Energy Sector News

[petit_bateau]

At some point China will be reopening for Covid ...

Hong Kong "overwhelmed" as COVID infections hit record

The latest wave of COVID-19 infections has "overwhelmed" Hong Kong, the city's leader said on Monday as daily cases surged by some 20 times over the past two weeks, leaving hospitals short of beds and struggling to cope.

www.reuters.com

Iran talks not dead, honest

Iran 'is in a hurry' to revive nuclear deal if its interests secured -foreign minister

Iran is "in a hurry" to strike a new nuclear accord as long as its national interests are protected, its foreign minister said on Monday as Tehran and the United States resumed indirect talks on salvaging Tehran's 2015 agreement with world powers.

www.reuters.com

European gas reliance

Europe relies primarily on imports to meet its natural gas needs - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

www.eia.gov

Missile coverages zones get bigger every day

https://twitter.com/x/status/1492583618279096326

Tanks opposite Kharkiv

https://twitter.com/x/status/1492514834264596484

EV supply chains, new fear

The Rise of Electric Vehicles (EV) Sales Implications for Mineral Supply Chains

Discover how the surging sales of electric vehicles (EVs) are posing challenges to mineral supply chains. implications for critical minerals such as lithium and cobalt, essential for EV batteries

www.energymonitor.ai

Blades get bigger every day as well (note, moulds in DK not UK)

Vestas Installs Mould for World's Longest Wind Turbine Blades

Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas has installed the moulds for the 115.5-metre turbine blades to be installed on the V236-15 MW prototype offshore wind turbine later this year.

www.offshorewind.biz

France goes offshore

Macron: France to Build 50 Offshore Wind Farms by 2050

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that France will have around 40 GW of offshore wind capacity in operation by 2050.

www.offshorewind.biz

 

[petit_bateau]

Mass production of gravity bases looks like this

Fécamp Gravity-Based Foundations Rise, Saipem 7000 to Handle Them

The first of the 71 gravity-based foundations for the Fécamp offshore wind farm has been completed at the Grand Port Maritime of Le Havre, France.

www.offshorewind.biz

Extremism live and funding in the usual places

Foreign money funding ‘extremism’ in Canada, says hacker

Exclusive: leak shows more than half of donations to convoy protest through GiveSendGo came from US

www.theguardian.com

More funding, same UK battery dream

Britishvolt kicks off funding round with $54 mln from Glencore

Electric vehicle (EV) battery startup Britishvolt said on Tuesday it will launch a Series C funding round with a starting investment of 40 million pounds ($54 million) from mining giant Glencore .

www.reuters.com

Monopile manoeuvres

UK Monopile Factory Changes Location, New Address at Teesworks

South Korean pipe manufacturer SeAH Wind Ltd will build a GBP 200-300 million UK XXL monopile manufacturing facility at Teesworks.

www.offshorewind.biz

You've gotta love the quote, "”The US [offshore wind] market has a lot of potential, but has a fundamentally different approach to Risk engineering and management, which is not matching with our operating model, wherefore we have opted to exit this market,” "

Danish Marine Survey Specialist Exits US Offshore Wind Market

Denmark-headquartered marine survey provider, Survey Association, has decided to exit the US offshore wind market.

www.offshorewind.biz

Russia may be pulling back

Russia confirms ‘partial’ withdrawal of troops from Ukraine border

Move could be sign of de-escalation but western officials say there are no immediate signs of Russian drawdown

www.theguardian.com

Or maybe not given the tread detail

https://twitter.com/x/status/1493381856393375745

And this is called loitering with intent in the littoral

https://twitter.com/x/status/1493288837849976835

Germany tells gas firms [it is their job to] to get ready for the next time (does this mean Nordstream 2 denial more likely ?)

Bloomberg - Are you a robot?

IEA adds in that missing 800k bbls

Tighter oil market confirmed by IEA demand revision

An upward revision in historical oil demand by the International Energy Agency in its monthly report points to a tighter global market than the West's energy watchdog had previously estimated.

www.reuters.com

Smart metering penetrates deeper

First 3GPP Release 15 small cell for smart metering

Hermes Release 15 LTE-M/NB-IoT small cell use cases include filling coverage gaps in basement and deep indoor smart metering applications.

www.smart-energy.com

US splurges other peoples money

The US to improve EV charging with $5bn funding

New funding announced by the US Departments of Energy and Transportation is expected to help increase the number of EV charging stations.

www.smart-energy.com

Elon Musk moves $5bn to charity late in 2021 (brings his total personal sales to ~10% of his holdings)

Tesla, TSLA & the Investment World: the Perpetual Investors' Roundtable

For those without Twitter. Form 5 showing that Elon has donated 5M shares. That may actually have caused some weakness in shares as the recipient entity (likely a charity), would likely have liquidated the shares in receipt. This was Elon's SEC Form 5, and the "ANNUAL STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN...

