producers poised to leapfrog rivals with three new projects
At least three proposed U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plants have likely found enough customers to receive financial approvals this year, according to Reuters calculations, developments that would make the country the world's largest LNG exporter for years to come. After a dearth of plant approvals last decade, developers have secured dozens of long-term contracts to finance new multibillion-dollar LNG plants.

Feb 20  - China's coal prices fall to 1 yr-low, clouding demand and import outlook
China's thermal coal prices hit their lowest levels in a year this week on rising inventories as domestic mine production is recovering faster than demand, analysts and traders said. High inventories in the world's top coal consumer are capping its appetite for imports, pressuring global prices.

Feb 17  - U.S. LNG producers poised to leapfrog rivals with three new projects
At least three proposed U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plants have likely found enough customers to receive financial approvals this year, according to Reuters calculations, developments that would make the country the world's largest LNG exporter for years to come. After a dearth of plant approvals last decade, developers have secured dozens of long-term contracts to finance new multibillion-dollar LNG plants.

Feb 17  - China's coal prices fall to 1 yr-low, clouding demand and import outlook
China's thermal coal prices hit their lowest levels in a year this week on rising inventories as domestic mine production is recovering faster than demand, analysts and traders said. High inventories in the world's top coal consumer are capping its appetite for imports, pressuring global prices.

Feb 16 - Whitehaven Coal posts 5-fold jump in H1 earnings but dividend disappoints
Australia's Whitehaven Coal Ltd posted a more than five-fold jump in first-half profit on Thursday, aided by soaring coal prices, but paid a lower than expected dividend, sending its shares down. The company posted a net profit after tax attributable of A$1.78 billion ($1.23 billion) for the six months ended Dec. 31, compared with A$340.5 million a year earlier. 

Feb 16 - China solar power capacity could post record growth in 2023
China is expected to add 95 to 120 gigawatts (GW) of solar power in 2023, or as much as 30%, a solar manufacturing association said on Thursday, in what would be a record annual rise in capacity. The world's biggest solar products maker and solar power generator brought 87.41 GW of new solar power into operation in 2022, official data showed, driving the total installed capacity to 392.61 GW.

Feb 15 - Japan's JERA faces complaint from climate activist over risk disclosures
A climate activist group on Wednesday lodged a complaint with the Singapore Exchange (SGX) over JERA Co Inc, saying Japan's biggest power generator did not fully disclose risks related to its $300 million bond issue on the exchange last year. The complaint, filed by Australia's Market Forces to the SGX whistleblower office, reflects growing scrutiny by climate activists on financial disclosures in the energy industry. 

Feb 15 - South Asia's LNG import appetite on radar after price plunge: Maguire
Traders of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and climate watchers alike are both on the lookout for signs of a rise in import demand from buyers across South Asia, which until 2022 had been the world's second largest market for LNG after North Asia. For LNG traders, more demand from buyers in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh would tighten global LNG supplies, and may support prices that have slumped nearly 70% since August on lower consumption in key markets such as Europe and China.

Feb 14  - China's CNPC set to seal mega Qatari LNG deal - sources
China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) is close to finalising a deal to buy liquefied natural gas (LNG) from QatarEnergy over nearly 30 years from the Middle Eastern exporter's massive North Field expansion project, three people with knowledge of the matter said. If sealed, this would be the second such deal between major LNG exporter Qatar and the world's no.2 LNG buyer, as Beijing looks to beef up gas supply and diversify its sources in a drive to replace coal and cut carbon emissions. 

Feb 14  - Moscow's decades-old gas ties with Europe lie in ruins
Meticulously crafted over decades as a major revenue stream for the Kremlin, Moscow's gas trade with Europe is unlikely to recover from the ravages of military conflict. After President Vladimir Putin's "special military operation" in Ukraine began almost a year ago, a combination of Western sanctions and Russia's decision to cut supplies to Europe drastically reduced the country's energy exports.

Feb 13 - U.S. energy regulators questioned on oversight of Freeport, Texas, LNG plant
Texas residents grilled U.S. energy regulators on Saturday over their supervision of liquefied natural gas processing plants at a meeting to discuss conditions at the fire-idled Freeport LNG plant. The second-largest U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility was knocked offline by a fiery blast last June and operations halted while regulators review operations and staffing. 

