Latest News
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Daimler Truck eyes half of Europe sales from EVs in 2030
Daimler Truck , among the world's greatest business vehicle makers, aims for half of its European sales to come from electrical trucks in 2030, the head of its MercedesBenz Trucks unit, Karin Radstrom, said on Monday. Radstrom, who is due to take the helm of the whole group next month, seeks to offer as numerous as 30,000 electric trucks, or half of Daimler's s amount to lorry sales in Europe, by the end of the decade. Hopefully we'll be so excellent that we can do much more, she said at an interview during the IAA Transportation trade fair in Hanover. Daimler Truck will start producing its very first fully-electric heavy truck Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 in November this year and has already gotten 2,000 orders for it. Its outbound CEO Martin Daum earlier on Monday stated he sees no reducing on the European truck market in the very first half of 2025. The group deals with suppressed need after chips and other parts shortages in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic pushed up production expenses. The trucking industry also faces difficulties to decrease contamination from industrial lorries, while logistic firms, their main customers, hesitate to pay more for electric trucks as the charging infrastructure is still far from complete.
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Airlines suspend flights as Middle East tensions increase
Concerns over a wider dispute in the Middle East have actually triggered worldwide airline companies to suspend flights to the region or to prevent afflicted air space. Below are some of the airline companies that have actually adjusted services to and from the region: AIR ALGERIE The Algerian airline suspended flights to and from Lebanon until even more see. AIRBALTIC. Latvia's airBaltic strategies to resume flights between Riga and Tel . Aviv on Sept. 17, it stated through e-mail on Sept. 16. AIR FRANCE-KLM. KLM cancelled all flights to and from Tel Aviv until Oct. 26. The Franco-Dutch group's low-cost unit Transavia cancelled. flights to and from Tel Aviv till March 31, 2025, and flights. to Amman and Beirut until Nov. 3. AIR INDIA. The Indian flag provider suspended set up flights to and from. Tel Aviv up until further notification. CATHAY PACIFIC. Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific cancelled all flights to Tel Aviv. up until March 27, 2025. DELTA AIR LINES. The U.S. provider paused flights between New york city and Tel Aviv. through Oct. 31. EASYJET. The UK spending plan airline company stopped flying to and from Tel Aviv in. April and will resume flights on March 30, 2025, a representative. said. IAG. IAG-owned Spanish low-priced provider Vueling cancelled its. operations to Tel Aviv up until Jan. 12, 2025, it said in an. e-mailed comment. Flights to Amman have actually been cancelled until. further observe, the airline added. LOT. The Polish flag carrier suspended flights to Lebanon until. even more observe, while flights to Tel Aviv are now operating. regularly, it stated in an e-mailed comment on Sept. 10. LUFTHANSA GROUP. The German airline company group, which includes carriers such as. Austrian Airline Companies and Brussels Airlines, resumed flights to Tel . Aviv on Sept. 5, while flights to Beirut will stay suspended. through Sept. 30. Swiss International Air Lines, also a part of the Lufthansa. Group, separately stated it had suspended flights to Beirut up until. completion of October. RYANAIR. Europe's greatest spending plan airline company cancelled flights to and from. Tel Aviv up until Oct. 26, mentioning functional limitations. SUNDAIR. The German airline company cancelled all flights between Bremen and. Beirut until Oct. 23. SUNEXPRESS. SunExpress, a joint endeavor in between Turkish Airline companies. and Lufthansa, suspended flights to Beirut through Dec. 17. UNITED AIRLINES. The Chicago-based airline company suspended flights to Tel Aviv for the. foreseeable future due to security reasons. LEBANESE AIRSPACE INFORMS. Britain recommended UK airlines not to get in Lebanese airspace from. Aug. 8 until Nov. 4 pointing out potential danger to aviation from. military activity.
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Titanic contractor Harland & Wolff to exit non-core businesses amidst financial obligation woes
Harland & & Wolff said on Monday it will either wind down or dispose of its noncore companies and lay off some employees as the British shipbuilder struggles to remain in service in the middle of a financial obligation crisis. The company, known for building the Titanic, did not define the number of jobs it was planning to cut, however stated it will minimize headcount in the non-core and particular main support locations. The firm's non-care operations consist of the Marine Providers company, the Scilly Ferries company, and the U.S. and Australian systems. The Belfast-based shipyard, which has actually struggled to maintain with competitors and is past due on its credit line, was turned down a 200 million pound ($ 263.94 million) credit center by the UK federal government in July. The firm sent its CEO on immediate leave in July. Its financing chief likewise stepped down recently. Trading of the business's shares has actually been suspended given that July, pending finalisation of its 2023 accounts on a going issue basis. The shipbuilder will keep its core operations running at its 4 shipyards and maintain its interest in the Islandmagee Gas Storage project.
