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☆ Hydrogen, fully electric, or both? Heavy-duty trucking has some big decisions to make
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Anmar Frangoul | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

In Sept. 2022, it said it would begin testing fuel cell electric trucks in what it called "commercial traffic" from 2025. It's therefore no surprise that alongside hydrogen, battery electric vehicles are also being considered for trucking. Other companies like Scania and DAF are also operating in the battery electric space. "Which zero-emission technology out of battery electric and hydrogen will prevail in the long-haul segment is less certain," T&E adds. Within the EU, for example, efforts are being made to create the conditions that would enable hydrogen trucks to travel long distances.

☆ EU reaches deal on service stations for EVs, alternative fuels
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, March 28 (Reuters) - The European Union on Tuesday reached a provisional deal on the deployment of more service stations for cars running on electricity and alternative fuels as the bloc seeks to reduce the carbon footprint of its transport sector. "The agreement will send a clear signal to citizens and other stakeholders that user-friendly recharging infrastructure and refuelling stations for alternative fuels, such as hydrogen, will be installed throughout the EU," Andreas Carlson, the Swedish minister for infrastructure and housing, said in a EU statement. He added it was the bloc's aim to make more recharging capacity available on the streets in urban areas as well along the motorways. EU energy ministers are set to give final approval later on Tuesday to end sales of new CO2-emitting cars in 2035, after Germany won an exemption for cars running on e-fuels. Reporting by Benoit Van Overstraeten; Editing by Tassilo HummelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Very little green hydrogen, or hydrogen produced from green energy sources, exists today, as most current hydrogen is made using natural gas, and known as blue hydrogen. But several firms have committed to scaling up green hydrogen output over the coming decade, using solar or wind energy to power electrolysers that will split water into its constituent parts, hydrogen and oxygen. In turn, that should drive the cost of renewable-powered electrolysis below that of other forms of hydrogen production, and allow for a rapid global surge in green hydrogen output. FEASIBLE FUTUREWhile industry analysts can see a viable path to greater hydrogen supply, it is less clear how the demand side pans out. Such businesses are more likely to receive government support for energy system overhauls than factories due to their importance to the local and international economy.

☆ Meet some of the 'hot rodders' making classic gas-powered cars run on electric motors and batteries — see their coolest conversions
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

"We're seeing that more and more, as the next generation of hot rodders come up, that they do want to do an EV conversion. 1974 BMW 2002 5-Speed electric conversion Bring a TrailerThe proof? Gadget, who was featured in the "Revenge of the Electric Car" documentary, starts by taking batteries out of crashed Teslas. "You'll see electric cars actually beat gasoline cars with the same horsepower out of the gate, but when they're absolutely quiet, you'll lose some people," Drewry said. 1966 VW Bus 21 Window with a Netgain Hyper 9 motor and EV West’s bolt-in “6 pack” Tesla battery EV WestFor Bream, it's actually about prolonging legacy.

☆ Companies Are Balking at Spending for Green Freight Transport
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Paul Berger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

During the past two years, DHL has spent over $460 million on measures such as green aviation fuels and electric vehicles, according to company data. Freight operators are rolling out a growing array of options for shippers looking to reduce pollution, from low-carbon aviation and marine fuels to electric trucks. But some shipping executives say companies are proving reluctant to pay the higher prices for alternative fuels and zero-emissions vehicles that can easily double or triple transport costs.

☆ Dassault Aviation seeks more Rafale exports, defends business jets
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Tim Hepher | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

PARIS, March 9 (Reuters) - Dassault Aviation (AM.PA) highlighted negotiations for new Rafale fighter export orders and hit back at European critics of business jets as it posted higher profits on Thursday. It booked new orders worth 21 billion euros, including 92 Rafales and 64 Falcons. It delivered 46 jets including 32 Falcons in 2022, down from 55 including 30 Falcons in 2021. He said Dassault remained in talks to provide 26 carrier-borne Rafales to the Indian navy, in competition with Boeing's (BA.N) F/A-18 Super Hornet. One year's use of the global fleet of Falcon business jets is equivalent to 24 hours of global video streaming or five hours of worldwide truck traffic, he said.

European gas prices rallied in the run-up to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine begun almost exactly a year ago and they leapt to record highs when Russia subsequently cut supplies of relatively cheap pipeline gas. Although European prices have eased to around 50 euros ($53) per megawatt hour (MWh) from last August's peak of more than 340 euros, they remain above historic averages. That was even when they had received significant levels of Russian gas on long-term contracts prior to the shut down of the Nord Stream pipeline to Germany in August. Nord Stream's closure drove up European gas prices, as well as liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices, which also hit record levels of around 70 million British thermal units (mmBtu), compared with around $16 now . That could be tricky as the fall in gas prices this year has reduced the incentive to avoid the fuel.

☆ After a bumper run, analysts say these 3 oil and gas stocks are set for another 50% rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The oil and gas sector provided investors stellar returns in 2022 when the rest of the market failed to perform. The S & P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production Index was up 45% last year. Analysts and fund managers say several key factors may push up oil prices in the near future. Earthstone Energy Shares of Earthstone , a Texas-headquartered independent oil and gas company, are expected to go up by 85.8% by analysts over the next year. Meanwhile, the benchmark S & P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production Index has risen by 3% over the same period.

☆ Electric cars need less service — but they could cost you more
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Electric cars require different service and maintenance than gas-powered ones. They also wonder what it means to service and maintain these vehicles — and how much that will cost them. Tesla even advertises its vehicles as "eliminating the need for service." EV tires are different than those for a gas-powered vehicle. What it means for car dealersAs a result of these shifts, dealers are assessing just how much of an impact that potentially less vehicle service will have on their bottom lines.