Feb 13 - LNG, thermal coal prices slip as China, Europe buying pulls back: Russell
The prices of thermal coal and spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Asia are declining amid the two prongs of weaker demand in Europe and China for the fuels used to generate electricity and heat homes. The price of spot LNG for delivery to north Asia dropped to $17 per million British thermal units (mmBtu) last week, the weakest since August 2021 and down 76% from the record high of $70.50 reached in the week to Aug. 26 last year.

Feb 10  - Kremlin says those behind Nord Stream blasts must be punished
The Kremlin said on Thursday the world should know the truth about who sabotaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines and that those responsible should be punished after an investigative journalist said U.S. divers blew them up at the behest of the White House. A sharp drop in pressure on both pipelines was registered on Sept. 26 and seismologists detected explosions, triggering a wave of speculation about sabotage to one of Russia's most important energy corridors. 

Feb 10  - Germany in advanced talks with Oman for natural gas supplies
Germany and Oman are in advanced talks to sign a long-term deal for liquefied natural gas (LNG) lasting at least 10 years as Berlin continues its search for alternatives to Russian fuel supplies, three sources familiar with the matter said. Europe has been scrambling to replace Russian gas since last year against a backdrop of war in Ukraine, with state-run Gazprom progressively reducing and then suspending the lion's share of pipeline supplies to Europe.

Feb 09  - With years of high prices ahead, LNG buyers covet long-term deals
The global liquefied natural gas (LNG) market is expected to take several years to adjust to last year's shake-up, and high prices will spur the hunt for long-term deals, industry executives said at the India Energy Week conference. After Russia slashed piped supply to Europe following its invasion of Ukraine, gas prices hit new highs and Europe bought record volumes of LNG.

Feb 09  - Australia's AGL skids to H1 loss, lowers outlook; shares fall most since 2007
Top Australian power producer AGL Energy Ltd on Thursday posted its second-biggest six-month net loss due to plant outages and soaring supply costs, and cut full-year profit guidance, sending its shares tumbling the most in 15 years. The gas and electricity supplier to one-sixth of all Australians said a horror stretch of power plant failures and volatile wholesale markets squeezed underlying profit in the first half ended Dec. 31 by 55% to just A$87 million ($60.45 million) - little more than half of what analysts had forecast.

Feb 08  - India's economy - and emissions - primed for big jumps in 2023: Maguire
India is set to become the world's fastest-growing major economy in 2023, with an investment boom likely to spark sharp increases in factory output, bank lending and consumer purchases, according to a recent survey by the Indian central bank. Climate trackers will be alarmed by such a robust outlook, as India's power sector already spewed out near record emissions in 2022 when its economy was stuck in a lower gear, and will likely elevate pollution totals further as momentum builds.

Feb 08  - U.S. power use to slide in 2023 from record high on weaker economic activity
U.S. power consumption will ease in 2023 as weaker economic activity and milder weather drag it from record highs hit in 2022, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in its Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) on Tuesday. The statistical arm of the U.S. Department of Energy projected power demand will slide from a record 4,045 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) in 2022 to 3,999 billion kWh in 2023, before rising to 4,063 billion kWh in 2024 as economic growth ramps up.

Feb 07 - Russia's Novatek in talks with Indian companies on LNG, may consider rupees
Novatek, Russia's largest liquefied natural gas producer, has been in talks with Indian companies including GAIL on the supply of LNG and may consider taking payments in rupees, the company's head Leonid Mikhelson said on Monday. He also said consumers in Europe, which have imposed sanctions on Russia over its actions in Ukraine, were interested in Russian LNG, which has not been placed under restrictions, and that no buyers under long-term contracts wanted to terminate them. 

Feb 07 - EU lawmakers to vote next week on early CO2 market auctions
European Union lawmakers will vote next week on plans to auction carbon permits early to raise cash for countries to quit Russian gas, soothing concerns of a postponed vote that some analysts said helped to drive up carbon prices last week. An EU official told Reuters the European Parliament vote is scheduled for Tuesday on the legislation to raise 20 billion euros ($21.5 billion) from the EU carbon market, partly by holding carbon permit sales earlier than planned.