teslamotorsclub.com

Tesla China figures courtesy Rob Maurer

And the Kia dog wins cuteness trophy in ritual US-ian advert competition

Kia's cute robot dog won the Super Bowl of car commercials

Kia's Super Bowl ad generated a big boost for the brand on the Cars.com website where searches increased over 900%.

www.foxbusiness.com

Nice shot of what looks like one of the Brents coming in for cutting up (pity about the O&G licence story though)

New North Sea oil and gas licences ‘incompatible with UK climate goals’

Warning from experts comes as government is under pressure to approve new works amid energy crisis

www.theguardian.com

 

[petit_bateau]

Ukraine/Russia maybe de-escalating, maybe not

Ukraine hit by cyber attack as U.S. questions Russian troop pullback

Kyiv appeared to blame Russia for a cyber attack on Tuesday as U.S. President Joe Biden warned that more than 150,000 Russian troops were still amassed near Ukraine's borders after Moscow's announcement of a partial pullback was met with scepticism.

www.reuters.com

Ukraine/Russia cyber attacks

West warns military build-up near Ukraine growing, not shrinking

There is a growing Russian military presence at Ukraine's borders, Western countries warned on Wednesday, as Estonia said battle groups were moving ahead of a likely attack to occupy "key terrain," contradicting Moscow's insistence of a pullback.

www.reuters.com

So protectionism OK to harden your systems

US must increase manufacturing of core grid equipment, despite costs: Berkshire Hathaway Energy

Securing the grid means moving development of some critical equipment back to the United States — or at least away from China, say experts. But that will come with a cost.

www.utilitydive.com

France reaffirms nuclear

Macron sets out plan for French nuclear renaissance : Nuclear Policies - World Nuclear News

France will construct six new nuclear power reactors, consider building a further eight and push ahead with the development of small modular reactors, President Emmanuel Macron has said.

www.world-nuclear-news.org

so France buys GE nuclear unit (poor old GE has really messed up energy big time these last couple decades)

EDF to buy part of GE Steam Power's nuclear activities : Corporate - World Nuclear News

GE of the USA has agreed to sell part of GE Steam Power's nuclear power activities, including Arabelle steam turbines, to France's EDF.

www.world-nuclear-news.org

and everyone talks SMR reactors inc TVA (submariners gotta have retirement jobs)

TVA announces new nuclear programme : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News

The Tennessee Valley Authority has announced a new nuclear programme to explore advanced nuclear technology as part of its decarbonisation goals. One of its first tasks will be to pursue a construction licence application for a light-water, small modular reactor at the Clinch River site.

www.world-nuclear-news.org

more Dutch hydrogen dreams

Neptune Energy, RWE Unveil Offshore Wind-to-Hydrogen Project in the Netherlands

Neptune Energy and RWE have signed a Joint Development Agreement to develop a green hydrogen project which will use offshore wind energy.

www.offshorewind.biz

NATO starts to think about hardening the south-eastern periphery

NATO to consider new troops on southeastern flank amid Russian threat

NATO defence ministers are expected this week to set in motion a plan that could establish four multinational battlegroups in southeastern Europe in response to Russia's military build-up in Ukraine, four diplomats said.

www.reuters.com

which makes it worth reading about how the NATO hardening of the Baltics has been shaping up

The Abilities of the British, French, and German Armies to Generate and Sustain Armored Brigades in the Baltics

This report assesses the current capacity of Britain, France, and Germany to generate armored units for a hypothetical deployment to the Baltics. Could they muster a full brigade each? How quickly could they do that, and for how long?

www.rand.org

and that in turn makes it worth understanding the constraints the medium NATO nations have

Could France Support a U.S.-Led War in Eastern Europe?

France has a greater range of capabilities than most other European militaries. It has remained strongly committed to NATO and bilateral defense cooperation with the United States. What capabilities might France bring to a hypothetical high-intensity conventional war against Russia?

www.rand.org

and I suspect what the implications are for US posture has been getting a lot of reading

Deterrence and Escalation in Competition with Russia

U.S. forward military posture has the potential to deter Russian hostile measures such as economic coercion, political subversion, and military intimidation. But employed inappropriately, it could also provoke them. What can the United States do to reduce the likelihood of escalation?

www.rand.org

EV charging for consumers looking patchy

Electric car charging points ‘spread too unequally across UK’

SMMT says number of chargers has not grown fast enough to keep up with growth of EVs

www.theguardian.com

EV charging freight for industrial purposes ..... good stats in this .... 40MW feed for one site

Could Fleet Electrification be the Next Big Grid Disrupter?

