Triso-X can use HALEU uranium to make reactor fuel
The U.S. Nuclear?power regulator announced on?Friday that it had issued a license to?Triso X for the use of a more-enriched uranium, known as HALEU, for making a fuel for high-tech commercial nuclear reactors. Triso-X is a subsidiary company of X-energy and plans to manufacture TRISO fuel in Oak Ridge Tennessee. This fuel contains uranium that has been coated with hard ceramics and carbon layers. Ho K. Nieh said that commercial-scale production is essential to enable the deployment of advanced reactor designs.
Caturus signs a 20-year LNG Supply Deal with Saudi Aramco
U.S. Gas Producer 'Caturus' said on Friday that its unit, Commonwealth LNG, had signed a twenty-year agreement with Saudi Aramco to supply 1,000,000 tonne per year of lNG from?its proposed Louisiana Export Project. The U.S. is working hard to surpass Qatar and Australia as the largest LNG exporter in the world. Since President Donald Trump lifted the pause on export permits last summer, commercial activity in the LNG sector has risen. Caturus CEO David Lawler said, "This agreement highlights the strong demand for U.S.
Maguire: Maguire, China's renewables boom has boosted it to a rare clean-capacity club.
In 2025, the world's largest polluter will have crossed a crucial energy transition threshold by installing more clean power than fossil fuel production capacity for the first. Global Energy Monitor data shows that China will have 1,494 gigawatts (GW) of clean energy generation capacity operating in 2025. This compares to 1,420 GW?of fossil fuel-fueled capacity. China now draws 51% of its energy from clean sources, surpassing Brazil…
Serbia's NIS wants to lift new sanctions on crude oil imports
The Serbian-owned NIS Oil Company has asked the United States for a second waiver of sanctions to allow crude imports. This is while they await a sale to Hungary's MOL. NIS is responsible for 80% of the fuel requirements in Serbia. It operates the only oil refinery, located in Pancevo in the north of the country. In October, the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned NIS as part of measures targeting Russia's oil sector in response to Moscow's war against Ukraine. The U.S.
China's biotech licensing boom will reach record levels in 2026, as pipelines swell
As global drugmakers cut costs before patents expire, they are increasing their search for China's experimental medicines. Industry analysts predict that licensing deals this year will reach a new record. According to Pharmcube, the value of such deals signed by companies within Greater China - including Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan – rose tenfold from 2021, to an unprecedented $137.7 Billion. Mainland China is at the forefront of this search.
Take Five: Giddy up
As the year of fire horse dawns, much of Asia will celebrate the Lunar New Year. This rare combination is said to combine elements of energy and volatility. The markets will be looking for the first from the consumer bellwether Walmart, while the commodity markets are likely to see the latter. The UK's data and leading economic indicators are coming in this week, and Indonesia is facing a crucial central bank decision. Here…
Maguire: Maguire, China's renewables boom has boosted it to a rare clean-capacity club.
In 2025, the world's largest polluter will have crossed an important energy transition threshold by installing more clean power generation capacity than fossil fuel generation capacity. Global Energy Monitor data shows that China will have 1,494 gigawatts (GW) of clean power generation in operation by 2025. This compares to the?1,420-GW capacity powered by coal, gas, and other fossil fuels. China has now a 51% share of its energy fleet that is derived from clean sources.
Trump ends US vehicle emission standards, revokes climate regulations
On Thursday, the administration of President Donald Trump announced that it had repealed a scientific conclusion that greenhouse gasses endanger human life and removed federal tailpipe emission standards for cars and trucks. The administration has rolled back its climate change policies in the most dramatic way possible, following a series of regulatory changes and other actions designed to promote fossil fuels and to impede the development of "clean energy".
Sources say that Venezuela's PDVSA has expanded its oil fields to joint venture partners.
Three sources familiar with the matter said that the state-run PDVSA of Venezuela is currently in discussions with its joint venture partners including Chevron Repsol and Maurel & Prom to expand the oilfields assigned to their respective projects. This could lead to an increase in crude and natural gas production. Venezuela's National assembly?approved a reform of the main oil law in late January, allowing foreign oil companies…
Can Africa win the mineral race between China and the West? Russell
Two rail projects worth billions of dollars are underway in Africa. One project was aimed westward, and the other eastward. The one backed by Western nations, the other by China. Both aim to ship huge quantities of vital minerals. Welcome to the new race for Africa. It is estimated that the Lobito rail line will cost $6 billion when it's completed in 2030. The track will cover 1,050 km (1,700 miles) of track, mainly carrying copper and cobalt…
Gulf stock markets fall due to US-Iran tensions and earnings.