Feb 06  - Europe’s gas supply stabilises after colder weather: Kemp
Colder-than-normal temperatures across Northwest Europe since the middle of January have steadied gas prices and halted the bloat in storage, but the region is still on track for a near-record carryout at the end of winter. Combined gas inventories in the European Union and the United Kingdom were equivalent to 807 terawatt-hours (TWh) on Feb. 1, according to data from Gas Infrastructure Europe. 

Feb 06  - Woodside, partners to pick plan for Timor Sea Sunrise gas project soon
Woodside Energy Group and its partners on Monday formally committed to working rapidly to pick the best option for developing the Greater Sunrise natural gas field, factoring in for the first time the potential benefits for East Timor. The Sunrise Joint Venture, which includes majority owner Timor Gap, operator Woodside and the Australian arm of Osaka Gas, said they would move ahead "expeditiously" with a program to select where to send the gas for processing.

Feb 03  - Gyrating European gas price forecasts leave companies in the dark
Dramatic swings in forecasts for European gas prices this year have left companies and governments struggling to plan ahead as uncertainties for the outlook persist, ranging from the pace of China's economic recovery to the impact of war in Ukraine. Governments are having to guess the scale of fuel subsidy allocations, while fertiliser firms, steelmakers and other energy-intensive industries face tough choices about whether to restart production they halted due to last year's price spike. 

Feb 03  - U.S. senators Manchin, Cruz float bill to block gas stove bans
U.S. senators Ted Cruz and Joe Manchin introduced a bill on Thursday that would block a federal agency from banning the use of gas stoves even though there are no plans to outlaw them. The move comes amid fierce public debate over the health and environmental impacts of the cooking appliances that burn fossil fuel and over the broader role of natural gas in fighting climate change.

Feb 02 - Lower gas prices help bailed-out Uniper halve net loss to $21 billion
Uniper, Germany's biggest gas trader which was rescued by the government last year, expects a much smaller annual net loss than it feared in November after lower gas prices reduced the cost of replacing Russian supplies. The company, which nearly collapsed after Moscow cut and then stopped gas supplies to Germany, now sees a net loss of 19.1 billion euros ($21 billion) for 2022, it said on Wednesday.

Feb 02 - Indonesia 2023 gasoline demand, imports likely to exceed 2022 records
Gasoline consumption and imports in Indonesia, Asia's largest importer of the motor fuel, could hit records this year as the nation recovers from COVID-related travel curbs, although growth is expected to slow slightly along with its economy. A spike in Indonesian imports would tighten the regional gasoline market and likely boost Asian refinery margins for the fuel. It could also accelerate plans for adding methanol and ethanol to gasoline to reduced its reliance on overseas supplies, a biofuel initiative that would add to the country's already extensive adoption of biodiesel.

Feb 01  - Europe needs France to get its nuclear act together in 2023: Maguire
A steep drop in France's nuclear power output in 2022 exacerbated Europe's power crisis by forcing French utilities to flip from net power exporters to importers just as Russia's invasion of Ukraine snarled energy markets across the continent. A combination of planned maintenance shutdowns along with unplanned shortages of reactor cooling water forced French nuclear power operators to cut electricity generation by 23% in 2022 from the year before to record lows, data from think tank Ember shows.

Feb 01  - Fire-idled Freeport LNG seeks U.S. approval to start one unit
Freeport LNG asked U.S. regulators for approval to add natural gas to one of the three idled units at its liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plant in Texas, a milestone in efforts to restore production after a seven-month outage, according to a federal filing made available on Tuesday. The Freeport plant, the second-largest in the United States, shut after a fiery blast last June, cutting supplies as global LNG demand soared over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Federal officials barred the producer from resuming production until they could complete an extensive safety evaluation.

Jan 31 - Japan's JERA raises FY22/23 earnings estimate on lower LNG procurement cost
JERA, Japan's biggest power generator, said on Monday it now sees a net profit of 100 billion yen ($769 million) for the year to March 31, against its previous forecast of a net loss of 200 billion yen, due to lower-than-expected fuel procurement cost. "We had assumed a tight global LNG market during the winter, but the market has eased thanks to warmer weather in Europe, improving our procurement environment in terms of volume and prices," Tetsuo Yoshida, the head of finance, told a news conference.

