Monday, 13 July 2026

Blykalla and Hitachi Energy have agreed to explore a long-term partnership on lead-cooled advanced modular reactors, World Nuclear News reported. The outlet identified Hitachi Energy as the energy arm of Japan's Hitachi Group and Blykalla as based in Sweden.

The two companies formalized the arrangement in a memorandum of understanding covering deployment of the next-generation reactor design. Blykalla is building the SEALER, the Swedish Advanced Lead Reactor.

The company wants its first commercial unit, the SEALER-55 rated at 140 MWt and 55 MWe, running early in the next decade, according to World Nuclear News.

Blykalla filed an application with the Swedish government in May to build a plant at Norrsundet, Gävle, in east central Sweden, the outlet reported. The proposed site would house six SEALER reactors and reach a combined 330 MWe.

Formerly called LeadCold, Blykalla spun out of the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, where work on lead-cooled reactor systems dates to 1996. It was incorporated as a joint stock company in 2013.

Blykalla chief executive Jacob Stedman said the tie-up supports the company's push toward commercialisation.

California Resources Corporation began injecting carbon dioxide beneath its own oil field in May, the first such project to reach operation in California, according to Inside Climate News.

The state's largest oil company is capturing and storing the carbon dioxide underground. Its CarbonTerraVault I in Kern County can accept about 1.5 million metric tons of CO2 a year, with room for 38 million tons in total, Inside Climate News reported.

Across California, the company has filed storage applications for sites that would together hold 352 million tons of carbon, according to Inside Climate News.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which oversees carbon dioxide storage wells in the state, is reviewing 11 more proposed projects covering nearly 50 injection wells, Inside Climate News reported. The agency expects to sign off on those projects in 2026 and 2027.

California this week finalized rules for carbon pipelines running within the state, lifting an earlier ban, according to Inside Climate News.

The project faces a court challenge. Environmental groups sued after its approval, contending that Kern County's environmental review fell short, Inside Climate News reported.

Storage volumes remain small against the scale of emissions. About 380 million tons of carbon have been stored underground since the 1990s, against global emissions of nearly 38 billion tons of carbon dioxide in 2024, according to Inside Climate News.

China pressed for shipping to move freely through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Rigzone.

Speaking at a regular press briefing in Beijing on Friday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said an early return to safe and unimpeded passage in the strait "serves the interests of all parties."

A dispute over who pays to transit the waterway remains unresolved. Rigzone reported that leading European powers appear willing to accept that vessels will have to pay fees to Iran and Oman for passage. The US and Gulf Arab countries continue to reject any charges by Iran and Oman for the strait, according to Rigzone.

In March, Beijing had urged parties to the fighting to guarantee the safe passage of ships through the strait, Rigzone reported.

China is the world's largest oil and gas importer, according to Rigzone.

A modeled scenario from the Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Economics and Energy System Technology (Fraunhofer IEE) estimates that a larger fleet of battery storage and greater grid flexibility could trim roughly EUR 3.9 billion a year from costs borne by German electricity consumers and the federal budget.

The work was commissioned by three trade bodies: the German Renewable Energy Federation (BEE), the German Solar Association (BSW-Solar), and the German Wind Energy Association (BWE).

In the central case, the modelers set 20 GW of battery power capacity running for four hours, an energy volume of 80 GWh. Applied across the window from January 2025 through the end of May 2026, that build-out would generate EUR 5.6 billion in economic savings.

Swapping the four-hour systems for two-hour units lowers the payoff but does not erase it. That configuration still yields about EUR 2.5 billion in yearly savings over the same window, the study found.

The extra capacity also reshapes the market picture. It would shrink stretches of negative wholesale power prices by almost 70% and pare renewable curtailment by roughly 3.3 TWh, close to 55%.

On the financing side, the researchers said the added storage would lower the risks tied to Germany's renewable support scheme by about 75% for solar, nearly 55% for onshore wind, and close to 60% for offshore wind.

The three associations pressed the government to quicken grid connection approvals, permit multi-use operation of battery systems, and open congestion management and redispatch services more widely to storage assets.

Crews have broken ground on a pair of overhead pantograph chargers serving DASH (Alexandria Transit) in Alexandria, Virginia, Electrek reported. Each of the two units will supply as much as 360 kW.

Federal money covered part of the cost, with the project drawing more than USD 1 million routed through the Fiscal Year 2024 Consolidated Appropriations Act, according to Electrek. Work on the en-route chargers is slated to finish in 2027.

Sixteen battery-electric buses are already running on DASH routes, and a further 20 have secured funding and are now being procured, Electrek reported. Once upgraded, the transit depot can host up to 30 more electric buses along with wiring for as many as 24 additional overhead pantograph chargers.

ABM, a supplier of EV charging infrastructure for transit fleets, is providing the charging system, according to Electrek.

Chevrolet Bolt dealers are holding 118 days of inventory, nearly double the 60-day supply the industry treats as healthy, according to Electrek.

More than 4,500 new Bolts remain on dealer lots, Electrek reported. That pileup follows a sharp jump in sales. Chevy sold 3,433 new Bolts in Q2 2026, up from 791 in Q1, according to Electrek, which attributed the Q1 figure to CoxAuto.

The stock overhang comes after GM said its resurrected 2027 Chevrolet Bolt would be built for only a single model year, per Electrek.

One mechanism putting cars on lots is GM's Dealer Dividends program. Kyle Birch, president of North American operations at GM Financial, told Auto Finance News that the program lets dealers earn through tiers up to the Platinum Plus level, where they start to reap the benefits. Birch said dealers can apply dividends as they see fit, using them to reduce their floorplan rate or to add incentives on vehicles.

Utility-scale solar draws a persistent criticism that it competes with agriculture for land, according to CleanTechnica. That tension carries particular weight in the Philippines, where CleanTechnica reports arable land is both limited and economically important, making the debate over solar versus farming increasingly relevant.

CleanTechnica presents agrivoltaics as a different approach to the land-use conflict between solar generation and agriculture.

Agrivoltaics places solar panels and farming on the same land, allowing both food production and electricity generation to continue, according to CleanTechnica.

The approach appeals because it appears to address two land-use problems at the same time, CleanTechnica reported. Under the model, the farm keeps producing while the panels generate power.

The CATL-backed Choco-SEB battery swap network reached its 2,000th station on June 30, according to Electrek. CATL has set a goal of running 3,000 stations across the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong by the end of 2026, Electrek reported.

The network spans 31 provinces and 180 cities in China, per Electrek. That footprint has grown from roughly 700 stations last October, with none in place at the start of 2025.

CATL said in December it had co-developed 10 electric vehicle models with domestic automakers, each built to use its swappable batteries, according to Electrek.

CATL has also announced a partnership with Octopus Energy to bring large-scale battery swapping to markets in the United Kingdom and Europe, Electrek reported.

CATL chairman and CEO Robin Zeng called battery swapping "a significant part of the future of commercial transport" and said the company had "field-proven this technology in China," in a statement cited by Electrek.

Canada's Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson announced more than CAD 26 million in funding for 17 clean energy projects across Alberta and Saskatchewan, according to Natural Resources Canada. The announcement was made on the margins of the Calgary Stampede.

The funding targets clean technology deployment, energy system modernization, emissions reduction, and building regulatory, industrial and workforce capacity for long-term economic growth and energy security, Natural Resources Canada said.

