Saturday, 7 November 2026

The Railroad Commission of Texas will hold a public hearing on Nov. 20 to take comments on proposed rule amendments implementing Senate Bill 1150, according to World Oil. The 2025 law established new deadlines for operators to plug or reactivate inactive wells in the state.

The proposed amendments would change commission rules covering surface equipment removal, inactive wells, certificates of compliance, transportation authority, and operator reports, World Oil reported.

The hearing will take place at the commission's Austin headquarters and online through Zoom.

ADNOC signed a long-term Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) sales and purchase agreement with India's Gujarat Energy Ltd., according to World Oil. The 10-year deal will deliver up to 4 million tonnes of LNG to Gujarat Energy, with supply scheduled to begin in 2028.

The agreement marks the first gas sale from the international portfolio of XRG, ADNOC's international investment company, World Oil reported. It is also ADNOC's fifth LNG supply agreement in India.

EVgo has opened its first Supercharger station, located in a Chicago grocery store parking lot, according to Electrek. The site features 12 fast-charging stalls equipped with both NACS and CCS plugs, each rated at 325 kW.

The Chicago location is the first of hundreds of Tesla Supercharger stalls EVgo plans to deploy across the US, Electrek reported.

Denza will unveil the N8, a five-seat luxury electric SUV, at a launch event on November 12, 2026, Electrek reported.

The vehicle uses BYD's second-generation Blade Batteries and carries a pure-electric CLTC range of up to 1,003 km on a single charge, according to Electrek. Denza announced the event on its Weibo page.

Meyer Werft is setting up the organizational and legal framework for its offshore converter business, according to Offshore Engineer OEDigital.

The group plans to consolidate all activities in the new business segment into a separate company, NEPTUN Offshore GmbH & Co. KG, in the coming weeks, Offshore Engineer OEDigital reported. The new entity will be a wholly owned subsidiary of MEYER WERFT GmbH.

NEPTUN Offshore will also hold a 50% stake in the Rostock-based joint venture NEPTUN SMULDERS Offshore Renewables.

Urenco USA has completed production of its first product cylinder of low-enriched uranium plus (LEU+), according to Neutron Bytes. The output marks the first commercial production of LEU+ in the Western world.

LEU+ contains between 5% and 10% U-235, a higher enrichment level than the fuel used in conventional light water reactors. The material opens fuel options for existing light water reactors and new advanced reactor designs that require higher levels of enriched uranium, Neutron Bytes reported.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) authorized Urenco USA in September 2025 to enrich uranium to as much as 10% U-235, making the company the first commercial uranium enricher cleared to produce LEU+, according to Neutron Bytes.

Devon Energy Corp. has concluded a strategic review of its portfolio following its acquisition of Coterra Energy and an agreement to sell its Eagle Ford assets, according to Oil & Gas Journal.

The Eagle Ford divestiture, a planned sale to Crescent Energy Co., is valued at USD 4.2 billion. With that deal struck, Devon does not plan to sell additional assets or the entire company in the near future, though it remains open to talking to potential bidders, Oil & Gas Journal reported.

Preliminary capital spending plans for Devon's retained assets allocate USD 5.3 billion next year, with three-quarters directed to the Permian basin.

Vista Energy SAB de CV has awarded Archer a drilling contract for work in Argentina's Vaca Muerta shale play, according to Oil & Gas Journal.

The contract runs for 2 years and includes an optional 1-year extension. The total value is estimated at USD 35-40 million over the full term, including the optional extension year, Oil & Gas Journal reported.

Archer will deploy its AC drilling rig DLS-156 to support Vista's development program in the Vaca Muerta formation.

Democrats will hold three of the five seats on the Georgia Public Service Commission starting in January, according to Grist. The shift gives the party control of the state's energy regulation board for the first time in 30 years.

Georgia Democrats plan to use their new majority to focus the commission on affordability, clean energy, and closer scrutiny of Georgia Power, Grist reported.

Peru's President Keiko Fujimori signed a regional agreement with Argentina, Bolivia and Chile to deepen cooperation and investment in transition minerals, according to Mongabay.

Activists fear Peru's energy transition could accelerate lithium and uranium projects near the Quelccaya glacier, Mongabay reported. The glacier is a vital source of fresh water for much of the country.

Scientists say the Falchani, Macusani and Quelcaya projects, all owned by Canadian firm American Lithium, could accelerate climate change effects on the already disappearing glacier, according to Mongabay.