The transition from combustion engines to electric batteries has begun and will be enormous for not only vehicle owners and manufacturers, but also electric utilities.

www.tdworld.com

so the anti-renewables brigade pushing to say don't worry

UK urged not to abandon climate goals amid net zero row

Climate experts fear attacks falsely linking net zero to energy price rises are undermining UK emissions targets

www.theguardian.com

 

[petit_bateau]

[WESTERN] Strategic Response Options If Russia Cuts Gas Supplies to Europe

https://www.bakerinstitute.org/media/files/files/d18d1719/ces-wp2-russiagas-021122.pdf

[RUSSIAN] strategic energy options if .... (see above)

Russia ready to re-route energy flows if hit by new sanctions

Russia would be ready to re-route supplies to other markets should new Western sanctions target its energy sector, finance minister Anton Siluanov said on Wednesday.

www.reuters.com

Border not quiet

Biden to host call with Nato allies as invasion fears grow – as it happened

US president says threat of Russian invasion ‘very high’, after Ukraine government source says shelling ‘looks like provocation’

www.theguardian.com

EU wants more wind faster

EU Streamlining Path to 300 GW by 2050 Offshore Wind Target

The Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have set out recommendations on how to deploy offshore wind more quickly in a report adopted on Wednesday, 16 February.

www.offshorewind.biz

China derisking 16MW offshore turbines ASAP

16.6 MW Wind Turbines to Spin Offshore China

China's MingYang Smart Energy plans to deploy two wind turbines with an individual capacity of 16.6 MW at the MingYang Yangjiang Qingzhou Four offshore wind farm in the South China Sea.

www.offshorewind.biz

Oil at mid $90s/bbl

Oil resumes rally as Russia-Ukraine tensions stay high

Oil prices rose more than 1% on Wednesday as investors weighed conflicting statements on the possible withdrawal of some Russian troops from around Ukraine.

www.reuters.com

 

[petit_bateau]

Hydrogen mania

Hydrogen-fuelled green freight | Enlit World

H2 Clipper, a California based aerospace and alternative energy company, has the hydrogen-based technology to revolutionise green transport.

www.enlit.world

Renewable cement

Ground-breaking projects advance decarbonisation of cement industry

This week saw the launch of a government, industry and academia alliance in Dubai, while in Spain a trial used solar power for cement production.

www.smart-energy.com

Home storage (includes downloadable report)

Residential storage on the rise as homeowners seek control over power usage

More homeowners are investing in residential energy storage systems to reduce inconveniences associated with power outages.

www.smart-energy.com

LNG .... dare we say "bubble" ....

Why the LNG Gold Rush Could Soon Turn to Dust: Cleaner Fuels

LNG demand has boomed this century - but sustained high prices and an accelerating energy transition are creating uncertainty.

www.energymonitor.ai

LNG in Europe ... dare we say "full"

Brimming European LNG terminals lack room for more gas

Europe's liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals have limited available capacity to absorb extra supply from the United States or other major producers in the event gas from Russia is disrupted if it invades Ukraine.

www.reuters.com

Lots of Chinese offshore wind connected

WFO Says China Connected 12.7 GW of Offshore Wind in 2021

A report just released by World Forum Offshore Wind (WFO) states that China connected 12.7 GW of new offshore wind capacity to its grid last year. This is 4.2 GW less than reported last month based on data from China's National Energy Administration.

www.offshorewind.biz

Five Australian and three NZ offshore wind projects mooted

Two Co-Founders of Australia's First Offshore Wind Farm Eye Building 4 Floating Wind Projects

A company founded in 2020 by two of the co-founders of the Star of the South, Australia's first proposed offshore wind farm, is planning to build five offshore wind projects in the country and three in New Zealand.

www.offshorewind.biz

Offshore wind levelised cost going down 10c/kWh in 2025, 4c/kWh in 2050

Floating Wind LCOE to Drop Below USD 40/MWh by 2050, Installed Capacity to Reach 264 GW

Floating wind technology development will enable the levelised cost of energy (LCOE) to drop below USD 100/MWh by 2025 and under USD 40/MWh in 2050, which will further drive, together with some other factors, an increase in cumulative installed capacity to 264 GW by 2050, according to a report...

www.offshorewind.biz

Japan : Heavy duty large scale ammonia co-firing with coal, firm contracts, long term, this is the real deal

Japan's JERA to seek 500,000 T of fuel ammonia a year through global auction

Japan's biggest power generator, JERA, said on Friday it will conduct an international auction to buy up to 500,000 tonnes of ammonia a year from 2027 to be used as a fuel in its coal-fired power plants to cut carbon dioxide emissions.

www.reuters.com

Russians doing the normal, NATO getting better at calling it out

Joe Biden says risk of Russian invasion of Ukraine ‘very high’

Liz Truss says reports of Ukrainian military activity in Donbas are ‘straight out of the Kremlin playbook’

www.theguardian.com

VAG-Porsche-laden car carrier on fire (fighting fires at sea ain't funny, been there, done that, wonder what caused this to start)

Car Carrier Felicity Ace Abandoned After Catching Fire in Atlantic Ocean

A car carrier is abandoned and on fire in the North Atlantic near the Azores. All 22 crew members of the M/V Felicity Ace abandoned ship safely and were picked...

