Tuesday, 15 September 2026

Brent crude could again test $120 per barrel as Middle East supply disruptions, falling inventories and widespread refinery constraints wear down the buffers that had contained prices, according to analysts at PVM Oil Associates, part of TP ICAP.

Continued Houthi attacks have forced Saudi Arabia to temporarily shut its East-West pipeline, which had allowed crude to move to Yanbu on the Red Sea and bypass the Strait of Hormuz, World Oil reported. Fighting in the region has also threatened shipping through the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

PVM analyst John Evans pointed to disruptions at Russian refining capacity, high utilization rates in the U.S. and India, and constrained refining activity around the Persian Gulf. The combination is tightening the market for finished fuels, particularly diesel, as refiners compete for available crude supplies.

GameChange Solar Corp. filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Nextpower Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware on September 9, according to PV Magazine.

The countersuit responds to legal proceedings Nextpower initiated against GameChange on June 1, PV Magazine reported.

GameChange alleges that Nextpower's NX Horizon with Hail Pro single-axis tracker infringes U.S. Patent 12,449,161, which covers high-tilt wind and hail stow technology, per PV Magazine.

Nextpower's original complaint claimed that GameChange's Genius Tracker system and TrueCapture software infringed three patents covering self-powered tracking architecture, according to PV Magazine.

The Delaware federal court has scheduled the trial for August 7, 2028.

Global offshore wind capacity stood at 92.5 GW at the end of 2025 and is projected to reach 420 GW by 2035, according to GWEC Market Intelligence cited by Offshore Magazine.

GWEC Market Intelligence reports that 9.3 GW of new offshore wind capacity was connected to the grid worldwide during 2025, up 16% on 2024 and making it the third-highest year on record for annual installation.

The installed base remains concentrated in two markets. China accounted for 52.3% of global installed offshore wind capacity at the end of 2025, and Europe for 41.9%, per the same reporting.

Offshore Magazine highlights movement in emerging markets. In the Philippines, the Board of Investments committed USD 18.9 billion to financing offshore wind, with a 3.3 GW target for the country's first auction.

Vietnam's government has announced plans to install 6 to 17 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2035, rising to 113.5 to 139 GW by 2050.

In Brazil, a new offshore wind legal framework was adopted in 2025, supported by the Global Wind Energy Council. The World Bank has forecast that Brazil's offshore wind sector could create more than 516,000 jobs by 2050 and contribute at least USD 178.5 billion to the Brazilian economy.

The 10-year US Treasury yield topped 5% on Monday for the first time since 2023, according to Semafor Net Zero, as a widening Middle East conflict pushed oil prices higher.

The probability of a rate hike at the Federal Reserve's upcoming meeting this week edged above 90% on Monday, Semafor reported, following a hot US inflation reading.

The ECB raised rates last week, and traders expect the Bank of Japan to do the same on Friday, per the same report.

Germany said on Monday that halting AI development is not a viable option for Europe, pointing to further research and testing needed to secure digital sovereignty, according to Semafor Net Zero.

Australia is in parallel talks to host data centers for OpenAI to train its models, with Canberra aiming to influence the technology's global development, Semafor Net Zero reported.

China, meanwhile, views the AI race as a primary strategic battleground, according to a Wall Street Journal report cited by Semafor Net Zero.

Global AI stocks fell on Monday after prominent AI leaders endorsed slowing the pace of frontier model development, according to Semafor.

Microsoft's Mustafa Suleyman told Semafor that work on the technology must continue, but with more caution and care.

The posture among leading developers is split on capital-markets strategy. Semafor reported that OpenAI has ruled out an initial public offering this year, while Anthropic is pressing ahead and has told investors it expects a second consecutive profitable quarter.

Trump attributed the increase in global diesel prices mainly to the Russia/Ukraine War rather than Iran, according to Semafor Net Zero.

The comment came one day after Trump urged Kyiv to stop striking Russian refineries, Semafor Net Zero reported.

Separately, the UN warned that Kyiv faces the toughest winter of the five-year war, according to Semafor Net Zero.

Saudi Arabia has identified 110 million tonnes of uranium-bearing ore containing a mix of uranium, rare earths and other minerals, according to Neutron Bytes. The find was announced by Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference.

A further 32,400 tonnes of Saudi deposits are classified in the Red Book as inferred, Neutron Bytes reported.

Nearly all of the kingdom's uranium deposits carry mining costs of as much as USD 130 per kilogram and do not exceed USD 260 per kilogram, according to the Red Book figures cited by Neutron Bytes.