American Lithium's published economic assessments have described the Falchani project as "highly amenable" to open-pit mining, Mongabay reported. Activists fear such operations would discharge large quantities of metal-rich dust onto the Quelccaya glacier.

Forty local and state anti-data center measures passed in the US midterm elections this week, according to Semafor Net Zero, amid a broader voter backlash against AI infrastructure expansion.

Many of those measures will not halt construction altogether and will not affect compute capacity coming online until 2029 at the earliest, Semafor Net Zero reported.

National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said the data center buildout will continue despite voters making clear they favor limits on AI infrastructure construction, according to Semafor Net Zero.

Removing barriers to distributed energy resources and advancing supportive policies could save the U.S. an estimated USD 614 billion in energy costs by 2050, according to a report by The Brattle Group and Pew Charitable Trusts cited by Solar Builder.

The report also estimates that expanding distributed energy resources would reduce U.S. carbon emissions by 3%.

Economic Commission for Africa Executive Secretary Claver Gatete said in Kigali, Rwanda, that Africa must urgently close its electricity gap to industrialize, expand regional value chains and deliver on the African Continental Free Trade Area's promise, according to Africa Science News.

Nearly 600 million Africans lack electricity access, including about 400 million people in rural communities beyond the reach of existing grids, the report stated. Gatete said nuclear energy should be considered as part of Africa's diversified clean energy mix.

Separately, the African Union launched a Continental Energy Security Policy Framework at the 36th African Hydro Symposium in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, according to China Daily. The framework provides a common strategy for addressing energy challenges - including infrastructure deficits, climate risks, market volatility and rising demand - while promoting reliable, affordable and sustainable energy supplies.

Diversified Energy Company reported adjusted EBITDA of USD 256 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2026, according to Kalkine Media. Average daily production reached 1,189 million cubic feet equivalent per day, or about 198,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, during the third quarter, Proactive Investors reported.

The company expects its planned acquisition of Birch Resources to close in the fourth quarter of 2026, according to Proactive Investors. The transaction is expected to create a top-15 publicly listed independent oil and gas company in the United States based on production, while establishing a vertically integrated position in the Permian Basin, the outlet reported.

The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) is pursuing a transmission-side initiative called Project Airbag to deploy battery energy storage systems across the Philippine grid, according to the Manila Times.

The program aims to provide fast-response storage and greater operating flexibility. Sy explained that batteries can capture surplus electricity, including daytime solar output, and release it during evening peaks, periods of reduced hydroelectric output, or other tight system conditions, according to the Manila Times.

Senegal secured USD 1.7 billion in financing commitments to achieve universal electricity access by 2029, according to Channel Africa.

Private companies committed USD 1.4 billion and development partners pledged USD 320 million for new projects at a national financing roundtable in Dakar, Channel Africa reported.

The commitments exceed the estimated USD 700 million needed to connect 6,471 Senegalese localities not already covered by existing electrification projects.

Canada's federal government will spend more than CAD 50 billion over the coming decades to expand the country's electricity system under Budget 2026, CBC News reported.

The budget also includes five-year extensions for two mineral exploration tax credits, according to Northern Miner. The extensions support mining activity linked to the broader energy infrastructure build-out.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney plans to increase government borrowing and channel higher tax revenue into expanding the country's productive capacity, according to Bloomberg Law.

The budget outlined billions in industrial spending on Canada's electricity grid, nuclear plants, mining and forestry, Bloomberg Law reported. It also included a capital-gains tax break for some entrepreneurs and investors in smaller companies.

The Mettiki coal mine in Tucker County will restart production in 2027 after laying off about 200 workers in June 2026, according to WDTV.

Alliance Partners CEO Joseph Craft said a new multi-year coal supply agreement with the company's largest historical customer will allow the Mettiki mine and 150 miners to return to coal production, according to WBOY. Craft identified the customer as the Mount Storm Power Station in Grant County, WDTV reported.

The mine is expected to run two shifts a day by the end of the first quarter of 2027, according to WDTV.

Guyana is approaching oil production of one million barrels per day, according to Foreign Policy Journal, a threshold driven by rapid offshore development that has made the country one of the fastest-growing economies in the world.