Stock markets in the Gulf slowed in early trading on Thursday, pressured both by a lacklustre earnings report and investor unease over tensions between the United States and Iran. U.S. president Donald Trump met with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a Wednesday. He later stated that they hadn't reached a "definitive agreement"?regarding Iran but stressed that negotiations would continue. The announcement came…
Can Africa win the mineral race between China and the West? Russell
Two rail projects worth billions of dollars in Africa. One project was aimed west and the other east. The one backed by Western nations, and the other by China. Both aim to ship huge quantities of critical minerals. Welcome to the new race for Africa. It is estimated that the Lobito rail line will cost $6 billion when it is completed in 2030. The 1,050 km (1,700 miles) of track will take mainly copper and cobalt west from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia to the port of Lobito, which is located in Angola.
Energy secretary warns against legitimacy of Chinese deals
Chris Wright, the U.S. secretary of energy, urged on Wednesday that the U.S. invest more in Venezuela during the most high-level visit to the U.S. focused on energy policies in almost three decades. Wright also warned about the legitimacy of Chinese companies in the OPEC nation. Wright stated that the U.S. After a meeting with the Interim President, Delcy Rodriquez, at the Miraflores Presidential Palace in Caracas, the U.S.
Andy Home, Andy Home: The US and Canada are now working together to secure critical minerals.
The U.S. president Donald Trump just announced "Project Vault", an $12 billion stockpile of critical minerals intended to protect U.S. manufacturing companies from disruptions in supply. The U.S. will need help to fill the Vault with 60 minerals that are currently classified as "critical". The U.S. is reviving friend-shoring as it seeks to form a metal alliance with China to break its stranglehold on the metals at the heart of modern technology. The U.S. is more popular than ever.
Norway Wealth Fund seeks investment in battery storage as the market matures
Norway's sovereign fund announced on Wednesday that it hopes to make its initial investments in battery storage systems. This reflects the increasing importance of batteries for stabilising increasingly intermittent electricity markets. Since 2021, the $2.2 trillion sovereign fund, 'the largest in the world,' has invested in renewable energy infrastructure that is not listed, with a focus on offshore wind farms, as well as solar and wind assets located both onshore and off-shore.
Russia claims US restrictions on its involvement in Venezuela's oil industry are discriminatory
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated on Wednesday that the new U.S. restrictions imposed on Russia and other countries' role in Venezuela's petroleum business was blatantly discriminatory. The Kremlin also said it would clarify this matter with Washington. The U.S. Treasury Department issued a license on Tuesday to facilitate exploration and production in Venezuela. The license does not authorize transactions with Russian, Chinese or Iranian entities or nationals.
Congo declares it will seek out other partners in the event that US Minerals Framework fails
If the minerals?cooperation agreement with the United States does not lead to concrete projects, then the Democratic Republic of Congo will seek out other partners. The country's mining minister stated that the framework does not result in concrete projects. "Everything that we have done in our relationship with America has been a framework within which we can discuss issues of mutual interest." Louis Watum Kabamba told the crowds at the?Indaba Mining Conference in Cape Town that this is all there is.
US Energy Secretary to Arrive in Venezuela With Herculean Task of Oil Recovery
This week, the U.S. Department of Energy Chris Wright will visit Venezuela. It is the highest-level U.S. The OPEC country has not had a visit to discuss energy policy in almost three decades. Washington is conducting its first assessment on the ground of the oil industry that it plans to rebuild. Wright will arrive in Caracas Wednesday, one day after the U.S. granted a general license to explore and produce oil and gas in Venezuela.
Andy Home, Andy Home: The US and Canada are now working together to secure critical minerals.
The U.S. president Donald Trump just announced "Project Vault", an $12 billion stockpile of critical minerals intended to protect U.S. manufacturing companies from disruptions in supply. The U.S. will need help to fill up the Vault's 60 critical minerals. The friend-shoring game is back and with a vengeance. As the U.S. tries to build a metal alliance to loosen China’s grip on the metals at the core of modern technology. The U.S. has more friends now than ever.
Treasury: US grants license for oil and gas exploration in Venezuela
The?U.S. The?U.S. Washington has eased sanctions against Venezuela's oil industry that were first imposed by the United States in 2019. Since U.S. troops captured President Nicolas Maduro at the beginning of January, Washington has relaxed its sanctions. The government of interim president Delcy Rodriguez then agreed on a $2 billion oil deal with Washington. Oil drillers need U.S. approval to use specialized equipment and import rigs needed to?expand Venezuela's oil production…