The largest tranche directs CAD 14.9 million to 10 projects covering energy storage, solar and wind development, interprovincial electricity transmission planning, Indigenous-led clean energy projects and workforce development, according to Natural Resources Canada.

A further CAD 5.9 million supports engineering and design work on two facilities that will convert waste biomass to renewable natural gas with carbon capture, the department said.

Indigenous Services Canada contributed CAD 649,000 to electricity projects led by Indigenous groups for pre-development work on solar energy projects, according to Natural Resources Canada.

The funding flows in part through the Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program, a CAD 4.5 billion program designed to support grid modernization, energy storage and renewable energy technologies across Canada, the department said.

The package builds on a June 26 commitment at the 2026 Energy and Mine Ministers' Conference to support intertie transmission projects linking Yukon and British Columbia, Alberta and British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan, and Saskatchewan and Manitoba, according to Natural Resources Canada.

Canada's National Electricity Strategy aims to double the capacity of the country's grid by 2050, the department said.

Canada announced more than CAD 26 million in funding for 17 clean energy projects across Alberta and Saskatchewan, according to Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson on July 4, 2026.

Natural Resources Canada said the projects will accelerate deployment of clean technology, modernize energy systems and infrastructure, reduce emissions, and build regulatory, industrial, and workforce capacity.

The University of Calgary received CAD 4,218,000 for a project on inter-provincial transmission expansion in Western Canada, according to Natural Resources Canada.

Clean Communities Corp. received CAD 3,900,000 to deploy a 5-MWh / 2.5-MW battery energy storage system integrated with the existing 4-MW SunRISE Solar Facility in Cardston, Alberta, according to the department.

Kainai Pe-na-koyim Renewable Energy Centre GP Corp. received CAD 2,000,000 for pre-development and workforce-related activities tied to a proposed 300 MW wind energy farm on Blood Tribe Reserve #148 near Lethbridge, Alberta, per Natural Resources Canada.

The Neyaskweyahk Group of Companies received CAD 1,479,750 for feasibility work on the Kâpîtisimotêt Solar project, a 112-MW solar plant with a 30.2-MW battery energy storage system on Ermineskin Cree Nation, according to the department.

Kalmar closed the second quarter with four new ERG450 orders for customers in Mongolia, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, according to Electrek.

The company began building its 45-ton ERG450 electric reach stackers at a Shanghai manufacturing plant in 2023 to serve customers across the Asian market, Electrek reported.

The four machines are the first units to feature Kalmar's next-generation lithium-ion battery packs, which replace the company's typical lead-acid packs, according to Electrek.

Kalmar calls the ERG450 its most sustainable reach stacker to date, citing the use of at least 50% recycled steel, per Electrek.

John Zhang, Managing Director at Kalmar's Shanghai plant, said the orders reflect accelerating adoption of electrified heavy machinery across China and demonstrate the company's capability to deliver solutions for the industry's transition toward more sustainable operations.

OPmobility SE has launched StackPack, a single-module hydrogen power unit built for heavy-duty buses, according to Hydrogen Fuel News. The module combines fuel cell stacks, air supply and controls into one plug-and-play package aimed at long-range, zero-emission heavy-duty routes.

The design integrates fuel cell stacks, air supply, cooling and control systems into a single package, Hydrogen Fuel News reported. The publication described the plug-and-play format as intended to make hydrogen mobility more accessible for local transit operators, giving bus makers a ready-to-install unit.

KG Motors has suspended reservations for its MiBot EV, according to CleanTechnica.

The company said it will not take customer money until it knows when it can build the car, CleanTechnica reported.

KG Motors had announced that completed vehicle deliveries began in December, followed by a planned April production ramp-up after a tie-up with Idemitsu, according to CleanTechnica.

Gold Hydrogen and Mitsubishi Gas Chemical have launched a feasibility study on producing green methanol from South Australia's natural hydrogen reserves, according to Hydrogen Fuel News. The study combines geological hydrogen extraction with established methanol technology to explore a low-emission feedstock pathway.

Gold Hydrogen Limited is an Australian company focused on exploring natural hydrogen resources, Hydrogen Fuel News reported.

The partnership between the two companies was announced in late June, according to Hydrogen Fuel News.

HRS, a French hydrogen station manufacturer, will maintain six HYmpulsion hydrogen refueling stations in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes under a five-year contract, according to Hydrogen Fuel News.

The agreement covers upkeep of the stations operated by HYmpulsion in the region. Hydrogen Fuel News reported the deal is intended to reinforce Zero Emission Valley infrastructure reliability.

Santos Ltd has secured a state contract running 10 years to deliver 200 petajoules of domestic natural gas into South Australia, with deliveries starting in 2030, according to Rigzone.

The deal carries an annual volume of 20 PJ, which Santos put at roughly 30 percent of what it currently produces from the Cooper Basin, according to Rigzone.

Santos will draw that supply from its Moomba Central Area fields development, according to Rigzone. The company reached a final investment decision on March 9 to advance the Moomba Central Optimization (MCO) project, according to Rigzone. Santos and partner Beach Energy Ltd target completion in 2029.

Under the project, Santos is committing AUD 357 million (USD 247.79 million), and Beach Energy has said separately its portion runs to about AUD 250 million, according to Rigzone. The upgrade swaps out seven aging gas-fired compressor stations for a single electric one.

Santos projects the MCO will trim unit production cost by as much as AUD 3 per barrel of oil equivalent and lower its share of spending by AUD 600 million across the life of the fields, according to Rigzone.

Santos Chief Executive Kevin Gallagher said the agreement will support the South Australian Strategic Gas Reserve.

US virtual power plants (VPPs) reached 37.5 GW in 2025, driven by electric vehicles and batteries, according to Electrek.

California's VPP program is offering a $6,000 rebate for new home batteries, Electrek reported. Tesla's California VPP compensates Powerwall owners $2 per kWh contributed to the grid during emergency load reduction events, with homeowners expected to earn between $10 and $60 per event.

Tesla's California VPPs surpassed 100 MW in capacity last year, and the company also began building significant VPPs in Texas, according to Fred Lambert of Electrek. Tesla paid out $9.9 million to Powerwall customers in 2024, Electrek reported.

The Powerwall is being produced at nearly 700,000 units per year, according to Electrek.

Residential adoption of storage has climbed sharply. The attachment rate, the share of home solar owners adding a battery, grew from 6% in Q1 2020 to 25% in Q1 2024, according to Wood Mackenzie.

SoFi Stadium in the host city of Los Angeles will stage eight World Cup matches this summer, one of 16 cities carrying the tournament, according to Grist.

The venue cost USD 5.5 billion to build and runs without air conditioning inside, Grist reported. Ground staff cool the interior on hot days by opening roof panels to draw an updraft through the bowl, relying on natural ventilation.

Inglewood, where the stadium sits, carries tree canopy over 9 percent of its area, Grist reported, against a recommended target near 30 percent.

Commuters lean heavily on cars in Los Angeles: 2024 American Community Survey data cited by Grist put public transit at just above 3 percent of trips.

Spectators and service workers, not players, face the highest overheating risk, according to sports sociologist Sven Schneider, who cited fans as generally less acclimatized alongside staff at sales points and in catering.

Shortly before the tournament opened, FIFA barred fans from carrying sealed, transparent water bottles into matches, then dropped the rule after backlash, Grist reported. Los Angeles preparations run through Mayor Karen Bass' Office of Major Events, headed by Paul Krekorian.