The International Monetary Fund projects Guyana's GDP will grow by 22.3% in 2026, Foreign Policy Journal reported. ExxonMobil's Uaru project is expected to add 250,000 barrels per day of production capacity, reinforcing that trajectory.

Guyana's expanding oil exports could provide an alternative supply source for countries affected by supply constraints caused by heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, according to OilPrice.

Elon Musk's xAI installed eight converted aircraft turbines in Mississippi to supply electricity to its Colossus 2 data center in Memphis, Tennessee, according to greenprophet.com. The company turned to polluting power sources because the local energy grid cannot support the Colossus data center and its large number of graphics processing units, BGR reported.

Permits examined by The New York Times and reported by greenprophet.com show the eight converted turbines are authorized to emit carbon monoxide at twice the rate permitted for other turbines at the site. Their permitted emissions limits for volatile organic compounds are 25% higher than those for other turbines at the facility.

The NAACP took xAI to court over turbines at the Mississippi facility, claiming the company violated the Clean Air Act, according to BGR.

Lawyers for Burevestmarin LLC have accused U.S. authorities of selling a seized Russian oil tanker to a maritime scrap dealer in what they called an "economically irrational" deal designed to prevent the owner from recovering the vessel, according to NBC News.

The company's lawyers argued in court papers that the USD 9.1 million sale price was significantly below the tanker's market value, according to Archyde. The vessel in question is the Bella 1.

The legal filing alleges the U.S. government deliberately arranged the below-value transaction to thwart Burevestmarin's bid to reclaim the ship, NBC News reported.

The Vigo County Area Plan Commission voted to recommend an amendment to the county's zoning ordinance that would permit Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) as a special exception, according to the Tribune-Star.

The Vigo County Board of Commissioners is scheduled to take up the amendment at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the Vigo County Annex and could reach a decision at that session, the Tribune-Star reported.

NextNRG has reached a preliminary agreement to acquire a 33-acre property in South Bend for a combined energy and artificial intelligence infrastructure development, according to InkFreeNews. The non-binding deal with Envision South Bend LLC values the property at approximately USD 22 million.

The proposed facility, called the Lone Wolf Energy Center, would pair on-site electricity generation, energy storage, and microgrid technology with computing facilities for AI and data-processing operations, InkFreeNews reported.

Capacity is expected to reach approximately 70 MW, with the potential to scale to 100 MW.

Manufacturers in Hamilton, Burlington and Oakville have been awarded contracts to build what is described as the G7's first small modular reactor (SMR) at the Darlington New Nuclear Project (DNNP) east of Toronto, according to Bay Observer.

ASI Marine, based in Hamilton, received a $9.2 million contract to assist with tunnel-boring machine operations at the site. Promation, based in Oakville, won a $3.9 million contract to provide a Fine Motion Control Rod Drive platform.

Hooper Welding, also in Oakville, was awarded a $1.7 million contract to supply steel for modules used in constructing the DNNP. Burlington-based Clyde Union Canada landed a $300,000 contract to supply a pump and pump motor for the project.

China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) brought the initial 25 MW turbine unit of a 50 MW concentrated solar thermal station online in Ngari prefecture, Xizang, on Nov. 6, the China Solar Thermal Alliance reported.

The turbine is part of a broader 150 MW installation that combines 100 MW of photovoltaic capacity with the 50 MW solar thermal plant, according to Interesting Engineering.

CGN characterizes the Gar County site as the highest-altitude grid-connected solar thermal plant in the world and the first such project connected to the grid in Xizang, the China Solar Thermal Alliance report noted.

At full operation, the combined facility is expected to produce roughly 270 million kWh of electricity per year, Interesting Engineering reported.

Three Pennsylvania energy projects backed by the Shapiro administration have been selected for PJM's first Expedited Interconnection Track, a process designed to accelerate grid connections for major energy projects, according to the Cumberlink news service.

The three projects account for three of the four total selections across the PJM region and are expected to add 1.7 GW of generation and storage capacity by mid-2029, enough to power nearly 900,000 homes.

Two of the three are battery storage facilities, contributing 1.36 GW of storage capacity. PJM will review projects through the expedited track in approximately 12 months, cutting the typical timeline by more than half.

Circularity Fuels, based in Redwood City, California, raised USD 7 million in seed funding co-led by DCVC and Trucks Venture Capital, according to Pulse2. The round brings the company's total funding, including grants, to approximately USD 17 million.