Jan 31 - Russian gas supply hit pushes India's GAIL to scout for long-term LNG
GAIL (India) Ltd is scouting for long-term gas import deals and hopes to sign one contract shortly to make up for disrupted supplies from a former unit of Russian energy giant Gazprom, its head of finance said on Monday. India's largest gas distributor reported a 93% decline in its December quarter net profit as it transmitted less gas locally due to a reduction in liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply from a deal with Gazprom Marketing and Singapore (GMTS).

Jan 31 - First Australian coal cargoes since end of ban to enter China in Feb
China is set to receive at least two cargoes of Australian coal in early February, according to traders and shiptracking data, the first since an unofficial ban on imports in place since 2020 was lifted earlier this month. Coal traders will be paying attention to how easily the shipments pass customs for signs that the informal ban is truly over and in the hopes of sending more Australian coal to China.

Jan 30 - India asks utilities to not retire coal-fired power plants till 2030
India has asked utilities to not retire coal-fired power plants till 2030 due to a surge in electricity demand, according to a federal power ministry notice reviewed by Reuters, just over two years after committing to eventually phase down use of the fuel. The energy-hungry nation said last May it plans to reduce power generation from least 81 coal-fired plants over the next four years, but the proposal did not involve shutting down any of its 179 coal power plants. India has not set a formal timeline for phasing down coal use. 

Jan 30 - Asia thermal coal prices slip as China, India buy less: Russell
Asia's seaborne thermal coal markets are losing heat, with both prices and volumes declining as winter demand passes and Europe's energy crisis eases. Prices of the main traded grades for coal used in power plants dropped to their lowest in months last week, and to the weakest in a year in the case of one of the major Australian varieties.

Jan 27 - Baltic states bought twice as much Russian LPG last year
Russian exporters more than doubled sales of liquefied petroleum gas to the Baltic states in 2022, some of which was sold on to Ukraine, according to data from three trading and freight-handling sources covering the region. The leap in purchases of Russian LPG came despite sharp condemnation of Moscow's actions in Ukraine from the three Baltic states, all NATO and European Union members, as Europe struggles to find fresh sources of the fuel in a tight global market.  

Jan 27 - Full EDF takeover suspended by market watchdog pending minority shareholder lawsuit
The AMF market watchdog has put the French state's full takeover of energy giant EDF on hold until a Paris court decides on the merits of a lawsuit challenging the deal brought by minority shareholders, EDF confirmed on Thursday. The French government, which intends to fully nationalise its debt-laden nuclear champion, last Friday cleared the bar needed for triggering squeeze-out proceedings when it announced it controls around 93% of voting rights, but later said it would not push ahead with the buyout until the court ruling.

Jan 26  - Qatar in talks to join TotalEnergies' $27 bln Iraqi energy project - sources
Qatar is in talks to acquire a stake from French company TotalEnergies' $27 billion cluster of energy projects in Iraq, three sources told Reuters, as Baghdad hopes to stem efforts by Western energy companies to exit the country. A major investment by a Gulf state would mark an important win for Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani, who took office last October following more than a year of political turmoil, and would also be considered a step towards countering Iranian influence.  

Jan 26  - Russia's Sakhalin 2 may double LNG revenue as top buyers stay despite Ukraine crisis
Russia's Sakhalin 2 liquefied natural gas (LNG) project could generate twice the revenue this year that it did before the Ukraine conflict thanks to long-term deals with Asian buyers and higher prices, according to analysts and Reuters calculations. State-run top shareholder Gazprom stands to benefit from the boost which comes as Russia ramps up its military spending almost a year after sending troops into neighbouring Ukraine.

Jan 25  - Woodside Energy sees European winter, Chinese recovery clouding gas price outlook
Woodside Energy Group Ltd's chief executive said European winter temperatures and Chinese economic recovery are among factors clouding the near-term outlook for gas prices, which have dropped from the historic highs of last year. Australia's biggest independent gas producer on Wednesday posted a 78% jump in fourth-quarter revenue on record output, slightly ahead of analysts' forecasts, benefiting from strong LNG prices and its takeover of BHP Group's petroleum assets, completed in June.  

Jan 25  - U.S. issues license to Trinidad and Tobago to develop Venezuela offshore gas field
The Biden administration has granted a license to Trinidad and Tobago to develop a major gas field located in Venezuelan territorial waters, U.S. and Trinidad officials said on Tuesday, marking a further easing of some sanctions on Venezuela. The license, issued by the U.S. Treasury Department at Trinidad's request and intended to enhance Caribbean regional energy security, means the island nation can do business related to the Dragon gas field with Venezuela's heavily sanctioned state-run oil company PDVSA.