A COP31 proposal calls for electricity to supply 35% of global final energy demand by 2035, according to CleanTechnica.

CleanTechnica described the target as useful, ambitious and better than a renewables target on its own.

The proposal pushes the climate conversation beyond power generation and into vehicles, buildings and industry, where fossil fuels remain embedded, according to CleanTechnica.

Plug Power and European Energy have brought a 5 MW proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer online in Denmark to produce green hydrogen, according to Hydrogen Fuel News.

The unit converts renewable electricity into hydrogen to support industry and transport, Hydrogen Fuel News reported. The electrolyzer is fed by wind and solar assets owned or operated by European Energy.

Plug Power is a U.S. provider of PEM fuel cells and electrolyzer systems, while European Energy is a Danish renewable developer, according to Hydrogen Fuel News.

XRG bought a further 7.6% equity interest in Trains 4 and 5 of the Rio Grande LNG project, purchasing the holding from an acquisition vehicle tied to Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), part of BlackRock, according to World Oil.

The deal extends an earlier XRG position, an indirect 11.7% stake in Phase 1 covering Trains 1 through 3, World Oil reported. With the latest purchase, XRG now holds interests spanning all five trains at the site.

NextDecade operates the plant at the Port of Brownsville, where roughly 30 MMtpa of liquefaction capacity is under construction, according to World Oil.

Trains 4 and 5 will contribute about 12 MMtpa of production capacity, backed by long-term LNG sales agreements with investment-grade customers, according to NextDecade.

First gas is expected in the second half of 2026, with LNG production set to start in the first half of 2027, World Oil reported.

The transaction cleared all required regulatory approvals, including a sign-off from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), according to World Oil.

Mohamed Al Aryani, president of XRG's International Gas business, said closing the deal advances the company's global gas strategy.

Bernhard Schulte Offshore (BSO) has received the Windea Clarke, its fourth commissioning service operation vessel (CSOV) from builder Ulstein Verft in the past year, World Oil reported.

The ship brings to seven the number of Ulstein-design offshore wind service vessels running in the BSO fleet, according to World Oil.

World Oil said the Windea Clarke is built on Ulstein's TWIN X-STERN hull, with hybrid battery propulsion and a methanol-ready setup meant to raise fuel efficiency and lower emissions during offshore work.

Onboard equipment includes a helideck rated for helicopters weighing up to 8.6 tonnes and a 3D motion-compensated crane that lifts up to five tonnes, World Oil reported.

The vessel earned DNV's voluntary SILENT-E class notation for reduced underwater noise during its sea trials, according to World Oil.

Matthias Müller, managing director of Bernhard Schulte Offshore, said the Windea Clarke "completes a strategically important series of vessels" and adds reliable tonnage for offshore projects, per World Oil.

The delivery closes out the latest CSOV series, with the Windea Clarke alongside sister ships Windea Curie, Windea Clausius and Windea Carnot, World Oil reported.

Orlen Synthos Green Energy (OSGE) has asked Poland's Minister of Energy for a Contract for Difference to build 14 BWRX-300 small modular reactors across three sites, according to World Nuclear News.

The reactors would go up in Włocławek, Stawy Monowskie near Oświęcim, and Stalowa Wola, World Nuclear News reported. These are the opening phase of a wider OSGE plan for 26 BWRX-300 units, matching decisions the company secured from the Polish government.

"The Contract for Difference for 14 units will enable us to build a fleet of BWRX-300 reactors in Poland," OSGE chief executive Rafał Kasprów said, according to World Nuclear News.

OSGE expects the first unit to enter service in Włocławek in 2032.

The BWRX-300, developed by GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy, is a 300 MWe water-cooled reactor that relies on natural circulation and passive safety systems. The first of the type is being built at Ontario Power Generation's Darlington site in Canada, with completion due by the end of the decade.

Poland's larger reactor programme has already cleared a European hurdle. In December 2025, the European Commission found that planned public support for Poland's first large-scale nuclear plant met EU state aid rules, according to World Nuclear News. That backing covers three Westinghouse AP1000 reactors at the Lubiatowo-Kopalino site in the Choczewo municipality in Pomerania, built by Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe, and includes a two-way Contract for Difference that guarantees revenue across the plant's 60-year lifetime.

Seven OPEC+ members will lift combined oil output by 188,000 bpd in August, extending a phased return of barrels held back under earlier voluntary cuts, according to World Oil.

The agreement came out of a Saturday virtual session bringing together Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria and Oman, World Oil reported. Each has run extra voluntary output curbs since 2023.

The added supply is part of the ongoing unwinding of the voluntary reductions first set out in April 2023, per World Oil.

The group tied the pace of further hikes to market conditions, saying increases could be sped up, held or unwound as needed.

The seven producers agreed to adhere to the OPEC+ Declaration of Cooperation and said they would make up in full for any barrels pumped above their targets since January 2024, according to World Oil.

Their next meeting falls on Aug. 2.

Fully deployed vehicle-to-grid (V2G) projects involving about 230 electric school buses can now return 8 MWh of power to the grid at any given time, according to the World Resources Institute's (WRI) Electric School Bus Initiative. Electrek reported that the 8 MWh figure is enough electricity to power about 1,600 typical US homes for up to four hours and to shave peak load demand for the utilities they serve.

The Oakland Unified School District runs the state's largest project, a fleet of 74 buses that add an estimated 2.1 GWh of clean energy back into California's grid each year, according to Electrek.

San Francisco Unified School District is set to launch a new project next month with a fleet of 104 buses expected to return about 3 GWh of energy annually during peak hours, according to Electrek. That fleet is scheduled to double to more than 238 electric buses by 2028.

Roughly 6,700 electric school buses are already in service on US roads, Electrek reported.

"It's very early days," said Steve Letendre, senior advisor to the Vehicle Grid Integration Council trade association, adding that school buses will be a critically important backbone of V2G capacity.

The Dinawan project, an 800 megawatt solar farm paired with a four-hour battery, has secured federal environmental approval after moving through a large volume of public objections during the state approval stage, according to RenewEconomy.

RenewEconomy reported that the project won state approval in April, after being referred to the IPC in January over 82 objections that came almost entirely from people living more than 100 kms away.

The federal approval under the EPBC carries conditions, according to RenewEconomy. These include annual compliance reporting and a requirement to report any non-compliance with the environmental plans agreed with federal and state authorities within two days.

The project holds a connection agreement after winning a spot inside the South West renewable energy zone (REZ), RenewEconomy reported. Those access rights, awarded in April last year, allocated only 300 MW of capacity.

BHP committed to and then wound back a USD 3 billion, 500-megawatt regional renewables rollout in the Pilbara between 2022 and 2025, starting with a USD 400 million development at the Jimblebar mine, according to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA).

The Pilbara generates 19.2% of Western Australia's gross state product and 3.4% of national GDP, IEEFA said. The region sits at the center of the questions IEEFA raised about how mining companies decarbonise.

BHP scrapped the Jimblebar beneficiation plant despite estimating it could cut Asian steel emissions by the equivalent of 75% of its Pilbara emissions, according to IEEFA.

Elsewhere, BHP has achieved 100% renewables at its Chilean copper operations, IEEFA said. Its South Australian copper mines are on track for 70% renewable power by 2030. Copper overtook iron ore as BHP's biggest-earning division this year, driven by the metal's role in electrification and decarbonisation, according to IEEFA.