gcaptain.com

and

FELICITY ACE sank – Maritime Bulletin

www.maritimebulletin.net

Voigt on Giga Berlin

.... and for fun, strong winds in the UK right now, so here is an on-line grid monitor

GB Fuel type power generation production

GridWatch | Live statistic of UK National Electricity grid by type of generation | Solar PV power Generation | Coal Stations output in Gigawatts | Wind Output Gigawatts | Nuclear energy output |Biomass power generation Output

gridwatch.co.uk

 

[petit_bateau]

Donetsk & Luhansk preparations for pretext ongoing

https://twitter.com/x/status/1494684295566397444

 

[petit_bateau]

US closed, some sort of holiday

Russian military open, no holiday

Images show new Russian deployments of armor and troops near Ukraine -Maxar

Satellite images show multiple new field deployments of armored equipment and troops from Russian garrisons near the border with Ukraine, a private U.S. company said on Sunday, in what its director said indicated increased military readiness.

www.reuters.com

.... being closely watched

https://twitter.com/x/status/1495504712522731527

.... by everyone

https://twitter.com/x/status/1495513391263371267

LNG volumes up 6% in 2021

LNG Outlook 2022 | Shell Global

The global trade in liquefied natural gas (LNG) increased to 380 million tonnes during 2021 as many countries rebounded from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Shell’s latest annual LNG Outlook.

www.shell.com

US nuclear delay on missing documents

Georgia Power Parent Pushes Out Vogtle Timeline

The company recently found that ‘tens of thousands’ of inspection records at the massive project were missing or incomplete.

www.tdworld.com

 

[petit_bateau]

Oil price outlook for 2022/23 Baltic Exchange tanker forum JOHN KEMP REUTERS 21 Feb 2022

https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/ce/znvnejyjypl/OIL%20PRICE%20OUTLOOK%20FOR%202022-2023.pdf

Offshore two-bladers not yet dead in water

Two-Bladed Floater Sets Deployment Date as Petrofac Joins In

Petrofac has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Seawind Ocean Technology, an engineering and technology company which has developed what Petrofac describes as ''a unique floating offshore wind energy system''.

www.offshorewind.biz

No kidding, long term storage required (UK)

UK – up to 24GW of long duration energy storage needed by 2035

Approximately half of UK’s 2035 energy storage requirements will be long duration, Aurora Energy Research reports.

www.smart-energy.com

No kidding, you must fill your gas storage (EU)

EU will consider making countries fill gas storage - energy chief

The European Union will consider whether to require member states to fill their natural gas storage to prescribed levels, a senior official said as the bloc seeks energy security amid fears of a conflict in Ukraine involving major supplier Russia.

www.reuters.com

No kidding, you must fill your gas storage (Germany)

Germany must regulate gas storage to secure supplies - Habeck

Germany must introduce regulation that commits its privately operated gas storage facility to have full capacity before winter to avoid the kind of energy crunch gripping the country, Economy Minister Robert Habeck said on Monday.

www.reuters.com

Can't think why everyone is paying attention to storage, er, perhaps an invasion is concentrating minds

Russian tanks enter Donbass

https://twitter.com/x/status/1495873827678605322

Russia told it is a teeny bit naughty

Russia strongly condemned at UN after Putin orders troops into eastern Ukraine

Ukraine’s foreign minister appealed for strong sanctions as the only way of stalling further Russian encroachment

www.theguardian.com

Putin ambiguous over territorial aims

Putin’s absurd, angry spectacle will be a turning point in his long reign

Analysis: This was a supreme leader marshalling his minions for a decision that will change the security architecture in Europe and may well lead to horrific war

www.theguardian.com

Germans say Nordstream2 dead

https://twitter.com/x/status/1496078840946470917

Indications Hungarians may veto EU sanctions, Orban as Putin puppet redux

London Playbook: Red dawn — The ‘i’ word — Sanctions ratchet

What's driving the day in Westminster. Politics and policymaking in the UK capital.

www.politico.eu

Hungarians say they will co-operate

Hungary Falls into Line over EU Sanctions for Russian Invasion of Ukraine

Viktor Orban alleviates fears his Kremlin-friendly government would veto any sanctions on Russia over its occupation of Ukrainian territory.

balkaninsight.com

High energy prices and renewables

Will rising gas prices hasten the switch to renewables?