Jan 24  - UK's National Grid to pay people to use less power as cold snap bites
Britain's National Grid said it would pay customers to use less power on Monday and Tuesday evenings this week, the first time it has used a new scheme designed to help prevent power shortages. More than a million households and business are signed up to the Demand Flexibility Service (DFS), which rewards people, usually via money off their bills, for turning off appliances such as ovens and dishwashers during a specific period when electricity demand is high.

Jan 24  - EU's planned reforms aim to better protect power bills from market swings
European Union proposals to overhaul its electricity market will attempt to better protect consumer energy bills from short-term swings in fossil fuel prices, the European Commission said on Monday. The EU is reforming its power market to attempt to avoid a repeat of last year, when cuts to Russian gas supply drove European electricity prices to record levels, hiking bills for households and forcing some industries to close.

Jan 23 - Pakistan suffers major power outage after grid failure
Pakistan suffered nationwide power outages on Monday morning due to a "major breakdown" of the national grid, the power ministry said, with factories, hospitals and schools impacted in all its major cities. The breakdown began at 7:34 am (0234 GMT) when a voltage fluctuation in the grid occurred between the cities of Jamshoro and Dadu in southern Sindh province, power minister Khurrum Dastagir. 

Jan 23 - UK's National Grid to pay people to use less power amid cold snap
Britain's National Grid said it would pay customers to use less power on Monday evening and that it had asked for three coal-powered generators to be warmed up in case they are needed as the country faces a snap of cold weather. The group said that it would activate a new scheme called the Demand Flexibility Service where customers get incentives if they agree to use less power during crunch periods.

Jan 20  - China's coal imports from Russia fall in Dec, but up 20% in 2022
China's coal imports from Russia dropped in December as logistics issues and inclement winter in Russia curbed shipments and Chinese demand weakened amid surging COVID infections. Some 6.89 million tonnes of Russian coal reached China last month, down from 7.16 million tonnes in November, data from the General Administration of Customs showed on Friday.  

Jan 20  - Aviation leaders hail green fuel as carbon saviour, but wonder who will pay
Greener fuel is the only way airlines will meet strict global carbon emission targets, executives meeting in Dublin this week agreed, but there's little consensus on who should foot the hefty bill to ramp up production. Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which uses feedstocks like cooking oils to reduce emissions by up to 80% from conventional fuel, is seen as the carbon saviour for an aviation sector often cast as a villain in the fight against climate change.

Jan 19 - FERC chairman says U.S. must boost power reliability amid energy transition
The United States must focus on power reliability as it transitions away from fossil fuels to cleaner energy sources, Willie Phillips, acting chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), said on Wednesday. Electric power transmission, which FERC has identified as a top areas hindering the energy transition, will be key to stabilize the grid, said Phillips, who spoke at the District of Columbia Clean Energy Summit.

Jan 19 - Europe's gas price plunge churns up global coal markets
Thermal coal markets were a prominent beneficiary of Europe's power sector turmoil in 2022, with prices surging more than 250% through mid-March as utilities and trading firms scrambled to replace lost supplies of Russian natural gas with other fuels. Benchmark European thermal coal prices remained close to historic highs throughout 2022 on sustained higher use across the continent, averaging roughly $285 per tonne for the year, compared with about $115 a tonne in 2021.

Jan 18  - Coronado sees coking coal enquiries tick up as China eases unofficial ban
Coronado Global Resources, which has not typically sold Australian coking coal to China, has received enquiries for long term supply as Beijing lifts its unofficial ban on coal imports from Australia, its chief executive said on Wednesday. Thawing diplomatic relations between Australia and its biggest trading partner led China to allow three power utilities and the country's largest steelmaker to resume Australian coal purchases this month for the first time since 2020. 

Jan 18  - Japan's JERA signs ammonia supply MOUs with Yara, CF Industries
Japan's biggest power generator JERA signed ammonia supply memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with CF Industries of the United States and Norway's Yara Clean Ammonia Norge AS, as it aims to co-fire ammonia to reduce emissions, it said on Tuesday.  JERA plans to use a 20% ammonia fuel mix at all its coal-fired power plants by 2035, and to develop technology to use 100% ammonia in the 2040s, as Japan - among top CO2 emitters globally - targets carbon neutrality by 2050.