The announcement follows a civil nuclear cooperation agreement between Washington and Riyadh, signed by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman on 07/22/26.

Saudi Arabia is looking to route more crude through the Strait of Hormuz after drone attacks disabled a pipeline that bypasses the waterway, according to Semafor Net Zero.

The damaged East-West pipeline carries 4% of global crude supplies, Semafor reported.

Saudi equities recorded their largest intraday drop since April in the wake of the pipeline damage, per the same report.

Shipping costs jumped in parallel. Semafor reported that the cost of hiring a tanker on the benchmark Gulf-China route topped USD 1 million for the first time Monday.

Britain is reportedly weighing support for the kingdom in its fight against the Houthis, according to Semafor.

Azule Energy has hired Saipem and SLB OneSubsea for the West Hub Tails project offshore Angola, a scheme that will tie new subsea infrastructure back to the Agogo floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel and shift output from four existing fields, according to Offshore Magazine.

The Saipem contract is valued at USD 350 million and sits within the wider Agogo Integrated West Hub development, Offshore Magazine reported. Saipem's scope covers engineering, fabrication, transportation and installation of subsea infrastructure, including roughly 62 km of flowlines, risers and umbilicals to be tied into the Agogo FPSO. The program is expected to run two and a half years, per the same report.

SLB OneSubsea will design and supply the controls umbilicals for the project.

The development lies 180 km offshore Angola in water depths reaching 1,750 m, according to Offshore Magazine.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a final plan on Monday that guts the 2024 Carbon Pollution Standards for United States power plants, according to Inside Climate News. The agency said the rule exceeds its authority under the Clean Air Act by requiring control technologies that are not adequately demonstrated.

In the same action, Inside Climate News reported, the EPA proposed revoking all remaining greenhouse gas emissions requirements for power plants, arguing that their emissions have no material impact on climate change. The agency said the proposal to rescind every remaining greenhouse gas standard for the power sector would save an additional USD 370 million in direct compliance costs.

The standards being unwound were adopted under the Biden administration. Inside Climate News reported that Biden's EPA in June 2024 pointed to a regulatory impact analysis projecting reductions of 1.38 billion metric tons of carbon pollution through 2047 under the Carbon Pollution Standards.

The move follows an earlier reversal at the agency. In February, the EPA overturned the endangerment finding that underpinned its authority to regulate greenhouse gases from motor vehicles, per Inside Climate News.

That finding rests on a long-standing legal framework. In 2007, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Clean Air Act's definition of air pollutants includes greenhouse gases, and the EPA issued its endangerment finding in 2009.

Halliburton has won a multi-year contract from Eni to deliver integrated drilling, well construction and completions services at the Cronos ultra-deepwater gas development offshore Cyprus, according to World Oil.

The work covers exploration and development wells in Block 6 of Cyprus' Exclusive Economic Zone in the Eastern Mediterranean, World Oil reported.

Halliburton's scope spans drilling fluids, directional drilling, cementing, surface well testing and coiled tubing, along with its LOGIX automation and remote operations technologies.

The companies did not disclose the contract value or a specific duration beyond describing the work as a multi-year development, per World Oil.

TotalEnergies and Mistral have launched a three-year artificial intelligence program worth more than $115 million, targeting oil and gas exploration, reservoir characterization and field development, according to World Oil.

The announced investment exceeds EUR 100 million, equivalent to roughly $115 million at current exchange rates, World Oil reported.

Under the program, the two companies will set up a joint scientific laboratory pairing TotalEnergies subsurface specialists with Mistral AI researchers and engineers. The laboratory will build proprietary tools tailored to TotalEnergies' upstream operations, according to World Oil.

Patrick Pouyanné, chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies, said exploration and reservoir engineering are among the areas where AI can create the greatest value for the company's activities.

Greece has rewritten its self-consumption rules to allow plug-in balcony solar systems rated up to 800 W, along with standalone batteries that are not paired with a renewable generator, according to PV Magazine.

The new framework was published by the Ministry of Environment and Energy, does not need parliamentary approval, and took effect immediately, PV Magazine reported.

Balcony PV kits and standalone batteries covered by the regime must be used solely for on-site self-consumption. Exporting electricity to the grid is not permitted under the rules, per PV Magazine.

The Greek grid operator has been told to publish safety requirements for plug-in PV systems on its website by Oct. 31, 2026, with installers required to sign a document confirming their equipment meets those specifications, according to PV Magazine.

Alongside the regulatory change, the ministry plans to channel €476 million through the Islands Decarbonization Fund to back self-consumption projects on Greek islands, PV Magazine reported.