Fortescue began building a new regional grid this year set to feature 1.8 gigawatts of solar and wind and 4 to 5 gigawatt-hours of battery storage, IEEFA said. Fortescue expects to soon roll out the first of 300 electric haul trucks it developed alongside technology providers.

The remote Bellevue Gold Mine has averaged 80% to 90% renewables generation, according to IEEFA.

Squadron Energy is a third of the way through construction of the 414 MW Uungula wind farm, with nearly all concrete foundations poured, according to RenewEconomy.

The developer has started pre-installation of the site's 69 wind turbines and taken delivery of transformers for the project's electrical infrastructure, RenewEconomy reported.

More than 100 turbine components have arrived at the Uungula site, with up to 26 deliveries each week, according to RenewEconomy.

Squadron Energy is wholly owned by Andrew Forrest's investment vehicle Tattarang, per RenewEconomy.

Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport will be powered by 100% renewable electricity through a rooftop solar system and a battery, according to RenewEconomy.

The airport is Australia's first new airport in more than 50 years and is being built on the western outskirts of Sydney, RenewEconomy reported.

CleanPeak Energy will invest over AUD 50 million to develop a 9 MWp rooftop solar system, adding to an existing 4.5 MW array, plus a 30 MW/120 MWh battery, according to RenewEconomy.

CleanPeak says the system will deliver more than 18 GWh of on-site renewable electricity each year.

Six oil and gas freighters were observed navigating a route that cleaves close to Oman's coast in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Rigzone. Western navies say the threat risk is substantial and that the center of the strait has been mined.

Traffic along the Omani route has swung sharply from day to day. On Saturday, 19 vessels crossed the strait in either direction, but only one openly signaled its inbound transit along the Omani coast, according to Kpler data. That compares with Friday's count of 13 along the route.

Over Friday and Saturday, at least eight vessels were seen U-turning as they sailed through along the Omani route.

Iran has repeatedly said vessels should only transit the strait through the route designated and authorized by the Islamic Republic. The Joint Maritime Intelligence Center said on Sunday that Iranian forces continue to harass shipping.

The oil market is still recovering from a historic four-month crisis.

Duke Energy has proposed special rules and prices for data centers in North Carolina, according to Canary Media.

The move follows months of pressure from clean energy and consumer advocates in the state, who pushed the utility to create dedicated rules and prices for data centers, Canary Media reported.

Duke Energy had previously insisted such rules were unnecessary, according to Canary Media. The utility rejected claims that data centers could overwhelm the grid.

Abu Dhabi National Oil Co PJSC (ADNOC) has set a company goal of marketing 47 million metric tons per annum (MMtpa) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) by 2035, launching a single sales platform to reach it, according to Rigzone.

The new entity folds the marketing arms of ADNOC Gas PLC and XRG PJSC, the company's international investment arm, together with the trading desk of ADNOC Trading Ltd, Rigzone reported. It is based in the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) financial center. Rashid Al Mazrouei was named LNG chief marketing and origination officer.

The United Arab Emirates, through ADNOC, plans to more than double its LNG production capacity by 2028, with the under-construction Ruwais LNG plant rated at 9.6 MMtpa, Rigzone reported.

XRG closed the purchase of an extra 7.6 percent stake in the Rio Grande LNG project at Brownsville, Texas, backing the plant's fourth and fifth liquefaction trains. NextDecade Corp approved those two trains last year, lifting the project's under-construction capacity by about 12 MMtpa to roughly 30 MMtpa, according to Rigzone.

ADNOC L&S now runs an LNG fleet of 20 tankers, 14 of them modern two-stroke carriers, Rigzone reported.

Renewable technologies generated 14,020 GWh in Spain in June 2026, 12% more than the same month a year earlier, accounting for 58.4% of total generation, according to Red Electrica REE.

National electricity demand fell 0.9% in June 2026 against the same month last year, after adjusting for working patterns and temperatures, Red Electrica REE reported.

Solar photovoltaic led generation for the third consecutive month with a 29.4% share, contributing 7,071 GWh, up 17.1%, according to Red Electrica REE. The technology reached its highest-ever share in the electricity mix on 6 June, when it supplied 34.9% of the total, the operator said.

Nuclear was the second largest technology in the June mix at 18.5%, followed by wind at 15.75%, combined cycle at 15.65%, and hydro at 8.9%, according to Red Electrica REE.

Generation free from CO2 equivalent reached 79.8% of the total in June, representing an 11.2% increase in zero-emission GWh produced, the operator reported.

Battery storage and pumped-storage hydro integrated 1,003 GWh into the grid during the month and supplied 592 GWh back, holding 411 GWh of stored energy at month end, according to Red Electrica REE.

The subsea link between the Peninsula and Mallorca covered 24.9% of electricity demand in the Balearic Islands in June, the operator said.

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike used the World Hydrogen Summit in Rotterdam to set out plans for importing green hydrogen from the Netherlands, according to Hydrogen Fuel News.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government wants to supplement local renewable energy resources with international supply chains anchored at the Port of Rotterdam, which Hydrogen Fuel News described as Europe's biggest seaport.

The move ties into the city's Zero Emission Tokyo strategy, which targets net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by the middle of the century, Hydrogen Fuel News reported.

Tokyo has a population of more than 14 million people, according to Hydrogen Fuel News.

Japan and India plan to support a green hydrogen and ammonia project led by IHI Corporation and ACME Group, according to Hydrogen Fuel News.

The project is designed to harness renewable energy for low-carbon fuels used in power generation and industry, Hydrogen Fuel News reported.

According to Hydrogen Fuel News, the project aims to convert renewable energy into low-carbon ammonia and green hydrogen at large scale, supplying cleaner energy to industries and power plants.

Seven OPEC+ countries agreed to raise oil output by 188,000 barrels per day in August 2026, drawing down the additional voluntary adjustments announced in April 2023, according to Rigzone.

Saudi Arabia and Russia each carry the largest share of the increase, adding 62,000 bpd apiece, Rigzone reported. Iraq contributes a further 26,000 bpd, Kuwait 16,000 bpd, Kazakhstan 10,000 bpd, Algeria 6,000 bpd, and Oman 5,000 bpd.

The raise lifts August's required production to 10.416 million bpd for Saudi Arabia and 9.887 million bpd for Russia, according to Rigzone.

The seven participating countries are next scheduled to meet on August 2, Rigzone reported.

Samer Hasn of XS.com said the oil market may be shifting from supply scarcity to oversupply as major exporters accelerate production with the Strait of Hormuz open.

Hyundai has begun assembling the Ioniq 5 in Thailand to lower its price and make it more competitive, according to electrive. The locally built model launched at 1.699 million baht, about EUR 44,713.

Local assembly cut the price by 289,000 baht, roughly EUR 7,606 or about 15%, against the imported completely built-up version that had been priced at 1.988 million baht, or about EUR 52,319, electrive reported.

Hyundai is offering the first 400 customers of the locally assembled Ioniq 5 a discount of 300,000 baht, about EUR 7,895, which brings the price down to 1.399 million baht, or about EUR 36,818, according to electrive.

The Thailand Board of Investment approved Hyundai investments worth 1 billion baht for local assembly of EVs and their batteries, electrive reported.

Thailand becomes the Ioniq 5's seventh production site worldwide, joining South Korea, the United States, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, and India.