The soaring cost of energy is top of mind for consumers worldwide. How will the increase affect climate and energy policy?

www.energymonitor.ai

The rich pollute more (that's us folks)
Weekly data: Targeting the super-rich could contribute to net zero

McKinsey smell money

McKinsey’s $275trn net-zero cost estimate “hides the choices we have”

A landmark report does not account for the physical impacts of climate change and balance the cost of action and inaction, says E3G.

www.energymonitor.ai

 

[petit_bateau]

Uh oh

https://twitter.com/x/status/1496083615570141189

 

[Jacob Thompson]

Climate, whether, whatever... Extreme weather has cost Europe about €500bn over 40 years

 

[petit_bateau]

amazingly oil stayed under $100 so far

irony alert : SPE strapline "Leading A Sustainable Future Of Accessible And Responsible Energy"

Home | 17 - 19 Oct 2022 | Adelaide, Australia - SPE Asia Pacific Oil & Gas Conference and Exhibition - SPE.org

www.spe.org

Russia seizes full control of Belarus, no-one notices

The Russian Incursion No One Is Talking About

While the world watches Ukraine, Moscow is making moves in neighboring Belarus, too.

www.theatlantic.com

Russia seizes Donbass, USA correctly calls it an invasion

Likelihood of war escalates as Putin promises to support proxy Ukraine states

Biden denounces Putin’s recognising Donetsk and Luhansk as ‘so-called countries’ and unveils new sanctions

www.theguardian.com

Ukraine aims not to be a pushover

Ukrainians ready for resistance: ‘The whole country will be fighting back’

Army less well equipped than Russia’s but can call upon half a million combat-experienced veterans

www.theguardian.com

Germans halt Nordstream 2

Germany halts Nord Stream 2 approval over Russian recognition of Ukraine ‘republics’

Chancellor Olaf Scholz suspends gas pipeline over ‘grave breach’ of international law

www.theguardian.com

UK Cons promises some sanctions one day if they can find them under all the piles of Russian funding

Boris Johnson under pressure from Tories and opposition MPs to go further on Russia sanctions – as it happened

PM unveils sanctions on five Russian banks and three individuals

www.theguardian.com

Leased offshore wind coming to an oilfield near you

First Mobile Offshore Wind Turbines to Be Market-Ready in 2024

Odfjell Oceanwind plans to order the first batch of floating Mobile Offshore Wind Units (MOWUs) later in 2022, with a plan of going into operation in 2024.

www.offshorewind.biz

German GW-scale green hydrogen

Uniper Mulls Gigawatt-Scale Offshore Wind Connection for Green Hydrogen Project

German energy company Uniper and compatriot steel manufacturer, Salzgitter AG, have concluded a cooperation agreement with the aim of Uniper supplying the SALCOS project in Salzgitter with green hydrogen at competitive conditions for the production of climate-compatible steel.

www.offshorewind.biz

Warm winter leaves stocks middlish (watch for a Russian squeeze on Europe gas inventory through 2022)

https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/ce/movandmnopa/WINTER%202021-2022.pdf

Swedish mini-nuke, lead-cooled

Funding for demonstration Swedish SMR : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News

The Swedish Energy Agency has awarded Swedish Modular Reactors AB - a joint venture between Uniper Sweden and LeadCold - funding of just over SEK99 million (USD10.6 million) in support of the construction of a demonstration LeadCold SEALER lead-cooled small modular reactor at the Oskarshamn...

www.world-nuclear-news.org

UK mini-nuke, gas cooled (hones, it is to make hydrogen, really and cheap too)

UK seeks views on HTGR advanced reactor demonstration plan : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News

Feedback is being sought on the proposed plan ahead of a formal Invitation to Tender for the Advanced Modular Reactor Research, Development & Demonstration programme.

www.world-nuclear-news.org

Chinese big nuclear builds continue

Fuqing 6 reaches full power as Hongyanhe 6 nears startup : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News

Unit 6 of the Fuqing nuclear power plant in China's Fujian province has reached 100% full power operation for the first time. Meanwhile, the National Nuclear Safety Administration has completed a comprehensive pre-operational inspection at unit 6 of the Hongyanhe plant in Liaoning province.

www.world-nuclear-news.org

France nuclear needs more money (EUR 2.5bn)

France's EDF plans EUR2.5 billion rights issue : Corporate - World Nuclear News

The state-controlled nuclear giant EDF says it is to raise EUR2.5 billion (USD2.8 billion) to help cover the costs of measures imposed to limit French energy bills and a projected fall in nuclear output.

www.world-nuclear-news.org

US nuclear overuns by US 1bn

Further delay in startup of Vogtle AP1000s : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News

Vogtle unit 3 is now expected to be in service by the end of the first quarter of 2023, with unit 4 following by the fourth quarter of 2023, Georgia Power has announced. In addition, the company said its share of total Vogtle capital costs has increased about USD920 million.

www.world-nuclear-news.org

Dino-croc dated by nuclear down-under

Nuclear techniques confirm crocodile was dinosaur eater : Regulation & Safety - World Nuclear News

Studies at Australian nuclear science and technology organisation ANSTO have confirmed that a crocodile that lived some 93 million years ago in what is now Central Queensland ate dinosaurs. Neutron and synchrotron instruments were used to reveal and reconstruct the crocodile's fossilised stomach...