Branch Energy has closed a USD 33 million Series B funding round led by Piva Capital and Clean Energy Ventures, according to a GlobeNewswire release.

The round also drew Active Impact Investments and Whitecap Venture Partners as new backers, alongside existing investors Prelude Ventures, Zero Infinity Partners and Inovia Capital.

The company's Arc systems arrive by flatbed truck and can be installed in two days, per the announcement. That deployment window is pitched against grid interconnection queues in the United States, where completed generation projects now wait a median of more than five years from request to connection.

Branch Energy is extending its footprint from Texas into Illinois and other markets. The PJM territory, which overlaps with the Illinois expansion, contains roughly 1.2 million commercial buildings and accounts for 20% of US electricity demand, according to figures cited in the release.

Ford is examining a plan to restart its dormant factory near Chennai, in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, as an electric vehicle manufacturing hub, according to a Fortune India report cited by electrive. Production at the site stopped four years ago.

Electrive, relaying industry estimates, put the cost of an integrated EV and battery manufacturing hub at 150 to 200 billion rupees, or about EUR 1.4 to EUR 1.8 billion. The publication cautioned that these figures are industry estimates rather than company guidance.

The only sum Ford has confirmed is 32.5 billion rupees, about EUR 294 million, tied to a memorandum of understanding signed with the government of Tamil Nadu in October 2025, electrive reported. A Ford spokesperson told electrive that the plans announced last year for export-only powertrain manufacturing remain unchanged.

Ford sold its Sanand plant to Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Limited (TPEML) in 2023 but retains ownership of the Chennai-area facility, according to electrive.

Eos Energy Enterprises has received an $87 million advance from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to fund a second production line at its Thorn Hill facility in Warrendale, Pennsylvania, according to Solar Builder.

Solar Builder reports the advance reimburses roughly 80% of eligible costs tied to the Thorn Hill plant. With this tranche, the battery maker has drawn about $178 million from its DOE facility since 2024.

The disbursement is a first advance under the second tranche of Eos's loan agreement with the DOE's Office of Energy Dominance Financing, and the company says the funding will go toward its zinc-based long-duration energy system products.

Nine Democrats in the US House of Representatives rolled out an energy and environmental policy blueprint for 2027 centered on affordability, pitched ahead of midterm races, according to Semafor Net Zero.

The document, titled the Thriving Economy Project, contains more than 800 policy recommendations spanning data centers, energy security, agriculture, and manufacturing, Semafor Net Zero reported, describing it as the most comprehensive energy platform Democrats have advanced in years.

Rep. Sean Casten told Semafor Net Zero that measures tied to nuclear energy and research and development are more likely to attract bipartisan backing, while disagreements over extractive industries will remain a sticking point.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pushed back on an assertion by US President Donald Trump that Kyiv and Moscow had agreed to halt mutual attacks on energy infrastructure, according to Semafor Net Zero.

In a Monday post cited by Semafor, Zelenskyy said there is now a strong US proposal for an energy ceasefire, but that no one has yet seen any genuine desire on Russia's part to move toward ending the war.

Semafor reported that Ukraine's long-range drone campaign has driven Russian oil production to a 17-year low. The same reporting said Russian fuel imports have reached a high seven times greater than the previous record.

The UK Department for Transport has confirmed plans to introduce new permitted development rights for cross-pavement EV charging solutions in England, according to electrive.

Secondary legislation to bring the changes into force is expected to go before Parliament in Autumn 2026, electrive reported.

Oversight of individual installations will remain with local authorities under Section 178 of the Highways Act 1980.

EVA England said around four in ten UK households do not have off-street parking, a group for whom kerbside routing of a home charging cable has been a practical barrier to switching to an electric vehicle.

Solar photovoltaic performance in polar latitudes is stronger than commonly assumed, according to PV Magazine. Horizontal single-axis tracking (HSAT) systems in the Arctic deliver between 770 and 2,170 full-load hours per year, with the range depending on location.

PV Magazine reports that the highest single-day solar PV yield per installed capacity has been recorded in Antarctica, where the sun stays above the horizon for 24 hours at the summer solstice.

Orientation choices also shift project economics in the far north. According to PV Magazine, switching to a fully east-west vertical portfolio cuts the levelized cost of electricity by 1.4% to 14% in the high Arctic compared with a reference mix.

At Nunat, Greenland (77.4°N, 67.9°W), east-west vertical systems generate the same annual output as HSAT systems, PV Magazine reports.

Romania's environment ministry, MMAP, has closed the rulebook for a national prosumer battery-storage subsidy after a public consultation that generated more than 200 comments, ESS News reported.

