Chief Scientist & Professor of Exploration Geoscience, Heriot-Watt University
Assistant Professor, Durham University
Chair of Urban & Regional Planning and Director of Canberra Urban & Regional Futures, University of Canberra, Visiting Professor, University of Warwick
Associate Professor in Biophysics, University of Pretoria
Production
Novatek signs Rostock LNG deal
Russian gas producer Novatek says it is partnering with Belgium’s gas transmission system operator Fluxys for the construction of an LNG (liquefied natural gas) terminal in the German Baltic port of Rostock (pictured). Fluxys is involved in other LNG bunkering projects in the North and Baltic seas. The companies are due to design, construct, finance, own and operate the […]
Transmission
Germany plans giant green hydrogen plant
The German grid operators Tennet, Gasunie Deutschland and Thyssengas have made detailed plans to link the electricity and gas grids and boost transition. The three operators are planning to build a power-to-gas station in Lower Saxony with an output of 100 megawatts. It is due to be the largest of its kind in Germany. Potential […]
Storage
Green-hydrogen deal signed in Amsterdam
Dutch multinational paint manufacturer Nouryon, Tata Steel and the Port of Amsterdam (pictured) have signed a deal to study the feasibility of a large green hydrogen cluster around the city. The three organisations claim hydrogen produced from recyclable sources is vital for reaching targets under the 2015 Paris climate agreement and building a circular economy. Tata […]
Consumption
Does the West Owe its Rise to Fossil Fuels?
Human agency enjoys the pole position in explaining historical phenomenon. From the genius of Napoleon, Churchill, and Roosevelt to the Enlightenment philosophers and scientists who brought us rationalism, empiricism, secularism, and new technologies, the West has no shortage of heroes. These great men harnessed the resources of the nation state, birthed a liberal economic order […]
Policy
Spain axes defunct ‘sun tax’
Spain earlier this month cancelled the controversial “tax on the sun” in measures aimed at tackling rising electricity costs and enabling more households to install panels. A royal decree law (RDL) was issued in a legal manoeuvre allowing the minority Socialist administration to rush emergency regulations into action and then debate the moves at a […]
Environment
Montenegro hosts anti-Albania dam protest
Environmental campaigners have cycled from Montenegro’s capital to the border with Albania to protest at Tirana’s construction of a dam on the River Cijevna (pictured), which flows through both countries. Nearly 3,000 hydropower stations are planned across the western Balkans, known as the “blue heart” of Europe for its pristine rivers. About a third of […]
Industry
Total extends LNG operations in India
French energy giant Total has signed a deal with India’s Adani Group to develop LNG projects in the subcontinent, along with 1,500 petrol stations. The joint venture is expected to help meet rising Indian gas demand, and take advantage of road building. Total is the world’s second-largest LNG (liquefied natural gas) trader and Adani is […]
Opinion
Can Artificial Intelligence Help Renewables Surge on the Demand-Side?
This article is the second of a three-part series on how artificial intelligence is already shaping the global energy system and could revolutionize it in the future. Of all the intriguing new technologies in the works today, artificial intelligence (AI) may become the largest disrupter of the global energy system. AI’s ability to aggregate, sift […]
What the 2018 Midterm Elections will Mean for U.S. Climate Policy
On 6 November 2018, Americans will go to the polls to render their judgment on the performance of the Trump Administration for the first time in a meaningful way. Though Trump won’t be on the ballot, the president will surely shape the outcome of these congressional elections. The impact of the election will be felt […]