The capital will support commercialization of Circularity Fuels' technology for converting dairy manure biogas into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), Pulse2 reported. The company plans to complete engineering designs for a commercial facility with production capacity of 75 barrels per day and pursue airline fuel purchase agreements needed to support construction.

Norges Bank Investment Management paid USD 300 million for a direct 10% interest in Aypa Power, marking the fund manager's first direct investment in battery storage, according to ESG News.

The co-investment agreement was signed and completed on October 28, 2026. The deal values the stake at USD 300 million and represents a new asset class for Norges Bank Investment Management, which had not previously taken a direct position in battery storage.

Global carbon neutrality will not arrive until 2064 under current trends, 14 years past the 2050 benchmark, according to Allianz Research. The projection comes from the second Allianz Green Transition Tracker 2026, published ahead of the COP31 climate conference in Antalya, finding that most economies are progressing toward net-zero emissions too slowly to meet their climate commitments.

The study noted one bright spot in the power sector: renewables supplied 33.5% of global electricity in 2025, exceeding coal's 33.2% share and overtaking coal as the largest power source for the first time in over a century, according to Allianz Research.

That milestone, however, has not been enough to close the gap between national pledges and actual decarbonization trajectories.

The Common Lot project, billed as a community-funded solar-plus-storage plant, has opened for investment, according to Solar Power Portal. The project will combine a 7.4 MW solar park with a 10 MWh grid-connected battery energy storage system (BESS).

Separately, GoodWe supplied 16 MW of string inverters and three medium-voltage stations for a solar power plant in Ukraine's Zakarpattia region rated at 22.35 MWp, according to Renewable Energy Magazine. The plant was commissioned in August 2026.

Annual investment in electricity transmission in Europe nearly tripled from EUR 10.4 billion in 2019 to EUR 30.5 billion in 2025, according to ACER.

The spending surge has not eliminated bottlenecks. Remedial actions by transmission system operators to relieve grid congestion cost European consumers EUR 5.4 billion in 2025, ACER reported.

Permitting remains the chief drag on project delivery. An average of 22% of electricity transmission projects of common or mutual interest are delayed each year, mainly because of lengthy permitting procedures, according to ACER.

Sawgrass LNG & Power completed a truck-to-ship LNG bunkering at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on November 3, supplying an Orient Express cruise ship with around 320 cbm (143 metric tonnes) of LNG, Hellenic Shipping News reported.

Eight trucks delivered the fuel during the operation. Ship & Bunker confirmed the Florida-based provider carried out the bunkering in Fort Lauderdale.

The Karnataka Legal Metrology Department detected ethanol concentrations as high as 31.2% in petrol samples tested across seven districts, according to The Wire. The finding far exceeds the E20 standard.

The department tested 63 petrol samples collected from the seven districts, The Wire reported. Karnataka's Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Rizwan Arshad, presented the findings at a press conference, calling the excess blending "petrol chori".

TREX Energy has commissioned a lithium battery manufacturing facility at E-City in Hyderabad, Telangana, according to Mercom.

The facility features an automated module assembly line capable of producing 12 parts per minute, Mercom reported. The line is designed to manufacture 52S battery packs for 261 kWh and 5 MWh battery energy storage systems (BESS).

A shelter-in-place alert concerning Michigan's Fermi 2 nuclear plant reached some Monroe County residents by mistake, according to Planet Detroit. Officials said no emergency existed at the plant.

Monroe County Emergency Management said the alert was accidentally sent while agencies were conducting a drill in Frenchtown Township, Planet Detroit reported.

Michigan State Police said the shelter-in-place message was retracted within minutes.

A forum in Kentucky addressed electricity bills, rates and local initiatives that could affect utilities, aiming to provide clear and reliable information to attendees, according to WKYT.

Jenna Rector of Bluegrass Greensource said Kentucky is trending back toward greater coal use while using coal in new ways. Rector also said finding renewable energy sources is a priority.

Frontier Energy Limited secured a Capacity Investment Scheme Agreement with the Australian Government for Stage One of its Waroona Renewable Energy Project in Western Australia, according to Kalkine Media. The company announced the agreement on November 6, 2026.

Separately, Essar Renewables signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with NHPC for a 300 MW renewable energy project in Andhra Pradesh, according to Construction World. Essar Renewables is the renewable energy arm of Essar Power.

