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Battery storage is scaling up and taking on a larger system role
Commentary As the result of falling costs and greater flexibility needs, battery storage is playing a growing role in power systems worldwide, acting as a “multi-tool” that can provide a range of critical system services at once. According to the latest data, the deployment of batteries expanded strongly in 2025 and broadened across markets – with rapid growth in countries such as Australia and Saudi Arabia, where storage is increasingly being used to support the integration of rising shares of variable renewables.In regions that have been at the forefront of renewable integration and battery deployment, batteries now play an…
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International collaboration continues to power innovation in energy technologies
International collaboration continues to power innovation in energy technologies For 50 years, Technology Collaboration Programmes have played a crucial part in advancing international energy goals Throughout history, collaboration among researchers and experts across countries has been a motor of innovation in energy technologies. By advancing our understanding of energy fundamentals, improving the efficiency and quality of existing processes and materials, and supporting the development of frontier technologies that strengthen the energy security and sustainability, this coordination has accelerated progress and shed new light on the implications of innovative technologies around the world.An understanding that energy technology innovation can play…
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China’s Official Energy Finance in Emerging and Developing Economies Case 6. CNOOC investment in Guyana: Whiptail Oil Field
Project overview and impact Guyana has become a dynamic upstream oil market, transforming from a non-producer to an emerging oil exporter within the decade. Since the first discovery of oil in the Stabroek Block in 2015, six large-scale developments have been approved, turning the area into a central pillar of the country’s economic strategy. Production is expected to exceed 1.3 million barrels per day by 2027, making Guyana one of the largest per-capita oil producers globally. The government’s production sharing contract allocates 14.5% of total crude output to the state, with the remainder…
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Coal Mid-Year Update 2025 Trade
Global coal trade reached an all-time high in 2024 Global coal trade reached a new all-time high in 2024, with total volumes estimated to be 1.55 Bt, surpassing the 1.5 Bt mark for the first time. Thermal coal trade rose by 28 Mt to reach 1 180 Mt. This growth was primarily driven by strong import demand in Asia, especially from China. The country experienced growth in imports, with coal imports reaching new highs. Imports increased by 14% up to 548 Mt, resulting in total annual imports surpassing 500 Mt for the first time. This volume is more than…
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Julius Maada Bio
President.
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Vehicle software and software-defined vehicles
GEVO 2026 - Chapter 8 The transition from mechanical to software-based vehicle control has been underway for decades and has accelerated dramatically with the rise of EVs. Pure-play EV makers have pioneered the shift towards high-level, continuously updateable software-based vehicle control, speeding up the development and rollout of new features. Vehicles are evolving into software platforms for which users can access subscription‑based premium features, in the same way as for smartphones. A new design paradigm is emerging, with EVs at the forefront The digital transformation of the car industry is most evident in the emergence of software…
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Jorge Rivera Staff
Energy Secretary.
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Financing Electricity Access in Africa Beyond new connections
Providing an affordable, equitable and quality service Affordability constraints can prevent households from gaining access to electricity or from taking advantage of electricity services once a connection is made. An estimated 220 million people in sub-Saharan Africa (around 40% of those without access) would find the basic bundle unaffordable, rising to 400 million for the essential bundle (65% of those without access). Filling this affordability gap would cost an additional USD 2-10 billion per year, via supply-side subsidies to reduce developer costs, demand-side subsidies to reduce consumer costs, or reductions in financing costs.The cost of capital for electricity access projects…
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Simonetta Sommaruga
Federal Councillor, Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications.
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Universal Access to Clean Cooking in Africa Clean cooking: State of play and recent progress
Nearing a turning point? A lack of clean cooking continues to have profound impacts on public health, women’s equality, economic development, and the environment. Globally, a lack of clean cooking contributes to around 3 million premature deaths each year, with women and children facing the greatest exposure, and accounts for annual emissions equivalent to 1.2 Gt CO2-eq, roughly equivalent to the global CO2 emissions from international aviation and shipping. The challenge is most severe in sub-Saharan Africa, where four out of five households lack clean cooking access today. To spur global action on the issue, the…