Under the final guide, eligible systems must now start at 10 kWh of storage capacity, down from the earlier 12 kWh floor. Cycle-life requirements moved the other way: batteries must be rated for 5,000 charge-discharge cycles instead of 3,000, and every funded installation has to ship with a battery management system to track performance and safeguard the hardware.

Program administrator AFM will score applications once enrollment opens, awarding funding by ranking until the budget runs out rather than clearing them in the order received.

Romania's regulator ANRE counted 332,684 prosumers on the grid as of April 30, representing roughly 3,789 MW of installed capacity. The Romanian Photovoltaic Industry Association said utility-scale battery capacity in the country has crossed 1 GW/2 GWh this year.

Cold-storage operator Lineage, Inc. has filed a civil lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court against Altus Power, Inc., its project subsidiary Los Palos Street Operating, LLC, and maintenance contractor Pearce Services LLC over a June 17 fire that destroyed Lineage's Boyle Heights facility, according to PV Magazine.

The complaint seeks more than $1 billion in damages on counts of negligence, negligent supervision, breach of contract, and violations of state health and safety codes, PV Magazine reported.

Lineage alleges the blaze began in the rooftop solar array while Pearce Services crews were testing and working on the energized system. According to the complaint cited by PV Magazine, Altus and Pearce re-energized the array despite written instructions from Lineage on June 11 to keep the system off until safety and voltage checks were completed.

Internal inspection records referenced in the filing indicate that by May 2026 inspectors had logged more than 200 PV connector failures across the array, including mismatched jumper connections and loose bolts in the same quadrant where the June 17 fire started, per PV Magazine.

The fire burned for eight days, and Lineage says it has spent over $100 million on site remediation, environmental cleanup, and neighborhood relief, according to PV Magazine.

The Los Angeles Fire Department has not yet issued its final findings on the official cause of the fire.

Cement producer Holcim is moving to tap thermal batteries for cleaner heat, according to Canary Media. The outlet reports that a Boston-based firm is developing technology to use clean electricity to produce cement.

Canary Media describes cement making as a highly carbon-intensive process that involves burning fossil fuels to blast materials with searing heat.

European power purchase agreement prices rose 2.2% in August, according to Pexapark's Euro Composite Index cited by PV Magazine.

The United Kingdom led national moves with a 4.9% monthly increase, per PV Magazine, ahead of Germany and the Netherlands at 2.8% each and Italy at 1.6%. France edged up 0.2% while Nordic PPA prices fell 1.2% over the month.

Deal flow thinned sharply. PV Magazine reported 14 agreements covering around 335 MW in August, down from 24 agreements totaling approximately 1.1 GW in July. Corporate buyers signed 13 of the 14 contracts and took approximately 298 MW, equivalent to 89% of reported capacity.

Activity shifted toward flexibility. Eleven flexibility purchase agreements covered approximately 869 MW and 2.4 GWh of storage capacity during the month, according to PV Magazine. Four merchant revenue-sharing deals totaled 374 MW, led by the 300 MW Iceni battery energy storage system in the United Kingdom, the month's largest single agreement. Vattenfall signed a 200 MW tolling contract for the Sirius project in the Netherlands.

Strohm has secured a Petrobras award covering thermoplastic composite pipes for gas lift and water injection duty at deepwater wells in Brazil's post-salt cluster, Offshore Engineer reported.

Qualification will target water depths reaching 1,500 metres.

Alongside the pipe supply, Strohm and Strohm Brasil will handle qualification testing, project engineering, field services, and support for offshore trials and installation.

The pipes combine carbon or glass fibre with polymers including polyethylene or polyamide.

Statkraft and SSE have completed what they describe as the first financial swap referencing Modo Energy's ME BESS GB (2H) Index, a benchmark tracking average revenue earned by operational two-hour battery energy storage systems in Great Britain, according to ESS News.

The contract settles against the index itself rather than the performance of either company's own battery fleet, ESS News reported. Statkraft will pay SSE if the index falls below an agreed strike level, and SSE will pay Statkraft if it rises above that level.

Statkraft's head of origination for the UK and Ireland said the company expects to pursue further transactions of this kind across its 9,000 MW portfolio, according to ESS News.

The two companies did not disclose the swap's size, strike level, duration or other commercial terms.

Iran-backed Iraqi militias recently forced the closure of Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline, a route that had emerged as a key conduit for oil exports after the Strait of Hormuz was closed, according to Semafor Net Zero.

Semafor reports that Saudi Arabia is coming under increased military pressure on both its northern and southern borders, describing it as one of the sternest challenges yet for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

On the southern flank, Houthi rebels in Yemen have stepped up attacks on southern targets and seized strategic islands in the Bab el-Mandeb waterway, per the same report.