www.world-nuclear-news.org

 

[petit_bateau]

Oil now over $100 after Russian invasion of Ukraine commenced a new phase at large scale (remember folks, it started in 2014, this is just a new phase)

Missiles rain down around Ukraine

Ukrainian forces battled Russian invaders on three sides on Thursday after Moscow unleashed the biggest attack on a European state since World War Two, prompting tens of thousands of people to flee their homes.

www.reuters.com

EU confirms various strategic energy infrastructure investments

EU Invests Over €1 Billion in Energy Infrastructure in Support of the Green Deal

The largest amount of funding will go to the EuroAsia interconnector project to support the first electricity interconnection between Cyprus and the European grid.

www.tdworld.com

 

[petit_bateau]

Russian invasion of Ukraine continues

Fighting reaches Kyiv as Russian invasion of Ukraine intensifies

Air raid sirens wail over capital and heavy gunfire and explosions heard in residential district

www.theguardian.com

Russian armour appears to have reached Kiev suburbs, targetting civilian cars (amazingly they managed to get the driver out alive)

https://twitter.com/x/status/1497137158448025600

Middling sanctions announced by West

Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki and Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics and Deputy NEC Director Daleep Singh, February 24, 2022 | The White House

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room 5:35 P.M. EST MS. PSAKI: Hi, everyone. Okay, back by popular demand. If he decides he’s not going to be an economic expert anymore, he might have a future in our business or in our — in the press office. So back — Daleep is back. He’s going to…

www.whitehouse.gov

US offshore wind appetitising in auctions

New York Bight Lease Sale Days 2 & 3

New York Bight offshore wind lease sale has reached more than USD 3 billion in total bids after 46 bidding rounds. The auction resumes on 25 February.

www.offshorewind.biz

US Supreme court doesn't want to think about pollution

Supreme court case could restrict Biden’s effort to tackle climate crisis

Court to hear West Virginia case that takes aim at EPA’s ability to issue strict rules to curb pollution from fossil fuel power stations

www.theguardian.com

Sensible oil bull case

 

[petit_bateau]

from News, sport and opinion from the Guardian's UK edition | The Guardian

"In a historic announcement to parliament, German chancellor Olaf Scholz has said a fund of 100 billion Euros will be set up immediately in order to boost the strength of its armed forces, as well as announcing a sustained increase in defence spending over the coming years.

Scholz admitted that the urgency of the Ukraine crisis had forced the decision to invest in the German military telling the emergency session of the Bundestag “it is clear that we must invest significantly more in the security of our country, in order to protect our freedom and democracy.”

He called it “Germany’s historical responsibility” to ensure that Russian president Vladimir Putin “does not turn the clocks back”.

Long-term, defence spending is to be increased year on year by more than 2% of GDP he said. It is currently around 1.5% "

....During his half-hour address, Scholz .....issued five “mandates for action”.

• The first was the delivery of weapons to Ukraine, which he said “can be the only answer to Putin’s aggression”.
• The second was to support sanctions against Russian interests including the suspension of the Swift payment system.
• Ensuring that the war does not spill over into other countries, citing the importance of Nato’s Article 5.
• Significant increase in German military spending; as well as other historical strategic changes, including, in effort to decrease German dependence on Russian gas, the construction of two [LNG regasification] terminals allowing the import of Liquid Petroleum Gas, in the ports of Brunsbüttel and Wilhelmshaven.

This follows his decision last week to suspend approval of the gas pipeline Nord Stream 2, effectively killing the multi-billion Euro project."

 

[petit_bateau]

A good summary of each day's military outcome re the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the most reliable update map is to be found on the wiki pages. Many of the news/media maps base off of the wiki ones.

Russian invasion of Ukraine - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

and

File:2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.svg - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Russia shut out of SWIFT

Fighting on streets of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, as west bars Russian banks from Swift

Russian troops enter key city after attacks on oil facilities as western allies agree to block major Russian banks from international payment system

www.theguardian.com

Ruble falling to record low, RUS central bank blocked

Russian rouble plunges to record low amid outrage over Ukraine

Investors flock to safe haven currencies including the US dollar and yen amid growing international isolation of Moscow.

www.aljazeera.com

and

Ukraine war: sanctions-hit Russian rouble crashes as Zelenskiy speaks of ‘crucial’ 24 hours

Some analysts expect a ‘complete collapse’ in currency amid signs one state-backed bank could fail, while Ukraine president warns key moment has arrived

www.theguardian.com

The UKR general staff give a daily report

https://www.mil.gov.ua/news/2022/02/28/rosijski-okupanti-znizili-tempi-nastupu-%E2%80%93-generalnij-shtab-zsu/