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Taiwan's CPC Corp looks for Oct jet fuel, sources say
Taiwan's stateowned energy company CPC Corp is seeking to buy one area October jet fuel cargo, multiple trade sources said on Monday, marking its very first procurement tender for the fuel this year. The company is wishing to obtain 300,000 barrels of the air travel fuel for Oct. 1-20 shipment to either a couple of berths in Taiwan, they included. The tender closes on Sept. 18 and is valid till Sept. 20. CPC Corp obtained jet fuel in December 2023, for delivery in January this year, Reuters data revealed, adding that the refiner purchased two freights of 300,000 barrels last year. The buying is because of lower refinery production of the fuel due to an overhaul at one of its jet fuel and kerosene processing units in between now and October, one of the sources stated. Taiwan's other main refiner, Formosa Petrochemical Corp, is likewise shutting among its unrefined systems and other refining units for maintenance today.
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Low gas prices, LNG need in spotlight at Gastech conference
Top energy executives and ministers will meet in Houston this week for the yearly Gastech conference, with U.S. markets in focus as growing melted gas (LNG) exports help wean Europe off Russian gas and as Asia moves away from coal. The U.S., when an importer of LNG, has actually gone beyond Qatar as the world's top exporter, with brand-new innovation allowing America's. shale manufacturers to tap huge reserves. Both countries have. significant LNG expansion jobs underway, playing higher. value in international markets from Europe to Asia. The conference comes to the U.S. for the first time considering that. 2019 as the country has also become the world's greatest natural. gas producer. U.S. gas production grew 4% in 2015 to. 125 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d). Exports of the. super-cooled gas leapt 12% to 11.9 Bcf/d. Gastech expects to host some 50,000 guests from 125. countries, with sessions on everything from gas markets and. decarbonization to Expert system (AI) and energy. security. Surging supply has actually pressed U.S. gas prices to multi-decade lows this year, hampering producers but benefiting consumers and. LNG companies using record quantities of gas. By 2026, U.S. LNG exports should be double their 2024. levels, with annual feed gas requirements averaging 19.7 Bcf/d. in 2 years' time, stated Matthew Palmer, executive director at. S&P Global Product Insights. Gas prices will be significantly higher in. 2025 as new LNG export jobs boost demand, stated Jim Simpson,. CEO of energy research study company, East Daley Analytics. In the U.S., brand-new export capability development will support. Europe's dedication to divest away from Russian gas following. its intrusion of Ukraine, while using Asian buyers a greener. option for power generation. Venture Global, whose CEO, Mike Sabel will talk to. attendees about the function of LNG in Europe's energy supply mix,. is amongst those companies. The business's Plaquemines LNG export. center in Louisiana will have an export capability of as much as 20. million metric tonnes per year, and is expected to start. operations this year. The U.S. exported some 7.48 million metric lots of LNG in August , approximately 43% of which went to Asia, according to LSEG data. GAS MANUFACTURERS BID THEIR TIME U.S. shale gas companies are banking on brand-new LNG terminals to. boost their market and rates. Poor returns have actually forced some to. cut production this year. The next 9 months have more opportunity of being. over-supplied than under-supplied since the LNG projects do. not arrive in force up until late next year, stated the president of. Aegis Hedging, Matt Marshall. U.S. producers typically need Henry Hub natural gas. prices above $3 per million British thermals units (mmBtu) to. produce cash flow for more drilling, stated S&P Global's Palmer. Gas rates are currently around $2.33 per mmBtu and have only. traded above $3 a few times this year. Henry Center gas prices are expected to average $2.19 per. mmBtu this year, the U.S. Energy Info Administration. ( EIA) stated today in a regular monthly report, lowering its estimate. by 11 cents from the prior forecast. The general story here is that a manufacturer of natural. gas needs to not expect this market to turn outrageously bullish. with the turn of the year. It is going to require time and this. market is susceptible to lower costs actually until next summer season,. stated Aegis' Marshall. Significant U.S. manufacturers, consisting of Chesapeake and EQT. were preparing to reduce production and defer well. conclusions in the 2nd half of 2024 in August, after prices. sank nearly 40% over the two months prior. As those brand-new LNG projects come online and take in more shale. gas, costs are anticipated to enhance. The U.S. EIA is. forecasting an average Henry Hub cost of $3.14 next year. Our expectation is that as LNG exports increase, the. market will return to stability, moving Henry Hub into the. $ 3-4/ MMBtu variety that will support a boost in production,. said Marshall.
