🗞️ Neue Studie: Die #Industrie kann bis 2045 günstiger und klimaneutral produzieren – mit elektrischer #Prozesswärme aus Wärmepumpen oder Elektrodenkessel. 1/x

China fast tracks rare earth export licences for European companies Beijing has attempted to improve relations with Brussels since Donald Trump returned to the White House

China fast tracks rare earth export licences for European companies

www.ft.com/content/2e174ebd-d4b5-47...

Egypt Plans to Finalize Large LNG Purchase Deals Over Next Week Egypt has indicated that it plans to in the coming week finalize some purchases of liquefied natural gas for delivery over the next few years, as the country deepens its dependence on imports.

Gone are the days when Europe pinned its hopes on Eastern Mediterranean energy riches www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

For a lot of developing countries buying gasoline and diesel requires a lot of exports to generate the necessary usually USD. If they can jump to EV the macroeconomic robustness benefits can be very large.

British Steel could be nationalised as PM and chancellor consider ‘all options’ Whitehall sources say Starmer and Reeves aligned in seeing steel as of ‘huge strategic importance’ Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves are actively considering nationalising British Steel in an escalation of plans first revealed in the Guardian last year. The prime minister said all options were on the table to secure the future of the Scunthorpe plant, which is owned by the Chinese firm Jingye and employs about 3,500 people. Defended the welfare cuts as being based on “dignity” and criticised the Office for Budget Responsibility for not taking into account possible behavioural changes of people affected by the cuts when assessing the consequences of the policy. Said threats from foreign powers targeting people in the UK were “growing” and the issue was constantly being raised in international talks. He added: “I think we generally underestimate that threat, and it’s very important we’re alive to it.” Stepped up his criticism of regulators, telling MPs he was “astonished” by how many there were and saying he was “frustrated” by the barriers they put up. Called for an inquiry into the killing of 15 aid workers in Gaza and said international law “underpins everything we do bilaterally and multilaterally” when questioned about the conflict in the Middle East. Said he would speak to the intelligence agencies and the Kyiv government after Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukraine president, said two Chinese citizens had been captured fighting as part of the Russian army. Said changes to the social care system could come as soon as next year amid a review led by Lady Louise Casey. Continue reading...

British Steel could be nationalised as PM and chancellor consider ‘all options’

Why Norway is edging towards a fresh EU membership bid Also in this newsletter: Ireland’s pharma industry braces itself for Donald Trump’s tariffs

surely quite premature, but wold be an interesting plot twist in a country that few months ago was discussing electricity decoupling from the EU www.ft.com/content/3c25...

Five EU member states account for 70% of the emissions under ETS2. Early action in these countries to support switch to cleaner transport and heating will help reduce emissions and keep the carbon price in check, while reducing fossil fuel dependencies. www.agora-energiewende.org/news-events/...

Russian forces walked inside a gas pipeline to strike Ukrainian troops from the rear in Kursk Ukraine’s military and Russian war bloggers say Russian special forces walked inside a gas pipeline to strike Ukrainian units from the rear in the Kursk region.

We knew gas could be weaponised in many ways, but this takes it to a whole new level.
apnews.com/article/russ...

Thanks. Sounds convoluted though. Leverage is better ensured by abundant US export capacity, but the economics of expanding it risks being undermined if Russian pipeline supplies resume (or even if uncertainty about them spread). Also, this plan seems to overlook European agency.

I struggle to see how this aligns with Trump's obsession with selling more US LNG to the EU.

To the Brussels bubble: I know it's a lost cause, but could we please stop using 'electrification rate' when we actually mean 'the share of electricity in final energy consumption'?

Myths of Europe’s overregulation Remember the good as well as the bad and the ugly

"the recent revolt against regulation in Europe (...) does strike me as thin on evidence. (...) many regulations only determine the direction of growth, not its pace." www.ft.com/content/1d05...

The German #Energiewende FAQ – now updated 🇩🇪

With Germany’s upcoming #elections, questions on its #energytransition are more relevant than ever. Our updated interactive dashboard provides clear, fact-based answers and the latest data.

Explore it here 👉 www.agora-energiewende.org/about-us/the...

Le gaz fossile reste moins taxé que l’électricité bas carbone L’électricité produite en France est à 95 % bas carbone grâce au nucléaire, alors que le gaz consommé dans le pays, importé, reste largement non renouvelable.

"dans la loi de finances 2025 promulguée vendredi 14 février, l’exécutif continue de taxer davantage l’électricité plutôt que le gaz. Or, l’électricité produite dans le pays est largement bas carbone"
www.lemonde.fr/economie/art...