Semafor adds that Washington's military support for the kingdom is in question.

Senegal and Eni have signed a memorandum of understanding under which Eni will evaluate the oil and gas potential of five offshore blocks, according to Offshore Engineer.

The agreement was signed on the sidelines of Gastech 2026 by Senegal's Ministry of Energy and Petroleum and Eni, and covers blocks SN01M, SN02M, SN03M, SN07M and SN40M, Offshore Engineer reported.

Eni will fund and carry out the technical studies, including analysis of available 2D and 3D seismic data and well data, alongside an assessment of the blocks' oil and gas potential, per the same report.

The memorandum does not constitute a petroleum contract, and it does not grant Eni exploration or exploitation rights over the blocks or any automatic right to a future petroleum contract, according to Offshore Engineer.

Senegal's national oil company PETROSEN is recognised as a technical partner under the memorandum, which also provides for technical exchanges, specialised workshops and knowledge-transfer initiatives.

U.S. Steel has cleared the final air permit required to advance construction of a $475 million quench-and-tempering facility in Alabama, according to World Oil. The plant is designed to expand tubular capacity for major U.S. oil and gas basins.

World Oil reported that initial construction began in July, with full production expected in 2029.

The quench-and-tempering project sits alongside a separate $75 million Premium Thread Line investment at the same Alabama site. Together, the two projects represent approximately $550 million of investment at the facility, per World Oil.

Borr Drilling has agreed to sell its 51% stake in Mexican joint venture Perfomex to its longtime local partner, while keeping ownership of three jackup rigs currently deployed for Pemex, according to World Oil.

Under the deal, the local partner becomes sole owner of Perfomex and takes over management and operation of the Galar, Gersemi and Njord rigs, World Oil reported. Borr will continue to participate in the underlying Pemex contracts through bareboat charter agreements covering the three units.

The Njord is contracted through April 2028 with extension options, and the Galar and Gersemi are contracted through May 2030, according to World Oil.

The companies did not disclose a transaction value. Consideration is based on the estimated net book value of Borr's Perfomex interest as of July 31. The transaction is expected to close in September 2026, subject to customary conditions.

Thailand's Cabinet approved the transfer of interests in offshore Blocks G1/65 and G3/65 from PTTEP Energy Development Co., a subsidiary of PTT Exploration and Production, to Valeura Energy, according to World Oil.

Under the farm-in agreement, Valeura will fund a 163-km² 3D seismic survey covering the Nong Yao Northeast focus area, World Oil reported.

Valeura estimated its total costs under the agreement at approximately USD 25.6 million as of August 31, 2026, per World Oil. That figure includes a previously paid USD 1.85 million deposit and USD 2.8 million for the carried 3D seismic program.

Holcim has integrated two Joule Hive thermal batteries into one of its cement making facilities, according to CleanTechnica.

The Joule Hive units were developed by Electrified Thermal Solutions, an MIT spin-off, CleanTechnica reported. The company began researching the benefits of electrified firebrick more than 12 years ago, per the same report.

Ventura Offshore Holding and SED Energy Holdings have provisionally agreed to combine in an all-share deal, sealed through a letter of intent, according to Offshore Magazine.

The merged entity would sit on a contracted revenue backlog of roughly USD 1.3 billion, per the same report.

Completion is pencilled in for the first quarter of 2027, Offshore Magazine reported. Getting there depends on several gates clearing in parallel: fresh contracts starting on certain rigs, sign-off from shareholders and regulators, and Ventura Offshore's removal from Oslo Euronext Growth.

The combined group's top ranks would draw from both sides. Gunnar W. Eliassen has been put forward as chair. Guilherme Coelho stays on running Ventura Offshore, while Kurt M. Waldeland keeps the chief executive role at Energy Holdings.

NHTSA issued a formal Special Order on September 10 demanding that Tesla show under oath how the Cybercab, a vehicle with no steering wheel, no pedals, and no mirrors, complies with federal safety standards written for human drivers, according to Electrek.

The order runs to 21 detailed requests and is signed by NHTSA Chief Counsel Peter Simshauser, Electrek reported. Tesla has until September 30 to respond, and failing to answer fully and truthfully carries penalties of up to USD 139 million. Falsifying or withholding information in the sworn response can bring criminal penalties, including a fine or up to 15 years in prison.

The regulatory move followed the launch of paid service. Tesla began commercial Cybercab service in Austin on September 3, and NHTSA opened Audit Query 26002 hours later, per Electrek.