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Apollo signs $1 billion deal with BP for Trans Adriatic Gas Pipeline
The companies announced on Monday that Apollo Global Management had signed a deal worth $1 billion with British energy giant BP in order to finance its stakes in the Trans Adriatic Natural Gas Pipeline. The U.S. asset management company will become a noncontrolling shareholder of BP's unit, which holds a 20% stake Trans Adriatic Pipeline AG. The other shareholders with 20% each are Azerbaijani state energy company SOCAR and Italian Snam. Fluxys, based in Belgium, is also a shareholder. The Trans Adriatic Pipeline operates a natural-gas transportation infrastructure between the Greek border and Turkey, as well as Southern Italy. Trans Adriatic Pipeline AG, the last 880 kilometres of the Southern Gas Corridor Pipeline System, stretches 3,500 kilometres from the Caspian to Europe. The pipeline transports natural gases from the BP operated Shah Deniz field in Azerbaijan's Caspian Sea sector to European markets such as Greece and Italy. As part of BP's financial discipline, the proceeds of this deal will contribute to the $2-3 billion target for BP in 2024 of divestment proceeds and other proceeds. Leslie Mapondera said, "We're pleased to partner up with BP in an agreement that provides our investors with long term exposure to an industry leading infrastructure asset, with a stable and predictable cash flow profile. This will allow BP to achieve its objectives to retain control and execute on its capital-efficiency strategy." BP's share price rose 0.5%, to 406.10p at 0830 GMT. The transaction is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter, and BP will continue to control the unit after the deal has been closed. BP and Apollo also plan to explore additional investment opportunities. These include potential collaboration in gas and low carbon energy assets as well as infrastructure. The companies announced this in a joint statement. (Reporting and editing by Disha Mishra in Bengaluru, and Arunima Kumar in New York; Nivedita Bhattacharjee and Rashmi Aich at Eileen Soreng's office)
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Wall Street Journal - Sept 16
The following are the top stories in the Wall Street Journal. Reuters has actually not confirmed these stories and does not vouch for their precision. - Donald Trump was the target of a 2nd evident assassination effort Sunday when Trick Service agents opened fire on a gunman at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, where the former U.S. president was playing golf just a couple of holes away. Trump was safe, and the suspect fled however was detained shortly later. - Air Canada and the union representing over 5,000 pilots reached a tentative four-year labor contract early Sunday, avoiding a strike at the country's greatest airline that threatened to disrupt domestic and cross-border travel. - Auckland International Airport stated it would seek to raise approximately 1.4 billion New Zealand dollars ($ 865.1 million). as it presses ahead with strategies to upgrade facilities developed some. 60 years back. - Emergency calls to 911 during Georgia's Apalachee High. School shooting rose so rapidly that some individuals needed to wait on. hold to speak with a dispatcher, newly launched records reveal.
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Brazil's Amazon drought interrupts homeowners' lives
Extreme droughts across Brazil's Amazon rain forest area are dramatically changing locals' lives as movement is hampered by recordlow levels on upper stretches of the Amazon River. In the town of Manacapuru, near state capital Manaus, the dry spell has affected navigation on the Solimoes River, which become the Amazon River just downstream and is a crucial lifeline for transporting all type of goods in and out of the town. Boats stranded on sandbanks have actually become a common sight, preventing the transportation of regional products such as fish, bananas, and cassava, along with interfering with the logistics for bringing in basic products like food and water from outdoors. We anchored the boat here, and it was stuck on dry land the next day. We had no chance to move it, said fisherman Josue Oliveira. Calling the situation important, fisherman Francisco da Silva noted that the water has currently begun to turn green, a sign it may quickly end up being risky to consume. We'll need to drink it anyhow, he said, including that getting products from other areas will no longer be possible with the river drying up. Absolutely nothing will make it through. According to the National Center for Tracking and Early Warning of Natural Disasters (Cemaden), the existing drought is the most intense and prevalent Brazil has actually experienced considering that records began in 1950. A weak rainy season in the north-central area has made the situation worse with rising atmospheric temperatures, and land-use changes that have changed forest areas with pastures. On Sunday, Brazil's Supreme Court licensed lifting spending limitations on wildfires and drought in the Amazon and Pantanal areas, as the nation faces the economic impacts of the climate events.