One wonders whether this is a misplaced obsession or a subtle way to justify continued engagement in Ukraine (if any) to a MAGA crowd that favors disengagement but might be enticed by the prospect of overseas resource grabbing. Somehow reminds Trump 1's obsession with the "Syrian oil".

Is California government considering oil refinery takeovers? Yes, it is As oil companies shut down refineries, California policymakers are weighing whether the state should get into the refinery business to ensure steady supplies. An industry group says it's not so simple...

State ownership of oil refineries is one of many options being considered by California officials for stabilizing gasoline supply, as demand falls -- but only gradually -- due to the growth of electric vehicles: www.latimes.com/environment/... via @russmitchell.bsky.social

Japan’s $1.5bn bet on ultra-thin solar cells in challenge to China Tokyo aims to disrupt Beijing’s dominance of renewables and reduce fossil fuel dependence

Japan is betting USD 1.5 billion on the commercialisation of perovskite cells. This ultra-thin cell technology is apt for a mountainous country that lacks the open space needed for more conventional solar farms. www.ft.com/content/929b...

With all due respect, our public discourse would be healthier if we stopped normalising far-right tropes, such as the idea that countries need to be 'saved'.

"While European industry is struggling, the development of wind and solar energy is attracting investment projects to Spain and helping production rebound" www.lesechos.fr/industrie-se...

@iea.org Electricity 2025 report out today. Electricity is increasingly the lifeblood of our economies. EU industrial prices are 2x the US and 1.5X China. Taxes, gas reliance, and inefficient renewable integration are all drivers. Solutions needed. iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/38a95...

Trump says he will announce 25% steel and aluminum tariffs on Monday U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he will be announcing on Monday 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the U.S.

enough - and with a stable enough outlook - to support reactivation or expansion of domestic capacity? or just shifting imports from Canada to lower cost producers? www.reuters.com/markets/comm...

Rio Tinto turns to big batteries to underpin green smelters, as firmed renewables eclipse gas and coal Rio Tinto is looking to add battery storage to contracted wind and solar to power its giant smelters in Australia, saying they have no future with coal generation because of high costs and emission…

"baseload" solar+storage to power Australian aluminium production?

Rio Tinto is looking to add battery storage to the clean energy mix powering its Queensland Boyne Island smelter, as part of a plan to replace coal with firmed renewables.

reneweconomy.com.au/rio-tinto-tu...

Brussels to exempt most EU companies from carbon border tax More than 80% to be exempted by reforms aimed at cutting red tape and boosting productivity

Commission planning to exempt 80% of EU firms eligible for CBAM from the mechanism - and from the associated reporting obligations. CBAM will be still able to cover 95% of the emissions of the imported products, according to Hoekstra www.ft.com/content/c610...

Europe’s renewables market powers battery storage boom Europe’s battery storage capacity is expected to grow around five-fold by 2030, bringing with it increasing returns for energy majors, project developers and traders, as the cost of new projects falls.

Europe’s battery storage capacity is expected to grow around five-fold by 2030, bringing with it increasing returns for energy majors, project developers and traders, as the cost of new projects falls reut.rs/42NoXpp

What are the new government’s plans?

Not much on climate and energy in the new Belgian coalition agreement, but welcome shift of VAT burden from fossil to clean. VAT on heat pumps to be lowered to 6%, while will rise again to 21% on gas boilers www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/20...

New steps to reduce electricity bills and maintain control over national energy resources The Norwegian Government has proposed a set of new measures to lower the cost of consumer electricity bills. Under the new plan, consumers will be able to choose between subscribing to the general ele...

Following the political crisis, Norway's Statnett was instructed to postpone planning for new subsea power interconnections until the current parliamentary term concludes. www.regjeringen.no/en/aktuelt/n...

tomorrow 👇

Graph comparing retail electricity prices for Spain and Italy

Graph comparing retail gas prices for Sweden versus Belgium

Dashboard EU energy prices ACER - updated data. 💡🔌

Interesting to check difference between countries.
- ES vs. IT on electricity retail prices & components.
- SV vs. BE on gas.

Rebalancing taxes on power vs gas is crucial for electrification, climate & efficiency.

tinyurl.com/4s9ymjwe

Canada should respond to Trump with tariffs on Musk’s Teslas, Freeland says Former finance minster says Ottawa must target US president’s ‘billionaire buddies’

Canada should respond to Trump with tariffs on Musk’s Teslas, Freeland says

www.ft.com/content/f177fcbe-d632-46...

Confirmation that distribution of already contracted funds have been frozen: "EPA cuts off IRA solar money already under contract. Recipients of the $7 billion Solar For All program were locked out of an online portal that’s used to distribute federal funding."