At the center of the dispute is a rule the Cybercab's design cannot meet on its face. FMVSS No. 135 requires that service brakes shall be activated by means of a foot control, and the Cybercab has no foot control.

Electrek noted that a separate pathway already exists for driverless vehicles. In July, NHTSA granted Amazon's Zoox a temporary Part 555 exemption covering eight federal standards, allowing paid rides in its no-controls pods, capped at 2,500 vehicles a year, running through 2028.

Montauk Renewables opened its Turkey, North Carolina facility in Sampson County, with Chief Executive Sean McClain and members of the board joining local leaders at the event, according to a GlobeNewswire release.

The site represents a USD 200 million capital investment in rural North Carolina, the company said. It was built by converting the former Bay Valley Foods Distribution Center, and uses technology developed by Montauk to turn swine waste into electricity.

For its first phase, Montauk has signed long-term agreements with more than 80 farming locations, giving it access to over 415,000 hog spaces, the company said.

The US Treasury Department amended Venezuela's sanctions license on Sept. 14 to block unauthorized changes to the governance of Citgo Petroleum Corp. and its two US corporate parents, PDV Holding Inc. and Citgo Holding Inc., according to Oil & Gas Journal.

The amendment freezes the current corporate boards until Amber Energy's acquisition of PDV Holdings is finalized.

Under the transaction, Amber is obligated to disperse USD 5.89 billion in a structured payout to 15 international creditors, including ConocoPhillips, whose assets were seized by the previous Venezuelan government, Oil & Gas Journal reported.

A US federal court has approved the deal, but Amber still needs a US Treasury license to take title to the shares. The transaction must also survive an appeal before the US Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia, where the Venezuelan government is arguing that the price is too low.

Even if the acquisition closes, Venezuela and state-owned PDVSA would remain on the hook for about USD 15 billion in remaining payouts to companies for seized assets, according to Oil & Gas Journal.

BYD's Denza brand has priced its new all-electric N8L SUV from 299,800 yuan, or about USD 45,000, according to Electrek. The Flagship trim sits at 329,800 yuan, or about USD 49,000.

Electrek reports both versions carry a 130.15 kWh BYD Blade Battery 2.0, delivering a CLTC range of up to 960 km. The SUV runs on an 800V electrical architecture paired with BYD's Flash Charging technology, which the company says takes the battery from 10% to 70% in 5 minutes.

The N8L is not a new nameplate. Denza first launched it in October 2025, initially offered only as a plug-in hybrid, per Electrek. The newly revealed variant is the all-electric version of that existing PHEV.

New England consumed 31,278 GWh of electricity across June, July, and August 2026, according to ISO New England. The grid operator said summer consumption came in less than 1% above summer 2025.

Wildfire smoke briefly reshaped the region's generation mix mid-season. ISO New England estimates that on July 15 and 16, smoke reduced solar output by up to 50%, or more than 3,000 MW at times.

Auto parts manufacturer Terrepower has introduced a new brand, Ontility, dedicated to EV battery lifecycle solutions along with energy storage systems and components, according to Solar Builder.

The Daphne, Alabama-based firm said the launch spans both North America and Europe. Terrepower CEO Duncan Gillis said the launch strengthens the company's ability to serve customers across those regions with battery lifecycle solutions, reinforcing its position in sustainable manufacturing.

Solar Builder reported that EV adoption rates in Europe grew 38% from 2024 to 2025.

Chubu Electric Power Co.'s president and chairperson are stepping down to take responsibility for the utility's yearslong manipulation of earthquake safety data covering two nuclear reactors, according to Power Engineering Nuclear.

President Kingo Hayashi and chairperson Satoru Katsuno will leave their posts on Sept. 30, Power Engineering Nuclear reported. Minoru Yasui, currently a director, will be promoted to president on Oct. 1.

Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority suspended safety screening for the Hamaoka No. 3 and No. 4 reactors in December after months of internal investigation prompted by a whistleblower tip, according to the same report.

The Hamaoka plant sits on a coastal area about 200 kilometers west of Tokyo, a zone known for potential risks from Nankai Trough megaquakes.

Of Japan's 54 commercial reactors, 11 are in operation, 20 are offline, and more than 20 others are being decommissioned, according to the Nuclear Regulation Authority.

Daimler Truck, the Volvo Group, Toyota, Bosch, Air Liquide, TotalEnergies, TEAL Mobility, and MB Energy used the IAA Transportation to lay out plans for accelerating the ramp-up of hydrogen-powered vehicles in Europe, according to electrive.

