by Catherine HOURS / Julien MIVIELLE Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) – Despite fears that the energy price shock unleashed by Russia’s war in Ukraine will put climate ambitions on the back burner, the transition to green fuels is more relevant than ever to reduce dependence on Russian hydrocarbons. Coal no longer a taboo As the United States imposes an embargo on Russian oil, the European Union and other countries are seeking to wean themselves […]
Tag: energy
Fukushima region forges renewable future after nuclear disaster
by Etienne BALMER and Harumi OZAWA Agence France-Presse NAMIE, Japan (AFP) – Solar farms along tsunami-ravaged coastlines, green energy “micro-grids” and the experimental production of non-polluting hydrogen: 11 years after its nuclear nightmare, Japan’s Fukushima region is investing in a renewable future. On March 11, 2011, an earthquake unleashed a deadly tsunami on northeastern Japan, triggering a meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant and forcing mass evacuations over radiation fears. One year later, Fukushima’s regional […]
Germany calls on OPEC to increase oil output
FRANKFURT, Germany (AFP) – German Economy Minister Robert Habeck on Tuesday issued an “urgent appeal” to OPEC oil producers to ramp up output following a spike in prices and supply fears due to the Ukraine crisis. Habeck called on top oil producing nations to “increase production in order to create relief on the market”. “That would be a contribution” to easing the stress on firms and households, he said at a Berlin press conference, adding […]
EU plans two-thirds cut in Russian gas imports this year
The EU wants to vastly reduce Russian gas imports this year, a top official said Tuesday, as political pressure mounts to sever Russia’s main economic lifeline over its invasion of Ukraine. The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, announced the goal as the United States was expected to impose an oil import ban on Russia in a step considered too far for the Europeans, who fear that the economic consequences would be too severe. […]
Pres. Duterte signs EO 164 adopting nat’l position for a nuclear energy program
PHL gov’t commits to “introduction of nuclear power energy into the State’s energy mix for power generation” (Eagle News) – President Rodrigo Duterte approved a proposal to review and develop nuclear energy plans and include “nuclear power energy” as among the options for power generation. Duterte signed Executive Order no. 164 adopting a “national position for a nuclear energy program” to ensure that the country has a “reliable, secure, sustainable, quality and affordable electricity […]
Germany begins slow move away from Russian gas after Ukraine invasion
by Florian CAZERES Agence France-Presse BERLIN, Germany (AFP) – The invasion of Ukraine has thrown Germany’s problematic dependence on Russian gas into stark relief, forcing Europe’s largest economy to urgently reshape its energy mix. In a previously unthinkable step for Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s young government, the crisis even has politicians considering delaying Germany’s planned exit from nuclear energy and coal to keep the lights on. “We will change course to overcome our import dependence,” Scholz […]
Biden says US will contribute half of 60 million emergency oil barrel release
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States will contribute half of the 60 million barrels of oil International Energy Agency (IEA) countries agreed to release Tuesday to stabilize global markets after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, President Joe Biden said. “I can announce the United States has worked with 30 other countries to release 60 million barrels of oil from reserves around the world. America will lead that effort, releasing 30 million barrels of oil,” […]
Decaying Congo tin mining town finds new hope in lithium
by Annie THOMAS and Lucien KAHOZI Agence France-Presse MANONO, DR Congo (AFP) – Near the rusting carcass of a smelter, barefoot men and women scratch at the ground in the quest for cassiterite — the tin oxide ore that generations ago gave the town of Manono a brief taste of the good life. The diggers carry the sandy earth to the Lukushi River where women wash the grit in metal bowls, hoping to find some […]
URGENT: WTI oil price soars more than 10% on Ukraine fallout
US benchmark oil contract, West Texas Intermediate, soared more than 10 percent in value Tuesday, as Ukraine’s invasion by key producer Russia fuels fears over supplies. WTI reached $106.29 per barrel and European benchmark Brent North Sea crude surged more than nine percent to $107.44 — with both levels the highest in more than seven years. emb-bcp/kjm © Agence France-Presse
Putin, Abu Dhabi leader vow ‘energy market stability’
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed vowed Tuesday to maintain energy market stability, the UAE’s state news agency said. They agreed in a phone call on the “need to maintain the stability of the global energy market,” said the news agency WAM, as oil prices surge due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Sheikh Mohammed was also briefed by Putin on “the developments of the crisis with Ukraine”, WAM […]
Ukraine crisis challenges oil industry caution at high prices
by John BIERS Agence France-Presse NEW YORK, United States (AFP) – As commodity prices soar, the Ukraine crisis has prompted demands from petroleum lobbies for a reboot of US energy policy to promote domestic oil and gas production. But recent history suggests Wall Street may be an even bigger barrier than Washington to increased exploration and production. As oil prices have risen over the last year — including Thursday’s brief surge above $100 a barrel […]
Russia attack on Ukraine reverberates in energy-rich Gulf
Russia’s assault on Ukraine is reverberating in the energy-rich Gulf, where top oil and gas producers face economic and political dilemmas in easing sky-high prices and alleviating shortages in Europe. As oil prices broke past $100 per barrel and risks of supply disruptions grew, eyes in Europe were increasingly focusing on oil kingpin Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, one of the biggest natural gas exporters. And the calculations in Riyadh and Doha are much more nuanced […]





