The United States’ largest pension fund, CalPERS, will vote against the ExxonMobil board at the upcoming May 29 board meeting, in a move designed to block the supermajor’s attempt to sue activist investors who are pressuring it to move more quickly on lowering emissions, Reuters reported on Monday. Activist investors …
Read More »Russian Fuel Terminal Resumes Exports after Ukrainian Drone Attack
An oil products export terminal at Russia’s biggest port on the Black Sea, Novorossiysk, has resumed loadings of tankers for exports following a Ukrainian drone attack at the facility last week, Reuters reported on Monday, citing data from LSEG and industry sources. The terminal, Importpischeprom, suspended operations on Friday following …
Read More »Uzbekistan’s Big Gold Bet Looks Set to Pay off
When it comes to gold, Uzbekistan has bought low and large. Now it is selling high.World Gold Council data shows that Uzbekistan was the world’s top gold-selling country in March with 11 tons sold, with only Thailand’s 10 tons coming anywhere near in terms of volume. Most other central banks …
Read More »Russia is China’s Top Oil Supplier for the 12th Month in April
Russia became China’s top oil supplier in April for the 12th month, with volumes rising 30 per cent from a year earlier, official data showed, as refiners continued to cash in discounted shipments, while supplies from Saudi Arabia fell a quarter on higher prices. China’s crude oil imports from Russia, …
Read More »Europe Needs to Address Intermittent Renewables Generation
While solar and wind power installations and power generation are booming in Europe, policymakers need to address the growing gap between baseload capacity and soaring intermittent renewable electricity. Europe still has a lot of work to do in providing flexible and reliable grids to handle the soaring share of renewables …
Read More »Russia Loses Ground to China in Central Asian Trade
Trade data for 2024 is showing that Kyrgyzstan has an unhealthy dependency on China, even considering a wide discrepancy in figures released by Chinese and Kyrgyz official agencies. Bilateral trade turnover during the first quarter of 2024 totaled $4.815 billion, according to figures compiled by China’s General Customs Administration. The …
Read More »New Tech could Make Solar Panels more Efficient
University of Ottawa researchers have now devised a smart approach to optimize solar energy effectiveness. Their innovative method includes incorporating artificial ground reflectors, a simple yet powerful enhancement. The study “Artificial Ground Reflector Size and Position Effects on Energy Yield and Economics of Single Axis Tracked Bifacial Photovoltaics” was published …
Read More »LNG Market Faces Disruption as Red Sea Closure Forces Risky Detours
The last LNG carrier that passed the Bab el Mandeb strait off the Yemeni coast did so in February. Since that month, there has been no LNG traffic via the once major energy chokepoint as vessels diverted around Africa—or changed destinations entirely. When the Houthi attacks on ships traversing the …
Read More »China’s Coal Country to Boost Output
China’s biggest coal-producing province is set to boost output in June in a bid to prop up the provincial economy after a drop in coal production earlier this year. Production in Shanxi declined substantially in the first quarter, due to closer oversight on safety practices after a series of fatal …
Read More »EU Courts Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan for Critical Raw Materials
Ramped-up offshore exploration for rare earth metals and minerals, vital components in sought-after products like hybrid vehicles and smartphone screens, continues to cut into China’s long-held position as the primary global supplier. Countries like Australia, the United States, Myanmar, and even nations like Malaysia, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan continue to …
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