Canada's federal budget allocates $50 billion for a clean electricity grid, released alongside an update to the National Energy Strategy (NES), according to The Energy Mix.

The budget places electrification at the centre of federal decarbonization goals and frames heat pumps and building retrofits as part of a broader affordability strategy, The Energy Mix reported. The document combines past announcements with new funding under a theme of Canadian sovereignty and self-sufficiency.

A $2 billion National Heat Pump Rebate will cover installations in up to 820,000 homes, with projected savings of $1 billion per year on heating and cooling, according to The Energy Mix. The programme aims to bring the total number of heat pumps across Canada to just over 1.1 million by 2034.

Nayara Energy resumed normal operations at its Vadinar refinery in Gujarat, India, after completing an upgrade to its Vacuum Gasoil Mild Hydrocracker (VGO-MHC) unit, according to ChemAnalyst.

The revamp extended the VGO-MHC unit's operating cycle by more than 150%, according to ChemAnalyst. Following the upgrade, 100% of the refinery's diesel output now consistently meets India's BS-VI emission standards.

The project raised the Vadinar refinery's Nelson Complexity Index to 12.6, according to Chemical Industry Digest. A higher Nelson Complexity Index indicates greater ability to process heavier crude grades and produce a wider slate of refined products.

Two cranberry bogs in southeastern Massachusetts are the first in the country, and possibly the world, to grow cranberries beneath an operating solar installation, according to Grist. This fall marked the second season that cranberries were harvested from beneath the panels.

Distributed Energy Infrastructure built the two projects: a 4.4 MW solar array paired with a 13.5 MWh battery in Kingston, and a 1 MW solar array in neighboring Plymouth, Grist reported.

The panels sit 10 feet above the ground on a tracking axis that tilts to follow the sun throughout the day. Pilings are spaced farther apart than in a standard solar installation so harvesting equipment can move freely through the bog.

Harbinger raised USD 240 million in Series D funding, according to Electrek. The round was co-led by Tiger Global, the Capricorn Technology Impact Fund, and Ridgeline.

The company said the capital will support expansion into energy storage systems, power generation, autonomy software, and defense applications, along with increased manufacturing capacity for its medium-duty platform, Electrek reported.

With the latest round, Harbinger has raised more than USD 650 million since 2021, according to Electrek.

Yamaha unveiled the XENTER E, a 125cc-equivalent electric scooter built for European urban commuting, at EICMA 2026 in Milan alongside the NMAX E, according to Electrek.

The scooter runs on Yamaha's new eAxle powertrain, which integrates the motor, controller, and reduction gearbox into a single frame-mounted unit. Peak motor output reaches 7.5 kW. A 3.5 kWh battery sits low in the chassis.

Early reports from Milan indicated a price of EUR 7,799 in Germany, Electrek reported. Deliveries are expected to begin in spring 2027.

Workhorse has signed its first Canadian dealer partnership, agreeing with Tristan Fleet Management to bring its W56 Class 5 and 6 electric trucks to the Canadian market, Electrek reported.

Tristan Fleet Management operates seven locations across Québec and Ontario, offering truck and trailer sales, parts, repair, and around-the-clock roadside assistance, according to Electrek. The deal builds on years of electric step van deployments by Workhorse in Canada.

BYD's Yangwang U9 Xtreme reached 503.17 km/h on a closed section of the E11 highway in the Al-Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi on November 1, according to electrive. Driver Marc Basseng was behind the wheel.

The FIA confirmed the speed, and Guinness World Records listed it as the highest single-direction speed for both a production car and an electric production car, electrive reported.

The run surpassed the BYD subsidiary's own previous mark of 496.22 km/h, set in September 2025 at the Papenburg test track in Lower Saxony.

U.S. solar equipment inventories expanded by 126% in the second quarter of 2026 as project developers accelerated procurement to clear a series of federal trade cutoffs, according to pv magazine.

Attention has now shifted to Dec. 4, when new Section 232 measures take effect covering polysilicon, wafers, cells, and modules. The proclamation sets minimum import price thresholds of USD 0.22 per watt for solar cells and USD 0.38 per watt for finished modules.

To manage the regulatory volatility, OCI Energy uses collaborative contract structures that distribute policy risk among project sponsors, equipment vendors, EPC contractors, lenders, and off-takers, pv magazine reported.

The IPCC suspended its mid-October meeting without approving a budget for next year or setting a timetable for upcoming reports, according to Inside Climate News.