The Thai-spec Ioniq 5 N Line uses a single rear-mounted permanent magnet synchronous motor rated at 168 kW and 350 Nm of torque, paired with an 84 kWh NMC battery pack, according to electrive. Using a 350 kW DC charger, the car can charge from 10% to 80% state of charge in 18 minutes.

The BRAVE10k consortium, led by telematics specialist INIT, aims to prepare for the integration of more than 10,000 autonomous vehicles in German public transport by 2030, according to electrive.

The three-year project is funded by Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and supported by TÜV Rheinland, electrive reported.

Around 20 partners from the transport, industry, research, standardisation, and consulting sectors are collaborating on the effort, according to electrive.

Rather than developing new vehicle technology, BRAVE10k aims to create standardised procedures and digital tools for planning, tendering, approval, and operation of driverless vehicles, electrive reported.

The UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) set out an updated government response on 6 July 2026, changing two policies before the opening of Allocation Round 8 and adding clarification on connection requirements.

Under the plan, DESNZ will revise the Contracts for Difference (Allocation) Regulations 2014 so that NESO can fix certain delivery body errors. The same change lets NESO weigh fresh documentary evidence when it reviews Tier 1 appeals tied to non-qualifying applications.

A second revision to the Allocation Regulations addresses how pending applications are handled, informed by what DESNZ learned running Allocation Round 7 in 2025.

The response also proposes a new technology category, Other Deepwater Offshore Wind (ODOW). DESNZ said the category would let foundation designs for deepwater sites bid for CfD support.

For floating offshore wind, DESNZ proposed extending the Longstop Period and cutting the Required Installed Capacity threshold, citing the scale and complexity of future projects.

The consultation behind the response opened at 10am on 16 December 2025 and closed at 11:59pm on 30 January 2026, according to DESNZ.

NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd. (NTPC REL) has launched a tender for engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services covering a 300 MW/1,200 MWh battery energy storage system in Rajasthan, according to ESS News.

The project will connect to the interstate transmission system at NTPC REL's Nokhra solar plant in Rajasthan, ESS News reported.

The tender scope includes an annual maintenance contract under a service-level agreement running for a period of 15 years, according to ESS News.

The battery system must have a design life of 25 years from the date of commissioning, ESS News reported.

Expected power demand from data centers was a primary reason for USD 23 billion in customer price increases that will last until at least the end of 2028, according to a report by the organization that monitors the PJM market, an area covering all or part of 14 mid-Atlantic and Midwest states.

Assigning those costs fairly is difficult because of how data centers manage their electricity use, The Conversation reports. One common criterion for determining a customer's share of costs is coincident peak demand, the amount a customer group uses at the moment when all customers collectively use the largest amount of electricity.

Data centers may be able to predict when system loads will peak and consume little to no power in that period, avoiding contributions to peak loads, as has happened with cryptocurrency-mining operations in Texas, according to The Conversation. That capacity to fine-tune consumption complicates efforts to allocate costs based on peak usage.

Customer interests before state utility regulators are represented through offices of the consumer advocate. Every U.S. state except Georgia, Idaho and Louisiana has such an office, according to The Conversation.

Every place in Ireland's ICE2EV scrappage pilot went inside an hour of opening, with 2,000 applicants claiming grants worth up to EUR 5,000 towards a battery electric vehicle (BEV), according to electrive.

Applicants could add the pilot grant to Ireland's standing EUR 3,500 EV purchase grant, bringing the maximum support on a new EV to EUR 8,500, according to electrive.

Rural households were allocated 65% of the grants, with the remaining 35% set aside for urban applicants, according to electrive.

Funding of EUR 10 million came from the Climate Action Fund, run under the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, according to electrive.

To qualify, an applicant had to have held their vehicle for a minimum of 12 months, and the vehicle needed a registration date no later than 2013, according to electrive.

Transport Minister Darragh O'Brien said the government will review how the pilot performed before deciding its next steps, according to electrive.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero published a special feature article on hydrogen production and demand in the UK covering 2022 to 2025 as part of the June 2026 edition of Energy Trends, according to DESNZ.

DESNZ first published the hydrogen article on June 30, 2026, and updated it on July 6, 2026, with the release of data tables, according to the department.

The June 2026 Energy Trends set includes a further paper on data centre electricity consumption in Great Britain covering 2020 to 2024, according to DESNZ.

A separate paper in the June 2026 special feature articles covers grid-scale battery storage statistics, according to DESNZ.

The June 2026 special feature articles also include methodology changes for reporting electricity used by road vehicles, according to DESNZ.

A new well at Ghana's Jubilee field is adding about 20,000 barrels of oil per day to gross output after starting up in mid-June, according to Offshore Engineer OEDigital. The J76 well, third in Kosmos Energy's 2026 campaign, reached first oil two weeks behind schedule.

Jubilee's gross output averaged roughly 72,000 bopd through the second quarter and left the period running above 85,000 bopd, Offshore Engineer OEDigital reported.

Kosmos has finished the next well, J77, and anticipates production imminently. Once online, the company expects gross Jubilee output to climb to around 90,000 bopd.

Citing results from the 2026 Ghana campaign, in particular J76, chairman and chief executive Andrew G. Inglis said the wells point to Jubilee's potential, backed by modern seismic and reservoir modelling.

Off the coast of Mauritania and Senegal, the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) LNG project shipped nine cargoes during the quarter, at the top of guidance, Offshore Engineer OEDigital reported.

Net debt closed the quarter near USD 2.56 billion, a drop of more than USD 400 million against year-end 2025, which Kosmos attributed to debt reduction efforts and free cash flow. The company said it stays on course to cut net debt by roughly 20% year-on-year through the end of 2026.

Kosmos also closed the sale of its Ceiba and Okume assets in Equatorial Guinea to Panoro Energy on June 16.

Aliko Dangote plans to make a major investment in ports, power, and roads in Tanzania, according to Semafor Net Zero. The Nigerian billionaire held talks with Tanzania's president last week, and formal talks to finalize a deal are to be held soon, Semafor reported.

Both parties agreed on sectors that can "deliver significant value," according to Semafor.

The move fits a broader regional push. Dangote has announced plans to set up a second oil plant in Kenya to serve the East Africa region and invited Tanzania to participate in the investment, Semafor reported.

His existing oil refinery in Nigeria is the largest in Africa, and a project to double its capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day is now underway, according to Semafor.

The final vessel in a four-ship newbuild run has entered the Bernhard Schulte Offshore (BSO) fleet, according to Offshore Engineer OEDigital. The commissioning service operation vessel (CSOV) Windea Clarke, fourth in the series, will run a seasonal charter on a UK North Sea offshore wind project.

The naming took place on June 30 at Ulstein Verft in Norway, Offshore Engineer OEDigital reported. Windea Clarke rounds out four CSOVs that BSO has folded into its offshore fleet since mid-2025. That handover lifts the offshore fleet to seven vessels.

Built on an Ulstein design, the ship carries the TWIN X-STERN configuration and hybrid battery propulsion, and its layout leaves room to convert to methanol fuel later, according to Offshore Engineer OEDigital. It also carries DNV's SILENT-E class notation, which certifies that underwater radiated noise stays within set limits.

Managing Director Matthias Muller said the vessel completes the series and gives BSO reliable tonnage to support offshore projects while cutting its environmental footprint, Offshore Engineer OEDigital reported.