Maguire: High fossil fuel consumption highlights US power transformation challenge
The United States continues to rely on fossil fuels for its power generation, despite the rapid expansion of clean energy.
According to Ember, U.S. generators have been prioritizing clean energy sources over fossil fuels for the past decade. Since 2014, they have increased clean electricity production capacity by more than 70%, while reducing fossil-fired generation by 5%.
LSEG reports that fossil fuels still dominate the nation's power generation, with just over 58% of the total generated in the first eight month of 2024.
This is a decrease from 60.4% in the same month of 2021. It reflects efforts to increase generation using clean energy, as part net zero emission targets.
In absolute terms, fossil fuels have reached new heights in this year's output, as a result of the steadily increasing total energy demand, which is putting strain on all power systems in the country.
In order to keep up with the rapid growth in demand, which is fueled by data centers and artificial-intelligence applications, power companies have had to increase their production from fossil fuels along with clean energy sources. This was despite long-term pledges to reduce reliance on fossil-fuels.
The fossil fuel generation of power generators will be reduced to a significant extent only when clean generation capacity surpasses fossil generation capacity and is complemented with a much larger battery storage system than the one currently in place.
Staying Power
According to LSEG, the total U.S. electricity generation from fossil fuels in the first eight month of 2024 reached 68.6 megawatt hours (MWh), up 2.8% compared to a year earlier and the highest level since at least the 2021.
The majority of the energy was generated by natural gas-fired power plants, which produced 49.3 millions MWh. This was a 5% increase from January to August 2023 and the highest total ever.
The coal-fired production was down by 2.3% compared to the previous year at 19,1 million MWh. This is the third consecutive decline in coal consumption during the window from January to August.
The oil-fired output was 179.368 MWh. This is a record low.
The industry's efforts to reduce the use of highly polluting fuels are reflected in the steady reduction in coal and oil fired generation.
Ember data shows that the emissions per unit of electricity produced by gas-fired power plants are among the lowest fossil fuels and 77% less than coal-fired generation.
Around 537,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) were emitted in 2024 for each terawatt-hour (TWh), of electricity generated by gas-fired power plants.
This compares with around 950,000 tonnes of CO2 from coal-fired power plants and 700,000 from oil-fired power plants.
CLEAN LIMITATIONS
The emissions from clean energy per TWh electricity are around 21,500 tonnes CO2, which is 25 times lower than the emissions from gas-fired plants.
This sharply reduced emissions profile is one of the main reasons why U.S. government and power companies support clean energy adoption within U.S. electricity generation.
In the first eight-month period of 2024, nuclear reactors will account for approximately 18.6% of the total U.S. generation.
Other major sources of clean energy include hydro dams (6.4%), wind farms (10.7%) and solar farms (5%)
Clean power sources are limited in their current capacities.
Nuclear power plants are the most reliable source of clean energy available, but they have fallen out-of-favor due to their high costs, long development times, and strict regulations regarding waste management.
Hydro dams are also subject to a long construction phase. They can only be used in certain areas and they face fierce environmental opposition.
Solar and wind farms are cheaper and quicker to build, but they have some drawbacks.
Construction costs for onshore wind farms have increased since 2020, mainly due to inflation in labor and parts. They also need to overcome local objections to get the green light. Offshore projects face similar obstacles, but at a higher cost.
Solar parks can be the fastest and cheapest way to generate power, but they only work during daylight hours. They require backup supplies when solar output drops.
The U.S. utilities responsible for ensuring that power is available at all times, regardless of time, rely on fossil fuels in order to meet most of their demand and fill any gaps in supply during periods of windlessness and sunless weather.
Many utilities are building battery networks to store excess clean energy for later use. This will help reduce fossil fuel dependence in the future.
According to the energy data platform Cleanview, current battery capacity installed is just around 21,000 Megawatts. This is less than 2% total installed generation capacity.
Batteries can only meet a small fraction of the country's power requirements.
Power firms may be forced to continue using fossil fuels as a major source of electricity until batteries are able to reliably deploy more of their generation capacity.
(source: Reuters)