The alliance's stated aim is to build a German ecosystem meeting the prerequisites for scalable deployment of hydrogen trucks by 2030, electrive reported. Among its targets is the rollout of hydrogen refuelling stations capable of fuelling up to 100 hydrogen trucks per day.

On the vehicle side, Daimler Truck plans to place a small series of 100 units of the Mercedes-Benz NextGenH2 Truck, a hydrogen-powered tractor unit, into customer operations by the end of 2026, according to electrive. The manufacturer has secured 226 million euros in funding from the German federal government and the states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg to support the effort.

The alliance's plans sit alongside a broader German funding push. In January the federal government published a call to support the construction of hydrogen refuelling stations and trucks with fuel cell or hydrogen combustion engines with 220 million euros, electrive reported. Demand outstripped the envelope: the so-called hydrogen initial network call was oversubscribed, with a requested funding volume of 455 million euros. A total of 71 applications were submitted for hydrogen refuelling stations and 455 for vehicles and vehicle fleets.

Chinese refineries processed roughly 640,000 barrels per day more crude in August than the country imported or pumped at home, according to Offshore Engineer OEDigital, citing official data. Throughput reached 13.91 million bpd, the highest since March.

Crude imports came in at 8.93 million bpd and domestic production at 4.34 million bpd, leaving refiners with 13.27 million bpd of available supply, Offshore Engineer OEDigital reported.

The August draw extends a pattern seen earlier in the year. Inventories were tapped by about 500,000 bpd in May and 940,000 bpd in June, before a small surplus of 210,000 bpd in July as imports edged up and refinery runs stayed weak, according to the same report.

Storage data point to a faster pace of destocking heading into September. Onshore crude sitting in tank farms stood at 1.23 billion barrels as of September 9, per figures compiled by EA Crude Oil Inventories and cited by Offshore Engineer OEDigital. Stored volumes have fallen by 24.05 million barrels since the end of August.

Product exports are picking up alongside the higher runs. Kpler data cited in the report showed shipments of light and middle distillates at 975,000 bpd in August, with September flows likely to move above 1 million bpd.

On the import side, Offshore Engineer OEDigital reported that China has absorbed the bulk of the disruption to Middle East supplies by cutting seaborne oil imports by as much as 4 million bpd from pre-war levels.

Generate Capital closed a USD 117 million term debt facility with MUFG on September 15 to finance a portfolio of community solar projects, according to Power Magazine.

Power Magazine described Generate Capital as an investor, owner and operator of critical infrastructure. The outlet reported that the transaction is Generate Capital's first community solar financing with MUFG.

Planted Solar, an Oakland, California-based robotics and software firm, has raised USD 31.8 million to scale autonomous solar deployment technology, according to Solar Builder. The round was co-led by Piva Capital and RA Capital Management Planetary Health.

The company is on track for more than 100 MW of project installations in 2026, an order of magnitude above the prior year, Solar Builder reported. Planted Solar estimates its project pipeline currently reaches more than 20 GW.

A next-generation installation robot called Sage will enter solar fields in 2026 with more than double the field productivity of the current fleet, according to the company.

Planted Solar completed the 11 MW Bowes Solar project in 2025. Its most recent project, a 28 MW site serving an AI cloud storage data center, went from initial calls to energization in ten months, Solar Builder reported.

The company frames the funding against global demand: 664 GW of solar was installed worldwide last year, per Planted Solar.

The United Kingdom's Secretary of State has discharged Requirement 13 of the Norfolk Vanguard Offshore Wind Farm Development Consent Order, which relates to the project's Air Defence Radar Mitigation Scheme, according to UK DESNZ.

The decision was issued on 15 September 2026 on an application submitted by Norfolk Vanguard East Limited and Norfolk Vanguard West Limited, per the DESNZ notice.

The project sits 47 kilometres off the Norfolk coastline, according to the same filing. Maximum output is set at up to 1,800 MW, DESNZ stated.

Lidl Netherlands has opened a fast-charging hub for electric trucks at its Waddinxveen distribution centre, bringing dedicated charging infrastructure to all six of the retailer's regional logistics centres, according to electrive.

The completed network gives Lidl what the company describes as the prerequisites to supply all 440 of its Dutch branches electrically starting in 2027, electrive reported.

At the Almere hub, Lidl combines CCS fast chargers with an MCS charging point expected to deliver up to 1.2 MW in the future, according to electrive.

Access extends beyond Lidl's own fleet. The retailer says the Waddinxveen infrastructure will be open to freight forwarders and other local companies at favourable rates with guaranteed charging times, alongside Lidl and its transport partners, electrive reported.