The inner containment dome has been lifted into place at the second unit of Turkey's Akkuyu nuclear power plant, according to World Nuclear News.

The lift used a heavy duty crawler crane and took about seven hours, and involved more than 40 specialists at the site, World Nuclear News reported. Pre-assembly of the dome, made of 15 assembly sections, took about four months near the reactor building, according to the same report.

Rosatom is building four VVER-1200 units at Akkuyu in Turkey's southern Mersin province, World Nuclear News reported. Last month Turkey's nuclear regulator granted a permit for commissioning work on the second unit, according to the same report.

When completed, the Akkuyu plant is expected to meet about 10% of Turkey's electricity needs at a capacity of 4,800 MWe, according to World Nuclear News. The aim is for unit 1 to begin supplying Turkey's energy system during 2026, the report said.

Turkey is also developing plans for small modular reactors, aiming to add 5 GWe of capacity by 2050, equivalent to at least 16 individual SMRs, according to World Nuclear News.

Kosmos Energy cut its net debt to about $2.56 billion by the close of the second quarter, down by more than $400 million since year-end 2025, according to a GlobeNewswire operational update.

The J76 well in Ghana started up in mid-June, running two weeks behind the original schedule, and added roughly 20,000 barrels of oil per day to gross output, the update said.

Jubilee averaged about 72,000 bopd through the quarter and exited above 85,000 bopd. Bringing the J77 well online is expected to push gross Jubilee production toward 90,000 bopd.

The Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) liquefied natural gas (LNG) project spanning Mauritania and Senegal shipped nine LNG cargos during the quarter, hitting the top of guidance.

Kosmos closed the sale of its Ceiba and Okume assets in Equatorial Guinea to Panoro Energy on June 16, 2026, which stripped roughly 1,000 bopd from second-quarter production guidance.

The company aims to reduce net debt by around 20% year-on-year by the end of 2026, and reported quarter-end liquidity above $500 million. Chief executive Andrew G. Inglis said the priorities are growing production, lowering costs and paying down debt.

South Korea's Ulsan region is hosting a multi-year trial of a 14-ton hydrogen fuel-cell excavator that stores hydrogen in its counterweight using solid-state metal alloys, according to Hydrogen Fuel News.

A partnership spearheaded by HD Hyundai Construction Equipment has put the HW155H, a 14-ton excavator powered by a 90 kW fuel cell, onto active job sites, Hydrogen Fuel News reported. The machine holds hydrogen in solid-state metal alloys built into its counterweight rather than in conventional pressurized tanks.

The project aims to validate 12-hour runtime and fast refueling, according to Hydrogen Fuel News. It is also gathering data on performance, safety and economics to guide future regulations and commercial rollouts.

Parex Resources reported Q2 2026 average production of 54,090 boe/d, according to its GlobeNewswire release.

The company closed its acquisition of Frontera E&P on June 1, 2026, which added over 37,000 boe/d of cash-generating, low decline production to its June volumes.

Parex exited the second quarter at approximately 83,000 boe/d. The company reiterated its H2 2026 average production guidance of 82,000 to 91,000 boe/d. It also reiterated FY 2026 average production guidance of 63,000 to 67,000 boe/d.

At LLA-111, three wells are producing over 5,000 bbl/d of medium crude oil, with egress capacity constraining production, according to Parex.

Parex plans to release its Q2 2026 financial and operating results on Friday, July 31, 2026.

Parex describes itself as the largest independent oil and gas company in Colombia, focusing on sustainable, conventional production.

Superior Energy Services has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Sonic Holdings, LLC, a provider of proprietary electric feed through technologies, production equipment, drilling wellheads and associated aftermarket services, according to a GlobeNewswire release.

Sonic was founded in 2017 and has built a position in the Permian Basin through its technology portfolio and direct-to-operator business model, according to the release. Superior plans to fold Sonic into its Wellsite Solutions segment, extending its products and services across all phases of the well lifecycle.

Dave Lesar, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Superior Energy Services, described the deal as the company's initial expansion into a production-driven product line, adding that it grows Superior's exposure to the less cyclical side of the oil and gas business.

The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026, according to the release.

Superior engaged J.P. Morgan Securities LLC as financial advisor and Baker Botts L.L.P. as legal counsel, according to the release. TPH & Co., the energy business of Perella Weinberg Partners, advised Sonic on the financial side, while Winston Taylor LLP acted as Sonic's legal counsel.

Superior operates in over 55 countries internationally, in addition to onshore and offshore operations in North America, according to the release.

The Emerging Africa & Asia Infrastructure Fund (EAAIF) has extended a USD 30 million senior secured corporate loan to Hassan Allam Utilities, with the bulk earmarked for the Minya project in Egypt, ESS News reported.

The two sides characterize Minya as a 1,000 MW solar array coupled with a 660 MWh battery energy storage system. The naming and scale diverge across disclosures: Infinity Power's project listing sizes the plant at 1,200 MWp of solar with 600 MWh of storage and calls the asset Nefer Minya, according to ESS News.

Infinity Power Holding holds 51% of the project, with the remaining 49% held by HAU Energy, according to Infinity Power.

The new commitment follows a USD 40 million project development facility that EAAIF arranged for Hassan Allam Utilities in December 2024, backing a 2.3 GW pipeline of renewable projects in Egypt, ESS News reported.

Martijn Proos, co-head of emerging market alternative credit at Ninety One, which manages EAAIF, tied the deal to "Egypt's transition to localized renewable power".

Egypt drew 89% of its electricity from fossil fuels in 2024, according to Ember.

Aalo Atomics' Aalo-X test reactor completed a zero-power fueled criticality demonstration early Saturday at Idaho National Laboratory, becoming the fourth DOE-authorized advanced reactor to reach the milestone, according to the US Department of Energy.

The experiment ran under the DOE Reactor Pilot Program and exceeded the July 4, 2026 goal set by President Trump in his May 2025 executive order, the department said.

Aalo Atomics President and CTO Yasir Arafat said the company moved from breaking ground to a sustained chain reaction in just eight months, calling it one of the fastest reactor builds in modern American history.

The fourth criticality followed Deployable Energy's Unity demonstration reactor, which achieved criticality at Idaho National Laboratory and became the third DOE-authorized advanced reactor to go critical by the July 4, 2026 deadline, the department said. Deployable Energy completed the Unity experiment under the Nuclear Energy Launch Pad initiative, managed by the National Reactor Innovation Center at Idaho National Laboratory.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright said he toured the Unity reactor and met with teams from Deployable Energy, INL and DOE the week before the criticality announcement.

Earlier in the same month, Antares Nuclear's Mark-0 and Valar Atomics' Ward 250 reactors achieved criticality under the Reactor Pilot Program, according to the DOE. The department said the United States became the first country to achieve criticality in three unique advanced microreactor designs in a single month.

A former Wisk Aero employee is suing the Boeing-backed eVTOL startup, claiming she was fired for reporting that the autonomous air taxi's software failed basic aviation software safety testing requirements, according to Electrek.

The lawsuit alleges Wisk's flight software contained known defects and excessive spaghetti code that had not undergone verification steps required under DO-178C, the FAA-recognized certification standard for aviation software, Electrek reported.

According to Electrek, O'Neill filed a formal safety report on March 19 and was fired 12 days later on March 31. Her manager cited an environment that hinders collaboration and program delays.

The complaint frames the firing as retaliation under California Labor Code sections 1102.5 and 6310, per Electrek.

