• Opinion

  Alerts send warnings about the future of power

  • 18 6月 2021

  As a heatwave hit the southwest US this week, electricity demand surged, putting strain on the grids in Texas and California. Grid operators issued alerts urging customers to conserve electricity where possible by turning up thermostats and not running appliances in the late afternoon and evening. The measures worked: blackouts were avoided in both states. But the alerts were a reminder of the pressures facing grids in extreme weather conditions, which will increase as their reliance on wind and solar power grows. Demand response programmes and other measures to improve the flexibility of the grid are becoming increasingly important.

• Opinion

  Is gold turning green?

  • 23 6月 2021

  Scrutiny of the environmental impact of mining has never been greater and with COP26 on the horizon the spotlight will only intensify. How is the gold industry tackling the challenge?

• Opinion

  Investors exert their influence over the energy transition

  • 11 6月 2021

  Oil and gas companies have been coming under mounting pressure from large shareholders to address climate risks, and that pressure has stepped up sharply this year. The world’s six largest investors by assets under management have signed up to the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative, committing them to supporting the goal of global net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 or sooner. In total the signatories to the initiative have $37 trillion under management.

• Opinion

  Onshore wind: tackling cost escalation in operations and maintenance

  • 16 6月 2021

  Competitive bidding has become the norm in the onshore wind operations and maintenance (O&M) market, pushing price-points down. Meanwhile, operational costs have escalated. How will the industry combat the cost challenge and secure cheaper onshore wind?

• Opinion

  The road to COP26

  • 08 6月 2021

  This is a big year for climate policy. The Paris agreement of 2015 set up a five-yearly cycle for countries to increase the ambition of their goals for cutting greenhouse gas emissions. So right from the outset, the COP26 climate conference originally scheduled for 2020 was going to be particularly significant.

• Opinion

  Big Oil’s watershed moment: five things you need to know

  • 10 6月 2021

  The events of May 26 2021 look like a defining moment for the oil and gas industry. In the space of a few hours, three decisions crystallised trends that had been building for years at the large international oil companies, showing the pressure they are under to address climate change and the energy transition.

• Opinion

  Putting coal mine emissions under the microscope

  • 29 4月 2021

  Coal producers are feeling the weight of public scrutiny and investor pressure as increasingly stringent carbon emission policies threaten future demand. A price on carbon – a key policy for emissions reduction – could also transform industry costs and prices.

• Opinion

  Demanding new emissions goals set course for low-carbon future

  • 23 4月 2021

  At a US-hosted climate summit this week, large economies discussed their ambitious objectives for cutting emissions. Now comes the hard part.

• Opinion

  Investing in the energy transition

  • 21 4月 2021

  What do major investors need to know to capitalise on the opportunity offered by the energy transition over coming decades?

• Opinion

  The role of NOCs on the road to net zero

  • 22 4月 2021

  NOCs must play a role in the global mission to decarbonise. Could this be a game-changing year?

• Opinion

  How Asia changed the global LNG market in the space of a year

  • 21 4月 2021

  The past year has undoubtedly been the most dramatic in the history of the global LNG industry. Demand buffeted by lockdowns and recession, liquefaction shut-in, pre-FID supply projects delayed and spot LNG prices crashing to all-time lows before going into orbit.

• Opinion

  The US energy transition rides on the electric F-150

  • 21 5月 2021

  Ford has launched the electric version of its best-selling F-150 truck. Its success or failure will have a big impact on the electrification of transport in the US, and on climate policy.

• Opinion

  Which technologies will drive the energy transition?

  • 10 5月 2021

  The energy transition is a transformational force, with technology at its heart. What are the technologies that are driving change? Which innovations are on track to help unlock the world’s lower-carbon future? And where do we need to pick up the pace?

• Opinion

  Can carbon capture help Big Oil reach its net zero targets?

  • 04 5月 2021

  Carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) could be a critical step on the Majors’ decarbonisation journey. What role could this technology play, and can it scale at the pace required to support Paris Agreement targets?