Jan 17  - China coal output in Dec slips on COVID; rises to record in 2022
China's daily coal output in December fell from November's record as the country's rapidly expanding COVID-19 outbreak has sickened miners and slowed demand from industrial users. China produced 402.69 million tonnes of coal last month, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed on Tuesday, equivalent to 12.99 million tonnes per day.

Jan 17  - India to boost coal imports to cope with harsh weather, freight snags
India's power utilities will likely boost coal imports this year to cope with surges in demand, made worse over the past year by extreme temperatures, and with freight bottlenecks that are disrupting domestic coal supplies, analysts and officials said. A steady rise in industrial electricity use in recent years has left utilities in India, one of the world's fastest growing major economies and the second-largest coal consumer and importer, with limited leeway to confront extraordinary demand or hiccups in supply.

Jan 16  - German hard coal importers able to replace Russian supply - industry body
German importers of hard coal for power generation plants and steelmaking have found new supply sources, enabling them to end reliance on Russia after a European Union ban, their association said on Friday. "Traders have found new focal points: United States, South Africa and Colombia," industry association VDKi said in a statement.

Jan 16  - U.S. climate envoy Kerry outlines carbon offset initiative for developing nations
U.S. climate envoy John Kerry on Sunday outlined core principles for a "high-integrity" carbon offset plan meant to help developing nations speed their energy transition, and next steps including establishing a consultative group. The Energy Transition Accelerator (ETA), first announced at last year's COP27 climate conference, is being developed by the United States with the Bezos Earth Fund and the Rockefeller Foundation to mobilise private capital.

Jan 12 - NATO, EU to boost protection for pipelines, key infrastructure
NATO and the EU are launching a task force to boost protection of critical infrastructure in response to last year's attack on the Nord Stream gas pipelines and Russia's "weaponising of energy," the organisations' leaders said on Wednesday. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the sabotage of the Russia-to-Germany pipelines in the Baltic Sea last September showed the need "to confront this new type of threat". 

Jan 12 - Global LNG volumes hit record high as Europe crowds out poorer Asia
The world imported more liquefied natural gas (LNG) in 2022 than ever before, but the war in Ukraine has meant that the growth was concentrated in wealthy European countries and away from poorer Asian countries. Total global LNG imports rose to 409 million tonnes last year from 386.5 million tonnes in 2021, according to data from Refinitiv, while figures from commodity analysts Kpler showed a slightly lower 400.5 million tonnes, up from 379.6 million tonnes.

Jan 11 - Shell energy transition prompted talks to sell Norway business
Shell held talks with Harbour Energy to sell its Norwegian oil and gas fields last year but could not reach a deal due to gas price volatility and uncertainty over the long-term outlook, three company sources told Reuters. London-based Shell has said it will focus its oil and gas operations in nine basins around the world, triggering a growing internal competition among assets as it aims to gradually reduce its oil and gas output and grow renewables and low-carbon operations to cut its greenhouse gas emissions. 

Jan 11 - Russian gas transit via Ukraine lower amid warm weather in Europe
Russian gas transit to Europe via Ukraine has been some 16% lower in the past week from previous levels amid mild weather in Europe, a source familiar with the data said on Tuesday, and as the region remains well supplied with gas from other sources. Kremlin-controlled gas giant Gazprom has said that Russian daily gas deliveries via the Sudzha entry point through Ukraine to Europe have been at 35.5 million cubic metres (mcm) for the past five days, down from more than 40 mcm in the past few months.

Jan 10  - Norway expects jump in oil output and gas near record highs
Norway's oil output is expected to rise by 6.9% this year as the huge Johan Sverdrup field ramps up production while gas volumes are predicted to remain unchanged near record highs, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) said on Monday. Production of crude oil and other petroleum liquids such as condensate is likely to increase to 2.02 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2023 from 1.89 million last year, NPD's forecasts show.

Jan 10  - UK slashes energy subsidies for businesses in 2023/24
Britain announced plans on Monday to scale back energy subsidies for businesses for the next financial year by about 85% to 5.5 billion pounds, after the government described the currnt level of support as "unsustainably expensive". The current six-month programme of energy support that will expire at the end of March was predicted to cost 18.4 billion pounds when the government's budget watchdog published forecasts in November.