Canada is directing CAD 4 million to two clean fuels projects in the Greater Toronto Area under Natural Resources Canada's Energy Innovation Program Clean Fuels Call for Proposals, according to Natural Resources Canada.

Next Hydrogen receives half of the funding, CAD 2 million, to develop a scalable fabrication process aimed at improving the efficiency, performance and cost of its electrolyzer modules, Natural Resources Canada said. The company estimates its low-carbon hydrogen production technology can cut emissions by up to 95 percent versus conventional hydrogen made through unabated steam methane reforming when powered by low-carbon energy.

CERT Systems receives the other CAD 2 million to advance a direct air-to-ethylene conversion process, turning captured carbon dioxide into ethylene as a chemical building block for sustainable aviation fuel, according to Natural Resources Canada. The department said the process could deliver an estimated 93.8% reduction in lifecycle emissions compared with conventional jet fuel.

Renewables paired with storage could shave as much as INR 85 billion (USD 886.4 million) off Rajasthan's 2030 power procurement bill compared with building new coal to cover reliability gaps, a study by New Delhi-based CEEW found, as reported by ESS News.

The research examines a February 2025 plan from Rajasthan's distribution companies to sign contracts for 3.2 GW of new coal generation to plug expected supply gaps.

Of the projected 5.5-billion-unit shortfall in 2030, roughly 90% lands in hours when solar is off the grid and the system needs fast-responding capacity, CEEW found.

State electricity demand expanded at an 8% compound annual rate from fiscal 2022 through fiscal 2025, and the study projects consumption reaching 1.5 times the fiscal 2025 level by fiscal 2030.

CEEW estimates the renewables-and-storage route would support 27,000 full-time-equivalent jobs by 2030, against 2,560 tied to the new coal option. The same route would trim power-sector CO2 output by 24%, to 52 million metric tons versus 68 million under coal.

"Our analysis shows that RE-plus-storage can meet Rajasthan's future reliability needs at lower cost than the proposed coal capacity," Disha Agarwal, a fellow at CEEW, told ESS News, referring to the non-solar-hour capacity gap the discom proposal targets.

Spain installed 10,105 MW of new solar capacity in 2025, according to the annual report of Spanish PV association UNEF cited by pv magazine.

Ground-mounted projects delivered the bulk of the additions at 8,966 MW, a 31% increase on 2024, pv magazine reported. Self-consumption installations moved the other way, adding 1,139 MW over the year, down 4% year on year.

By the end of 2025, cumulative PV capacity reached 46,286 MW for ground-mounted systems and 9,276 MW for self-consumption, according to pv magazine. Solar accounted for nearly 23% of the country's electricity mix, making it Spain's leading power-generation technology.

The build-out has pressured wholesale returns. The average price captured by solar fell from EUR 42.28/MWh in 2024 to EUR 36.39/MWh in 2025, and to EUR 29.68/MWh in the first half of 2026, pv magazine reported citing UNEF. Spain also recorded 797 hours with electricity prices at or below EUR 0/MWh during periods of significant PV generation in 2025.

Behind-the-meter storage picked up in response. Installations rose 65% in 2025 to 540 MWh, bringing cumulative capacity installed since 2022 to 2,745 MWh, according to pv magazine.

MET Group and Shell have signed a new long-term agreement covering the supply of US LNG, according to Offshore Engineer, expanding MET's access to American gas for its customers across Europe.

Under the contract, Shell will deliver LNG from its US portfolio to MET International, MET Group's trading and wholesale arm, over a multi-year period. Volumes and duration were not disclosed by the companies.

MET said the additional US supply would help diversify its gas sourcing and let it offer customers pricing options including contracts linked to the US Henry Hub benchmark.

The new agreement builds on an existing commercial relationship between the two companies. In July 2024, MET and Shell signed a 10-year free-on-board LNG purchase agreement that gave MET long-term access to US LNG. They followed that in February 2026 with a Memorandum of Understanding to explore additional LNG supply and trading opportunities, and the latest sale and purchase agreement emerged from that cooperation.

MODEC and Eld Energy have cleared the Technology Feasibility and Concept Verification stage of the American Bureau of Shipping's New Technology Qualification process for a solid oxide fuel cell power system aimed at floating production, storage and offloading vessels (FPSOs), according to Offshore Engineer.

The unit under qualification is the Eld Power Module 40kW, built by Eld Energy to run on gas produced on FPSOs and on alternative low-emission fuels, Offshore Engineer reported.

Offshore Engineer said results from the offshore pilot are expected to support scaling the technology to a 120kW module capable of integration with carbon capture systems.