Germany hits every button to wean off off RUS gas asap

Nuclear, coal, LNG: 'no taboos' in Germany's energy about-face

Germany signalled a U-turn in key energy policies on Sunday, floating the possibility of extending the life-spans of coal and even nuclear plants to cut dependency on Russian gas, part of a broad political rethink following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

www.reuters.com

UKR energy connections to EU to be accelerated

Connecting Ukraine to Europe’s Electricity Grid

Technical Details and Hard Geopolitics

www.swp-berlin.org

and

Europe wants to speed up power grid link with Ukraine

The European Union wants Ukraine's electricity grid to be synchronised with the European network as soon as possible, the bloc's energy policy chief said on Sunday, in a step that would make it more independent from Russia.

www.reuters.com

BP to divest Rosneft, expect Total, Shell, etc to be next on list of their stakes in RUS O&G

bp to exit Rosneft shareholding | News and insights | Home

27 February 2022

www.bp.com

and

BP to offload $14bn stake in Russian state oil firm Rosneft after UK pressure

‘Fundamental change’ in relations with Moscow follows call from minister raising concerns

www.theguardian.com

EU will supply arms to UKR (buy & ship) including fighter aircraft, some reports are that UKR has already been resupplied with air-to-air missiles that are compatible with its existing SUs, so must have originated in PO, RO, HU, etc

https://twitter.com/x/status/1498029493033881601

China queries support for Russia, "As the Chinese saying goes: you cannot call a deer a horse."

‘They were fooled by Putin’: Chinese historians speak out against Russian invasion

An open letter written by five historians denounced the war. They hope to persuade Beijing to make their stance clearer

www.theguardian.com

Panasonic to make 4680 format, 2024

https://news.panasonic.com/global/press/data/2022/02/en220228-6/en220228-6-1.pdf

EU closes airspace to RUS, bans media

EU ups the ante with Russia; closes airspace, bans media

European Union announces new sanctions targeting Russian airlines, state-affiliated media.

www.aljazeera.com

UK storage demo, four technologies in head-to-head

EDF to demonstrate four long duration energy storage technologies in UK

EDF UK has been awarded £2 million from the UK government to demonstrate hydrogen, compressed air and next-gen battery storage.

www.smart-energy.com

Irish storage

Fluence provides energy storage system for Killala wind farm in Ireland

Fluence has supplied a 10.8MW battery-based energy storage system for Killala Community Wind Farm owned by Greencoat Renewables.

www.smart-energy.com

Winter of 2022/2023 the one to watch next

Analysis: Russian risks stoke fears for European winter gas supplies

Europe will need to secure large quantities of gas if it wants to avoid soaring prices and crippling energy bills next winter in the event of disruption to flows from Russia.

www.reuters.com

and there is a growing trend of UKR farmers harvesting RUS vehicles that have run out of fuel

https://twitter.com/x/status/1498258102034046976

 

[petit_bateau]

Russian 2022 invasion of Ukraine, day 6

Ukraine: what we know on day six of Russia’s invasion

Dozens of Ukrainian soldiers die in attack on military base in Okhtyrka as Russian column approaching Kyiv appears to stall

www.theguardian.com

Shell sells out of Russia (so .... Sakhalin 2, Salym, Nordstream 2, etc)

Shell joins BP in selling Russian assets as pressure on Kremlin-linked firms grows

British oil major to exit joint ventures with Gazprom after BP pledged to sell its 20% Rosneft stake

www.theguardian.com

Long term investments in O&G problematic

Russia-Ukraine conflict: energy transition set to shrug off oil price surge

While the high prices might tempt investments in fossil fuels, analysts warn against committing to long-term projects.

www.energymonitor.ai

Ukraine opens various accounts to accept individual donations

NBU Opens Special Account to Raise Funds for Ukraine’s Armed Forces (updated)

The National Bank of Ukraine has decided to open a special fundraising account to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The central bank’s decision comes after the Ukrainian gove...

bank.gov.ua

you can verify those here

Let's support the unbreakable: NBU opens special account to raise funds for Ukraine's Armed Forces

The National Bank of Ukraine has decided to open a special fundraising account to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine. â Ukrinform.

www.ukrinform.net

or here

Here's how to support the Ukrainian military

Ukraine has been defending itself from Russia's all-out invasion since Feb. 24. While Ukraine has so far been successful at pushing back Russian forces, Russia's advance into Ukraine continues on multiple fronts as heavy fighting takes place in different cities and regions. There are several...

kyivindependent.com

Donations to Ukraine of used fighter jets also seems to be for real, various reports all over the place

https://twitter.com/x/status/1498395748530016257

ICC starts investigation into Russian crimes

Statement of ICC Prosecutor, Karim A.A. Khan QC, on the Situation in Ukraine: “I have decided to proceed with opening an investigation.”