☆ How to cash in on the new wave of electric car tax credits and rebates that could save you thousands on a new ride
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Electric vehicles are expensive, but tax credits might be able to help. The Biden Administration's Inflation Reduction Act, passed last August, introduced some new EV credits and extended existing ones, with some changes. Here's what to know about claiming tax credits and rebates on electric car purchases. George Rose/Getty ImagesState creditsDifferent states have different incentives for EVs, in addition to the federal tax credits. Not every state has an electric car tax credit or rebate program, so it's important to check individual state websites for information.

☆ UK to extend its energy price support scheme to non-domestic customers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 29 (Reuters) - The UK will extend its Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) for non-domestic customers in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the country's department for Business, Energy & Industrial strategy said in a statement on Thursday. The scheme will provide a discount on gas and electricity unit prices for non-domestic customers like businesses, voluntary sector organizations such as charities, and public sector organizations such as schools, hospitals and care homes. The government will also provide a fixed payment of 150 pounds ($180) to all non-domestic consumers that are not on the gas grid or use alternative fuels, with "top-up" payments for large users of heating oil based on usage. The extension of the energy price support scheme comes at a time when energy-intensive businesses in the country are struggling with the soaring cost of power. ($1 = 0.8315 pounds)Reporting by Gokul Pisharody in Bengaluru; Editing by Tom HogueOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Airbus CEO details broad post-crisis industrial hurdles
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Tim Hepher | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury speaks during a visit of German Economy and Climate Protection Minister Robert Habeck at Airbus research facilities in Hamburg, Germany, January 18, 2022. Airbus (AIR.PA) Chief Executive Guillaume Faury said the situation had also been aggravated by recent COVID restrictions leading to capacity closures in China, a major supplier. "There is an enormous problem in bringing the industrial supply chain back to strength worldwide, in the aviation world but not only in aviation," Faury told French journalists. "There is a lot of interdependence between the aerospace supply chain and electronic cards and components, raw materials and the availability of energy and skills at a worldwide level," Faury told the AJPAE French aerospace media association. Airbus assembles some aircraft and derives a large proportion of parts from suppliers in the United States.

☆ Rolls-Royce uses hydrogen produced with wind and tidal power to test jet engine
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Anmar Frangoul | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The test used a converted regional aircraft engine from Rolls-Royce, with hydrogen produced at the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney. LONDON — Plans to reduce the significant environmental effects of aviation took a step forward this week after Rolls-Royce and easyJet said they had carried out the ground test of a jet engine that used hydrogen produced from tidal and wind power. The test, which was carried out at an outdoor site in the U.K., used a converted regional aircraft engine from London-listed Rolls-Royce. "This is a true British success story, with the hydrogen being used to power the jet engine today produced using tidal and wind energy from the Orkney Islands of Scotland," Shapps added. Using hydrogen to power an internal combustion engine is different to hydrogen fuel cell technology, where hydrogen from a tank mixes with oxygen, generating electricity.

☆ German industry curbed gas demand by a fifth in crisis - study
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Hertie School of Governance gemeinnützige GmbH FollowFRANKFURT, Nov 1 (Reuters) - German industry cut its gas consumption by nearly a fifth last month, sustainability experts said on Tuesday, after a plunge in Russian gas exports sparked a continent-wide energy crisis that led to soaring energy prices. "A further reduction in gas consumption in industry is likely in view of persistently high gas prices," they said. German households, half of whom heat with gas, increased savings to 36% year-on-year in September, having saved 10% in March, the study said. The researchers explained these findings with delayed billing effects, delayed saving appeal campaigns and a lower price exposure of household prices to the wholesale market. Germany's expert gas commission on Monday presented proposals to the government for a gas price cap to help citizens and encourage companies to keep up operations and protect jobs.

☆ Estonia turns back to shale oil as it cuts off Russian power
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Janis Laizans | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AUVERE, Estonia, Oct 19 (Reuters) - When Baltic states switched off Russian power and halted other imports in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, Estonia restarted its shale oil power plants and set back its efforts to phase out heavily polluting fuels. "This is just to replace the missing power supplies and compensate for high power prices." "This is just to replace the missing power supplies and compensate for high power prices," Stutter said of the shift back to shale oil. About 80% of cost of power from the power plants are environmental taxes. Eesti Energia said it had hired 600 people this year to ramp up shale oil production and to staff the power plants.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterRNG, or biogas, is gas captured from organic waste in landfills or farms. BP has offered $26 in cash for each Archaea share, or $3.3 billion, and will take on about $800 million of net debt. The deal will double the expected earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) from biogas to around $2 billion by 2030, BP said. BP plans to invest $1.7 billion in the business by 2027 to accelerate its growth which will not change BP's overall capital expenditure plans, Looney said. BP plans to spend $14 to $16 billion in 2022, the majority of which going towards oil and gas.

☆ BASF CFO Faces Wild Swings in Energy Prices as Company Looks to Budget for 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-07 | by ( Nina Trentmann | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

There are roughly 15,000 people working for Mr. Engel, including in the company’s digital, finance and global shared-service teams. Mr. Engel declined to comment on the financial impact of the cut in production. However, the company expects it will become more difficult to pass on higher costs to customers, Mr. Engel said. Cash flows from operating activities came in at €1.2 billion in the second quarter, down €1.3 billion from the prior-year period. The company is slowing down its hiring and reducing its marketing budget, Mr. Engel said, adding that it hasn’t started cutting jobs.

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