This week brings with it the 22 April deadline marking the end of the two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran. The on-again/off-again/on-again closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Tehran, and Washington’s naval blockade specifically on Iranian ports, can broadly be seen as part of the ongoing negotiations for peace that began on 8 April, with the mood surrounding the talks having swung as wildly on both sides as the state of the blockades. Even before the recent spate of hostilities, mediating Omani Foreign Minister Badr Al-Busaidi declared…

Kuwait has declared force majeure on shipments of crude oil and refined products after disruptions at the Strait of Hormuz prevented some vessels from entering the Persian Gulf. The move comes as tensions in the Strait escalated again following the U.S. seizure of an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel in the waterway. According to Reuters, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation has notified customers that it is invoking contractual clauses allowing it to withhold certain scheduled deliveries after the blockade hindered access to the Gulf. The measure is not expected…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has criticized an easing of sanctions on Russian energy, writing on X that "every dollar paid for Russian oil is money for the war." His statement on April 19 comes after the United States prolonged its Russian oil waiver earlier in the week with figures showing that Moscow nearly doubled its oil revenue in March amid soaring energy prices as Iran continues to disrupt shipping on the crucial Strait of Hormuz. Zelenskyy claimed that more than 110 tankers from Russia’s shadow fleet are currently at sea,…

India has recently raised the number of Russian insurers allowed to provide protection and indemnity (P&I) cover for ships docking at Indian ports, as Indian refiners are once again boosting imports of Russian crude thanks to a U.S. waiver. The number of Russian insurers eligible to cover marine indemnity and protection has been raised to 11, up from eight previously, India's Directorate General of Shipping has said, as carried by Reuters. India has recently allowed new Russia-based insurers to provide cover for ships docking at Indian ports,…

The price of oil has been driven higher by the latest round of escalations in the Middle East, renewing fears of a drastic global energy shock. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil prices – jumped over six per cent on Monday morning to over $96. It follows a weekend of tensions where shipping in the Strait of Hormuz has once again ground to a halt following a brief opening on Friday. The regime in Tehran has warned that the new closure will remain in place until the US blockade is lifted. In a Truth Social post on Sunday,…

China is on track to import record-high volumes of ethane from the United States this month as Chinese and other Asian petrochemicals producers rush to secure replacement feedstock amid plunging naphtha and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) supply from the Middle East. China is expected to import as many as 800,000 tons of U.S. ethane in April, which would be a record high for any month and about 60% higher compared than the usual monthly imports of the feedstock from the United States, per estimates from Chinese consultancy JLC cited by Bloomberg.…

In a “perilous position,” the Platts Dubai benchmark used to price around 18 million barrels per day, nearly a fifth of global supply, is now severely strained by the halt in exports through the Strait of Hormuz. According to Reuters, with most cargoes having been unable to move safely through the chokepoint, the system is grappling with a fundamental question of how to price oil that cannot be loaded. The situation remains largely unchanged as of today, despite Washington’s announcement that the Strait is officially open for…

In April 2026, a new 500 MW sodium-cooled reactor in Kalpakkam, India, attained criticality. The reactor maintained a nuclear chain reaction—which is a pretty big step for any new nuclear plant. There are a number of things that struck us about this news. The haters and skeptics will point out that this unit began construction in 2004 with a 2010 expected completion date. No cost escalation figures were provided by the Indian government. But the real question here is why a molten salt reactor? It’s not a new technology. President Jimmy…

Accelerated refinery closures in the past decade and increased dependence on kerosene from the Middle East have exposed Europe’s energy supply vulnerability once again. For years, European consumers have had to contend with last-minute strikes of ground personnel and cabin crew during peak summer travel. This year, strikes may be viewed as a minor nuisance compared to what’s coming within weeks—a jet fuel supply crisis that could ground flights and hike fares. The war in Iran has cut most of Europe’s imports of jet fuel,…

As technology continues to improve, many renewable energy developers are increasingly using automation to develop commercial-scale projects, such as solar and wind farms. Tech companies have made significant improvements to artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic equipment in recent years, with different types of robots now available to perform a wide variety of tasks. This is reducing the burden on humans in the development phase of new renewable energy projects, with robots now capable of conducting tasks that may be dangerous for people to…

