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Ultra-fast charging batteries
…2026 - Chapter 8 New power‑electronics materials, battery cell technologies and battery pack architectures are enabling more efficient, higher‑voltage – and therefore faster – charging systems. Advances in batteries and power electronics are improving EV performance Over the past decade, average EV battery pack energy density (Wh/kg) has increased by around 60%, while prices have fallen by roughly 75%. Moreover, in 2023, battery-related patents accounted for 40% of all energy-sector patents, suggesting that more developments are still to come. At the same time, new power‑electronics materials, battery cell technologies and battery pack architectures are enabling more efficient, higher‑voltage – and therefore…
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Vehicle-to-grid technology
…EV batteries become flexible assets for energy storage rather than mere loads to the grid. There are varying degrees of flexibility. With unidirectional smart charging (V1G), the charging power can be modulated to align electricity demand with generation profiles or to alleviate grid congestion. With vehicle-to-building (V2H/V2B), the EV can additionally discharge energy for use in a home or building, either to serve as a backup during power outages or to lower electricity bills by leveraging dynamic tariffs and increasing self-consumption of rooftop solar. Finally, V2G technology can push energy from the EV battery into the…
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Rare Earth Elements
Pathways to secure and diversified supply chains The critical role of rare earth elements in strategic applications, ranging from energy technologies and advanced electronics to aerospace and defence systems, combined with their highly concentrated supply chains, has elevated their importance in both energy and broader economic security discussions in recent years. This report assesses the current state of the rare earth elements market, examining demand and supply dynamics and key technological developments. It analyses the full value chain from mining to permanent magnet production, evaluates vulnerabilities across supply chains, and highlights the implications of potential supply disruptions. Based on these…
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Critical Mineral Traceability for Energy and Economic Security
Amid rising risks linked to the high concentration of critical mineral supply chains, the ability to track where minerals originate, how they move through supply chains, who has custody of them and how they are transformed is increasingly important for policymakers seeking to create diversified and responsible supply chains.This report provides insights from a first-of-its kind survey on traceability conducted by the IEA and OECD. More than 80 respondent companies active across supply chains of the six focus minerals (copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt, graphite and rare earth elements) provided results between October and December 2025. Drawing on…
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Gas Market Report, Q2-2026
This edition of the IEA's quarterly Gas Market Report provides a comprehensive review of developments during the 2025/26 heating season and a special spotlight on the effects of the war in the Middle East on international gas markets. Amid the major supply shock caused by the disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on regional energy infrastructure, it examines the conflict’s implications for gas supply and demand at both the regional and global levels. The report also analyses the consequences for storage, shipping and prices – providing critical insights on evolving market trends.The loss of nearly…
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Financing the Modernisation of Power Systems Beyond Coal
The role of transition credits in Southeast Asia Coal is a central component of power systems in Southeast Asia, even as governments have committed to reducing coal‑related emissions. Rapid electricity demand growth, alongside coal’s role in system adequacy, reliability and energy security, complicates efforts to accelerate coal transitions. Recent volatility in international gas markets has reinforced the short‑term economic and security value of existing coal assets, adding complexity to national transition strategies. The region’s young coal fleet also implies substantial long‑term emissions if plants continue operating at current utilisation rates.Against this backdrop, new approaches are being explored…
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Gas Market Report, Q1-2026
…tensions and weather impacts may still cause price volatility. Close international co-operation between responsible producers and consumers remains important to reinforce the architecture for secure global gas supplies. The International Energy Agency (IEA) continues to support this process, including through the permanent Working Party on Natural Gas and Sustainable Gases Security (GWP), established in late 2024.This edition of the quarterly Gas Market Report provides a thorough review of market developments in 2025 and an outlook for 2026. The report includes a section dedicated to key policies undertaken in 2025, with a special focus on market reforms introduced in…
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Artificial intelligence and EVs
…EVs, particularly for automated driving and integrated vehicle control. Sensors and chips integrate well with the stable, high-voltage power supply of EV batteries. At the same time, the benefits of AI and increased computing power are not exclusive to EVs. AI‑enabled energy management systems are increasingly used to optimise hybrid vehicles, and AI techniques are accelerating the design, testing and optimisation of all vehicles. Advances in AI underpin progress in autonomous vehicles Just two decades ago, state-of-the-art autonomous vehicles were confined to test tracks, and whiledriverless cars they already employed a wide array of sensors, the…
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Financing the ASEAN Power Grid
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has a long history of electricity system connectivity, and the development of the ASEAN Power Grid (APG) is central to achieving a sustainable, secure and affordable energy transition across the region. Delivering the APG will require a significant step‑change in investment over the coming 15 years, and unlocking financing from a diverse range of sources will be essential for this to happen. Yet financing approaches and business models have not evolved at the pace required to support an increasingly ambitious and complex pipeline of interconnector projects.This report examines how interconnectors are approached…
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Financing CCUS at Scale
How to Mobilise Private Capital Carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) is an important area of attention for governments and financiers as both look to balance policy and investment goals. Recent financial investment decisions of major projects show promise in a sector that is gaining momentum, but its future success depends on viable business models and effective risk allocation across the value chain.In this context, Financing CCUS at Scale is the IEA’s latest report on what it takes to move CCUS projects from the drawing board to operation. Building on expert interviews with leading financial institutions, the report…