Governments voluntarily determine their contributions to the panel's annual budget of USD 9.7 million each year, Inside Climate News reported.

Next year's budget remains uncertain, but a concerted funding push at the upcoming climate summit in Turkey could prove effective, according to Inside Climate News.

Lighthouse, a subsidiary of industrial conglomerate Difare Group, inaugurated the 82 MW Faro de San Marcos solar plant in Ecuador on Nov. 5, according to pv magazine. The facility, located in Baños de San Vicente in Ecuador's Santa Elena province, has entered commercial operation.

The developer described Faro de San Marcos as Ecuador's largest operational and privately owned solar power plant, pv magazine reported. The installation features more than 105,000 bifacial solar modules.

Lighthouse expects the plant to generate approximately 106 GWh of electricity annually, according to pv magazine.

Three UK hauliers have committed to investing in electric trucks following trials run under Project JOLT, according to electrive.

DP World's logistics division made the largest commitment, having acquired two MAN eTGX electric tractor units and ordered eight more, electrive reported.

Howard Tenens ordered one MAN eTGX tractor unit and one MAN eTGS rigid truck.

Felixstowe-based Port Express agreed a two-year lease for a Volvo FH electric tractor unit, according to electrive.

RWE and Kawasaki Heavy Industries have begun commissioning a hydrogen-capable 34 MW gas-fired power plant in Lingen, Germany, according to gasworld.

The two companies plan to test hydrogen shares of up to 100% for electricity generation on an industrial scale over the coming months, MarketScreener reported. The turbine will be fuelled with green hydrogen from RWE's co-located GET H2 Nukleus project, according to gasworld.

The facility marks an effort to demonstrate industrial-scale power generation running entirely on hydrogen rather than natural gas.

The EU Council agreed its position on targeted amendments to the bloc's methane regulation, pushing back fossil fuel import monitoring obligations by one year to ease energy security concerns linked to Middle East conflict, according to the Council of the European Union.

Monitoring, reporting and verification obligations for EU importers of natural gas, crude oil and coal would apply from January 1, 2028, instead of the previously scheduled January 1, 2027, the Council stated.

Two further deadlines shift by the same margin. Methane-intensity reporting for importers and EU producers would apply from August 5, 2029, rather than August 5, 2028. Maximum methane-intensity levels for both groups would apply from August 5, 2031, rather than August 5, 2030.

The Council framed the postponement as a response to disruption in energy markets caused by the conflict in the Middle East, aiming to avoid placing additional pressure on the EU's security of supply.

The Peoria County Board approved a special use application for the USD 1.5 billion Four Creeks Wind Project on a 12-5 vote, attaching 36 conditions to the development, according to WCBU.

Proposed by Repsol Renewables, the project calls for 113 turbines spread across 27,000 acres in northwest Peoria County, stretching from Brimfield and Princeville to the Knox and Stark county lines, WCBU reported.

Board members Brian Elsasser, Daniel Kelch, Steven Rieker, Paul Rosenbohm, and Matt Windish voted against the application. Planning and zoning director Andrew Braun read through the full list of 36 restrictions the county placed on the development before the vote, according to WCBU.

CMMZE Energy Namibia (Pty) Ltd has revealed plans for a NAD 17 billion green hydrogen and ammonia project in Henties Bay, Namibia, according to Namibia News Digest. The facility is planned to produce 210,000 tonnes of green ammonia annually for export to Europe.

Separately, Cox plans to allocate an additional USD 6 billion to projects in Mexico between 2025 and 2030, according to Mexico Business News.

The Trump administration broadened sanctions on Cuba's maritime and energy sectors, designating five Cuban-flagged vessels as blocked property, according to gCaptain. The measures target eight companies and two individuals accused of supporting the Cuban government through petroleum shipments, offshore business networks, and military procurement.

The State Department announced the sanctions on Thursday, gCaptain reported. Among the newly blocked vessels, the LPG tanker Emilia and the chemical and products tanker Gloria C were listed under Executive Order 14404, according to The Insight International.

A separate Treasury Department determination opens the door to sanctions against foreign persons operating in Cuba's marine, manufacturing, electronics, and technology sectors, according to gCaptain. The provision extends the reach of enforcement beyond entities directly tied to the Cuban state, potentially exposing foreign companies active in those industries to US penalties.

