Category: Highlights

 Russian coal merchants are proving to be the winners as European buyers, nervous a feared Russian invasion of Ukraine could lead to disrupted gas supplies, stock up on the dirtiest fossil fuel. Despite Europe’s ambitions to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by the middle of the century, which means weaning itself off all fossil fuels, but especially coal, the continent has been switching to coal from gas since the middle of last year. Even before the current risk invasion and possible Western sanctions on Russia could choke off gas…

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With 17 new wind farm projects planned for Scotland, the UK’s offshore wind power capacity is set to more than double. But what happens when the wind is blowing, the turbines are cranking out electricity and there’s no demand for it? It’s already a problem. In 2020, enough electricity to supply more than one million homes was wasted due to a lack of storage, according to a report by KPMG that was commissioned by the power company Drax. But one firm, which won a 2022 Best of Innovation award at the CES…

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The 23-nation OPEC+ group said in a statement that it will increase production by 400,000 barrels per day in March, the same amount as in previous months. The group, which includes the 13 members of the Saudi-led Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and their 10 allies, including Russia, has resisted US pressure to further boost production to tame prices. OPEC+ said in its statement following a ministerial videoconference that the decision was made “in view of current oil market fundamentals and the consensus on the outlook”. The alliance´s…

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Pakistan government will need to update its investment laws, reduce burdensome regulations, align them with global best practices, and structure the investment policy document accordingly, besides, synchronise its monetary, fiscal, and trade policies to promote a business-friendly trade environment, says the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The Bank in its report, Economic Corridor Development in Pakistan Concept, Framework, and Case Studies, stated that Pakistan’s high economic growth has been marred by quick and successive faltering episodes. To relax the balance of payment constraints on growth and sustain the high-growth episodes, Pakistan…

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The shareholder returns adage has now become a fixture of the U.S. oil industry. Large public oil companies are not boosting production despite rising prices and tight supply. Instead, they are returning cash to shareholders. And this might continue, raising the ceiling on prices. From a certain perspective, this is the right thing to do in order to keep shareholders on. The oil industry is going through a reputation crisis right now coupled with the rise of the activist investor whose goal is not only to make money but also to…

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