The United Kingdom has been rapidly increasing its deployment of new renewable energy capacity in recent years, to the point that it now has some to spare during peak production hours. While the U.K. gradually increases its battery storage, the government is encouraging consumers to use more electricity during certain times of the day to help shift reliance away from fossil fuels to green alternatives. Consumers are being asked by the government to use high-consumption appliances, such as dishwashers and washing machines, as well as electric vehicle…

Europe’s supermajors are set to report a strong quarter later this month and in early May thanks to their trading divisions. While Big Oil does not report trading profits, BP, Shell, TotalEnergies, and Equinor all signaled they are making a lot of money on trade with oil and gas in what some say is the worst supply crisis in history. Shell was the first to flag “significantly higher” profits from oil and gas trading in its financial report for the first quarter of the year. The company attributed the expected windfall on the extreme…

By now, a familiar narrative has returned to Europe’s energy debate. The transition, we are told, went too far, too fast, and too blindly. Politicians chased climate headlines, imposed unrealistic targets, burdened households with costs, and pushed industry toward the exit. It is a compelling story. It is also the wrong one. Europe’s real mistake was not moving too quickly on clean energy. It was moving halfway. We invested in renewable generation, but underinvested in the grids, storage, flexibility, and electrification required to…

As governments look to diversify their energy mix by expanding renewable energy capacity, many are turning to solar and wind power. Meanwhile, hydropower is often overlooked by countries that do not have a tradition of hydropower production. With the ongoing conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran, the price of fossil fuels is being pushed ever higher due to severe shortages of oil and gas. This is encouraging governments worldwide to assess their energy security and consider developing various energy sources to support greater diversification…

The world is ramping up its lithium production in a bid to meet the growing global demand for critical minerals, being driven by renewable energy deployment and the higher uptake of electric vehicles (EVs) and other electronics. Lithium production from mining increased from 31,500 metric tonnes in 2015 to 82,500 tonnes in 2020 and 290,000 tonnes in 2025. While China remains the world’s biggest lithium producer, as production expands, several new players are entering the market, which is helping to diversify operations. The global lithium-battery…

The Strait of Hormuz is once again at the center of escalating geopolitical tensions, with Iran moving to restrict vessel traffic amid an ongoing U.S. naval blockade. According to multiple reports, Iran has turned back at least 20 vessels attempting to transit the strait, while U.S. enforcement actions have redirected additional ships, bringing total disruptions to more than 20 tankers. Merchant vessels reportedly received direct radio warnings from Iranian naval forces declaring the waterway closed to all traffic following what Tehran described…

The Strait of Hormuz is once again at the center of escalating geopolitical tensions, with Iran moving to restrict vessel traffic amid an ongoing U.S. naval blockade. According to multiple reports, Iran has turned back at least 20 vessels attempting to transit the strait, while U.S. enforcement actions have redirected additional ships, bringing total disruptions to more than 20 tankers. Merchant vessels reportedly received direct radio warnings from Iranian naval forces declaring the waterway closed to all traffic following what Tehran described…

The Strait of Hormuz is once again at the center of escalating geopolitical tensions, with Iran moving to restrict vessel traffic amid an ongoing U.S. naval blockade. According to multiple reports, Iran has turned back at least 20 vessels attempting to transit the strait, while U.S. enforcement actions have redirected additional ships, bringing total disruptions to more than 20 tankers. Merchant vessels reportedly received direct radio warnings from Iranian naval forces declaring the waterway closed to all traffic following what Tehran described…

...and it's closed. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared Saturday that control of the strait has "returned to its previous state," walking back a brief opening announced Friday and directly contradicting a claim from President Donald Trump that the world's most critical oil chokepoint was fully open for business. Tehran's joint military command said the strait is now under "strict management and control of the armed forces" and accused the U.S. of "piracy" -- a reference to Washington's ongoing naval blockade of Iranian ports, which…

The Trump administration has grand plans for “ENSURING AMERICAN SPACE SUPERIORITY.” When NASA sent humans to the moon for the first time this century earlier this month, the organization made it clear that this is just the “opening act” for a new and revitalized era of space exploration. Under the Trump administration, NASA has enormous ambitions, going as far as to plan a permanent base on the moon, which will need never-before-seen energy innovations to maintain a secure source of power. This week, the federal government…