• Opinion

  Three global wind turbine technology trends to watch

  • 05 5月 2021

  How will changes to onshore and offshore turbine technology impact the industry?

• Opinion

  How will reuse models change the plastic packaging industry?

  • 10 6月 2021

  The ‘war on plastics’ is changing the packaging industry. But while much of the debate focuses on recycling, reuse still plays a marginal role in most packaging markets. Is that about to change? And what would that mean for polymer demand?

• Opinion

  The US government speeds up drilling permit approvals

  • 04 6月 2021

  The Biden administration this week issued an order suspending further work on oil leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, pending a new environmental review. The order follows through on a commitment that President Joe Biden made on his first day in office. Drilling in ANWR has always been highly controversial, and the lease sale in January attracted only limited interest.

• Opinion

  Asia’s developing economies need more gas investment, not less

  • 27 5月 2021

  It is increasingly clear across Asia that governments, lenders, and both gas suppliers and consumers must prioritise the management of carbon emissions across the gas value chain.

• Opinion

  What is COP26 and how is it vital to the energy transition?

  • 26 5月 2021

  This year, the UK will host COP26. Countries around the world are aware of their responsibilities to tackle climate change, and many have set targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

• Opinion

  The future of offshore wind: size matters  

  • 01 6月 2021

  Ambitions for offshore wind are ramping up. Everything, it seems, is scaling up – including the turbines.  

• Opinion

  Will carbon costs destroy the added value from refinery-petrochemical integration?​

  • 10 11月 2021

  Earlier this year, we published a case study exploring S-Oil’s decision to add steam cracking capacity to its Onsan refinery. In this update, we have used REM-Chemicals and PetroPlan to scrutinise the possible impact of carbon costs.

• Opinion

  Offshore wind valuations: a closer look at performing sensitivity analysis

  • 10 11月 2021

  Using Lens Power Valuations, we flex assumptions and perform sensitivity analysis for offshore wind assets in seconds.

• Opinion

  How ports can navigate the energy transition

  • 15 11月 2021

  Energy and commodity markets are transforming, and so is the role of ports. What are the key questions for port operators and investors as global economies push for net zero?

• Opinion

  Survival of the fittest refineries: what are the metrics that matter?

  • 22 11月 2021

  With peak oil demand on the horizon, diversifying the product mix will be crucial for refiners. Cutting emissions intensity could also give refinery sites a crucial competitive edge.

• Opinion

  The future of energy storage

  • 18 11月 2021

  The vast majority of carbon emissions from Asia Pacific are now covered by net zero targets. Wind and solar generation will be critical to achieving this but must be combined with energy storage.

• Opinion

  Why COP26 was a success, albeit a qualified one

  • 16 11月 2021

  We estimate that if all pledges made at COP26 are actioned, the world could reach a 2 °C pathway, although we would still fall short of 1.5 °C.

• Opinion

  US Infrastructure bill bets on breakthrough technologies

  • 12 11月 2021

  The US Congress has been debating two bills with big implications for energy. The first, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, has finally been passed by both House and Senate, and will be signed into law by President Biden.

• Opinion

  EVs: the biggest lever in driving the energy transition

  • 03 11月 2021

  In China transport generates 25% of emissions, in Europe 27% and in the US a whopping 29%. Electric vehicles offer a road to redemption for the sector.

• Opinion

  Trade becomes a new tactic for curbing emissions

  • 05 11月 2021

  On the eve of the COP26 climate talks, the US and EU announced a plan to draw up the first ever trade agreement based on carbon emissions. Under the proposed deal, steel and aluminium from high-emitting producers would be penalised in US and EU markets, while metal produced with low emissions would be favoured, subject to other conditions.

• Opinion

  Horizons podcast: One giant leap

  • 27 10月 2021

  Dr. Melissa Lott and Chief Analyst Simon Flowers join Horizons to talk Biden’s vision for repowering America.