Last Friday, I expressed my increasing concern, echoing those of world leaders and citizens of the world alike, over the events unfolding in Ukraine.Today, I wish to announce that I have decided to proceed with opening an investigation into the Situation in Ukraine, as rapidly as possible...

www.icc-cpi.int

EU advice is to tax the crap out of O&G windfall profits

EXCLUSIVE Tax energy firms' windfall profits to raise green cash, EU to tell countries - sources

The European Commission will propose that member countries tax the profits energy companies made from recent gas price spikes and invest the revenue in renewable energy and energy-saving renovations, sources familiar with the matter said on Monday.

www.reuters.com

Nordsteam2 considers insolvency

https://www.reuters.com/article/eu-energy-tax-exclusive/exclusive-tax-energy-firms-windfall-profits-to-raise-green-cash-eu-to-tell-countries-sources

More gas for Europe

Europe’s response to Ukraine crisis: More gas, but from elsewhere

Facing the prospect of Russia turning off the gas taps, the EU focuses on finding LNG from “more reliable partners”.

www.energymonitor.ai

Transition harder ? glass half empty ?

Russia-Ukraine conflict: the net-zero transition just got harder

Continued progress on the energy transition and climate action will be best served by near-term appeals to self-interest.

www.energymonitor.ai

or maybe not harder ? glass half full ?

Germany to speed renewables push due to Ukraine crisis

Germany aims to speed up wind and solar energy projects, the economy ministry said on Monday, as the war in Ukraine underscores the need to reduce reliance on Russian gas.

www.reuters.com

US offshore wind leases close at $4.37 bn

BREAKING: New York Bight Lease Sale Ends with USD 4.37 Billion Secured for US Treasury

The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has completed the country's biggest offshore wind auction, with the six offered lease sites gathering a total of USD 4.37 billion that will go to the US Treasury.

www.offshorewind.biz

 

[petit_bateau]

It looks like Lukashenko has taken Belarus in

На Черниговщине засняли передвижение техники оккупантов (видео)

В частности, технику оккупантов засняли в Бобровице.

www.unian.net

or

US sees ‘no indication’ to back Ukrainian claim Belarus has joined Russia’s invasion

Ukraine says Belarusian troops entered north of Kyiv, but US says it has ‘no confirmation’ of the reports.

www.politico.eu

after another rigged vote

Belarus votes to ditch 'nuclear-free' status in disputed referendum

Opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya told Euronews that the result was a "threat" to the whole of Europe.

www.euronews.com

but remember the opposition (who won the real vote) aren't done yet

Belarus strike threat looms as Lukashenko rejects ultimatum

Security forces threaten to use firearms against pro-democracy protesters

www.irishtimes.com

 

[petit_bateau]

Brent now over $110/bbl, Europe benchmark gas near-record €160-170 per megawatt-hour

Russian oil being shunned by Western traders
/www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-has-not-sanctioned-russian-oil-traders-are-avoiding-it-2022-03-01/

IEA countries to release 60 mln bbls oil reserves

Russia's War on Ukraine – Topics - IEA

Explore analysis, reports, news and events about Russia's War on Ukraine

www.iea.org

Those calling for a no-fly zone in Ukraine should note that the Ukrainian air force is still active, Rusian 800 vehicle column destroyed from air as it tried to advance beyond Kerson port towards Dnipro

Enemy column destroyed in Mykolaiv Region consisted of 800 vehicles

An enemy column of military vehicles, which was destroyed by the Ukrainian air forces, military and territorial defense units near the city of Bashtanka, Mykolaiv Region, consisted of 800 vehicles. â Ukrinform.

www.ukrinform.net

Ukraine nuclear operating so far

Ukraine says nuclear plants 'operating normally' : Regulation & Safety - World Nuclear News

The State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine, in its update at 08:00 local time (06:00 GMT) on Monday 28 February said, there have been "no violations" of nuclear power plants' "safe operation limits and conditions".

www.world-nuclear-news.org

Ukraine civil nuclear briefing

A guide: Nuclear power in Ukraine : Perspectives - World Nuclear News

With the attention of the world focused on events in Ukraine, one of the questions people are asking is about the country’s nuclear power industry.

www.world-nuclear-news.org

Pakistan nuclear from China starts up
Second overseas Hualong One starts up : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News

When small modular reactors don't look quite so small and cuddly and easy and cheap

Chinese SMR containment takes shape : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News

The lower section of the steel containment shell has been installed for the ACP100 small modular reactor demonstration project at the Changjiang nuclear power plant on China's island province of Hainan.

www.world-nuclear-news.org

 

[petit_bateau]

I completely forgot to include Nord Stream 2 filing for bankruptcy

Nord Stream 2 AG files for bankruptcy after sanctions

Nord Stream 2 AG, the operator of the $11bn Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project, has rejected claims it filed for bankruptcy.

www.offshore-technology.com

 

[petit_bateau]

Jets off, cool your jets

European plan to donate fighter jets to Ukraine collapses

The dissolution of the deal comes as European countries lined up Monday to announce new weapons packages for Ukraine, from anti-armor and anti-air rockets to artillery and medical supplies.

www.politico.com