Jan 09 - China boosts coal output, eases Australia ban to bolster energy security
The increasing need to secure energy supplies after easing COVID-19 restrictions has pushed China to gradually resume Australian coal imports and urge domestic miners to boost their already record output. The lifting of the unofficial ban on Australian coal imports, which were halted in 2020 in a fit of Chinese pique over questions on COVID's origins, is the clearest sign yet of the renewed ties between them.  

Jan 09 - Shell LNG trading to lift quarterly profits despite output drop
Earnings from Shell's liquefied natural gas (LNG) trading operations are likely to have been significantly higher in the fourth quarter of last year despite an output drop caused by plant outages, it said on Friday. Europe's largest oil and gas company's update ahead of its full-year results on Feb. 2 also flagged a $2 billion accounting hit in 2022 as a result of European Union and British windfall taxes on the energy sector.

Jan 06 - Even in crisis, Germany extends power exports to neighbours
Germany exported more electricity to its neighbours than it imported in 2022, even with an energy crisis at home, thanks to more more weather-driven renewable power and greater demand from France. While Switzerland and Austria were the main export destinations, in a notable shift Germany exported more to France than it imported as the nuclear-reliant country grappled with technical problems at its reactors that curtailed production. 

Jan 06 - Czech firm Net4Gas missing latest payments from Gazprom
Czech natural gas transmission system operator Net4Gas (N4G) has not received the latest monthly contracted payments from Russia's Gazprom, a government minister said. Net4Gas's revenues from the contracts accounted for three quarters of total 2021 revenue, the company said in a filing late on Wednesday.

Jan 05 - U.S. poised to regain crown as world's top LNG exporter
The United States is on track to become the world's biggest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) this year - ahead of current market leader Australia - once a fire-idled Texas plant is restarted, according to Reuters data. A June fire sidelined Freeport LNG, the second biggest U.S. export facility, and cut U.S. exports of the fuel by about 2 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd).  

Jan 05 - Europe's gas prices slump to moderate storage build
Europe’s gas prices are slumping as the combination of mild weather and reduced industrial consumption has produced an unusual seasonal increase in inventories which threatens to overwhelm the storage system. Inventories in the European Union and the United Kingdom (EU28) are at the second-highest for the time of year in the last decade and on course to end the northern hemisphere winter at an exceptionally high level.

Jan 04 - Tokyo Gas unit nears $4.6 billion deal to buy U.S. natgas producer
A unit of Tokyo Gas Co Ltd is in advanced talks to buy U.S. natural gas producer Rockcliff Energy from private equity firm Quantum Energy Partners for about $4.6 billion, including debt, people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. If consummated, the deal would be the latest move by a Japanese entity to secure gas in jurisdictions perceived as friendly, the importance of which has risen for the import-dependent Asian nation after supply markets for the commodity were roiled by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 

Jan 04 - Bulgaria signs long-term gas deal with Turkey
Bulgaria's state gas company Bulgargaz on Tuesday signed a long-term deal with Turkish state gas firm Botas, giving it access to neighbouring Turkey's gas network and liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals to help bring in supplies. Bulgaria was almost fully dependent on Russian gas, but is seeking alternatives after Moscow cut off deliveries in April over Sofia's refusal to pay in roubles.

Jan 03  - Indonesia approves $3 bln development plan for South China Sea gas block
Indonesia has approved the first plan of development for the Tuna offshore gas field with total estimated investment of $3.07 billion up to the start of production, upstream oil and gas regulator SKK Migas said on Monday. The Tuna field, located in the South China Sea between Indonesia and Vietnam, is expected to reach peak production of 115 million standard cubic feet per day (MMSCFD) in 2027, SKK Migas spokesperson Mohammad Kemal said.  

Jan 03  - Britain opens nuclear fuel fund with aim to cut reliance on Russia
Britain said on Monday its 75-million-pound fund aimed at helping boost domestic production of nuclear fuel for power plants and cutting reliance on Russian uranium supplies was now open for applications. The fund, announced in July, will award grants to businesses involved in uranium conversion, a key stage in the process of creating nuclear fuel from the metal.