The case is scheduled to come before the Santa Clara County Superior Court for a case management conference on December 2, 2026, according to Electrek.

Aker BP's Hugin B platform topside sailed from Aker Solutions' Verdal yard on July 6 toward the Yggdrasil area, according to Offshore Engineer OEDigital.

The shipment was the last in a run of four steel jackets and two topsides built for the Valhall PWP-Fenris and Yggdrasil developments, according to Offshore Engineer OEDigital. That sequence opened in June 2024 when the Fenris jacket and pre-drilling module shipped out.

Aker BP split construction across two alliances. Aker BP, ABB and Aker Solutions form the Fixed Facilities Alliance handling the Valhall PWP and Fenris platforms. A separate grouping of Aker BP, Aker Solutions and Siemens Energy is delivering Hugin A and B for Yggdrasil.

Work on the portfolio ran to close to 3,500 man-years at the Verdal yard, and more than 130 apprentices have taken part since 2022, according to Offshore Engineer OEDigital.

Karl Johnny Hersvik, CEO of Aker BP, said the alliance structure had been central to keeping the projects on track and would help make marginal fields economic.

Over Easy Solar has switched on its first commercial vertical solar array in Canada, mounted on the roof of Vancouver's Science World museum in British Columbia, pv magazine reported.

The rooftop system rates 19.5 kW and splits across three arrays, using 76 of the firm's XM-3 vertical PV units set on ST125 feet, according to pv magazine.

That array sits within a wider museum overhaul costing CAD 39 million (USD 27.4 million), pv magazine reported. The same project adds air-source heat pumps, electric chillers and five inches of insulation fitted inside the museum's dome. Combined, the upgrades should trim the building's energy use by 42%, according to pv magazine.

BC Hydro said the Science World array will test how vertical PV performs in snowy weather and under low-angle sun. The utility wants to extend such installations across parts of British Columbia where snow is a bigger obstacle.

Over Easy Solar told pv magazine it is running a separate trial in Quebec alongside utility Hydro Quebec. In April, the company said it had reached the US market through an installation in New York, pv magazine reported.

Fiat's fully electric Topolino quadricycle can now be ordered in the UK for the first time, with pricing starting at GBP 8,995 on the road, according to electrive.

The quadricycle runs on a 6kW electric motor and a 5.5kWh battery, electrive reported. Its top speed is 28mph, and its maximum WLTP range is 46 miles.

Kris Cholmondeley, managing director of FIAT UK, said the Topolino is an important part of FIAT's sustainable micromobility strategy, delivering simple, accessible urban mobility.

The model has been rolling out through a phased launch across mainland Europe since 2023, according to electrive.

The U.S. solar industry supports over 280,000 workers but cannot find enough qualified people to meet accelerated project timelines, according to the 2025 U.S. Energy & Employment Report and the IREC National Solar Jobs Census cited by pv magazine.

The study finds the industry will need roughly 355,000 workers by late 2026 to hit installation targets of 60 GW to 70 GW, leaving a projected near-term gap of 53,000 positions, according to pv magazine.

The electric power generator sector employed 933,800 workers in 2024, with close to 40% of them in solar, according to the USEER as reported by pv magazine.

Construction held the largest share of solar sector jobs, accounting for 181,700 workers, or 49.0%, according to pv magazine. Professional and business services, including engineering, financial and investment services, permitting and compliance, and consulting, followed with 58,500 workers, or 15.8%.

Companies are moving to build local training pipelines. Cypress Creek Renewables provided $25,000 to Piedmont Community College in Roxboro, North Carolina, to help develop programs training workers in the skills the company needs, according to pv magazine.

Skills often carry across technologies. Jack Roberts of Ecotal said SCADA skills transfer easily from solar to battery systems, while nuclear needs commissioning specialists and engineers, and data centers and battery energy storage need land acquisition expertise, according to pv magazine.

Workforce coordination runs through industry bodies. CEWD is a non-profit consortium of more than 140 energy companies, associations, unions, educational institutions, and government entities focused on attracting and developing a skilled workforce, according to pv magazine.

A University of Cambridge-led research team found that keeping lithium-ion batteries under constant pressure could double their lifespan, according to electrive. The findings were published in the journal Nature Energy under the title 'The interplay between stack pressure, mechanical expansion and degradation pathways in lithium-ion batteries'.

The team compressed a pouch cell using pneumatic bellows, air-filled cushions that acted like a clamp, while a sensor monitored volume changes during the battery's charging and discharging cycles, electrive reported.

The researchers found that bellows pressure must be around 12.5 bar to positively impact battery lifespan, according to electrive. That corresponds to roughly four times the standard value of conventional button cell batteries.

The pressure level matters in both directions. Excess pressure can cause lithium plating to form on the anode, while insufficient pressure can cause the cathode to crack, electrive reported.

A patent has been filed by Cambridge Enterprise, the university's innovation arm. The research was partially supported by the European Research Council, the Faraday Institution, and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, according to electrive.

Ukraine struck three Russian refineries, including the country's largest, in the latest attack on energy assets that is deepening a nationwide gasoline shortage, according to Rigzone.

The Omsk refinery is Russia's largest, with capacity of about 22 million tons a year, or roughly 440,000 barrels a day, Rigzone reported. Based on preliminary information, one of the plant's primary oil-processing units with capacity of 8.4 million tons per year was damaged.

The distance from Ukraine's border to the Siberian refinery is over 2,500 kilometers, about 1,600 miles, according to Ukraine's General Staff.

Ukraine's General Staff also reported strikes on the Yanos oil refinery in the Yaroslavl region and on Novatek's Ust-Luga plant on Russia's Baltic coast.

Vitaly Khotsenko, governor of the Omsk region, confirmed the strike on the refinery and said there were no casualties.

The government in Moscow has banned most exports of gasoline and jet fuel and has considered a short-term ban on foreign sales of diesel, Rigzone reported.

Brussels will apply a rotation fee for drivers who leave vehicles connected to public charging points after charging, according to electrive. The rule applies between 09:00 and 22:00 and aims to prevent charging points from being blocked for extended periods.

Data from Sibelga underpins the measure. On average, vehicles remain connected to public charging points for six hours and 30 minutes, while a typical session to top up 18 kWh takes only around two hours and 20 minutes, according to Sibelga.

"Charging stations are not parking spaces," said Brussels State Secretary for Energy Audrey Henry in an interview with The Brussels Times.

Uptake of electric vehicles is driving pressure on the network. According to the regional government, nearly one in four newly registered cars in the Brussels region is now a battery-electric vehicle, and among newly registered fleet vehicles the BEV share has reached 61 per cent.

Ghent already applies a similar charge. There, a fee of 3.60 euros per hour is levied if vehicles remain at public charging points after completing the charging process, according to electrive.

Electrek reported that Tesla has more than 100 steering-wheel-less Cybercab two-seaters sitting in outbound lots at Giga Texas as production accelerates. The output is building faster than the company can either sell the vehicle or run it without a driver.

The first steering-wheel-less unit came off the line in February, and Tesla told investors on its Q1 2026 earnings call in April that continuous production had begun, according to Electrek.

To self-certify the Cybercab against every Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard, Tesla built the vehicle so it avoids the NHTSA 2,500-unit annual cap on exemption vehicles, Electrek reported.