Paraguay's congress has moved to impeach President Santiago Pena after unanimously rejecting his resignation, according to Argus Media. Pena's presidency collapsed because of a banking crisis involving a digital bank, Ueno.

Pena announced his resignation on November 5 as the scale of the crisis grew. He delivered the resignation in a taped message, but the lower house of congress voted unanimously at the same time to reject it and approved an impeachment hearing.

Pena requested 72 hours to prepare. The Senate rejected that request by a vote of 42-3 and announced impeachment proceedings, according to Argus Media.

Thar Coal Block-II has increased its annual production capacity from 7.6 million tonnes to 11.2 million tonnes, according to UrduPoint and Daily Times. The expansion adds 3.6 million tonnes of annual coal output.

The additional local coal will supply industrial sectors as well as power plants, according to the reports.

Aught Windfarm Limited has filed a formal planning application for a wind farm in County Donegal, Ireland, that could feature the country's tallest wind turbines, according to Newsy Today.

The company is seeking permission from Donegal County Council to build the facility across the townlands of Aught, Ture, and Three Trees at Quigley's Point. The proposed development would consist of six turbines, each with generating capacity ranging from 4.26 MW to 4.80 MW.

Tip heights for the structures would range from 150 metres to 202 metres, according to Newsy Today.

US Africa Command (AFRICOM) has launched an interagency effort linking energy cooperation with security objectives, with Nigeria and Kenya central to the strategy, according to Business Elites Africa.

AFRICOM commander Dagvin Anderson is incorporating energy cooperation into a broader push connecting security with investment and economic opportunity, Premium Times reported. Anderson has identified Kenya and Nigeria among countries interested in constructive American engagement.

The Philippines has the largest cost difference between solar and gas power among five major Southeast Asian economies that together plan nearly 49 GW of new gas-fired capacity, according to the Manila Times.

AI-driven data-centre expansion across Southeast Asia is outpacing electricity infrastructure, producing grid bottlenecks and sustainability challenges, the World Economic Forum reported.

Data centers and new technology loads accounted for about 24% of Ireland's electricity requirements in 2024, with the share expected to reach 30% by 2032, according to Data Center Dynamics.

A proposed grid code modification known as MPID345 would, if adopted, require large demand facilities to act as active participants in Irish grid stability rather than operating solely as electricity consumers, Data Center Dynamics reported.

Ireland's data center fleet has already demonstrated growing capacity for demand-side response during grid stress events. During a grid fault in January 2022, data centers cut demand by 74 MW, representing 16% of total data center demand, according to Data Center Dynamics. By May 2025, the recorded reduction during a similar event had climbed to 387 MW, or 52% of total data center demand.

Mozambique's gas supply proposal remains an option under consideration for South Africa rather than a confirmed solution, according to IOL and African News Agency reporting.

ENH is targeting infrastructure readiness around 2030 or 2031, which may be too late to address the supply pressure South Africa expects from 2028. The project still requires investment commitments, commercial agreements, and construction before any gas can flow.

Mozambique's domestic gas allocation could offer a more competitive alternative to international spot-market LNG, according to the reporting. The final cost, however, will depend on commercial arrangements, transport, infrastructure, and the price at which the gas is made available.

The proposal remains an option under consideration, not a confirmed supply solution, according to IOL.

Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan found that fine particles accumulate first in the hottest part of an oil refinery reactor before migrating to cooler zones, according to SaskToday. The team used the Canadian Light Source synchrotron at the university to trace how fines move through reactor beds.

The fouling mechanisms differ by temperature zone. In the hottest section, fine particles react chemically with the catalyst, degrading its ability to strip impurities. In cooler zones, the particles primarily form physical blockages, and catalyst performance drops only after large deposits build up over time.

According to SaskToday, understanding the role of operating temperature could, in some cases, double uninterrupted refinery operating time from about one year to two years.

Malta's government plans to invest more than EUR 370 million in energy, water infrastructure, and environmental projects under its Budget 2027, according to a report published by lovinmalta.com. The government also pledged an additional EUR 400 million to keep energy prices stable for families and businesses.

Grid reliability is a central focus. Investment will continue in new substations, electricity cables, and distribution centres aimed at strengthening the country's electricity supply, according to lovinmalta.com.

Work on Malta's second electricity interconnector will also proceed, alongside battery energy storage systems and new renewable energy sources.