On the same call, Musk told investors that safety validation is the limiting factor for Robotaxi expansion, saying Tesla will hold back until a rewritten FSD v15 lands, now targeted for the end of 2026 or early 2027, per Electrek. Musk also conceded Robotaxi "likely will not see material revenue until at least 2027".

Electrek reported that Tesla's supervised fleet has been crashing at roughly four times the rate of an average human driver, with the company filing a series of crash reports to NHTSA in Austin.

An earlier design reversal cuts against the driverless push. Tesla VP of engineering Lars Moravy admitted the company "deleted too much" when it removed the Model 3 turn signal stalk, and Tesla brought the stalk back and now sells a USD 595 retrofit, according to Electrek.

Hidden code in Tesla's newest iOS app release points to a feature using the cabin camera to confirm a driver's identity before Full Self-Driving (FSD) will engage, according to Electrek.

The evidence surfaced in a de-compile of Tesla app version 4.58.5, built June 27, posted by the account @Tesla_App_iOS, which follows new releases of the Tesla and Robotaxi apps.

Electrek identified two code strings, fsdIdentityCheckFailedTitle and showFsdIdentityCheckFailedDialog. They map out a sequence in which the cabin camera runs a driver identity check and, when it fails to match, blocks FSD from engaging and sends an error dialog to the phone.

The camera hardware already handles driver monitoring. Tesla switched on cabin-camera monitoring in 2021 and later widened its scope to track attention, drowsiness, and eye and head position, according to Electrek.

Since FSD v12.4 in 2024, the camera mounted above the rearview mirror has served as the primary monitor, reading a driver's face and eyes for attention instead of leaning on steering-wheel torque.

One hardware constraint limits any identity-check role. The cabin camera is a standard RGB sensor rather than the infrared depth-mapping system Apple uses for Face ID.

Tesla's owner's manual states that attention monitoring shuts off in poor lighting, when the camera is covered, or when a driver wears sunglasses or a hat, according to Electrek.

Urals crude fetched an average of $41.66 a barrel at Russia's western ports over the first three days of July, according to Argus Media data.

That reading trails the $59 a barrel that underpins Russia's 2026 budget for the grade. Urals had cleared that benchmark in every month since March, with June settling at $60.92 a barrel as Hormuz shipping traffic recovered following an interim deal between Washington and Tehran to reopen the waterway, Argus reported.

Urals traded at a $27.35 discount to Dated Brent on Friday, Argus said. That gap tightens to $8.55 a barrel once the cargoes arrive in India, the data show.

Russia's fiscal gap reached 6 trillion rubles ($77 billion) over the first five months of the year, equal to 2.6% of GDP and roughly 60% above the target set for all of 2026.

Oil and gas revenue covers about a fifth of the federal budget. Higher earnings earlier had let the country restart contributions to its rainy-day fund for the first time in almost a year and postpone cuts to non-priority spending.

Constellation has asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to extend operations of the Ginna Clean Energy Center and Nine Mile Point Unit 1 in upstate New York to 2049, according to Power Engineering Nuclear.

The company filed its Ginna renewal request on June 17 and its Nine Mile Point Unit 1 request on March 25, Power Engineering Nuclear reported. If the NRC approves the applications, the units' operating licenses would run 20 additional years, to 2049.

Nine Mile Point Unit 1 is currently licensed to operate until August 22, 2029, according to Power Engineering Nuclear.

The 576-MW Ginna Clean Energy Center recorded 2025 net generation of 5,035,000 MWh at a capacity factor of 99.7%, Power Engineering Nuclear reported. The 1,907-MW Nine Mile Point Clean Energy Center produced 13,965,000 MWh in 2025 at a capacity factor of 95.6%.

Joe Dominguez, president and CEO of Constellation, said the company's four upstate nuclear units provide nearly half of New York's clean power.

Constellation argued that renewal of the Zero-Emission Credit (ZEC) program is projected to deliver USD 50 billion in ratepayer savings by 2050, contribute USD 38 billion to New York's economy, secure 14,000 local jobs, and preserve USD 10 billion in state tax revenue.

The Caballero battery energy storage system, rated at 100 MW/400 MWh, has been running in the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) grid since early 2025, according to Power Magazine.

The project supplies operating performance data at a time when most discussions of battery storage rely on modeled projections rather than actual operating data, Power Magazine reported.

Caballero's first year in the CAISO market gives operators a record of measured output rather than forecast estimates.

Aramco has named Worley among 11 contractors on a five-year project management consultancy agreement, World Oil reported, tying the firm to engineering and project delivery work under the Saudi producer's capital investment program.

The framework covers Aramco projects in Saudi Arabia spanning energy, chemicals and resources, and reaches infrastructure that serves domestic and international markets, according to World Oil.

Worley plans to run the work mainly out of its Saudi Arabia and United Kingdom offices, drawing extra capacity from its Global Integrated Delivery network, World Oil reported.

Under the terms, Worley will apply digital and automation tools, among them artificial intelligence, digital twins and robotics, to lift engineering delivery while satisfying Aramco's engineering and cybersecurity requirements.

Worley chief executive Chris Ashton said the deal extends a relationship with Aramco spanning more than 50 years.

Saudi Arabia lowered its main crude oil price for buyers in Asia after shipments through the Strait of Hormuz restarted and OPEC+ agreed to lift production, according to Semafor Net Zero.

Asian buyers told Bloomberg that even with the reduction, Saudi barrels still cost more than crude from other producers in the region. Bloomberg said that gap could force deeper cuts if a global glut takes hold, with China yet to restart large-scale purchases.

One analyst read the move as a marker of "Hormuz's messy normalization" rather than a price war, and said the sharper pricing could "reinvigorate Chinese interest".

A global energy consultant played down the glut concern, telling Semafor Net Zero that full supply will not return before 2027.

President Trump said his administration is clearing plans for data center power plants within weeks, according to Inside Climate News. Tech firms can tap any energy source but one, he said: "We don't allow wind".

According to Inside Climate News, Trump said Big Tech leaders pursuing artificial intelligence had told him they need twice the country's current energy capacity to advance the technology and stay ahead of foreign rivals. Wind supplies a tenth of US electricity, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported.

The drive to feed data centers has generated proposals for 74 new or expanded methane gas plants nationwide, according to a report by the Environmental Integrity Project. Dedicated to serving those facilities, the proposed gas plants would produce 143 gigawatts, the report found.

Texas holds 32 of the 74 sites, with 10 in Ohio and seven in Pennsylvania, according to the report. The Environmental Integrity Project estimated the plants would emit close to 662 million tons of greenhouse gas pollution a year, matching the emissions of Australia.

Coal mine cost-benefit analyses in New South Wales rely on technical guidance that has not been updated since 2018, according to IEEFA.

In its assessment, IEEFA found that coal miners account for only between 0.11% and 0.33% of emissions created in NSW in their analyses, and apply a cost of carbon materially lower than NSW Treasury values.

The cost-benefit analyses draw on the Technical Notes for the Guidelines for the Economic Assessment of Mining and Coal Seam Projects, IEEFA said.

The NSW Treasury published the NSW Government Guide to Cost-Benefit Analysis in February 2023, and updated it in April 2025, according to IEEFA. The guide states that the cost of carbon emissions occurring in NSW is a mandatory requirement in cost-benefit analyses.

The High Court of Australia heard an appeal to the NSW Court of Appeal ruling on 13 May 2026 but has not yet given its verdict, IEEFA said.